One True Loves: What Is True Love?
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.
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Page Count: 352 pages
Genre: Romance // Fiction
Rating: 3.5 stars
Publisher: Washington Square Press/Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster
Release Date: June 7, 2016
Buy It: Chapters Indigo // Book Depository
MILANA'S REVIEW
So you might be thinking, well that sounds like another typical chick lit doesn't it? Well, yes. Yes, you are correct. However I really enjoyed this one! Summer is a time for relaxing in the sun, sitting on a dock at the cottage, or lying on the beach. If you're looking for a quick fun read I would definitely recommend One True Loves. I have read a few other "beach reads" as I call them even though I've never actually read a book at the beach. Sweating on books is not fun and kind of gross! Ha, moving on... some of my favourite beach reads consist of Judy Blume's Summer Sisters (think every book you read as a 12 year old) and The Last Summer (of You & Me) by Ann Brashares (think Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants) and I would definitely shelve One True Loves beside these gems.
The one thing I love about Reid's writing is the fluidity of it. I had started the book around 6pm after we came back from hiking up Tintagel Castle (I can't believe I just said that. It feels like a wonderful dream. If you haven't heard of it, google it. Google it now because the ruins are set on the coast of England and it is beautiful!) and by 3am I had finished it! One moment I was opening it and the next thing I knew I was closing it. I believe this has something to do with the ease of which she crafts her sentences. It was such a quick read that I blinked and I was finished!
I really enjoyed the way she broke the book down based on what point in life the main character, Emma, was living. The first half of the book was cute and I started to really understand Emma as a child, a teen and even her ache for adventure in her early 20s. The second half had me a bit conflicted. I can't explain why as that would give the whole plot away but if you end up reading this one give me a poke and we can discuss.
I'm excited to read more from Reid!