Can You Have Multiple Soulmates?
The question the book One True Loves explores.
One True Loves, written by one of my favourite authors, Taylor Jenkins Reid, explores the concept of undeniably true love. It poses the question, or rather answers it, of whether it’s possible to have more than one true love, or if there’s only one person with whom you’re meant to experience that profound love with. Do we only have one chance at love, and then that’s it?
We follow Emma Blair, a girl who lives in Acton, Massachusetts. Her family owns a bookstore there and she spends some of her days working there but not liking it. All she wants to do is get out of her town and travel the world. Her dreams grow wings and fly away taking her with them when she begins a relationship with Jesse who encourages her to follow her dreams.
She and Jesse get married in their twenties. They are living it up and having the best time of their lives. They are travelling the world together and couldn’t be happier.
Things take a turn for the worst when Jesse goes down with a helicopter over the Pacific Ocean leaving his one true love behind struggling to breathe without him.
After the most depressing period of Emma’s life, she decides that it’s best to move back to Massachusetts. She tries to piece her life together and it feels like the air is getting back into her lungs.
She bumps into an old friend, Sam and they hit it off. They go on to get engaged in their thirties. Emma finally feels like a human again and is ready to give love one more try.
That is until she receives a call from Jesse, her husband telling her that he is home.
Whatever shall she do?
My Rating:
⭐⭐⭐
3/5 stars
It is a wonderful book, and I had a good time reading it. It’s just not a book that I often think about and am not likely to reread it which is what differentiates my 3 stars from my 4 and 5 stars.
My Thoughts:
I love the concept of this book, but it was nothing profound to me because I already believe in multiple soulmates. I already believe that just because the relationship didn’t work out doesn’t mean it was not true love.
So, to me, Taylor was preaching to the choir. I think this brought down the rating because the book was not mind-blowing and didn’t give me a new perspective.
I liked the characters, which is something that is pivotal for me to like a book. However, none of the characters are memorable.
Most people who have read the book find Jesse’s ability to survive in the middle of the ocean for four years incredulous.
What I struggle to believe is that Emma has had, let’s count em…1…2 boyfriends her whole life and has fallen in love each time. She married her first crush who she met in high school and then later got engaged to a guy she was working with in her parent’s bookstore back in the day.
I mean, how did she do that?! What I need is for Emma to give me lessons on love. That’s what I need.
IMPORTANT: From here on there will be spoilers. If you have not yet read the book, I suggest that you LEAVE NOW! Thank you!
My Favourites
- Favourite Scene:
My favourite scene from the whole book is when Emma is talking to her best friend Olive. This is when they were still in high school and Emma was not yet dating Jesse, she just had a huge crush on him.
Emma was telling Olive how she had been noticing Jesse everywhere at school. Olive said, “That’s the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon. My brother just told me about this. You don’t notice something and then you learn the name for it and suddenly it’s everywhere. Whoa. I’m pretty sure I have the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon about the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon.”
You know what Emma said to that. She said, “Are you seeing Jesse everywhere too.”
This scene was really funny to me, how Olive’s explanation went completely over Emma’s head because she was so smitten.
I also learnt the word for when you meet someone and suddenly you see them everywhere and that was fun.
2. Bisexuality Representation:
Olive, Emma’s best friend is bisexual. This is not the main focus of her character but there are times when Olive is trying to explain her sexuality to her parents. That just because she is currently dating a man does not mean she is straight and just because she is dating a girl doesn’t mean she a lesbian.
3. The Reading Aspect:
When I say the reading aspect, I don’t mean the that fact there was a bookstore and the Blairs loved to read. I mean Emma’s evolution from someone who wouldn’t touch a book to someone who loves reading. Most people always say that they have always loved reading from a young age. They have favourite childhood books.
Taylor felt that Emma’s relationship with reading is something she should portray to show that you can fall in love with reading at any age. She also fell in love with reading later in life.
4. The author:
My favourite favourite thing about One True Loves is that it is written by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I will read anything she writes.
Sam Vs Jesse:
The most important question. When Jesse called and Emma felt like she was losing her mind and didn’t know who to be with forever, who was I rooting for?
This question is unlike any love triangle in all the history of love triangles because there isn’t a terrible option and a slightly terrible option. Both Sam and Jesse are terrific people in their own way. They both love and respect Emma so much.
I wanted Emma to end up with Sam. I did have empathy for what Jesse was going through. As it was highlighted in the book how much everyone was hurting. How much Emma was hurting because she was in this predicament, making a decision that could alter her whole life while simultaneously breaking the heart of a man she wholeheartedly loves (whoever that may be).
Sam was hurting because his fiancé’s husband was back and that just created a hole in their relationship. How insecure he must have felt when Emma couldn’t straight away decide that she loved him more. The uncertainty of their relationship and constant worrying if Emma will choose him.
I get that everyone was hurting but especially Jesse. He must have been hurting the most. The poor man. What kept the fight within him to stay alive was the thought that someday he would be reunited with his wife, his precious Emma. What he didn’t know was that it wouldn’t be that simple if at all.
He has every right to be upset that the world didn’t wait for him. That the Earth still orbited the sun making the years go by. That some of his favourite places closed, and new places opened. That new flavours were introduced. That new songs were released without him. And most importantly that his wife moved on without him.
As it turns out, the thing that kept him alive all these years, reuniting with his wife was not possible. The devastating, heart ranching pain he must have felt coming back to a world where his wife had a fiancé.
Where he didn’t know his wife anymore because who is this woman with short hair, that likes reading, enjoys working in her parent’s bookstore, wants to live in Massachusetts and is close with her sister?
Who is that woman because that is certainly not Jesse’s Emma, that is not the woman he left behind.
I understand all his pain which is exactly why I wanted Emma to end up with Sam. Emma and Jesse were no longer the same people they fell in love with. Yes, they loved each other and always will (their words, not mine) but love is not enough.
They no longer wanted the same things; they didn’t have the vision anymore. That is nobody’s fault, that’s just the way of life.
I am really glad that Emma ended up with Sam.
That answers the question we had going into this book. Yes, one can have multiple soulmates.
If you have read the book, please leave a comment about who you were rooting for. Also please share what you would have done if you were in Emma’s shoes.
