Something Blue is the direct sequel to Emily Giffin’s 2004 debut novel, Something Borrowed. To fully appreciate Darcy’s narrative, it’s essential to understand the events of the first book, which establishes her as the antagonist. Something Borrowed is told from the perspective of Rachel, a reserved, self-described “nice girl” who has always lived in the shadow of her beautiful and confident best friend, Darcy. On the night of her 30th birthday, Rachel sleeps with Darcy’s fiancé, Dex, whom she introduced to Darcy years earlier. This single act sparks a secret affair, forcing Rachel to confront her long-suppressed feelings for Dex, whom she met and became friends with in law school, and her resentment of Darcy’s domineering personality. The novel ends with Dex’s declaration of love for Rachel; he calls off his wedding to Darcy and chooses to be with Rachel, leaving Darcy betrayed and humiliated.

Something Blue picks up at this exact moment of crisis, but it shifts the point of view entirely to Darcy. By making the previous novel’s villain the new protagonist, Giffin seeks to challenge the reader’s allegiances. This technique of retelling a story from an alternative perspective has a rich literary tradition, seen in works like Jean Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea, which reimagines the life of Rochester’s wife, Bertha, from Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. Darcy’s opening lines in this second book—“Rachel, my plain, do-gooding maid of honor with frizzy hair […] swooped in and stole my fiancé” (6)—immediately recasts her as the victim, while the narrative focuses on the character arc and emotional growth of a character previously portrayed as selfish and shallow.