Love You More

by Emily Giffin

A woman is newly engaged to a man she adores when she receives a call from her first love—with news that shatters her carefully ordered world—in this emotional, powerful novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Summer Pact.

Billie has built the perfect life. Her practice as a doctor in New York City is thriving, and she’s finally found the right partner in Dean after years spent trying to move on from her high-school sweetheart, Mick. Their young love had been intense and true, but distance and ambition pulled them apart when she left Wisconsin for medical school.

Then one morning, just after accepting Dean’s romantic marriage proposal, Billie’s phone rings. It’s Mick—calling for the first time in nearly a decade. His news is urgent, and in a moment, everything changes.

As Billie boards a plane back to Wisconsin, the past comes rushing in—her friendships from home, the love she shared with Mick, and the choices that shaped them. What awaits her is a reckoning with what she’s lost, what she’s built, and what she still wants.

Gripping and deeply moving, Love You More is a story about the plot twists life throws at us—and how love, in all its forms, has the power to change everything.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Summer, Summer Reads, Chick Lit, Adult Fiction, Adult

320 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication July 7, 2026

About the author

EMILY GIFFIN is a graduate of Wake Forest University and the University of Virginia School of Law. The #1 New York Times bestselling author of eleven novels, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, Baby Proof, Love the One You're With, Heart of the Matter, Where We Belong, The One & Only, First Comes Love, All We Ever Wanted, The Lies That Bind, and the recently released Meant to Be, she currently lives in Atlanta with her family.

Website: www.emilygiffin.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EmilyGiffinFans

Twitter: https://twitter.com/emilygiffin

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/emilygiffina...

Reviews

[Bianca | bookd_by_bee 🐝 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars ⭐️- NO SPOILERS

Thank you to NetGalley & Ballantine Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh, Emily….

You are literally one of my favorite authors and this would have been a 5 star read, but I CANNOT with this ending. WHYYYYYY?! I’m going to try VERY hard to write a spoiler-free review, but I HATED this ending. You can’t spell Mick without “ICK” and that is what the MMC gave me- YUCK.

BUT, I did like pretty much everything else. The plot of this book was perfect until the last 7 or so chapters and then it felt like a rushed conclusion. The pacing was great too. I love the way the story was set up from the very beginning and Emily always writes good, nuanced characters. I loved Billie’s chapters where she talked about growing up in Wisconsin and her budding relationship with Mick. I also enjoyed learning more about her years at University and medical school. I had my suspicions about some of the characters early on and I ignored them- TO MY PERIL (ok, I’m being dramatic, but I need it on the record that I KNEW something was off from the beginning 😤). It feels like this should have been a 2-part story similar to Something Borrowed and Something Blue. That’s honestly what I thought was going to happen, but then came a rushed conclusion that didn’t feel like a fair ending for Billie. This story deserved more. I LOVE the premise, but it felt like the author ran out of steam at the end.

This COULD have been a 5 star read. I enjoyed (most of) the story A LOT and it was a pleasant read. I will read anything Emily Giffin writes though, even if it pisses me off at the end 🥲. I would recommend that you go into this book not expecting a conventional romance. Similar to some of Abby Jimenez’s books, this has some pretty heavy themes and feels more like fiction with romantic themes. Overall it is very well written and is a good read.

[Emerald]

Ummmmmm this was absurd

[Corinne Carson · Rating 4 out of 5]

First love & a recent engagement come crashing down for Billie when she receives a phone call from her ex-boyfriend after a decade of being apart. What could he possibly want? And why is he calling her now when her life is so perfect with her new fiancé and a medical career she is very proud of? This one phone call changes everything, and Billie is forced to make major decisions that can change the whole trajectory of her life. Twists & turns abound in this story about love, ambition & close friendships.

Thank you to NetGalley & Random House for the opportunity to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

[Maren’s Reads]

Thank you to Ballantine for the advanced copy!

[Kailey (kmc_reads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars, I should’ve DNF

This felt so rushed and underdeveloped in terms of a second chance romance. Also, a storyline that feels very unoriginal and done before. Unimpressed- I usually love her novels. Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

[cyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. This might have a few light spoilers so if you want to go in completely blind maybe skip this one. This book was so entertaining to read and I had a lot of fun. That being said for this being a romance novel it fell super flat. This book works better if you look at it from more of a woman’s fiction novel instead of a second chance romance. There was no point in this book where I was rooting for the fmc and the mmc to get back together. He really came off as a bit selfish and we didn’t get to see enough of them together in the present timeline to make me believe they were soulmates. The fmc had a perfect fiancé and I honestly groaned when the romance started progressing. That being said I feel like the romance isn’t a huge part of the book. My dislike of it didn’t ruin my experience as it didn’t become super relevant until the last 20%. I was drawn in by the story and I just really wanted to know what would happen. The plot twist towards the end was super predictable in my opinion and I honestly could have done without it. I did enjoy this though and I would recommend it.

[Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanna preface this by saying I love Emily Giffin, I have been a huge fan of her work for a long time. So I was very excited to read this, but I have to say this book for me. It was not it at all. I don't want to spoil the story. And explain my complete feelings. Because I would have to explain the spoilers, but it comes down to Billie left her small town and Wisconsin.)That somehow has a high school that 8 different middle school feeds-.So I'm not even going to begin to understand how that happens --- I don't know how we're measuring things in cornfields. In this book and talking sm small towns, if you come from an area that has 8 middle schools that converge into one big high school. That was big problem I had with this book in the very beginning. - i live in a a larger than average Minnesota city that has 3 elementary schools that feeds into one middle school. And then one high school, so if you're talking 8 middle schools to one high school, that's not a small town. I just can't let go of that anyway, sorry off my soap box) Billy and Mick meet in ninth grade math class - they are friends for most of high school. And become a couple end of high school beginning of college, she gives up her dream of going to Yale. To stay in college with mick and go to Madison, but she can't do it when it comes to med school. She's always wanted to be a doctor and she chooses to go to Columbia.In new york - they make it about 2 years and they break up because of the distance and obviously how hard it is to be.a doctor in training - that's their backstory when we meet Billy, who still calls NYC home this entire time (now 37) she is just getting engaged to her boyfriend. Dean, who's also a doctor, she now runs a fertility clinic with her 2 best friends. And then she gets some awful news from back home when Mick calls that changes a lot of things, she obviously goes home to Wisconsin to deal with it and then begins the story of the book, however I don't buy the story. I think it's absolutely ridiculous. The way that Mick and Billy handle it, I think no rational human being would respondthis way, . I don't want to spoil anything for anybody, as nothing is explained in the synopsis, just that it 's shattering news from the past-- I just think it's so far-fetched, and so unrealistic. I'm so disappointed because I do adore this author but this book is just not it. The only reason I'm giving it to stars is. I like the dogs.

Thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review

[Jennifer ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to start off by saying this author is usually an automatic read for me. I have loved many of her books in the past. I was excited and grateful to find I was chosen to read an ARC of her newest work.

I liked how this book started out, and found it really easy to read. Billie appealed to me because I saw my younger self in the high school version of her character. Complete with the boyfriend I was madly in love with and never wanted to leave. Billie and Mick seem perfect for each other but as we all know, it’s hard to make that last past graduation and heading off to college.

Billie is now a grown woman, a doctor, and part of a successful practice while being newly engaged to a man that sounds perfect on paper (but also seems perfect in real life, too). Life is good. That is, until a phone call from her ex pulls her into a dizzying reality. Now she has to go back to her hometown to figure some things out.

It is hard to continue here as explaining how I feel would lead to giving away what happens. But in reality I’m sure anyone could guess. I am very tired of reading about women who give up amazing opportunities for a man who wouldn’t return the sentiment given the chance. And someone in this book gets completely shafted, which actually pisses me off because so much stringing along happens before the inevitable.

Ultimately, I disagreed with a lot of the decisions made by the main character. I wanted her to do something, ANYTHING other than the obvious. But at least I was compelled to read until the end.

I do think she was lucky to have some great friends, but I think they should have given her better advice. Ugh.

Thank you to #netgalley and #ballantinebooks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️rounded up! Emily Giffin is an auto read author for me. What I love about her is that her books are always different, but always have a lot of heart. I was glued to this book- the history of the characters, the complex relationships, and the story of friends, family and love all tangled together into one heart wrenching drama. There’s multiple love stories in both the conventional and non conventional ways. It’s an emotional ride with multiple heavy themes throughout, but worth it! I didnt give it the full 5 stars because I predicted the big “twist” early on, and I also felt like there was a few loose ends (Lena was never mentioned again?) Some aspects just seemed to be a little too glossed over or rushed to be completely believable, but overall I enjoyed it, regardless!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced copy!

[Regina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Girls who didn't go: Lauren to Paris, Andrea to Yale...our protagonist, Billie, also to Yale.

When we meet Billie, she is a successful fertility doctor working in Manhattan, so at least we know her decision did not negatively impact her career. She's also engaged to fellow doctor Dean and a partner in a thriving practice. So what could possibly bring Billie back to Wisconsin?

Mick.

When Billie receives a call from her ex-boyfriend, we are propelled back to her high school and college days. Billie's long time high school crush finally notices her, so she decides to go to Wisconsin with him instead of Yale. We skip through Mick and Billie's college days, maybe a little too quickly; the writing is choppy and I do not find myself invested in their love story.

Billie finally chooses herself when she chooses Columbia for medical school, and she and Mick inevitably grow apart.

The backbone of the book is really Billie's life-long friendship with Erin, now a successful single mom still living in Wisconsin. So when Erin dies in a car accident, Billie rushes home, where a surprise awaits. Joan - Erin's mom, now suffering from Alzheimer's - tells Billie that Erin wanted her and Mick to raise her 11 year old daughter, Phoebe.

Minus a star for the fact that Erin apparently DID NOT HAVE A WILL. A woman with a successful marketing career and a CHILD, whose mother was suffering for Alzheimer's DID NOT HAVE A WILL.

Everything else unravels from this point on, and I will avoid spoilers and let readers come to their own conclusion. As a long time fan of Emily Giffin, this one was far from a favorite.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I flew through this and really enjoyed it! I think the negative reviews were expecting this to be solely a romance book, and it’s not. It’s truly so much more! It’s about life, the changes along the way, family, friends, with romance on top of that. I truly enjoyed the found family, both settings, and the way Emily Giffin created a beautiful story from the different tragedies. I was rooting for Billie and Mick from page one. Their story was just too sweet! This was such a refreshing read, where I could truly picture myself sitting in the sun and just having a good time reading. I did not love her last release The Summer Pact, but I love Emily Giffin’s writing, and this felt so true to her. The unique and original writing style that she always puts on display. Emily Giffin always paints the most beautiful picture with fresh characters you can always root for. The only thing I didn’t love about this was the ending felt a little short. I would’ve loved to have a little bit more in depth ending than it just tied up in a pretty little bow in the epilogue. But with that being said, no questions were left unanswered and all came full circle. I think this will be such a hit this summer, and highly recommend if you’re looking for something to relax, enjoy, and have a good time! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for my honest review. Look for this to be released July 7th, 2026.

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been reading Emily Giffin since Something Borrowed, and at this point I’ve read every single one of her books. She has always had this way of writing that feels effortless but still hits you right in the heart.

Love You More reminded me why I keep picking up her stories. The relationships feel real, a little messy, and full of those complicated emotions she writes so well. There were moments that made me pause and think, and a few that definitely pulled at my heart.

She’s such an eloquent writer, and even after all these years, she still knows how to capture the small moments that make a story feel personal. If you’ve loved her books in the past, this one absolutely belongs on your list.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A solid, heartfelt read that delivers exactly what longtime Emily Giffin readers love, emotional depth, relatable characters, and just enough tension to keep the pages turning.

Thank you NetGalley, Ballantine, and of course Emily Giffin for the arc.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emily Giffin is a must read author for me. Although this book was enjoyable, it felt rushed and incomplete. The storyline was complex and the background took almost 50% of the book to tell. Because it took up a large portion of the book, the current storyline felt rushed and wrapped up too quickly and neatly at the end. I would have loved to seem more of what unfolded with the two main characters when their relationship started to develop again. Bottom line-this book is worth the read (it’s a very quick read) but you won’t be wowed by it.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for an early copy.

Ugh, I’m really torn on this rating

This book was split into three parts P1 was amazing, the development of the characters and their relationship was intoxicating. Fast forward to P2 I was like okay hmmm still good but not great. Really liked the cliff hanger at the end. P3 just fell off I didn’t like the ending it felt underdeveloped and a lot of loose ends.

Sadly 3.5 rounded down

[Katie Burken · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I got the notification from NetGalley about this book, I was super excited. Emily Giffin did not disappoint. I loved the juxtaposition between small town life and the hustle and bustle of NYC. The characters were easy to connect with and faced real-life situations in a manner that didn’t seem too far-fetched.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

[Jane Perron · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this story. it started so sad and ended so wonderfully. real parenting is displayed

[Amy Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful & heartwarming book, especially for those summer beach reads! This genre is typically not my favorite, but Emily drew me in right away with a great plot and amazing characters. This isn’t your typical cookie cutter romance, but instead a page turning tale of how good life can be with the right people in it. A big thanks for NetGalley for the ARC! A great book!

[Margaret McAlister · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
🌶️🫑

I have so many mixed feelings about this book and I am having a hard time putting them all in order. I usually try to put my spoilers separate, but I don't think I can really do this without spoiling some things, so I am going to mark this entire review.
I think, to start, I will say that I identified a lot with Billie and I also really did not like her. I also grew up in a small town (in Arkansas). I also went away to school (in New York). I also have very important, but complex relationships with the my friends from childhood and, while I love and respect them, I feel acutely how drastically different our lives have been. I also went to medical school and understand how gruelingly difficult it is and how it can be hard to explain how life-consuming some of the exams and rotations can be and how you feel like you might drown if you try to pick up one more thing, so you allow all of your relationships outside of the small sphere of people who understand that reality fade away for months or years at a time. All of these aspects of Billie's life I felt deeply and I appreciated very much how they were woven into who Bille is, but, wow, did I just want to smack her in the face and say, "figure out what you actually want and stop jerking other people around because you are indecisive." In what world is having an emotional affair with your ex and deciding to raise a kid with him an acceptable thing to do to your partner who is nothing but lovely and supportive? And Mick 's only really notable quality is that he was nice in highschool when social norms should have dictated that he ignored Billie and the other nerds. Otherwise, this man had no personality, no growth, and was nothing but a plot device to pull Billie back to her roots and constantly cause her unnecessary heartache. What happed to the damn orchard that was so important that he couldn't possibly leave it, even just while she was in training? Did he even work there as an adult? It seems like if he could up and leave it in the present, presumably after his dad had retired, then he probably could have gone to NYC when his dad was still younger. For that to have been such a driving force in them breaking up, I find it weird that it was just not a thing after Billie went back to WI.
Also, why are we just taking the word of the demented grandma that this is what was supposed to happen to Phoebe? This doesn't seem weird to anyone else? Why on earth would you think that two exes who haven't spoken in years and who live in different states would be good co-parents?
Billie also just magically gets over the fact that her "sister" and the love of her life had sex with each other and maybe had a child together and lied to her about it for over a decade. I guess I am just callous, but my reaction to this level of betrayal would not be "oh, well, one of you is dead and mistakes happen so let's date now that I am single again."
I did appreciate that Dean didn't turn out to be evil all along and was consistently a really good guy and helped Phoebe after the fact, but I hope he finds someone so much better than Billie. He did not deserve any of that.
I am still mulling over all of the mixed emotions of this one and may come back and edit this later after it all settles.
I think I would recommend with caveats- do not read if emotional infidelity or love triangles bother you or if you don't enjoy complicated (often unlikable) leads.

Happy reading!

[poppi ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3☆

thank you to netgalley, emily giffin and ballantine books for this arc and opportunity to read this story early.

——— ⋆. 𐙚 ˚ ———

so this started out so strong for me and i had so much fun in the first halfish(?) of the book. the second part of the book, however, was a completely different story...

mick, the high school sweetheart, the town's golden boy, star footballer player, who everyone loved. me included. he was thoughtful and caring, he took care of his younger sister who had down syndrome. he was simply perfect, until he wasn't (but we've all got our flaws, right?!)... i will never forgive emily for making him do that.

billie, the shy girl, focused on her studies, kindest heart you'd find in an individual. her flaw was that she was too focused on her studies because in turn, she pushed away the love of her life. she wanted things that he didn't and they weren't willing to compromise, unfortunately. i see pieces of myself in billie, though. she's definitely misunderstood and i fear people did take her kindness for granted.

and then there's dean. although i wasn't rooting for dean to end up with billie, because hello, her and mick were soulmates, i would gladly take dean for myself. a thoughtful, kind, compassionate, successful trauma surgeon? sign me right up. part of me does believe that he did deserve better.

now, mick and billie's story starts in high school and they're so precious. they built a friendship but the entire time, you feel and know that there is lingering feelings that run deeper below the surface. both were just too afraid to admit it. they dated throughout college and then she moved to new york, while he stayed back in wisconsin. long distance was difficult and they broke up due to this. but they were meant to be and i was rooting for them since page one.

until.... her best friend passes away and she finds out he slept with after they broke up and neither one told her. i just can't move past that. it felt like such an unecessary thing to add to the plot? and half the book just felt so rushed and all over the place. i was honestly fighting myself not to dnf because the first half was just so good. and now you're wondering if mick is the father of erin's daughter. what an emotional rollercoaster.

dean and billie dated for a good portion of the story and i felt for him because the entire time, you just knew that she was not over mick, no matter how hard she tried. and mick had his own girlfriend in the present and then she just disappeared? didn't even clear up what happened there??? unless i just blacked out or something.

needless to say, i am still so grateful for this arc. thank you!!

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love You More evoked a deep-rooted sense of nostalgia and not only because half of the plot was told via flashback. While I don’t think I ever finished reading Something Blue, Emily Giffin’s Something Borrowed has always been a soft spot for me. When I realized that this novel took place in the Pewaukee/Waukesha area, my sense of nostalgia became even more palpable, as my father and brother lived there while I was in high school and college (they lived directly on Pewaukee Lake, so you can imagine how I felt during those scenes). However, in all honesty, my feelings about Love You More may be tied more to the affection I have for Giffin’s previous work and Pewaukee than to the characters and the storyline of the novel itself.

Such a conclusion is even more evident when I reflect on the fact that the narrative structure/perspective made it so Love You More felt like a story was being told to me, rather than a story taking place. Indeed, within the first page or two, I wondered whether or not I would connect with Billie and later, Mick and Phoebe, given how the writing style played into the ‘person looking into a fishbowl’ effect. Luckily, once the novel switched to the elongated flashback, the connection took more of a hold, especially as Billie relayed her first interaction with Mick. That said, apart from pieces of the current timeline, the majority of the novel was narration/description— a style often used in epilogues to wrap up loose ends. While this choice did not deter my pace or cause my interest to wane, everything felt incredibly passive. Thus, I believe Giffin leaned too much on the descriptions— several more active scenes would have strengthened the impact of the storyline.

Moreover, I felt as though Billie and Mick’s reconciliation were forced and the timeline was shortened significantly. There were so few moments in the current day during which I felt the chemistry they initially shared as teens. The fact that the flashback was half of the novel itself also seemed to tip the balance of the storyline in a direction it shouldn’t have taken without taking the proper time to rebuild Billie and Mick’s foundation.

That said, the plot twist completely threw me— I didn’t expect it at all and Phoebe charmed me within seconds. I consumed the novel very quickly too, finishing it in one night.

Overall, Love You More delivered several moments of reflection, gratitude, and love. These moments, however, were weakened to some extent by the narrative choices and writing style. While it is still worth a read, I’m not sure it will stick with me for very long.

Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

[MJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine for this eARC!

I've been a fan of Emily Giffin since I first read Something Borrowed, almost 20 years ago when I was in college, so I was beyond excited to get the ARC of her new book.

Love You More follow Billie, as some unexpected news from her ex, Mick, has her finding herself in her hometown in Wisconsin. Now a doctor in NYC and engaged to a man named Dean, she is forced to look at her past.

Let me start off with the good things. I really like all the characters, as people. I liked Billie. She really turned her passion for medicine in a field that she connected with. I love that she had such good friendships, both back in Wisconsin and in NYC. Dean was wonderful - I really thought going in I was going to learn something that made me hate him, but he was great from start to finish. Mick was fine, I would've like to learn more about him, because he did seem really interesting. Phoebe and Erin were fun and added a bit of personality to the story.

All that being said, I did not enjoy this book. I don't think it was necessarily poorly written, but it lacked literally any ounce of depth. It felt like an info dump of things that happened, instead of how characters feel about what happened. No relationships were built. No characters learned anything. There was a whole part about the past - before we even met any of the characters in the present, so it felt hollow, like a list of things you need to know, instead of relating in any way to what was going on; it didn't add enough to the story to take up the amount of time dedicated to it. The "twist" near the end, should've been something that happened earlier in the book to give the characters time to deal with it. Honestly, I feel like the end of this book should've been the beginning. The story should've been about the time Billie spent changing and how she dealt with things in the long-term; Billie learning more about Phoebe, and, for the love of god, there needed to be more than one scene of her alone with Mick. How can you say that any relationship means anything if they aren't given any time to grow and the characters aren't give the chance to grow or learn anything. I was shocked that this book ended where it did. It felt incredibly rushed and I just wanted so much more.

If you love Emily Giffin, I mean, I don't think this book is terrible, but it is extremely surface level. It is a quick read, though, so if you want something quick and easy, this might be for you.

[Jax · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Love You More follows Billie and Mick, high school friends turned first loves whose relationship stretches into their college years, until distance ultimately pulls them apart. Billie heads to New York for medical school while Mick returns to Wisconsin, and despite attempts at maintaining a long distance relationship, Mick ultimately ends things. While Billie tries to preserve a friendship, Mick is unable to move forward in that way, which made him a frustrating character for me from the start.

Years later, Billie is settled in New York, working as a doctor and newly engaged to her boyfriend, Dean. Her life feels stable, until she receives a call from Mick with devastating news: her best friend, Erin, has died in a car accident. When Billie returns home for the funeral, she learns of Erin’s final wish (Erin’s mother with Alzheimer’s tells her) that Billie and Mick jointly care for her daughter, Phoebe. Suddenly, these former lovers are forced back into each other’s lives, navigating grief, unresolved feelings, and the complexities of co-parenting a child neither expected to raise.

This story blends themes of first love, loss, and the idea that friends can become family in the most unexpected ways. I appreciated the emotional depth in certain moments, as well as the structure of the book being divided into different phases of Billie’s life, which helped give perspective to her journey.

With that said, I had mixed feelings overall. While Phoebe and Erin’s mother (who is living with Alzheimer’s) were compelling and heartfelt additions, I found many of the other characters frustrating at times. Mick, in particular, continued to grate on me, especially as more information was revealed, making it difficult for me to fully invest in him.

The novel is a quick, engaging read with strong emotional beats, but the ending didn’t quite work for me. While it was somewhat predictable, it still left me feeling unsatisfied.

Overall, I would rate this 3.5 stars—an emotional story with meaningful themes, but uneven character dynamics at times.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.75 rounded up)

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Emily Giffin always knows how to pull a reader in with layered characters and emotional “what would you do?” situations, and Love You More was no exception. I flew through this one. There was nostalgia, heartbreak, second-chance chaos.

I was fully invested in Billie’s story from the start. Billie has her life perfectly mapped out. She was a thriving fertility doctor in NYC, newly engaged to the safe and steady Dean. But out of the blue she receives a call from her first love, Mick, that pulls her back to Wisconsin and straight into the fallout of a devastating loss. Suddenly, she’s navigating grief, old feelings, and an unexpected responsibility that forces her and Mick back into each other’s orbit in a way neither of them planned.

I really loved the dual timelines showing Billie and Mick’s high school and college relationship. Watching how their first love unfolded and unraveled made the present day tension hit so much harder. And honestly, Phoebe was the emotional glue of this story. Her storyline, along with the found-family elements, brought some of the most heartfelt and memorable moments.

That said, this was one of those reads where I was so close to loving it completely. Without giving anything away, some of the later developments felt a bit rushed, and I wanted just a little more depth and breathing room in the final stretch. I also had moments where certain character choices made me tilt my head and go, “Really? That’s what we’re doing here?” It didn't seem to coincide with the development of the characters we had seen.

Still, this was an engaging, emotional read that reminded me why I keep coming back to Emily Giffin’s books. It’s less about perfect romance and more about complicated love, grief, loyalty, and the messy ways life refuses to go according to plan.

If you like emotional women’s fiction with love triangles, big choices, found-family vibes, and characters you'll be rooting for, this one is definitely worth picking up.

[Jax · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Love You More follows Billie and Mick, high school friends turned first loves whose relationship stretches into their college years, until distance ultimately pulls them apart. Billie heads to New York for medical school while Mick returns to Wisconsin, and despite attempts at maintaining a long distance relationship, Mick ultimately ends things. While Billie tries to preserve a friendship, Mick is unable to move forward in that way, which made him a frustrating character for me from the start.

Years later, Billie is settled in New York, working as a doctor and newly engaged to her boyfriend, Dean. Her life feels stable, until she receives a call from Mick with devastating news: her best friend, Erin, has died in a car accident. When Billie returns home for the funeral, she learns of Erin’s final wish (Erin’s mother with Alzheimer’s tells her) that Billie and Mick jointly care for her daughter, Phoebe. Suddenly, these former lovers are forced back into each other’s lives, navigating grief, unresolved feelings, and the complexities of co-parenting a child neither expected to raise.

This story blends themes of first love, loss, and the idea that friends can become family in the most unexpected ways. I appreciated the emotional depth in certain moments, as well as the structure of the book being divided into different phases of Billie’s life, which helped give perspective to her journey.

With that said, I had mixed feelings overall. While Phoebe and Erin’s mother (who is living with Alzheimer’s) were compelling and heartfelt additions, I found many of the other characters frustrating at times. Mick, in particular, continued to grate on me, especially as more information was revealed, making it difficult for me to fully invest in him.

The novel is a quick, engaging read with strong emotional beats, but the ending didn’t quite work for me. While it was somewhat predictable, it still left me feeling unsatisfied.

Overall, I would rate this 3.5 stars—an emotional story with meaningful themes, but uneven character dynamics at times.

[Lauren Surber · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars / ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an unedited ARC in exchange for an honest, spoiler-free review.

I devoured this book in under two days. I loved following Billie’s story through the dual timeline. We meet her in the present day—a doctor in the NYC area preparing to meet Dean’s parents for the first time—before the narrative splits, taking us back through the moments that shaped her life. Watching her high school and college love story unfold, then snapping back to the reality of where she is now, kept me completely invested.

The emotions in this book feel incredibly real. The push and pull of being young, in love, and trying to hold onto your own dreams while building a future with someone else was beautifully done. I found myself fully immersed in Billie’s journey and the relationships that helped define her.

That said, there were a few elements that didn’t fully land for me. One trope introduced toward the end wasn’t my favorite—though that may come down to personal preference. More notably, the ending felt rushed. After such a long, emotional journey with Billie, Mick, and Dean, the resolution came together very quickly and then… it was over. I couldn’t help but feel like Billie—and the reader—deserved more. Even the epilogue left me wanting additional closure, especially for a character we spent so much time with.

I also wouldn’t categorize this as a traditional romance. It leans more toward contemporary fiction with strong romantic elements woven throughout.

There are several heavier moments in Billie’s story, and I found myself constantly torn on what I wanted the ending to be. At different points, I was rooting for each character, hoping somehow they could all find their version of a happy ending.

Overall, this was an emotional, engaging read that pulled me in quickly—even if I was left wishing for just a bit more at the end.

[Tiffany Killian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Billie has everything she ever wanted in life - an amazing fiancé, a partnership in a thriving medical practice, and family & friends that mean the world to her. She's finally reached the point where she's exactly where she always wanted to be, until her first love calls her with news that will ultimately change the course she has so carefully mapped out for herself. As she heads back home, she's left wondering if everything will ever be the same again.

I haven't read many of Giffin's novels, so I wasn't entirely sure what to expect (I think I read The Heart of the Matter when it came out but truly don't remember). I most definitely was not ready for the roller coaster of emotions she led me through. Billie was both a relatable character & a rather frustrating one. Like I get why she did some of the things she did but also she could've done some shit differently or maybe played devil's advocate for a hot second to try & understand Erin, Mick, and Dean's POVs. On the flip side, they could've tried to actually tell her how they were feeling instead of always being like ok cool, while they were most definitely not thinking ok cool at all.

About halfway through the book, I kinda sorta had a feeling how it would be ending which I was totally okay with. It showed a lot of the realness in confronting your past and reconciling it against your future. There were also a lot of moments where it was truly about doing what was best for someone else even if that wound up hurting someone else. So a lot of introspection mixed with a little self-doubt to get through the day.

All-in-all, I really liked the book and Giffin's style of writing. I would definitely read more of her books.

Thank you NetGalley & Ballantine Books for providing me with an ARC

[Julia Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

A big thank you to Netgally for sending me an ARC of 'Love You More' by Emily Giffin. Im giving this romance story 3 stars.
This story follows our FMC, Billie, who has a perfect life. She is a doctor specializing in infertility in NYC. She has a great relationship and just got engaged to Dean, her boyfriend. Unexpectedly, Billie gets a phone call out of the blue from her ex-boyfriend, Mick, and things change.

