Women's Fiction
![Taylor Jenkins Reid - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B00DX8B85M.jpg)
One True Loves: A Novel
Named a Best Book of Summer by Cosmopolitan * InStyle * Redbook * Us Weekly *PopSugar * Buzzfeed * Bustle * Brit+Co * Parade
"No one does life and love better." –InStyle
"Earth-shaking…you will flip for this epic love story." –Cosmopolitan
"Reid's heartwrenching tale asks if it's possible to have multiple soul mates." -Us Weekly
From the author of Maybe in Another Life-named a People Magazine pick-comes a breathtaking new love story about a woman unexpectedly forced to choose between the husband she has long thought dead and the fiancé who has finally brought her back to life.
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?
Emma knows she has to listen to her heart. She's just not sure what it's saying.
"No one does life and love better." –InStyle
"Earth-shaking…you will flip for this epic love story." –Cosmopolitan
"Reid's heartwrenching tale asks if it's possible to have multiple soul mates." -Us Weekly
From the author of Maybe in Another Life-named a People Magazine pick-comes a breathtaking new love story about a woman unexpectedly forced to choose between the husband she has long thought dead and the fiancé who has finally brought her back to life.
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?
Emma knows she has to listen to her heart. She's just not sure what it's saying.
Editorial Reviews
Praise for One True Loves:
"Earth-shaking romance…you will flip for this epic love story." ― Cosmopolitan
"A breathtaking love story." ― InStyle
"Taylor Jenkins Reid is seriously a genius when it comes to stories about life and love, and this book promises to be another awesome addition to her collection." ― Redbook
"The mastermind behind the incredible summer read." ― Bustle
"So compelling...Reid is so talented at creating characters you believe in." ― Associated Press
"If you feel emotionally connected to Adele's music, read One True Loves." ― The Reading Room
"Reid does such a good job of leading us through Emma's emotional journey – I was as ambivalent as she was for a while, and then really invested in the ending. There's some pretty deep truths in this, too." ― BookRiot
"[Reid] is so skilled at creating complex, likeable characters that you'll find yourself struggling to root for one man over the other." ― Real Simple
"…Taylor Jenkins Reid is the reigning queen of summer reads." ― SheKnows
"If you read this title and thought to yourself, 'Hey wait, isn't that a typo?', Reid's heartwarming tale of a choice between two loves might just convince you otherwise." ― Brit+Co
"The writing is evocative. and the first person narrative rings true…Sign me up for the next Taylor Jenkins Reid book, please!" ― Examiner.com
"Reid has penned a gut-wrenching yet upbeat story about love and life…A sure bet for fans of romantic women's fiction." ― Booklist
"Dripping with drama and tension, we're beyond obsessed with this delicious read." ― Sunset Magazine
"I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see who Emma would give her heart to." ― First for Women
Praise for Maybe in Another Life:
"Entertaining and unpredictable; Reid makes a compelling argument for happiness in every life." ― Kirkus (starred review)
"Readers looking for a romance with a twist won't be disappointed" ― Library Journal
Praise for After I Do:
"Written in a breezy, humorous style familiar to fans of Jane Green and Elin Hilderbrand, After I Do focuses on Lauren's journey of self-discovery. The intriguing premise and well-drawn characters contribute to an emotionally uplifting and inspiring story." ― Booklist
"Taylor Jenkins Reid offers an entirely fresh and new perspective on what can happen after the "happily ever after." With characters who feel like friends and a narrative that hooked me from the first page, After I Do takes an elegant and incisively emotio...
