I am back with another book review, this week I am very excited to share my thoughts on a new book coming out tomorrow, One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid! Thanks so much to Simon and Schuster for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.
Let me just start this review off by saying that this was my first book by Taylor Jenkins Reid, and I can guarantee you, it will not be my last. One True Loves is phenomenal.
This is the story of a woman named Emma, who, after her husband, Jesse, is presumed lost at sea, finally finds love almost four years after Jesse's disappearance, and gets engaged to a friend from her past, Sam. Then, she gets a phone call from Jesse, saying he is alive and coming home to her. Can you say CRAZY?
Through some very seamless flashbacks, we learn more of Emma's past as a teenager growing up, Jesse being her first crush and high school sweetheart, and Sam being the boy who loved her from afar, after being friend zoned. Honestly, I had no idea how Emma was going to decide who to be with.
I really loved how Reid doesn't make it obvious. She gives an even, sort of pros and cons "list" of each man. Emma loved Jesse for years, they are married, he was her sole mate. Sam knows the "after" Emma, not the "before" Emma, and helped her get through her tragic loss.
I got about halfway through, and knew who she was going to pick. And then bam, I think its the other guy. It goes back and forth like this for a little, and you can really see inside Emma's head, her uncertainty and struggles on who to choose. I really loved Reid's writing style, it was so immersive. You really felt like you were in Emma's shoes, which are not really easy shoes to be in.
In terms of characters, they were all really interesting and unique. I think its safe to say that being the only survivor of a helicopter crash over the Northern Pacific Ocean and being stranded on a pile of rocks for over three years is any sane persons worst nightmare. Part of me was glad that Jesse was okay, but the other part of me was thinking that perhaps mentally, he wasn't in the best place to be making such important decisions. The after Jesse still had some of the before Jesse's free spirit but you could tell that the after Jesse was a shell of the man he used to be.
I really liked Sam. I don't know if it's just because we tend to root for the underdog, but Sam was who I wanted Emma to end up with. I didn't always have that mindset, but it came eventually. Sam helped Emma move on, he knew all of her quirks, her favourite snacks, what she did when she was nervous, her life aspirations. Some of these had changed since Jesse left, so I can't fault him for not really knowing them, but I just felt like each man knew a different Emma, Jesse knew Emma before, and Sam knew Emma after. And you can't fault either for this.
Emma herself was a very interesting character for me. She was very unsure about a lot of things in her life, and I think that echoes the feelings of many readers. She really grew from the time Jesse left, to the time he returned, and I think she was made better for it. Not even in regards to how her life with Sam shaped her, but just her overall outlook and goals in life. Sure, it's fun to travel the world, but in the end, I don't think she was ready for the life that lifestyle was going to give her. She realized what was important to her, and she went for it. I think a lot of people in her situation would just shut down, and not be able to live again afterwards. But Emma begins to find joy in life again, and I think she inspires the reader to believe in the bright side. Bad things happen all the time, but it truly is how you deal with them that counts.
Overall, this was just really well organized and written. This is one of those books that everyone needs to read, because the themes of grief, loss, and later finding happiness and peace are applicable to almost all situations, whether or not your husband gets lost at sea.
I cannot recommend it enough!
This is the story of a woman named Emma, who, after her husband, Jesse, is presumed lost at sea, finally finds love almost four years after Jesse's disappearance, and gets engaged to a friend from her past, Sam. Then, she gets a phone call from Jesse, saying he is alive and coming home to her. Can you say CRAZY?
Through some very seamless flashbacks, we learn more of Emma's past as a teenager growing up, Jesse being her first crush and high school sweetheart, and Sam being the boy who loved her from afar, after being friend zoned. Honestly, I had no idea how Emma was going to decide who to be with.
I really loved how Reid doesn't make it obvious. She gives an even, sort of pros and cons "list" of each man. Emma loved Jesse for years, they are married, he was her sole mate. Sam knows the "after" Emma, not the "before" Emma, and helped her get through her tragic loss.
I got about halfway through, and knew who she was going to pick. And then bam, I think its the other guy. It goes back and forth like this for a little, and you can really see inside Emma's head, her uncertainty and struggles on who to choose. I really loved Reid's writing style, it was so immersive. You really felt like you were in Emma's shoes, which are not really easy shoes to be in.
In terms of characters, they were all really interesting and unique. I think its safe to say that being the only survivor of a helicopter crash over the Northern Pacific Ocean and being stranded on a pile of rocks for over three years is any sane persons worst nightmare. Part of me was glad that Jesse was okay, but the other part of me was thinking that perhaps mentally, he wasn't in the best place to be making such important decisions. The after Jesse still had some of the before Jesse's free spirit but you could tell that the after Jesse was a shell of the man he used to be.
I really liked Sam. I don't know if it's just because we tend to root for the underdog, but Sam was who I wanted Emma to end up with. I didn't always have that mindset, but it came eventually. Sam helped Emma move on, he knew all of her quirks, her favourite snacks, what she did when she was nervous, her life aspirations. Some of these had changed since Jesse left, so I can't fault him for not really knowing them, but I just felt like each man knew a different Emma, Jesse knew Emma before, and Sam knew Emma after. And you can't fault either for this.
Emma herself was a very interesting character for me. She was very unsure about a lot of things in her life, and I think that echoes the feelings of many readers. She really grew from the time Jesse left, to the time he returned, and I think she was made better for it. Not even in regards to how her life with Sam shaped her, but just her overall outlook and goals in life. Sure, it's fun to travel the world, but in the end, I don't think she was ready for the life that lifestyle was going to give her. She realized what was important to her, and she went for it. I think a lot of people in her situation would just shut down, and not be able to live again afterwards. But Emma begins to find joy in life again, and I think she inspires the reader to believe in the bright side. Bad things happen all the time, but it truly is how you deal with them that counts.
Overall, this was just really well organized and written. This is one of those books that everyone needs to read, because the themes of grief, loss, and later finding happiness and peace are applicable to almost all situations, whether or not your husband gets lost at sea.
I cannot recommend it enough!