I enjoyed Billie's character arc and learning more about her relationship with Mick as well as her time learning to become a doctor. She felt like a well-rounded character . However, I was not invested in Billie and Dean's relationship, and the fact that Billie gave up on Yale to stay in her hometown of Wisconsin to stay with Mick. She does end up going to Columbia for her medical degree, and they break up anyway because of the distance and how hard it is to maintain a relationship while in medical school. Mick and Billie have not spoken for years and Billie is happy and thriving, she just got engaged to her doctor boyfriend, Dean and she is doing well in her career, so when Mick calls her to tell her some life-changing news.
The story then follows Billie as she goes back to her hometown and navigates love, loss, and family. The pacing was good, and the flow of the story worked for me. I did not love the ending of this book. It felt rushed, and I feel like it would have worked well earlier in the book rather than the end. Overall, I am giving this book 3 stars. This is my first Emily Giffin book, and I am going to research her backlist, read reviews, and see what other ones I would be interested in reading.

[Reading Xennial · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book by Emily Griffin that I’ve read, and she does seem like an author that I'd like to check out some of her previous books. I have mixed feelings about this particular book, but it was well written with some heart, and a bit of a twist, but some of the overall elements are tropes I don’t care for.

Billie has worked hard to build up her practice in NYC and has a boyfriend, Dean, that she’s been dating for about a year, and who is a great catch. Just after Dean proposes, Billie gets a phone call from her high school sweetheart Mick, and he has some news that prompts Billie to return home. This trip causes Billie and Mick to interact and Billie sees what she’s been missing for over a decade.

Like I said, I had mixed feelings about this book. I liked the writing and I felt for Billie because she’s overcome so much but she was also annoying. Her being indecisive was frustrating. Dean didn’t deserve being treated the way he had. It’s hard to get into details without spoiling some of the main plot points of the book so I won’t. I think this book focused so much on this being a second chance romance, that it didn’t look into the logistics of it being emotional cheating. Mick was fine as a character, but there were some issues that some readers won’t get over to root for him. I liked the story overall and I can see why so many people like Emily Griffin. I’d still recommend people read this book because it does have other things going on in the plot besides the romance. The other plot points are what saved this book for me.

Thank you, NetGalley and Ballantine for allowing me to read this book early. The opinion in this review is my own.

[M D · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this heartfelt story - read it in a day! Billie, an OB-gyn specialized in reproductive endocrinology, has built a life and career in NYC after leaving her hometown in Wisconsin to pursue her medical training. This ultimately meant leaving behind her first love, Mick, and her best friend, Erin. In New York, she has it all - her dream job and her own clinic that she runs with close friends and a perfect trauma-surgeon fiance, who is incredibly loving and supportive. Then, her world is turned upside down when tragedy hits her hometown, and her past and present/future collide as she has some incredibly hard decisions to make.

This was a captivating story of family, friendship, overcoming loss, and the hard choice of returning to one's roots or leaving to discover yourself. The setup was unique - instead of a dual timeline like many "first love" romances are setup, the preceding events are outlined in a very long, multi-chapter flashback, which took a minute to adjust to but I thought flowed well and built a strong understanding of Billie's past for the rest of the story. The romance plays less of a role than I expected here, but it works - all of the other dynamics and relationships are equally meaningful, and I fell in love with all of the supporting characters.

All in all, a worthwhile read with lots of depth and emotion, would recommend!

Thank you NetGalley, Emily Giffin and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read all of Emily Giffin’s books, and Love You More reminded me why I always come back to her writing. It was one of those books I picked up and just couldn’t put down... I finished it in about a day because I had to know how everything would unfold.

There is some romance woven into the story, but I wouldn’t call this a typical love story. It feels much more like women’s fiction, centered on relationships, personal growth, and the messy emotions of real life. Emily Giffin does such a great job creating characters who feel authentic, and this story really highlights that strength.

What stood out most to me was how emotionally layered it all felt. There are moments of heartbreak, reflection, and difficult choices, and the characters navigate these in ways that feel honest and relatable. At times, the themes are heavier than you might expect, but I actually appreciated that. It gave the story more depth and made it more meaningful than just a light, easy read.

I also loved how readable and immersive the writing was. Even with the deeper topics, the story flows naturally and keeps you completely invested. I found myself really feeling what the characters were experiencing, which is always the mark of a strong book for me.

Overall, Love You More is a thoughtful, character-driven novel that goes beyond romance and explores what it truly means to love, grow, and make life-shaping decisions. If you enjoy stories that focus on relationships and emotional depth, this is definitely one to pick up.

Thank you, NetGalley and Ballantine Books, for my eARC.