"Earth-shaking romance…you will flip for this epic love story." ― Cosmopolitan
"A breathtaking love story." ― InStyle
"Taylor Jenkins Reid is seriously a genius when it comes to stories about life and love, and this book promises to be another awesome addition to her collection." ― Redbook
"The mastermind behind the incredible summer read." ― Bustle
"So compelling...Reid is so talented at creating characters you believe in." ― Associated Press
"If you feel emotionally connected to Adele's music, read One True Loves." ― The Reading Room
"Reid does such a good job of leading us through Emma's emotional journey – I was as ambivalent as she was for a while, and then really invested in the ending. There's some pretty deep truths in this, too." ― BookRiot
"[Reid] is so skilled at creating complex, likeable characters that you'll find yourself struggling to root for one man over the other." ― Real Simple
"…Taylor Jenkins Reid is the reigning queen of summer reads." ― SheKnows
"If you read this title and thought to yourself, 'Hey wait, isn't that a typo?', Reid's heartwarming tale of a choice between two loves might just convince you otherwise." ― Brit+Co
"The writing is evocative. and the first person narrative rings true…Sign me up for the next Taylor Jenkins Reid book, please!" ― Examiner.com
"Reid has penned a gut-wrenching yet upbeat story about love and life…A sure bet for fans of romantic women's fiction." ― Booklist
"Dripping with drama and tension, we're beyond obsessed with this delicious read." ― Sunset Magazine
"I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see who Emma would give her heart to." ― First for Women
Praise for Maybe in Another Life:
"Entertaining and unpredictable; Reid makes a compelling argument for happiness in every life." ― Kirkus (starred review)
"Readers looking for a romance with a twist won't be disappointed" ― Library Journal
Praise for After I Do:
"Written in a breezy, humorous style familiar to fans of Jane Green and Elin Hilderbrand, After I Do focuses on Lauren's journey of self-discovery. The intriguing premise and well-drawn characters contribute to an emotionally uplifting and inspiring story." ― Booklist
"Taylor Jenkins Reid offers an entirely fresh and new perspective on what can happen after the "happily ever after." With characters who feel like friends and a narrative that hooked me from the first page, After I Do takes an elegant and incisively emotio...
Readers Top Reviews
MACRebecca B
The book is well written, however I felt the outcome was too cliché. Far too long had passed before Jesse came back. The book would have been far more interesting if they still connected after all this time, instead of going through the expected road of “they are now different people “. It just felt like a lot of pages to get to that answer.
TR
Wow! Breathtaking! I will remember this book for a long time. I was straight into the story, it felt as if my best friend and me had sat down for a cuppa and a heart to heart. I was gripped and couldn’t put the book down. I raced through it, it has so many poignant moments and parts where I re-read the paragraph just to make the words sink in so that I wouldn’t forget them. I not only highly recommend this book, I implore you to add it to you wish list and make sure you read it at least once in your life. A very strong 5⭐️ rating from me.
Karon.B
TJR is a new author to me ; after discovering the fantastic daisy jones and the six Iv ordered all her other novels. One true loves is an extremely good romance book 📖 id say much much higher quality than chick lit - my goodness I hate that term it’s so sexist let’s band it !!! Anyway , it does start a little like a YA novel , which is an issue for me as I do not get on with YA novels ; however that is just setting the scene as Emma ages with pretty much each chapter . It’s probably everyone’s (except in some instances ) worst nightmare that a lover , partner , husband , wife etc re appears after years. Particularly at certain stages in your life , for those of us who have reached it and beyond we know you’re not the same person at 25 that you are at 45 etc and traits you find endearing in a lover in your 20s make you want to shout for divorce papers in your 50s. In my book group each one of us is on our 2nd marriage apart from the youngest member , we probably seem like a negative 👎 lot ! There is so much that reminds me of my first marriage about this book, we met very young , we changed and moved in different directions 🧭 we had an amicable divorce , we are both remarried and live on opposite sides of the world , our marriage would never ever have lasted , but I have very fond memories of our life together , it’s part of our history - and to quote the book “we were right for each other once , I am who I am because I loved you and you loved me “, if only people could have happy break ups because at some stage in your life that person made you happy. Anyway, checking out your ex’s is an hilarious thing to do with your girlfriends , I think that’s why social media was invented 😆 I know I did it recently On a spa day , it made us happy it made us laugh it made us reminisce , it’s also nice to see these people that at one stage in your life made you happy are happy and healthy now in their life’s, surely we’d wish that for all of them , no body deserves to be lonely. So in my humble opinion a clever little story about past and present loves which I very much enjoyed , I haven’t ever read anything quite like it , and If you haven’t laid in bed at night next to current husband / wife / lover no 2, 3, 4 or 5 and thought about no 1 or no 2 then your nose 👃🏻 will grow like Pinocchio 🤥 😆 happy reading folks x x x
C. Cronk
I really enjoyed this book and the perspective. I don't want to create spoilers here to reveal what happens in the plot but the main character Emma as a young girl and woman was fiercely determined to be a free spirit and nothing like her family wanted her to be. Post college, she and her love, Jesse, set about globe trotting and Emma became writing travelogue articles and living the life they had both dreamed of. When something unexpected happens, Emma begins to re-evaluate her life, her choices and after some time, her future path. It makes for wonderful reading. The characters make you care about them and their choices and you can't help but root for your favorites and find joy in their triumphs as well as the closeness of their family. I love that Marie only lives a few houses from her parents and they share so much of their lives. I shed a few tears while reading this, which is always a good sign that the author really tugged at my emotions. Well done.
