Where We Belong

Emily Giffin's road to publishing her first novel (at least from her account on her website) seems almost too good to be true. Several novels later Giffin still shows real talent for writing women's fiction and consistently publishes books that I enjoy reading.
Where We Belong was a quick read - the story of thirty-six year old Marian, a successful television writer/producer who has kept a secret for half of her life.  When she was just eighteen she had a baby that she gave up for adoption unbeknownst to everyone beside her mother.  Even the baby's father never knew that she was pregnant. When Kirby, her daughter, finds her mother and shows up at Marian's apartment, Marian must re-examine her past decisions and the one relationship that she ended despite the happiness it brought her.
While I didn't necessarily like the way Marian dealt with her pregnancy, I appreciated Giffin's ability to be able to tell Marian's side of the story as well. Her recall of her romance that produced Kirby made her more likeable and real. Both Kirby and Marian alternate narrating their stories, making this a great crossover novels that will appeal to teens as well as adults.
I have a soft spot for "happily ever after" romances, and while Giffin's novel ends with some ambiguity, there is hope enough at book's end for me to believe that happily ever after really does happen.