BOOK REVIEW: One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I received this ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review. The scheduled publication date for this book is June 7, 2016.

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. 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 fiancee, Emma has to now figure out who she is and what she wants, while trying to protect the ones she loves.

"I don’t think true love means your only love. I thing true love means loving truly."

Taylor Jenkins Reid, I LOVE YOU. I knew I was in trouble when I was already crying at the 25% mark. But that's how her books are: they make you cry, they make you laugh and they make you think. This is the second book of hers that I read, despite the fact that the premise made me nervous. Seriously, if this had been ANY other author, I would have skipped it. I hate love triangles and this one was intense. Emma marries her high school sweetheart (Jesse), he is in a helicopter crash on their one year anniversary, she moves on (eventually) and is engaged to someone else (Sam). Naturally, this is the point when her life comes crashing down because Jesse is discovered . . . . alive. Sounds like a soap opera, right?

This is the kind of love triangle where no one is the bad guy and I felt bad for every single person involved. The author shows Emma's relationship with Jesse and grieving over his death and then trying to move on. Moving on wasn't easy. She thought Jesse was her one true love and her soul mate. She didn't even start dating Sam until two and a half years after she thought he was "dead," not that I think that matters. I don't think there is a right and a wrong answer to the question of when someone should start dating again after they lose someone they love. That really does depend on the person so every answer will be different.

I loved Emma and I loved both of the men in her life. Yes, there was one particular guy I was rooting for (not going to say who) but I still empathized with both of them. Jesse is angry and he has every right to be. He was stranded on a deserted island for years. It was annoying that he kind of expected Emma to drop everything (including Sam) the second he got back, but why wouldn't he think that. For Jesse, everything stopped. He spent the entire time he was gone thinking of Emma and trying to get back to her. She was the only reason he fought so hard so I understand that it was hard for him to come back and realize that everyone had moved on without him. Emma was in her twenties when Jessie died. Three years may not seem like a long time, but people can change a LOT in three years. Emma definitely did. And poor Sam . . . he has to deal with the fact that his fiancee is in love with two men.

The whole story is heartbreaking and it really makes you think about true love and what that means. Does everyone get JUST one true love? Even though I had a preference for who she would choose, I still felt just as torn as Emma and I was so sad about the fact that someone in this triangle would leave heartbroken. I was extremely satisfied with the ending though. Another phenomenal book by Taylor Jenkins Reid!

Buy/Borrow/Skip: Buy this one!