The Guy Not Taken by Jennifer Weiner is a collection of eleven short stories that explore the complexities of love, relationships, and personal growth. Each story focuses on transformative moments in life, capturing the ups and downs that come with navigating love and connection over the years.
In the title story, we meet Marlie Davidow, who, while home alone with her new baby, finds herself wandering onto her ex’s online wedding registry and pondering the “what if” of her life—what if she had ended up with the guy not taken? Other stories feature a liquored-up Bruce Guberman, who ends up dealing with complications when he steals his girlfriend’s rat terrier during his best friend’s bachelor party, and Jessica Norton, who hopes to win her broker’s heart by listing her beloved New York City apartment. The collection also explores the unlikely friendship between two new mothers and the choices that bring them together and ultimately pull them apart.
Weiner’s gift for writing relatable characters shines through in these stories, which are filled with both humor and poignancy. With The Guy Not Taken, Weiner continues to capture the nuances of everyday life, offering readers a glimpse into moments of longing, love, and the decisions that shape us.
