One True Loves Book Review by Taylor Jenkins Reid [NO SPOILERS]

Welcome or welcome back! This week we have a book review for One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This is the second book I have read by this author. The first book I read was The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - review here. I was very impressed by my first introduction to her writing, so I was keen to read her other novels. I read this book during quarantine in the summer but wanted to get a review up, even if it was months later. If you want to know my thoughts on this book, with no spoilers of course, then just keep reading.

Description from Goodreads:

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.

This book was another great novel by Taylor. She has such a talent for creating characters which you can truly place in the real world. I found myself being so invested in Emma and her mind. She did a lot of things that perhaps I would not, when faced with such a life-changing situation, but I couldn't help but feel so much empathy. 

The two love interests are so different in personality, and how they treat Emma within the relationship, yet you see why she fell in love with them both in the first place. It made her situation seem even more heart-wrenching, although I definitely gravitated towards Sam as the story progressed. 

I also loved the evolution of her older sister Marie. It was beautiful to see how she grew up and how her relationship with Emma changed as they got older. 

I love that this novel wasn't solely focused on her love life, but also other aspects, such as her dreams and self-esteem. As the reader, you grow with Emma and see how she navigates life each day. I appreciated this as it gave Emma greater depth. I didn't carry on reading, just to know who she picked. I carried on reading to see who she would become by the end and if she would have the life she imagined she would. 

At the start of the novel, Emma is a teenage girl in high school but by the end she is in her 30s, living a different life to what she wanted as a young girl. I love the realism that this book holds. It reminded me of how unexpected life can be, although you can still find contentment and lessons in the moments you never imagined to happen. That is something that I have definitely learnt this year. Being reminded of this during a time where we were stuck in quarantine, made it easier to start enjoying it. The ability to accept life for what it is, and make use of the time, people and characteristics you do have, can turn what appears to be a mess into something valuable and worthwhile. 

Based on the front cover, I expected the novel to be a summer read, however it is a book that can be read and enjoyed at any given time. In fact, I think it would be quite nice to read whilst snuggled up by an open fire, in a blanket. The intimate and romantic elements of the novel leave you feeling warm, whilst the drama and dilemmas within the story can have you at the edge of your seat. I loved the balance of different themes as I was constantly engaged. 

Overall, I would give this novel 4/5 stars. It was beautifully written, with well developed characters, which I greatly appreciate in a good romance. 

Have you read One True Loves? If so, let me know who you were rooting for, in the comments below. 

Thanks for reading, 

Have a great day x