Review: One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Series: No

Genres: Contemporary, Women's Fiction, Romance, Adult Fiction

Release Date: June 7, 2016

Format: e-book

Source: Edelweiss

Find it here: GoodReads | Amazon

Synopsis

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.

My Thoughts

Warning: Prepare for much gushing because One True Loves has shot to the top of my favorites of 2016.

As soon as I read the synopsis for One True Loves I knew it was one that I had to read. I was instantly intrigued and wanted more. So imagine my delight when I began reading and found that it was even better than I had hoped.

"You are my one true love. I don't even think

I'm capable of loving anyone else." - Emma

Emma had loved Jesse since high school. From her crushing on him from afar in her freshman year, to their first date over two years later, I loved seeing the start of their relationship. Getting to know Emma and Jesse, and being a witness to Emma and Jesse getting to know one another, laid an incredible foundation for the story to come. Ten years of love and laughter - until suddenly it was gone.

I cried for him, and for what I'd lost, and for 

every day left of my life that I had to live without him.

Reid does an amazing job of leading the reader through Emma's very emotional journey. The angst-ridden adolescence when she yearns for more from her life, the heady excitement of first love and the contentment in a relationship she cherishes, the shock and devastation over Jesse's apparent death, the overwhelming grief, the acceptance and eventually the willingness to move forward - and then the feeling that her entire world has shifted yet again when she learns Jesse is alive. Through every event, every phase of Emma's life, I was completely invested and felt such an emotional connection with her. 

I don't think that true love means your only love.

I think true love means loving truly. Loving purely. Loving wholly.

With Jesse's return, after Emma has finally found her footing in her new life and also found love again, Reid created a situation with no easy answers. There was no bad guy and no matter what choices were made, everyone involved was hurting. About halfway through the book I knew what I wanted to happen. I knew what choice I hoped Emma would make. The fact that it didn't happen that way (was, in fact, the exact opposite) and that I was still so completely satisfied with the ending is a testament to Reid's amazing storytelling.

One True Loves wasn't just the next book I picked up - it was a reading experience. One that was bittersweet but completely worth the journey. And I hope you'll experience it for yourself. Because in case it isn't obvious, I highly recommend reading this amazing story. It moved me, it bruised and battered my heart, it made me laugh and cry, and it provided such an incredible message of healing and hope that it was impossible not to put the book down feeling like I had just read something unforgettable.

This was the first novel I've read from Taylor Jenkins Reid but it won't be the last. I'm ready to dive into every novel she's written and hope that every single one will be as exceptional as One True Loves. Because this was an absolute gem. 

5/5 Stars 

Have you read anything by Taylor Jenkins Reid?

What was the last 5-star book you read?