Love You More by Emily Giffin Book Review: A Heartfelt Story of Love, Loss & Life-Changing Choices

Love You More follows Billie as an unexpected call from her first love forces her to confront the past and make a life-changing decision.

Summary of Synopsis:

Billie seems to have it all—a successful medical career in New York City and a promising future with her partner, Dean, who has just proposed—until an unexpected call from her high-school sweetheart, Mick, shatters her carefully built world. Returning to Wisconsin for the first time in years, Billie is forced to confront the love she left behind, the friendships that shaped her, and the life-altering choices that pulled her away from home. As past and present collide, she must reckon with who she used to be, who she has become, and what truly matters, in a deeply emotional story about second chances, enduring connections, and the transformative power of love.

My Thoughts:

Emily Giffin has been an auto-read author for me for years. There’s something about the way she creates authentic, layered characters and places them in emotionally complex situations that keeps me coming back. The fact that she only releases a new novel every couple of years makes each one feel like a special event, and Love You More was well worth the wait.

Billie has built an impressive life as an OB-GYN in New York City and is looking forward to marrying Dean, a trauma surgeon who seems to be the perfect partner. But when an unexpected phone call from her high-school sweetheart, Mick, sends her back to her hometown in Wisconsin, she’s forced to confront the life she left behind. As memories of her childhood, lifelong friendships, first love, and the choices that shaped her come rushing back, Billie finds herself facing an impossible decision—one that will change not only her own future, but the lives of everyone she loves.

One of the things I appreciated most was how thoughtfully Emily Giffin handled Billie’s journey. Rather than presenting an easy choice, she explores the emotional weight of every possibility and the ripple effects that difficult decisions can have on the people around us. Billie isn’t a perfect character, but she’s a deeply relatable one. I admired her strength, her compassion, and ultimately her confidence in making the choice she believed was right, despite knowing it would hurt some of the people she cared about.

I also loved the way Giffin brought Billie’s earlier years to life. Her friendship with Erin was one of my favourite parts of the story, providing warmth, humour, and balance to Billie’s driven personality. The relationship between Billie and Mick felt authentic, making it easy to understand why their first love continued to shape the people they became, even years after life pulled them in different directions.

The Narration:

I experienced Love You More as an audiobook, and Jessica Luza delivered an outstanding performance. She captured Billie’s emotions beautifully while giving each character—young and old, male and female—a distinct voice that felt natural and engaging. Her narration added another layer of emotion to an already moving story, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the audiobook.

Final Thoughts:

Love You More is a heartfelt, emotional novel about love, loss, friendship, and the unexpected turns life can take. Emily Giffin once again delivers a story filled with memorable characters and impossible choices that linger long after the final chapter. If you enjoy character-driven contemporary fiction that explores the complexities of relationships and reminds us that life rarely follows the path we expect, this is one I highly recommend.