The Lies That Bind by Emily Giffin – a Review

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Description:
It’s 2 A.M. on a Saturday night in the spring of 2001, and twenty-eight-year-old Cecily Gardner sits alone in a dive bar in New York’s East Village, questioning her life. Feeling lonesome and homesick for the Midwest, she wonders if she’ll ever make it as a reporter in the big city–and whether she made a terrible mistake in breaking up with her longtime boyfriend, Matthew.

As Cecily reaches for the phone to call him, she hears a guy on the barstool next to her say, “Don’t do it–you’ll regret it.” Something tells her to listen, and over the next several hours–and shots of tequila–the two forge an unlikely connection. That should be it, they both decide the next morning, as Cecily reminds herself of the perils of a rebound relationship. Moreover, their timing couldn’t be worse–Grant is preparing to quit his job and move overseas. Yet despite all their obstacles, they can’t seem to say goodbye, and for the first time in her carefully constructed life, Cecily follows her heart instead of her head.

Then Grant disappears in the chaos of 9/11. Fearing the worst, Cecily spots his face on a missing-person poster, and realizes she is not the only one searching for him. Her investigative reporting instincts kick into action as she vows to discover the truth. But the questions pile up fast: How well did she really know Grant? Did he ever really love her? And is it possible to love a man who wasn’t who he seemed to be?

The Lies That Bind is a mesmerizing and emotionally resonant exploration of the never-ending search for love and truth–in our relationships, our careers, and deep within our own hearts.

Review:

The Lies That Bind by Emily Giffin is a standalone novel.  We meet Cecily Gardner, our heroine, immediately as she sits in a bar; despondent about her job as a reporter, homesick, as well as her recent breakup with her boyfriend.  Though it is in the wee hours, she decides to call her ex, but out of nowhere, a stranger sitting near her calls out “don’t do it”; to her surprise, they start a conversation and both start drinking tequila shots, and shortly thereafter, he walks her home. The next morning, they each learn each other’s name and a romance begins to build; as Grant is very charming and sexy and Cecily slowly begins to fall in love with him.  The chemistry between them is sizzling, but how much does she know about Grant? 

Her gay friend, Scottie, warns her careful of Grant, as he is away a lot; introduces her to others as a friend; but Cecily is too enamored with Grant to pay attention.  He does tell her about his sick brother, and that he needs to take him for treatment, and will be away for a while.  Cecily and Scottie take a trip to visit Grant, where she meets his sick brother, and spends time with Grant.  After her return home, she waits patiently for his return, and then tragedy strikes.  This is where a surprise element is added, where Grant dies in the 9/11 tragedy.

What follows is Cecily trying to cope with Grant’s death, and in her grief begins to spend more time with her ex Matthew.  She will also learn that Grant was married, and meets his wife, Amy, who eventually becomes friends with Cecily, though she keeps her relationship with Grant a secret.  Just when Cecily accepts her happy ever after with Matthew, she learns she is pregnant, and everything changes.  Who is the father, Grant or Matthew?

Emily Giffin throws us a number of surprises and twists in the last half of the book, which I will not tell, as it would be spoilers.  I did have some mixed feelings about these surprises, but the last third of the book was a bit mind boggling. The ending was not what I expected.  The Ties That Bind was an interesting story, with a bit of everything; friendship, love, dark, family, with betrayals and lies. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher