Baby Proof: A Novel Mass Market Paperback – March 27, 2012

I almost never write five-star reviews, and usually reserve them for books that would be considered by many to be contemporary capital-L literature. But this book is just fabulous. In Emily Giffin's first two books, she wrote complex female characters whose flaws made them unlikable at times but who develop a maturity over the course of the book and become characters for whom I cheer. I expected much the same with Baby Proof and couldn't wait to get it, but it honestly exceeded my expectations.The couple in Baby Proof are struggling with the situation that after previously agreeing not to have children, one partner changes their mind and the other does not. But despite splitting up, it's so clear that they still love each other and belong together. This book is really about how couples come to resolve complicated issues, and shows that this is not always a smooth process. Claudia, the main character, was simultaneously frustrating to me and sympathetic at the same time. And I think Giffin did a good job of not falling back into stereotypes of the "childfree," such as making Claudia hate all children outright. Nor did she fall into cliches in the resolution.Giffin's writing is improving with each book, and while I have loved all three, this one was the most riveting. The pacing of the story had me sneaking extra time to read chapters because it was so compelling. And, even more than that, I was so emotionally invested in the outcome of the story that I did something I haven't done since I was a kid: I skipped ahead to check the last page, just because I was so afraid it wasn't going to turn out how I wanted.Giffin doesn't disappoint. And don't let the covers fool you: she is set apart from most of the rest of the chick lit genre because she's not afraid to make you get mad at the characters for a while, but knows how to deftly turn the story back around so that you do care about the characters and want to see a happy ending.If you liked her other two books and were wondering how well Giffin would do with a story that wasn't about Darcy and Rachel, you can rest assured that she made it work. I would even say this is much better than her previous two books! Since she is improving with each book, I look forward to see what she'll do with the next.

I'm glad I chose this as my first Emily Giffin novel to read. If I had read Heart of the Matter first, I may not have been inclined to read another one of her novels.Claudia and her husband, Ben, both agreed before marrying that they did not want children, but after several years of marriage, Ben changed his mind and suddenly wanted a child. This caused strain and ultimately ended the couple's marriage. Claudia struggled to find herself and decide what she was willing to do to be with the man she loves. At the same time, both her sisters had struggles of their own; one unable to conceive a child and the other trying to mend a marriage with an unfaithful husband. I felt like this book accurately portrayed many struggles that couples face when married- not everything is peaches n' cream. I feel like sometimes books portray one couple as dysfunctional, while other couples in the novel are relatively "normal". I like how Emily showed how everyone has issues because it makes the book more believable and relatable. I found Claudia and her two sisters to be very relatable. Each one of them are so different that I was bound to connect to one of them at one point or another in the book. Although I did not agree with Claudia's views about children, I did not see her as selfish and never got fed up with or tired of her character. I found a couple of the characters (such as Claudia's mother, Richard and her sister's cheating husband) to be a little over the top, but overall I found all of the characters reasonably relatable and eclectic. Ultimately, I liked the storyline and the ending seemed like a win-win for everyone in the book. I put the book down feeling good, like everything was resolved. If you're looking for a good summer chick lit, I'd pick this one up.

Most women grow up and are told, and often assume, that they should be mothers. But what about the women who know, for sure, that they do not want children? And what happens in their marriages when everyone around them starts having babies? Giffin does an excellent job at covering these questions in Baby Proof while providing a strong willed and brave woman to narrate the story. I felt that out of all Giffin's characters, Claudia, the female protagonist, is by far the most independent and rational character she has created. Having chosen to be in a child-free marriage with her husband, Claudia is stunned when her husband begins wanting a baby after their close friends decide to have a baby. Giffin does an excellent job of illustrating the varied emotions Claudia goes through- from feeling betrayed by her husband, being stubborn, being frustrated by her family butting in, and also becoming scared of what will happen to her relationship if she refuses to have a child. I won't give away any spoilers about the rest of the plot but one thing that I love is that Claudia is a character that is not weak and vapid like some chick lit characters tend to be. She is true to herself and considers every side of the "baby question." After finishing this book, I was surprised at how thought-provoking it was for this type of genre. Baby Proof makes you question what are deal-breakers in a relationship (even a marriage!) and what you are willing to sacrifice and compromise to make that relationship work. I would, and have, recommended this book to friends.

I read two other books by this author before and really enjoyed them, so I thought I’d buy this one. It’s very interesting too...maybe not quite as good as her others though. I’d still recommend reading it!

I am not sure if the other people reviewing this book read the same story as I did!! I thought it was FANTASTIC. I loved 'Something Borrowed' and 'Something Blue' and felt that this story and its characters were just as brilliant. The ending does not suggest the main character is back to square one at all - she learns a great deal about love and relationships throughout the story and the ending really reflects this. As usual with Giffin, you feel as if you are in the room with the characters and become totally absorbed. Its the kind of writing that you have to ration to yourself otherwise you would get nothing done all day. She also had a cheeky character overlap; introducing a character from a previous novel into this one which I LOVED. Absolutely brilliant, a perfect treat. Cant wait for her next one!

I was a huge fan of Emily Griffin's previous 2 books - Something Borrowed and Something Blue which I found so heartwarming. Baby Proof earns the spot as well especially that somewhere in this book has a small part of Ethan, a clever injection of his character. Overall a great read with a touching story about love, lost and finding love again..would definitely recommend this book.

liked the book. hooked me pretty quickly in the beginning but ***SPOILER ALERT*** I was disappointed with the ending. and also with the fact that the two main characters got divorces so damn fast. overall a good read

まわりでもよく聞く、「結婚したけど、子供をどうするかでもめて離婚した。」という話です。著者の今までのパターンを考えると、最後はまた元のさやに戻る、という結論しかないわけで、いったいこのネタで1冊面白く書けたの？といぶかしく思いながら読みました。しかし、Emily Giffin, さすがです。最後まで面白かったです。途中でEathenも一瞬登場します。著者は、登場人物の繊細な心の動きであったり、家族の中でお互いの気持ちを尊重したり、思いやる場面の描写がすごく上手だと思います。しかし、気になるのが、出版社でバリバリ働いている主人公が、仕事中にしょっちゅう家族や恋人とメールや電話のやり取りをしていましたが、まずありえないです。一日の時間の使い方も、バリギャルのものではない感じがが非現実的。アメリカ企業にいたときに思ったけど、日本企業と違って、タイトルがあればあるほど（管理職になればなるほど）残業をしてでも、半端ない量の実務をこなすものだと思います。