review: first comes love by emily giffin

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As the 15th anniversary of their older brother’s death approaches, Josie and Meredith are both at crossroads. Josie longs for a family of her own (which becomes a full-on obsession when her ex-boyfriend’s daughter becomes one of her 1st grade students) while Meredith hates her job and knows she was never really in love with her husband (who just happens to be her deceased brother’s best friend). First Comes Love is fraught with emotion as Josie pursues having a baby on her own and Meredith’s unhappiness causes her to lash out at those who love her. Emily Giffin tells the story of these two very different sisters by alternating the perspective of each chapter. This choice creates an interesting view of family dynamics. In the Josie chapters, Josie’s actions seem reasonable while Meredith comes across as a judgmental shrew; in the Meredith chapters, Meredith seems less of a malcontent while Josie appears to be a selfish brat. By the end, no one has shown any growth which was a disappointment, but Giffin’s latest novel does illustrate how one traumatic event can affect the lives of everyone involved forever.
4/5
Review copy provided by the publicist, BookSparks PR.