Scan barcode
A review by cryrider
One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid
3.0
One True Loves is a very stress-inducing story about a woman having to choose between her first love and her new love after the former went missing for 3 1/2 years. Although this concept is intriguing, Taylor Jenkins Reid's writing style doesn't do it justice. The way she writes is succinct, and often clinical, which worked for me in Daisy Jones & the Six because it was in an interview format, but in this book, it left me feeling detached from the characters and the events that transpired. Throughout the story, we're constantly being told that these characters love each other but it's not believable because Reid fails to show it on the page. We're whisked right through important romantic development between both male leads in short paragraphs that summarize everything they've done together. Reid doesn't spend enough time allowing us to get to know these men or even the main character herself.
That is the crux of the problem. My other problem with this book is that the plane crash that separates our main character (Emma) from her first love (Jesse) is pretty much brushed off the entire time. Jesse comes back and there's not enough conversation about the fact that he was left at sea for almost 4 years. The man is fucked up and there was not a single true discussion about therapy. It was baffling, to say the least. Was there no other circumstance that Reid could write for their separation?
To summarize, One True Loves would've benefitted from poetic writing, more pages, and no plane crash. Despite my complaints, though, I did enjoy reading it; I was never bored, so 3/5 stars. I will continue to read Taylor's work, honestly, because I think she's capable of writing something excellent, and I hope to see that soon.
That is the crux of the problem. My other problem with this book is that the plane crash that separates our main character (Emma) from her first love (Jesse) is pretty much brushed off the entire time. Jesse comes back and there's not enough conversation about the fact that he was left at sea for almost 4 years. The man is fucked up and there was not a single true discussion about therapy. It was baffling, to say the least. Was there no other circumstance that Reid could write for their separation?
To summarize, One True Loves would've benefitted from poetic writing, more pages, and no plane crash. Despite my complaints, though, I did enjoy reading it; I was never bored, so 3/5 stars. I will continue to read Taylor's work, honestly, because I think she's capable of writing something excellent, and I hope to see that soon.