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annamurr's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
lharpst's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
natidelgadov's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mysteriesofmar's review against another edition
5.0
I AM ABSOLUTELY RUINED GOODBYE
despite how emotionally wrecking this book is, i couldn't put it down. TJR's writing shines in this book as you are drawn into emma blair's life story and can't wait to find out what happens next, or how the characters are going to deal with the situation. i felt everything emma was going through despite not going through a single thing she had, and felt genuine anxiety when jesse resurfaced at the worst possible time.
while navigating the whole being married and engaged scenario definitely made this a worthwhile read, what really drove home how much i loved this book was how we saw emma grow over the years. whether that was through her relationship with her family's bookstore, or with her sister, or even with herself and how she started listening to what she really wanted, deep down, it was amazing to see her character adapt and change. the ending made perfect sense, but it also had me wrecked.
TJR... bring me more
despite how emotionally wrecking this book is, i couldn't put it down. TJR's writing shines in this book as you are drawn into emma blair's life story and can't wait to find out what happens next, or how the characters are going to deal with the situation. i felt everything emma was going through despite not going through a single thing she had, and felt genuine anxiety when jesse resurfaced at the worst possible time.
while navigating the whole being married and engaged scenario definitely made this a worthwhile read, what really drove home how much i loved this book was how we saw emma grow over the years. whether that was through her relationship with her family's bookstore, or with her sister, or even with herself and how she started listening to what she really wanted, deep down, it was amazing to see her character adapt and change. the ending made perfect sense, but it also had me wrecked.
TJR... bring me more
jaye_123's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
mauraneandbooks's review against another edition
4.0
It feels like a well written Colleen Hoover where I actually feel for the characters. It's totally different from what TJR is known for and it's of course less extraordinary than Evelyn Hugo or Carrie Soto by the chosen subject and the characters but it's still good! I read it in 24h and I couldn't stop thinking about it and what I would do if I were Emma.
jaclyncrupi's review against another edition
3.0
This is a completely perfect romantic beach read. It's complete female wish fulfilment and there is nothing wrong with that! But the writing was painful at times and the two proposals completely unreadable. All that said, I read this book in one sitting on the beach and was completely engrossed and sometimes that's exactly the kind of book you need.
lilbanne's review against another edition
4.0
This was an exciting and sometimes frustrating read. One True Loves delves into the complexities of love and grief. The story is about Emma, a woman whose husband and the love of her life is lost at sea during a helicopter accident. Jesse is presumed dead, and Emma painfully grieves his loss. After two years, Emma starts a relationship with Sam, the man she knew as a boy in her hometown. Sam is very different than Jesse, but Emma and Sam comfortably begin a life together, only to have it shaken when Jesse is found alive! What does Emma do? It’s all so complicated.
What I liked about this read is that it does not shy away from how messy grief can be. Trauma and grief change you. The very core of who you were before your loss is different. This is absolutely relatable material for me. Everything about you can shift dramatically. Can a love of your former self fit with your new self? Who knows? But this is why divorce rates are so high after a major trauma has occurred in a relationship. You are not the same people anymore. While you fit together like a puzzle before, you might not work together in the present because each of you has fundamentally changed.
Emma makes questionable choices, but that’s what it is to be human. We aren’t perfect, and neither are characters in books. This wasn’t my favourite read by Taylor Jenkins Reid, but it still provided some excellent food for thought. Really appreciated the great grief quotes.
“You know that you will never truly be free of the grief. You know that it is something you must learn to live with, something you manage. You start to understand that grief is chronic. That it’s more about remission and relapse than it is about a cure. What that means to you is that you can’t simply wait for it to be over. You have to move through it, like swimming in an undertow.”
What I liked about this read is that it does not shy away from how messy grief can be. Trauma and grief change you. The very core of who you were before your loss is different. This is absolutely relatable material for me. Everything about you can shift dramatically. Can a love of your former self fit with your new self? Who knows? But this is why divorce rates are so high after a major trauma has occurred in a relationship. You are not the same people anymore. While you fit together like a puzzle before, you might not work together in the present because each of you has fundamentally changed.
Emma makes questionable choices, but that’s what it is to be human. We aren’t perfect, and neither are characters in books. This wasn’t my favourite read by Taylor Jenkins Reid, but it still provided some excellent food for thought. Really appreciated the great grief quotes.
“You know that you will never truly be free of the grief. You know that it is something you must learn to live with, something you manage. You start to understand that grief is chronic. That it’s more about remission and relapse than it is about a cure. What that means to you is that you can’t simply wait for it to be over. You have to move through it, like swimming in an undertow.”