This was my first Emily Giffin somehow. I read it super fast in one night. I’ve been drawn to quicker books lately, and I figured from her reputation, this one would be an easy read. It definitely was - very effortless to get through.

This book follows two families after Nina’s son Finch takes an unfortunate photo with a racist caption of Tom’s daughter Lyla at a party. It’s told from multiple perspectives. Nina’s family is Nashville elite - they are super rich. Tom is a working class single dad.

The plot made this book compellingly readable, and I did enjoy the time I spent on it. Unfortunately, it was quite cliched and the overall message wasn’t great.

This book played up a lot of stereotypes about rich people, privilege, and about people who grew up less well off as being more moral. I think you were supposed to feel bad for Nina as she struggled with the consequences of raising her son in such luxury, especially once some of her backstory was revealed. Unfortunately she just came off as kind of a jerk of a mom to me - she never took any real responsibility for anything.

Overall, this book delivers a quick escape, some family drama with some real issues intertwined, a few twisty moments, and page-turner qualities. It just didn’t pack the emotional punch for me that I would have hoped from the description. I’d recommend it as a good beach read but if you’re looking for a deep exploration into some hard topics, this probably isn’t it.