One True Loves is the story of Emma Blair and her dilemma in choosing between two great loves. Emma was married to Jesse and they had a passionate and adventurous marriage. Just before their year anniversary, Jesse’s plane goes down over the Aleutian Islands. He is eventually declared dead. After grieving for two years, Emma decides to move back home and take over the family business, Blair Books. In doing so, her life intersects with an old high school friend, Sam, and they quickly fall in love. A few months into their engagement, Emma receives word that Jesse is alive and is coming home. She will now need to decide between Jesse and Sam.
While the plot of this novel feels far-fetched at times, I think it most readers can relate to the feeling of comparing relationships. It isn’t just about the qualities of each mate, it also has to do with the version of yourself that you are in that relationship:
“There is other love out there for me. But it’s different. It isn’t this. It isn’t this exact love. It’s better and it’s worse. But I guess that’s sort of the point about love between two people – you can’t recreate it. Every time you love, every one you love, the love is different. You’re different in it.”
