Emily Giffin’s novels consistently subvert readers’ expectations of what “women’s fiction” can and should be. Frequently introducing characters who are less than perfectly sympathetic and leading up to conclusions that fall far short of “happily ever after,” Giffin’s books always offer great fodder for discussion and plenty of insights into familial and romantic relationships.

That’s certainly the case with Giffin’s latest, FIRST COMES LOVE, which starts with the sudden death in a car accident of Daniel, beloved oldest son, the “golden boy” in the Garland family, in December 2001. Nearly 15 years later, Daniel’s sisters, Josie and Meredith, are still feeling the repercussions of their brother’s loss in their own lives, for better or for worse.

"Giffin almost scrupulously avoids satisfying readers’ expectations. This makes for a mostly invigorating reading experience.... [T]he end intentionally leaves several plot points unresolved, ensuring that readers will continue wondering if and how Josie and Meredith will rise to the challenges that continue to face them."

Josie, a first-grade teacher, loves her job and her life --- most of the time. She’s anxious about the fact that her most significant ex, Will, is now married, with a six-year-old daughter who’s about to enter Josie’s class. Teaching Will’s daughter offers Josie too many reminders of everything (husband, kids, stability) she’s missing out on, but she feels like she has to come to terms with what might have been her own role in Daniel’s death before she can make any positive changes in her own life.

Before Daniel’s death, Meredith was an aspiring actress. But after he died, Meredith switched course entirely, going to law school and eventually marrying Daniel’s best friend, Nolan. As the 15th anniversary of Daniel’s death approaches, however, Meredith finds herself questioning how she has wound up where she is --- living in her childhood home in Atlanta, married to her dead brother’s best friend, doing a job she doesn’t like --- and whether or not she can recapture who she once aspired to be.

When Josie announces her plans to have a baby via a sperm donor, and when Josie and Meredith’s mother announces her desire to have the family visit Daniel’s one-time girlfriend in New York to commemorate his death, the tension between the two sisters --- who have never really talked about what happened that night --- comes to a head. Both Meredith and Josie disagree with the other’s approach to grief. Each thinks the other is making huge mistakes with her life. And both need each other more than either would admit.

In FIRST COMES LOVE, Giffin almost scrupulously avoids satisfying readers’ expectations. This makes for a mostly invigorating reading experience. At times, however, this approach can lead to awkward plot situations, such as Josie’s attempts to decide if her sperm donor should be her best friend and roommate or the guy she’s currently kind of dating. This clumsy would-be triangle is confusing at best and cringe-inducing at worst. More successful is the relationship between Meredith and Josie, whose antagonism toward one another is credible and complicated.

As with many Giffin novels, the end intentionally leaves several plot points unresolved, ensuring that readers will continue wondering if and how Josie and Meredith will rise to the challenges that continue to face them.