Something Borrowed

If it wasn't for my book club and this one being the May book, I would never in a million years have bought this book to read. And here is the reason why:


Direct quote from back of book...

"Rachel White is the consummate good girl. A hard-working attorney at a large Manhattan law firm and a diligent maid of honor to her charmed best friend Darcy, Rachel has always played by all the rules. Since grade school, she has watched Darcy shine, quietly accepting the sidekick role in their lopsided friendship. But that suddenly changes the night of her thirtieth birthday when Rachel finally confesses her feelings to Darcy's fiance, and is both horrified and thrilled to discover that he feels the same way. As the wedding date draws near, events spiral out of control, and Rachel knows she must make a choice between her heart and conscience. In so doing, she discovers that the lines between right and wrong can be blurry, endings aren't always neat, and sometimes you have to risk everything to be true to yourself."

You see, if I had just picked up this book in the bookstore, I would have immediately put it down after reading that description on the back cover. Actually, come to think of it, I think I did that exact thing a year ago when I saw this book and thought it might be fun to read since I was engaged at that tim and it looked like a wedding story. Um, no. Not at all.

In the first chapter, you meet the main character Rachel and her supposed best friend Darcy and Darcy's fiance Dex. It is Rachel's 30th birthday and she's still single, hates her job, resents Darcy, and apparently has a secret crush on Dex. Major gag-fest from the start. I mean, are these people in high school or in their 30's? In that same chapter, Rachel and Dex get drunk and sleep together after Darcy leaves the party. Okay, what? Slut and Man-Slut!

Thus, the rest of this book is about Rachel and Dex hiding their affair (yes, they continue to have sex behind Darcy's back while Dex and Darcy are still engaged!) and Rachel complaining and whining about how Darcy has just used her their entire lives. Rachel resents Darcy for always being the more popular, more pretty girl, and always getting everything she wants. Rachel, on the other hand has always been in Darcy's shadow and allowed Darcy to walk all over her. Therefore, at the present time, Rachel feels no guilt for sleeping with Darcy's fiance.

I couldn't relate to the book at all. First of all, if Rachel hated Darcy so much, why was she even friends with her? I couldn't understand how Rachel even put up with Darcy's bitchiness for so long. Not to mention, what did Darcy see in Rachel -- a whiny, annoying stick-in-the-mud? I don't even know how they were still friends friends after all these years. They had absolutely nothing in common once they passed the age of nine.

Second of all, the fact that Rachel had no qualms about sleeping with her best-friends fiance, kinda made me hate her and have absolutely no sympathy or respect for her. I know we are supposed to be on Rachel's side because Darcy is such a mean, horrible person, but I hated both of them and thought the entire story was ridiculous.

I know this book is supposed to just be a fun, chick-lit, easy read; so if that's what you're looking for, then by all means take a chance with this book. I personally don't "fun," frivolous tales about people cheating on their fiances. But that's just me.