Girls Night Out! Chick Flicks – Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin, The Movie

Second Date

I thought for the second rendition of Girls Night Out! Chick Flicks I would combine a Chick Flick I have been eagerly (obsessively) anticipating for the past two years, Something Borrowed with a book review of its original text of the same title by chick lit queen, Emily Giffin.

Emily Giffin broke out into the chick lit scene one of the heights of the genre. Red Dress Ink was firmly established in the US as a popular publication house for chick lit novels only, with the UK’s Little Black Dress books right on its tales. Although Emily Giffin never published any of her books with either of these houses, she became a prominent figure in the genre of chick lit, where she remains firmly planted to this day and Something Borrowed was the book that set her career in motion. A classic tale of two rivaling best friends, Darcy and Rachel – perhaps, better known today by the term coined by tv show, Sex and the City, as “frenemies”, aptly labeled for their love-hate relationship which continually crosses that fine line between friends and enemies. As Darcy deals with the stress of planning her wedding to handsome lawyer, Dex, and Rachel deals with the stress of turning 30 and still being single, the two best friends’ lives intersect in more ways than ever before. Through all the fights and milestones, nothing has torn them apart, but Darcy and Rachel’s friendship is about to be tested in ways they never could have imagined.

In the opening scene of the novel, Something Borrowed, we find Darcy, Dex, Rachel and all their friends at a Manhattan bar, celebrating Rachel’s 30^th birthday. Darcy, ever the party girl, is in her prime, drinking, dancing on tables and otherwise stealing the spotlight as she has always been so inclined to do. After her umpteenth cocktail, it’s decided that she’d be better off calling it a night, and Dex, usually the perfect gentleman and boyfriend, puts her in a cab and stays behind with Rachel and friends. By night’s end, when the last of their friends, Marcus, announces his departure, it’s only Dex and Rachel left standing – and “standing” quickly shifts into a more horizontal position as they, too, leave, together for Rachel’s apartment. Unplanned, unpredicted, but definitely not unwanted, Rachel is confused, to say the very least at what has just happened. Was it a one-night stand? Does Dex actually have feelings for Rachel? What about his engagement to Darcy? Is it over? Will he tell her? Should she tell her? When sex, best friends, fiancés, and a wedding are on the line, things can only go in one direction – down and Dex and Rachel learn how “one-night” can quickly turn from complicated to dangerous to disastrous. Who will be left standing and who will be together in the end?

Something Borrowed was an unforgettable and incredible debut from St. Martin's Press author, Emily Giffin, who has since reigned as one of the foremost queens of chick lit. She dares to broach subjects that others may feel are too taboo to write about, such as lovers, affairs, fantasies about ex-lovers, love triangles between best friends and fiancés and more scandalous plot lines to tantalize all your reading senses. I listened to the audio version, which was narrated very eloquently by Jennifer Wiltsie. She created an audible world of friendship, overcome by love, passion and betrayal, taking my imagination of the novel to new heights. This classic chick lit book will remain on my shelf for years and decades to come. A + + / 5 Stars

Warner Bros. romantic comedy, Something Borrowed, is due for release in theaters nationwide May 6, 2011. It stars Kate Hudson as Darcy, Ginnifer Goodwin as Rachel, John Krasinsky as Ethan, Steve Howey as Marcus and Colin Egglesfield as Dex.

(Bonus: Be on alert for an Emily Giffin cameo in the movie!)