Short Excerpt Teaser
One True Loves
I am finishing up dinner with my family and my fiancé when my husband calls.
It is my father's sixty-fourth birthday. He is wearing his favorite sweater, a hunter green cashmere one that my older sister, Marie, and I picked out for him two years ago. I think that's why he loves it so much. Well, also because it's cashmere. I'm not kidding myself here.
My mother is sitting next to him in a gauzy white blouse and khakis, trying to hold in a smile. She knows that a tiny cake with a candle and a song are coming any minute. She has always been childlike in her zeal for surprises.
My parents have been married for thirty-five years. They have raised two children and run a successful bookstore together. They have two adorable grandchildren. One of their daughters is taking over the family business. They have a lot to be proud of. This is a happy birthday for my father.
Marie is sitting on the other side of my mother and it is times like these, when the two of them are right next to each other, facing the same direction, that I realize just how much they look alike. Chocolate brown hair, green eyes, petite frames.
I'm the one that got stuck with the big butt.
Luckily, I've come to appreciate it. There are, of course, many songs dedicated to the glory of a backside, and if my thirties have taught me anything so far, it's that I'm ready to try to be myself with no apologies.
My name is Emma Blair and I've got a booty.
I am thirty-one, five foot six, with a blond, grown-out pixie cut. My hazel eyes are upstaged by a constellation of freckles on the top of my right cheekbone. My father often jokes he can make out the Little Dipper.
Last week, my fiancé, Sam, gave me the ring he has spent over two months shopping for. It's a diamond solitaire on a rose gold band. While it is not my first engagement ring, it is the first time I've ever worn a diamond. When I look at myself, it's all I can see.
"Oh no," Dad says, spotting a trio of servers headed our way with a lit slice of cake. "You guys didn't . . ."
This is not false modesty. My father blushes when people sing to him.
My mother looks behind her to see what he sees. "Oh, Colin," she says. "Lighten up. It's your birthday . . ."
The servers make an abrupt left and head to another table. Apparently, my father is not the only person born today. My mother sees what has happened and tries to recover.
". . . Which is why I did not tell them to bring you a cake," she says.
"Give it up," my dad says. "You've blown your cover."
The servers finish at that table and a manager comes out with another slice of cake. Now they are all headed right for us.
"If you want to hide under the table," Sam says, "I'll tell them you're not here."
Sam is handsome in a friendly way-which I think might just be the best way to be handsome-with warm brown eyes that seem to look at everything with tenderness. And he's funny. Truly funny. After Sam and I started dating, I noticed my laugh lines were getting deeper. This is most likely because I am growing older, but I can't shake the feeling that it's because I am laughing more than I ever have. What else could you want in a person other than kindness and humor? I'm not sure anything else really matters to me.
The cake arrives, we all sing loudly, and my father turns beet red. Then the servers turn away and we are left with an oversized piece of chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream.
The waitstaff left five spoons but my father immediately grabs them all. "Not sure why they left so many spoons. I only need one," he says.
My mother goes to grab one from him.
"Not so fast, Ashley," he says. "I endured the humiliation. I should get to eat this cake alone."
"If that's how we are playing it . . ." Marie says. "For my birthday next month, please put me through this same rigmarole. Well worth it."
Marie drinks a sip of her Diet Coke and then checks her phone for the time. Her husband, Mike, is at home with my nieces, Sophie and Ava. Marie rarely leaves them for very long.
