Although this book is touted as "chick lit" I did not find that to be an accurate description.

It was a touching tale of Emily Haxby, a 29 yr old lawyer who sold her soul to work for a large law firm in NYC and is dealing with many issues. Her mother dies when she was a teenager, she just broke up with her boyfriend, her beloved Grandfather is 89 yrs old and sickly, and she has no communication skills with her father.

I loved the writing in this book, especially the scene in the hotel room with her boss, Carl; and her therapist. I thought she really captured a lost soul trying to find her way very well, and it was totally believable.

I look forward to more by Julie! ( )

New York-based lawyer Emily lives in a cocoon of her own creation, timidly sidestepping her own life as she pours every ounce of her energy into her position at a major law firm. Working obsessively helps drown out the sadness she feels over her complicated relationship with her father and the residual grief she's delayed over her mother's passing fifteen years before, but none of these things can stay buried for long. When her boyfriend Andrew seems ready to propose, Emily panics and breaks things off, retreating even deeper into herself. But that's when the healing really begins.

The Opposite Of Love is a complicated novel to wrap up in a tiny package, so I'm not even going to try. It's Emily's story about growth, fear, insecurity, miscommunication, love, redemption and, most importantly, hope -- the knowledge that the way things have always been isn't the one, true predictor for the way they'll always be. After an inappropriate run-in with her boss at the firm, Emily realizes she's become a mere observer of her own life. And with the help of best friend Jess, her grandfather Jack and his spirited neighbor Ruth, Emily emerges from a deep, numbing depression to see the world with fresh eyes.

There's so much to appreciate and love about Emily -- and Buxbaum's writing. As so much of Emily's general catatonic state revolves around her mother's death, the story could have become very maudlin -- and I wasn't really sure how much of that I was up for. But I shouldn't have worried! Buxbaum more than proved herself to me in her stunning second novel After You, which frequently reduced me to tears. While her stories deal with grief and loss, they're really about the way we continue on in the aftermath of tragedy -- and how we decide to progress past it.

Emily's attempts at reconnecting with Andrew felt like little stabs at my heart; who hasn't waited (and waited...) for an e-mail, phone call or text message that was never going to come? I could feel her desperation to make him understand, but she didn't really understand any of it herself. It's easy to point a finger and call out, as I wanted to, "Classic quarter-life crisis!" But it went so much deeper than that. And I could absolutely relate to Emily and all her attempts at building a life from the ground up, cheering her on as she unsealed the time capsule that stored all her true feelings. Like her father and grandfather, I was proud of her.

I'm not sure which words -- other than awesome -- work best to describe Buxbaum's writing, which seems to effortlessly cut to the real root of every issue. She's insightful. I constantly found myself nodding along to her descriptions of seemingly mundane events, feeling as Emily has felt about waiting and wondering and worrying. While The Opposite Of Love wasn't quite the bucket-of-cold-water-to-the-face that After You was, I still feel like she gets me. And if you grab either of her two outstanding novels, I think you'll feel like she gets you, too. ( )

When Emily starts to suspect her boyfriend Andrew is going to propose, she decides to break up with him. Her friends think she’s crazy and it’s clear Emily isn’t solid on her decision since she keeps the break up a secret from her family. Following the break up, Emily’s life starts spiraling out of control: her grandpa is losing his memory and her boss tries to have sex with her while they’re on a business trip. Emily wants to turn to Andrew, but he wants nothing to do with her. When it all becomes too much, a friend makes Emily an appointment with a therapist; Emily is finally able to deal with the grief she has kept inside since her mother died when she was only fourteen.

I completely loved The Opposite of Love. Emily’s law experience seemed very real (probably because Julie Buxbaum was a lawyer) as did the family/friend relationships. I wanted to cry at times, but it helped to know Emily would end up happy as the prologue reveals Emily and Andrew will go on to have a baby. It was a bit odd to have the book start off that way though as it eliminates any suspense of “will Emily and Andrew get back together?” ( )

It's the end of the school year and it's time for me to start frequenting the awesome Casey Public Library again! And I mean that. They do a wonderful job of weeding the old titles in their small space, and I love the selection of audiobooks. Just right to entertain me in my vehicle during the summer!

This adult novel intrigued me by the cover, but it almost needs a more chick lit-ish one. Emily Haxby is a power attorney, dealing with a boss who sexually harasses her, an important father who ignores her, and a boyfriend, who, well, seems perfect. So what does Emily do? She breaks up with Andrew when he starts showing signs of flashing an engagement ring. And thus continues Emily's self-destruction. With the help of best friends and a good therapist, Emily starts to turn her life around, but this book does a good job showing what the bottom of the depression pit is like. But don't think this is deep fiction. It's chick lit, plain and simple. But I enjoyed it. It's not fluffy! :) ( )

Loved it. Chick-lit appeal but the writing is better and the storyline more realistic. The supporting characters were super entertaining and used perfectly to help the main character, Emily, along her path of self-discovery. Emily is a likeable character who has you rooting for her right to the end. This book had me laughing and crying at different points and often at the same time. I can't believe this is only Buxbaum's first novel. Can't wait for her next. ( )