Claudia and Ben are a professional married couple, whose life is complete with just the two of them, or so they both think. Claudia has never wanted to hear the pitter patter of tiny feet, which has always seemed to come as a surprise to the various men she has dated, until she meets Ben, who seems to agree with her totally. That is until Ben’s best friends announce the news of their forthcoming baby.

It is Ben not Claudia who then begins to feel the need to have a child of their own after years of blissful togetherness. Claudia eventually issues an ultimatum of “have children or have me”. When Ben chooses the latter this leave Claudia feeling betrayed.

Against this backdrop we get to meet Jess, Claudia’s best friend, and her two sisters, Daphne and Maura. Each has their own story to tell. With this in mind, Giffin deals with each aspect brilliantly: one couple who stay together for the sake of their children, and another who desperately want a child, but are unable to conceive. And then there is Jess, who wonders about having a child in order to force a married man to make a commitment to her.

All are wonderfully whole characters and add a good dimension to the story. The one down side is that the book is predictable. But if you want something to fill the void of Sex in the City, then this could be the read for you.

And if you want a good ‘chick flick’ to watch one afternoon, I would recommend Something Borrowed, Something Blue.