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 in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.