One True Loves

Praise for
Maybe in Another Life

A
People
Magazine Pick

Us Weekly
Must Pick

Named a Best Book of the Summer by
Glamour
,
Good Housekeeping
,
USA TODAY
,
Cosmopolitan
, POPSUGAR, Working Mother, Bustle, and Goodreads

“Entertaining and unpredictable; Reid makes a compelling argument for happiness in every life.”

—
Kirkus Reviews
(starred review)

“Reid makes you think about love and destiny and then shows you the
what could have been
; I loved every word. A heartfelt, witty, and scintillating journey from one parallel universe to another,
Maybe in Another Life
takes the concept of fate and makes it tangible and engrossing; I couldn't put this book down!”

—Renee Carlino,
USA Today
bestselling author

“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

“As uplifting as it is brutally honest—a must-read.”

—
Kirkus Reviews

“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 emotional look at the endings and beginnings of love. Put this book at the top of your must-read list.”

—Jen Lancaster,
New York Times
bestselling author

“Taylor Jenkins Reid delivers a seductive twist on the timeless tale of a couple trying to rediscover love in a marriage brought low by the challenges of domestic togetherness. I fell in love with Ryan and Lauren from their passionate beginning, and I couldn't stop reading as they followed their unlikely road to redemption. Touching, perceptive, funny, and achingly honest,
After I Do
will keep you hooked to the end, rooting for husbands and wives and the strength of true love.”

—Beatriz Williams,
New York Times
bestselling author

“Taylor Jenkins Reid writes with ruthless honesty, displaying an innate understanding of human emotion and creating characters and relationships so real I'm finding it impossible to let them go.
After I Do
is a raw, unflinching exploration of the realities of marriage, the delicate nature of love, and the enduring strength of family. Simultaneously funny and sad, heartbreaking and hopeful, Reid has crafted a story of love lost and found that is as timely as it is timeless.”

—Katja Millay, author of
The Sea of Tranquility

Praise for
Forever, Interrupted

“Touching and powerful . . . Reid masterfully grabs hold of the heartstrings and doesn't let go. A stunning first novel.”

—
Publishers Weekly
(starred review)

“Moving, gorgeous and, at times, heart-wrenching. Taylor Jenkins Reid writes with wit and true emotion that you can
feel
. Read it, savor it, share it.”

—Sarah Jio,
New York Times
bestselling author of
The Violets of March

“A moving novel about life and death.”

—
Kirkus Reviews

“You'll laugh, weep, and fly through each crazy-readable page.”

—
Redbook

“Sweet, heartfelt, and surprising,
Forever, Interrupted
is a story about a young woman struggling to find her way after losing her husband. These characters made me laugh as well as cry, and I ended up falling in love with them, too.”

—Sarah Pekkanen, internationally bestselling author of
The Opposite of Me

“Taylor Jenkins Reid has written a poignant and heartfelt exploration of love and commitment in the absence of shared time that asks ‘what does it take to be the love of someone's life?' ”

—Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus,
New York Times
bestselling authors

“This beautifully rendered story explores the brilliance and rarity of finding true love, and how to find our way back through the painful aftermath of losing it. These characters will leap right off the page and into your heart.”

—Amy Hatvany, author of
Somewhere Out There

“
Forever, Interrupted
weaves a beautiful love story with a terrible tragedy. Told in alternating timelines, each chapter progresses sequentially from two different arcs: one of a blooming, forever love and another of overcoming a sudden, inexplicable loss. Each storyline moves effortlessly and seamlessly through the connected stages, while also emphasizing the strengthening of old friendships and the forging of new ones. Whether told in past or present voice, Reid's debut is a superb read from start to finish!”

—
Romantic Times

This is a book about Acton, Massachusetts.

So naturally, I would like to dedicate it to Andy Bauch of Boxborough.

And to Rose, Warren, Sally, Bernie, Niko, and Zach of Encino, California.

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.