Baby Proof

I think your opinion of this book will depend on your life situation. If you are at an age where children are expected and you don't know quite yet what your opinion on the subject is, you'll find this to be a very compelling read.

I am at the age where I'm constantly bombarded by people asking when I'm going to get pregnant and usually have to preface every long distance phone call home with, "Hi Mom/Auntie Jane/Grandma/(insert random relative here)... no, I'm not pregnant. How are you?"

I totally understood the protagonist's point of view on not wanting to have children even though she loves her nieces and nephews. I wouldn't say I don't want them as much as I don't know. So it was a subject matter I personally found interesting. What killed me is that she and her husband were willing to throw their relationship away over it. I felt like both characters were too weak to battle it out and fight for their marriage.

Again, like all Giffin novels (so far), I was happy with the ending and it made me crave another one of her books. Unfortunately I have now read them all so she has some catching up to do!

This is another novel by Emily Giffin, the author of Something Borrowed and Something Blue. It follows the story of Claudia – a career woman who is adamant about the fact that she does not want children. She meets Ben who is perfect for her in many ways – he even shares her desire to not have children. The two have a blissful marriage until Ben decides he wants to have kids after all. The plot of this book sounds predictable, and in some ways it is, but it is still an engaging read with relatable characters. Claudia is burdened by tensions that I am betting every woman can relate to.

I did not love this book as much as Something Borrowed and Something Blue, but if you were a fan of Emily Giffin’s writing in those books, I think you should give this one a chance. In all of her books, she surprises me with the ability to make seemingly predictable situations into completely unexpected plot twists, while also creating characters so relatable that you feel like you are actually their friends. This book is no exception.

I loved this novel. If you have ever been in this situation (one partner wants a baby and the other doesn't) then it is a definite read for sure! I could not put this book down!

Everyone kept telling me that this book isn't as good as her first two books, so when I read it, I did not have high expectations. However, I thought Griffin had done a great job writing this book. The story was not as emotionally gripping as the other two but I thought the character developement was wonderful. Both Claudia and Ben learned a valuable lesson that I think everyone can take that lesson home and apply it to their own lives.

I was excited to read this book from New York Times bestselling author Emily Giffin. Her writing is smart and the characters well-developed and believable.

The novel asks the question: "Is there ever a deal-breaker when it comes to true love?" Soulmates Claudia and Ben share the untraditional desire of a childless marriage, but the relationship is threatened when one of them changes their mind. Adding context to their dilemma are subplots involving Claudia's sisters, one who desperately wants children but is unable and the other a classic supermom trapped in an unhappy marriage.

I can recommend this book to someone in a similar situation as Claudia and Ben, or a book club looking for a good discussion about the societal pressures on women and motherhood. This is not the humorous read one expects from most chick lit, and so I wouldn't recommend it to someone looking for a fun, light story.

This was not a book for me. I couldn't identify with any of the characters, and found the story predictable and the conclusion unsatisfying. I think it would have worked much better as a short story - too much introspection and detail made the plot drag longer than necessary and failed to captivate me.