Review | One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Title: One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Series: N/A
Genre: Adult - Romance
Publication: June 7th 2016 by Washington Square Press
Format: e-ARC
Source: From publisher for review
Rating: ★★★★☆

Synopsis: From the author of Maybe in Another Life—named a People Magazine pick and a "Best Book of the Summer" by Glamour and USA Today—comes a breathtaking new love story about a woman unexpectedly forced to choose between the husband she has long thought dead and the fiancé who has finally brought her back to life.

In her twenties, Emma Blair marries her high school sweetheart, Jesse. They build a life for themselves, far away from the expectations of their parents and the people of their hometown in Massachusetts. They travel the world together, living life to the fullest and seizing every opportunity for adventure.

On their first wedding anniversary, Jesse is on a helicopter over the Pacific when it goes missing. Just like that, Jesse is gone forever.

Emma quits her job and moves home in an effort to put her life back together. Years later, now in her thirties, Emma runs into an old friend, Sam, and finds herself falling in love again. When Emma and Sam get engaged, it feels like Emma’s second chance at happiness.

That is, until Jesse is found. He’s alive, and he’s been trying all these years to come home to her. With a husband and a fiancé, Emma has to now figure out who she is and what she wants, while trying to protect the ones she loves.

Who is her one true love? What does it mean to love truly?

Emma knows she has to listen to her heart. She’s just not sure what it’s saying.

Thoughts: “I think it’s a good sign, though,” he said, “that I was crazy about you at sixteen and I’m still crazy about you now.”

One True Loves was and wasn't what I was expecting. I was intrigued to read this one from reading the summary because I can never resist some heartbreak and a love triangle (seriously.) From the start we learn that Emma is engaged to Sam when her husband calls her to tell her he's alive. Rewind to when they all first met, how Emma and Jesse fall in love, how she loses him, how she overcomes the aching heartbreak, to present day when she meets and falls in love with Sam.

I did like the characters, all of them. I found myself relating to Emma more than I thought I would, loving Jesse and Sam, understanding her relationship with her sister and parents, and adoring her faithful best friend. There were a few things Emma did that seemed selfish, but she's only human, and I think I would've felt and acted similarly.

"You don't tie yourself to something unless you're scared you might float away."

The story made me laugh and cry, and when I finally finished the book I was relieved that Emma had found her happiness but also sad that it was over. The story was well-paced, the ending not too predictable. I was really confused about who she was going to pick, but after some time realized who she needed to pick. And I'm glad it all worked out in the end.

This was the first book I read by TJR, and I must admit there were a few things that bothered me about her writing, such as the way the first chunk of the book is written (told instead of shown -- ...and why was everyone always wearing chinos?) but I thoroughly enjoyed the story so I look forward to checking more of her work out.

One True Loves kept me up late at night, and I was so immersed in the story, all the feelings and emotions, that I finished it in just a few hours. I am really happy I got the opportunity to read this one, it was a refreshing change to everything else I have been reading. Reid really created a believable, heart-wrenching story that I loved experiencing, and will remember for years to come. If you're looking for a contemporary love story to sink into this summer, One True Loves is definitely one to check out.