Synopsis from Goodreads.com:
Camille Hart, one of Manhattan’s most sought-after matchmakers, has survived more than her fair share of hardships. Her mother died when she was a young girl, leaving her and her sister with an absentee father. Now in her forties, she has already survived cancer once, though the battle revealed just how ill-equipped her husband Edward is to be a single parent. So when doctors tell Camille that her cancer is back—and this time it’s terminal—she decides to put her matchmaking expertise to the test for one final job. Seeking stability for her children and happiness for her husband, Camille sets out to find the perfect woman to replace her when she’s gone.
But what happens when a dying wish becomes a case of “be careful what you wish for”? For Edward and Camille, the stunning conclusion arrives with one last twist of fate that no one saw coming.
At once deeply felt and witty, The Replacement Wife is an unforgettable story of love and family, and a refreshing look at the unexpected paths that lead us to our own happy endings.

My review:
I was looking for something that was a little closer to the types of books I normally read after finishing Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. (Read that review here.) The Replacement Wife seemed to fit the bill after reading the back of the book/description on Kobo.

This book really played with my emotions! I was really cheering for Camille and I could understand her worry for her family after her death. Would I go as far as she did? Probably not, but I can understand it.

I loved following each of the different characters in the book – from Camille, to her husband (even though his actions irritated me), her sister, and the other “supporting” characters. I must say that I was a little disappointed in the way the book finished though. Without giving anything away – I just wish that one certain character ended up with someone at the end of it all.

The twists in the book surprised me a little, but some didn’t. Overall, I give this book 4 Stars out of 5.

Have you read this book? What did you think?

Synopsis from Goodreads.com:
Nine-year-old Oskar Schell has embarked on an urgent, secret mission that will take him through the five boroughs of New York. His goal is to find the lock that matches a mysterious key that belonged to his father, who died in the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11. This seemingly impossible task will bring Oskar into contact with survivors of all sorts on an exhilarating, affecting, often hilarious, and ultimately healing journey.

My Review:
I first heard of Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close because a friend saw the preview for the movie version and he said that the title reminded him of my dog (Daphne likes to get her face as close as humanly possible to yours and can be quite vocal). That was back in February or whenever the movie was first hitting theatres. I downloaded the book to my Kobo a couple months ago after I got a % off coupon and it was one of the more interesting titles available with the discount.

To be honest, I had a hard time getting into this book and by the time I thought it started to get interesting, it ended! I found the switches between characters a bit hard to follow, especially Oskar’s grandparents’ sections, although Oskar’s chapters were interesting and intriguing to read. If the book were strictly about him and not so much his grandparents, I would’ve enjoyed it more. In fact, I think if you were to take out the grandparents entirely, I think you’d still be able to understand the book.

I did enjoy Oskar’s maturity and his little quirks and sayings, and his interactions with some of the people he comes across during his quest are amusing.

I don’t know if I’ll watch the movie or not. I like Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock, so maybe if I see it for free somewhere I’ll watch it, but I didn’t enjoy the book enough to cough out the dough to pay to watch it On Demand.

Overall, I give Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close 3 Stars out of Five.

Have you read this novel? What did you think?

Synopsis from Goodreads.com:
Marian Caldwell is a thirty-six year old television producer, living her dream in New York City. With a fulfilling career and satisfying relationship, she has convinced everyone, including herself, that her life is just as she wants it to be. But one night, Marian answers a knock on the door . . . only to find Kirby Rose, an eighteen-year-old girl with a key to a past that Marian thought she had sealed off forever. From the moment Kirby appears on her doorstep, Marian’s perfectly constructed world—and her very identity—will be shaken to its core, resurrecting ghosts and memories of a passionate young love affair that threaten everything that has come to define her.
For the precocious and determined Kirby, the encounter will spur a process of discovery that ushers her across the threshold of adulthood, forcing her to re-evaluate her family and future in a wise and bittersweet light. As the two women embark on a journey to find the one thing missing in their lives, each will come to recognize that where we belong is often where we least expect to find ourselves—a place that we may have willed ourselves to forget, but that the heart remembers forever.

My review:
Emily Giffin is my favourite author, so when she announced last year that she had a new book coming out in July, I was super excited! Believe it or not, I almost forgot that the book came out near the end of July since I was busy having a baby and all. Anyway – I digress! I bought this book for my Kobo and couldn’t wait to start reading it!

I loved this book and its main characters, Marian and Kirby. Marian, a thirty-something TV producer, and Kirby, an 18-year-old trying to figure out who she really is as she reaches the end of high school, are easy to love and grow attached to. I admired Marian’s story of secretly giving her daughter (Kirby) up for adoption without even telling the birth dad. I can’t imagine getting pregnant at the age of 18, let alone keeping it a secret and then giving the child up for adoption.

I also think that anyone who has been adopted can relate to Kirby’s character. Who wouldn’t want to know where they really came from, especially when you seem to have such a great difference of opinion from your adoptive family. I enjoyed reading Kirby’s journey in finding her birth mom, birth dad, and most importantly, herself.

I seriously could  not stop reading this book, just like every other one of Giffin’s novels. There’s also going to be a “Where We Belong” movie made in the future, which I’m looking forward to, although I will admit, the movie version of Something Borrowed left me a little disappointed. But – who knows! It will be interesting to see who is cast as the main characters.

In the end, I gave Where We Belong 5 out of 5 stars. There was nothing I didn’t like about the book!

Have you read Where We Belong, or any of Giffin’s other novels? What did you think?