Your map to one of contemporary fiction’s most beloved authors — ordered by theme, tone, and reading experience.
Taylor Jenkins Reid has emerged as a defining voice in modern women’s fiction, blending immersive character studies with emotional clarity, sharp dialogue, and narrative innovation. Her novels often explore identity, love, fame, and memory — whether through a Hollywood icon, a championship softball player, or a woman whose life is transformed by loss and love.
This guide breaks down her books in ways that help you choose your next read, whether you’re a fan already or just discovering her work.
1. Start Here: Fan Favourites and Signature Style
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (2017)
Genre: Literary Fiction / Historical Fiction / Celebrity Saga
Why It’s Popular: This is the book that put Reid on the global bestseller map. It’s an unforgettable character study of Hollywood legend Evelyn Hugo, recounted in a series of confessional interviews that span decades of love, ambition, scandal, and reinvention. Reid excels at layering glamour with emotional grit.
What You’ll Love: Ambition, queer love stories, tightly plotted storytelling, and devastating revelations.
Daisy Jones & The Six (2019)
Genre: Musical Fiction / Oral Narrative
Why It’s Popular: Structured like a documentary transcript, this novel follows an explosive fictional rock band in the 1970s. The format feels fresh and immersive, allowing multiple voices to tell a story about creativity, fame and the messy chemistry of collaboration.
What You’ll Love: Music, ensemble cast, distinct character voices, and that just one more chapter pacing.
2. Emotional Deep Dives: Love, Loss, and Becoming Yourself
The Wife Between Us (2018)
Genre: Domestic Thriller
Why It’s Different: Unlike Reid’s other work, this is a twisty domestic thriller that plays with unreliable narration and reader assumptions. It’s not a “whodunit,” but a layered story about obsession, love and misperception.
What You’ll Love: Pace, misdirection, and emotional stakes that are psychological and personal rather than procedural.
One True Loves (2016)
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Women’s Fiction
Why It Works: Here Reid examines love and timing. After her husband disappears and is presumed dead, Emma rebuilds her life — only for her husband to return years later. The result is a thoughtful story about identity, commitment, and whether destiny ever truly resolves itself.
What You’ll Love: Emotionally honest writing, character growth, and ambiguity that feels real.
3. Quirky, Yet Poignant: Stories About Life’s Turning Points
Malibu Rising (2021)
Genre: Historical Fiction / Family Saga
What Makes It Shine: Set over 24 hours, this novel focuses on the Riva siblings — children of a famous singer — as they throw a party that becomes mythic. Reid uses one day to explore decades of family history, secrets, and generational influence.
What You’ll Love: Beachside atmospherics, family dynamics, and a cast of unforgettable personalities.
Carrie Soto Is Back (2022)
Genre: Sports Fiction / Character Portrait
Why It’s Special: Whereas many novels about athletes focus on rise and fall, this story centers on a legendary tennis champion who decides to come back to the professional circuit in her forties. It’s about competition, aging, ego, and the price of greatness.
What You’ll Love: Character depth, athletic ambition, and a compelling protagonist who refuses to retire quietly.
4. Reid’s Earlier Work: Themes in Development
Maybe in Another Life (2015)
Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Romantic Drama
Why It’s Worth Reading: This novel explores the idea of parallel lives and choices. After a night out, Hannah’s life splits into two timelines — one where she stays with her boyfriend, another where she goes home with her childhood friend. The book asks: What path would you regret? What path would you choose?
What You’ll Love: A conceptual hook that serves emotional insight.
Forever, Interrupted (2013)
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Overview: This is Reid’s debut novel, focusing on a woman whose husband dies suddenly on their honeymoon — and the young man who delivers the news and enters her life. It’s raw, direct, and poignant.
What You’ll Love: Early Reid’s intimacy and straightforward emotional exploration.
5. How to Read Taylor Jenkins Reid (Recommended Orders)
By Accessibility (Easy Entry Points)
If you’re new to her books, start with:
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo — The novel most frequently recommended as a first Reid read.
- Daisy Jones & The Six — A different narrative style but completely addictive.
- Malibu Rising — A great standalone family story.
- Carrie Soto Is Back — Different in tone — fun, fierce, and inspiring.
These books showcase her range and unique voice without requiring prior familiarity with themes or style.
By Emotional Arc
If you’re reading for emotional depth:
- One True Loves — A heartfelt exploration of love’s complexity.
- Maybe in Another Life — Thoughtful reflection on choices and consequence.
- Forever, Interrupted — Quietly devastating.
- The Wife Between Us — Edge-of-your-seat emotional complexity with a twist.
By Narrative Innovation
If you want structural inventiveness:
- Daisy Jones & The Six — Oral history format.
- The Wife Between Us — A twisty reimagining of domestic narrative expectations.
- Malibu Rising — A single day that reveals a lifetime.
6. Themes That Tie Her Books Together
While each novel stands on its own, many recurring themes give Reid’s work a distinct signature:
Identity and Reinvention: Characters often rebuild themselves after heartbreak, fame, or loss.
Love in Its Many Forms: Romantic love, friendship, familial love — Reid explores it all with nuance.
Female Protagonists with Depth: Her central characters are often flawed, brilliant, stubborn, and confronting life honestly.
Memory and Narrative: Several stories pivot on how memory shapes identity and the way we tell our own stories.
Public vs. Private Life: Especially in titles like Evelyn Hugo and Malibu Rising, the contrast between persona and self is central.
7. Why Reid’s Books Matter in Today’s Literary Landscape
Taylor Jenkins Reid has tapped into something universal: the tension between who we are and who we think we should be. Her characters are people we recognise — even when their lives are larger than ours. Her storytelling threads emotional truth through compelling plots, making readers feel seen, understood, and deeply moved.
Her growing presence in mainstream conversation — from book clubs to streaming adaptations — reflects how her work bridges literary fiction and pop culture without losing complexity or heart.
8. Final Thoughts
Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books are more than popular. They are relatable. They give us protagonists we want to be friends with, stories we want to live inside, and endings we want to remember. Whether it’s the doomed glamour of Evelyn Hugo, the musical pulse of Daisy Jones & The Six, or the fiery competitiveness of Carrie Soto Is Back, Reid’s writing reminds us that the lives we choose — and the ones we don’t — shape us in powerful, unexpected ways.
Her novels invite you to think about love, ambition, memory, and transformation long after you’ve turned the last page.
If you’re looking for engrossing, emotionally resonant contemporary fiction with unforgettable characters and narrative twists, Taylor Jenkins Reid’s bibliography is one of the richest places to begin.
