Heart of The Matter by Emily Giffin.

Heart of the Matter  – Emily Giffin. 

(Orion, 2010) 

Review by Laura Parish.

Tessa Russo can’t help but contemplate how fragile life can be. She has witnessed her husband Nick’s sombre mood when he returns from a call-out, knowing that another child has been hurt. She looks at her two perfect children and thinks that she is one of the lucky ones.

Valerie Anderson’s world collapses when she takes a phone call. As a single mother, she’s always been protective of her son Charlie and will always regret how one decision leads to a terrible accident. It’s only when she meets Nick Russo, Charlie’s surgeon that she finds hope.

As the lives of these two women intersect, they are forced to question everything they hold dear – and face a future that neither one had ever envisaged.

I was especially excited at the thought of reading this book being a fan of Emily’s earlier books, ‘Something Borrowed’ and ‘Something Blue.’

‘Heart of the Matter’ seemed to me to be a very ‘real’ story. It’s told from the perspective of two women both mothers but both in different situations. The narrative was nicely balanced.

Tess, the wife, full time mother and then Valerie, the single mother and working woman. Both characters seemed relatable but for different reasons. As I progressed through the story, I was able to keep sympathy and empathy for both women whilst they made decisions about their lives.

If you’re a fan of Emily Giffin, then I recommend this book. To all new readers of Emily’s, this book is a great place to begin.

by

Laura

I'm Laura. I started Novel Kicks back in 2009 as I wanted a place to discuss books and writing - two loves of my life. As someone who has anxiety, these two things give me, and I am sure countless others, a much needed escape.
There is a monthly book club, writing exercises, prompts, reviews, author interviews, competitions and guest posts. I cover many genres and I hope there is something for everyone.
I grew up by the sea in Dorset and currently live in Poole with my husband, Chris and three cats. I love writing and have a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing from Falmouth University. I am writing my first book. If only I could stop pressing delete. Chris has threatened to stop it from working. Haha.
I have always loved creative writing since I was in first school and would very much like to meet my teacher, Miss Sayers, to say thank you for all the encouragement she gave me then.
When not writing, I love reading, cats, Disney, singing (I can't sing but this doesn't stop me,) and falling into a good TV show or film. If I could step into any fictional world, it would be amongst the characters in ABC's Once Upon a Time.
I love reading many genres and discovering new authors.