One True Love
By Taylor Jenkins Reid
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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.
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Robin’s Review
Author Taylor Jenkins Reid writes about themes that can sometimes be difficult to digest. She examines “what if” scenarios – events which can cause a reader to contemplate how he or she might respond. At least, this is what I have noticed happens to me when I read her books. Her newest novel titled One True Loves presents a nearly impossible situation. How can you possibly choose between your two “true loves” – your husband you had long thought deceased or your fiancé whom you are excited to be starting a new life with?
Emma Blair fell in love with Jesse Lerner at the age of seventeen. Jesse was handsome and athletic, romantic and extremely thoughtful. He encouraged Emma to chase her dreams. Together, the two of them were impulsive and madly in love. Nine years after they began dating, they were married on a beach in Malibu, California. But on her first wedding anniversary, Emma loses her one true love to a helicopter accident over the Pacific Ocean. Lost in her own grief at the age of 26, Emma quits her job and moves back home to Massachusetts.
Emma’s sadness gradually evaporates into a fresh start in life, a new career, and new interests. After a few years, Emma runs into an old friend from high school. Sam Kemper is handsome, funny, and he has a world of patience with Emma. She slowly allows herself to fall in love again. At the age of 31, Emma agrees to a second chance at happiness – to marry Sam, her second true love. Two weeks after they become engaged, Emma receives a phone call from Jesse. He’s been rescued at sea, and he’s desperately been trying to come home to her for years.
One True Loves is real, it’s raw, and it’s incredibly thought-provoking. This contemporary romance/women’s fiction novel presents an impossible situation, one where our primary character is forced to choose between two men whom she desperately loves. When you read the synopsis, One True Loves sounds angsty. I’m not going to gloss over it. One True Loves IS angsty, but Taylor Jenkins Reid manages to handle this topic with logic and grace.
It’s hard for me to imagine this type of situation happening to anyone in real life, but Reid paints a realistic picture of sadness, confusion and love though all stages of this story. It was so easy for me to see how Emma could fall in love with each of these men. Reid presents this story chronologically, so the reader is able to see the natural progression of each relationship. I absolutely LOVED Emma’s relationship with Jesse. Jesse gives Emma courage to follow her dreams. He is everything Emma needs during her teens and twenties. And Sam. Sam encourages Emma to create a new life for herself. He is selfless, kind and patient with Emma as she overcomes the loss of her husband.
One of the best things about Reid’s writing is the character dialogue – the openness and honesty that takes place between her characters. I think you’ll find that the conversations in this story are interesting and entertaining, even if the subject matter might not be pleasant. One True Loves is a genuine page-turner. I couldn’t, didn’t want to, put my Kindle down!
Although there are plenty of sweet, romantic moments, One True Loves is also painful and angry and sad. It’s confusing and overwhelming for Jesse, Sam and Emma. I guess some readers will consider this story a love triangle, but that’s not because any of the characters deliberately chose to cheat on each other. It’s NOT REALLY cheating. It’s just life. I encourage readers who avoid these types of novels, to give this book a try.
One True Loves is one of my 2016 favorites. I read a lot of novels, but days after finishing, this story still impresses me! I absolutely loved the way this story was reconciled! The impeccable dialogue and character development are truly what make this story special, and that’s why I’m giving Taylor Jenkins Reid a 5-star rating for One True Loves!
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Author Bio
Taylor Jenkins Reid is an author and essayist from Acton, Massachusetts. Her first novel, Forever, Interrupted, was named one of the “11 Debuts We Love” by Kirkus Reviews. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Alex, and their dog, Rabbit.
Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads
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Giveaway
2 COMPLETE SETS OF SIGNED TJR BOOKS
5 SIGNED COPIES OF ONE TRUE LOVES
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