"I should get going," Marie says. "Sorry to leave, but . . ."
She doesn't have to explain. My mom and dad both stand up to give her a hug good-bye.
Once she's gone and my father has finally agreed to let us all eat the cake, my mom says, "It sounds silly but I miss that. I miss leaving someplace early because I was just so excited to get back to my little girls."
I know what's coming next.
I'm thirty-one and about to be married. I know exactly what is coming...
I am finishing up dinner with my family and my fiancé when my husband calls.
It is my father's sixty-fourth birthday. He is wearing his favorite sweater, a hunter green cashmere one that my older sister, Marie, and I picked out for him two years ago. I think that's why he loves it so much. Well, also because it's cashmere. I'm not kidding myself here.
My mother is sitting next to him in a gauzy white blouse and khakis, trying to hold in a smile. She knows that a tiny cake with a candle and a song are coming any minute. She has always been childlike in her zeal for surprises.
My parents have been married for thirty-five years. They have raised two children and run a successful bookstore together. They have two adorable grandchildren. One of their daughters is taking over the family business. They have a lot to be proud of. This is a happy birthday for my father.
Marie is sitting on the other side of my mother and it is times like these, when the two of them are right next to each other, facing the same direction, that I realize just how much they look alike. Chocolate brown hair, green eyes, petite frames.
I'm the one that got stuck with the big butt.
Luckily, I've come to appreciate it. There are, of course, many songs dedicated to the glory of a backside, and if my thirties have taught me anything so far, it's that I'm ready to try to be myself with no apologies.
My name is Emma Blair and I've got a booty.
I am thirty-one, five foot six, with a blond, grown-out pixie cut. My hazel eyes are upstaged by a constellation of freckles on the top of my right cheekbone. My father often jokes he can make out the Little Dipper.
Last week, my fiancé, Sam, gave me the ring he has spent over two months shopping for. It's a diamond solitaire on a rose gold band. While it is not my first engagement ring, it is the first time I've ever worn a diamond. When I look at myself, it's all I can see.
"Oh no," Dad says, spotting a trio of servers headed our way with a lit slice of cake. "You guys didn't . . ."
This is not false modesty. My father blushes when people sing to him.
My mother looks behind her to see what he sees. "Oh, Colin," she says. "Lighten up. It's your birthday . . ."
The servers make an abrupt left and head to another table. Apparently, my father is not the only person born today. My mother sees what has happened and tries to recover.
". . . Which is why I did not tell them to bring you a cake," she says.
"Give it up," my dad says. "You've blown your cover."
The servers finish at that table and a manager comes out with another slice of cake. Now they are all headed right for us.
"If you want to hide under the table," Sam says, "I'll tell them you're not here."
Sam is handsome in a friendly way-which I think might just be the best way to be handsome-with warm brown eyes that seem to look at everything with tenderness. And he's funny. Truly funny. After Sam and I started dating, I noticed my laugh lines were getting deeper. This is most likely because I am growing older, but I can't shake the feeling that it's because I am laughing more than I ever have. What else could you want in a person other than kindness and humor? I'm not sure anything else really matters to me.
The cake arrives, we all sing loudly, and my father turns beet red. Then the servers turn away and we are left with an oversized piece of chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream.
The waitstaff left five spoons but my father immediately grabs them all. "Not sure why they left so many spoons. I only need one," he says.
My mother goes to grab one from him.
"Not so fast, Ashley," he says. "I endured the humiliation. I should get to eat this cake alone."
"If that's how we are playing it . . ." Marie says. "For my birthday next month, please put me through this same rigmarole. Well worth it."
Marie drinks a sip of her Diet Coke and then checks her phone for the time. Her husband, Mike, is at home with my nieces, Sophie and Ava. Marie rarely leaves them for very long.
"I should get going," Marie says. "Sorry to leave, but . . ."
She doesn't have to explain. My mom and dad both stand up to give her a hug good-bye.
Once she's gone and my father has finally agreed to let us all eat the cake, my mom says, "It sounds silly but I miss that. I miss leaving someplace early because I was just so excited to get back to my little girls."
I know what's coming next.
I'm thirty-one and about to be married. I know exactly what is coming...
