A review by imaginationindex
One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

“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?”


This is the first book of TJR that I’ve read outside of the famous multiverse of the likes of Evelyn Hugo (💚) and Mick Riva (🤢). It reads differently, but it’s still the classic TJR I’ve come to enjoy. 

My one true loves of this book:
  • Emma’s mom and dad are my favourite characters! So supportive and understanding and they made me cry twice even with everything else going on
  • How Acton, MA was written. It holds a very special place for TJR and you can tell
  • On the total opposite end, how Emma’s grief was written was just… 🤯 
  • On top of the family themes… Sisterly themes 
  • Bookstore vibes!! I wanna be the Bookkeepers’ Daughter 🥲😭

But not my soulmate:
  • Jesse. It’s awful what this fictional man went through but my red-flag-alert was going OFF. Teenage Jesse, Twenty-something Jesse, Survivor Jesse… I didn’t like him. AND he left for a trip on their one year anniversary, no sir, that doesn’t fly.
    I knew she wouldn’t end up with him. 
  • … also Sam… at times. It helped I was picturing Simu Liu from the adaption but the way he acted at times
    technically kicking her out, “don’t call me”… yikes
  • I’m not a fan of this type of love triangle trope with a side of dead partners. Honest to god stressed me out thinking of these two men guilting Emma. 
  • And this specific moment near the end
    it took 3 days for Jesse and Emma to realize they wouldn’t be together but even after that decision… they still slept together… and Sam was okay with this??!? 

All this along with my rating might make you think I didn’t enjoy this book. However first and foremost, I read this in two days. Secondly and most importantly, there is a great message here: 

People change. You are not the same person in your twenties than you are in your thirties. Which means you get love boldly, bravely and unconditionally and find your true love(s).
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