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Emily Giffin’s novels are almost all standalones, built to be read in any sequence. The one exception is her early, well-known two-book storyline: Something Borrowed → Something Blue. Those two share major characters and are best read in that order.
If you want to read “in order” anyway, use publication order. It protects surprises and shows how her themes shift over time.
Two ways to start (pick one and you’re fine)
Start at the beginning if you want the full arc: Something Borrowed (2004).
Start with her most recent published novel if you want the newest style first: The Summer Pact (2024).
The only connected storyline (read in order)
- Something Borrowed (2004): A woman’s stable life tilts when her best friend’s fiancé becomes the person she can’t stop thinking about.
- Something Blue (2005): The best friend from book one is forced to grow up fast when her perfect plans fall apart.
Standalone novels in publication order
- Baby Proof (2006): A happy marriage is tested when one partner quietly changes the “no kids” agreement.
- Love the One You’re With (2008): A newly married woman can’t shake the pull of her first love, even when the present looks “right.”
- Heart of the Matter (2010): Two very different lives collide through an affair that raises questions no one is ready to answer.
- Where We Belong (2012): A successful woman confronts a secret from her teens when the child she placed for adoption reappears.
- The One & Only (2014): A reporter caught between loyalty and love must decide what she truly wants when everything changes at once.
- First Comes Love (2016): Two sisters’ bond strains when long-held feelings and complicated choices refuse to stay buried.
- All We Ever Wanted (2018): A respected mother faces fallout when one teenage mistake exposes the story her community tells itself.
- The Lies That Bind (2020): A woman’s romantic certainty collapses when truth arrives in layers she didn’t know existed.
- Meant to Be (2023): A high-profile love story fights gravity, fame, family damage, and timing all pulling in different directions.
- The Summer Pact (2024): College friends reunite years after a tragedy, discovering the past didn’t end when they left campus.
What about chronological order?
There isn’t a separate “timeline” order across her work. Outside the two connected early books, each novel is its own complete story, so chronological order doesn’t add anything beyond publication order.
A low-stress recommended reading plan
If you want structure without turning it into homework:
- Something Borrowed → Something Blue (the only true “read these together” pair)
- All We Ever Wanted (social fallout, fast momentum)
- The Lies That Bind (twistier, more layered reveals)
- Meant to Be (big, sweeping relationship stakes)
- The Summer Pact (friendship-focused, grief-to-hope arc)
Then fill in the earlier standalones whenever you want more.
Latest release status
- Most recent published novel: The Summer Pact (2024).
- Next announced novel: Love You More (scheduled for July 7, 2026).
FAQs
Do I have to read Emily Giffin in order?
No, except Something Borrowed before Something Blue if you care about character continuity.
Will I spoil anything by jumping around?
Not usually. The standalones don’t depend on each other, but some rely on late reveals, so publication order can feel cleaner.
If I only read one book, which one is the safest first try?
Something Borrowed if you want the classic entry, or The Summer Pact if you want her most recent style.
Frank is the editor of BookSeries.blog, focusing on publication order, chronological timelines, and spoiler-free reading guides for book series and fictional universes.