Quick Pick: First Comes Love, by Emily Giffin

• Opening lines: It is the first day of school, a symbolic and hopeful fresh start, at least that's what I tell myself as I stand before my captive, well-scrubbed audience of ten boys and eleven girls in my J.Crew finest - gold ballet flats, gray pants, and a pink, sequined sweater set.
• Reason I picked up the book: NetGalley had it for reviewing and I love Emily Giffin books - she's also written Something Borrowed, which was a great movie too, plus its sequel, and tons of other "chick lit" books that I've enjoyed.
• And what's this book about?
In this dazzling new novel, Emily Giffin, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Something Borrowed, Where We Belong, and The One & Only introduces a pair of sisters who find themselves at a crossroads.

Growing up, Josie and Meredith Garland shared a loving, if sometimes contentious relationship. Josie was impulsive, spirited, and outgoing; Meredith hardworking, thoughtful, and reserved. When tragedy strikes their family, their different responses to the event splinter their delicate bond.

Fifteen years later, Josie and Meredith are in their late thirties, following very different paths. Josie, a first grade teacher, is single—and this close to swearing off dating for good. What she wants more than the right guy, however, is to become a mother—a feeling that is heightened when her ex-boyfriend’s daughter ends up in her class. Determined to have the future she’s always wanted, Josie decides to take matters into her own hands.

On the outside, Meredith is the model daughter with the perfect life. A successful attorney, she’s married to a wonderful man, and together they’re raising a beautiful four-year-old daughter. Yet lately, Meredith feels dissatisfied and restless, secretly wondering if she chose the life that was expected of her rather than the one she truly desired.

As the anniversary of their tragedy looms and painful secrets from the past begin to surface, Josie and Meredith must not only confront the issues that divide them, but also come to terms with their own choices. In their journey toward understanding and forgiveness, both sisters discover they need each other more than they knew . . . and that in the recipe for true happiness, love always comes first.

Emotionally honest and utterly enthralling, First Comes Love is a story about family, friendship, and the courage to follow your own heart—wherever that may lead.
• Favorite paragraph:
  "No. I can't," I say, shaking my head. Then, talking about my sister in the third person, I add, "Will someone please tell her that bringing a child into the world is the hardest thing you can do?"
  
  When nobody answers, I finally turn to walk out of the house, catching the look of anguish on Mom's face and knowing, in an instant, she's thinking how wrong I am about this. That watching your child leave the world is actually much harder.
• Recommended for: Anyone who likes family tales and also family secrets; also for those who like "chick lit."
• Something to know: I found this to be more serious than Giffin's other books; it deals with a family tragedy and the aftermath of that. 
• What I would have changed: Nothing.
• Overall rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
• Where can I find this book? Click here to pre-order on Amazon - it will be released on June 28th.

*Disclosure: I received an e-copy of this book from Netgalley for reviewing purposes. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own.