Taylor Jenkins Reid, an American novelist, writes the Best Taylor Jenkins Reid Books across Hollywood mythmaking and modern love. She was born in Maryland and grew up near Boston, later settling in Los Angeles. Her primary forms are the contemporary and historical novel, plus an epistolary novella. She is commonly known for character‑driven stories about fame, family, and identity. Standout titles include The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six. Her career spans 2013 to the present, with steady publication across the 2010s and 2020s. For an overview of her catalog and updates, see the author’s official book page. This piece keeps to plot facts and publication context only.
Her breakout reach came through The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and subsequent visibility surged with Daisy Jones & The Six and streaming adaptations. The list below notes a best‑selling presence around Hollywood set pieces and intimate relationships. Hallmark subjects include ambition, reinvention, complicated marriages, found family, and the costs of celebrity. Readers return for interlinked casts and recurring locales across decades. This ranked guide includes 10 titles. It is sequenced in rising rating order; ties by year, then title. The Best Taylor Jenkins Reid Books framing helps readers trace the arc of themes without spoilers. All summaries describe set‑ups and plot turns only.
10 Best Taylor Jenkins Reid Books in a Rising Rating Order
Methodology & Updates
Sources include the author’s official bibliography, Wikipedia publication years, and Goodreads average ratings captured on October 19, 2025; ties resolved by year, then title; occasional re‑ratings may shift positions. For reference: Goodreads author list, Wikipedia profile, and official site. This ratings‑led climb sits within the Best Taylor Jenkins Reid Books methodology.
#1) Forever, Interrupted – 2013
- Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Published: 2013
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, contemporary fiction, romance, grief
- Themes: marriage, bereavement, mothers and daughters, secrets
- Goodreads Rating: 3.64/5
Los Angeles in the early 2010s frames Elsie Porter, a young woman who marries Ben after a whirlwind courtship. A sudden accident leaves Ben dead and Elsie reeling in the first week of marriage. Her immediate dilemma is how to grieve with no formal standing in Ben’s family. Tension centers on Elsie’s collision with Ben’s mother, who never knew the marriage. Mid‑story scenes alternate present‑day hospital and mourning logistics with flashbacks of the couple’s fast beginnings. New revelations complicate funerals, housing, and boundaries with in‑laws. The trajectory points toward a confrontation and a cautious redefinition of family roles. The endpoint hints at a tentative accommodation that allows mourning to move forward.
#2) Maybe in Another Life – 2015
- Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Published: 2015
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, contemporary fiction, parallel timelines
- Themes: choice, fate, friendship, second chances
- Goodreads Rating: 3.79/5
Back in Los Angeles, Hannah Martin reconnects with friends and an old boyfriend during a night out. A split‑second decision at closing time creates two divergent storylines. In one path, her dilemma centers on rekindling a romance; in the other, she leans on her best friend after a life‑altering accident. Relationships in each timeline push and pull at loyalty and desire. Mid‑book chapters alternate the tracks, revealing mirrored jobs, homes, and family ties. Complications rise as health, career prospects, and commitments change unevenly across the branches. The arc moves toward parallel climaxes in which both futures demand clarity. Endpoints show distinct consequences for love and belonging based on the original choice.
#3) Evidence of the Affair – 2018
- Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Published: 2018
- Work Type / Genre Tags: epistolary novella, contemporary fiction
- Themes: infidelity, secrets, trust, revenge
- Goodreads Rating: 3.86/5
Set through exchanged letters in the late 1970s/early 1980s, a woman named Carrie writes to David after discovering their spouses are having an affair. The inciting incident is a misdirected letter that exposes the connection. Carrie seeks clarity while David faces whether to confront or observe. Their correspondence creates a tense partnership defined by shared injury and wary empathy. Midway, new letters and intercepted messages complicate intentions and blur investigative lines. The stakes rise as both contemplate direct action that could upend jobs, marriages, and reputations. The narrative points to separate confrontations that may not unfold as planned. The endpoint lands on a decisive missive that closes one exchange and alters two households.
#4) After I Do – 2014
- Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Published: 2014
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, contemporary fiction, marriage
- Themes: separation, selfhood, family, vows
- Goodreads Rating: 3.93/5
In Los Angeles, Lauren and Ryan face a marriage stalled by daily friction. A mutual decision to live apart for a year, with no contact, triggers the central conflict. Lauren’s immediate objective is to see whether distance restores clarity. Relationships with her sister, grandmother, and friends open new routines and pressures. Mid‑story, messages that are not exchanged become as pivotal as the ones that might be sent. Stakes climb as holidays, family crises, and tempting new bonds test the agreement. The path moves toward a deadline where both must choose how to proceed. The endpoint suggests a considered decision about the future of the marriage.
#5) One True Loves – 2016
- Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Published: 2016
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, contemporary fiction, romance
- Themes: loss, identity, commitment, homecoming
- Goodreads Rating: 4.02/5
Emma Blair leaves her Massachusetts hometown for travel and marries Jesse, a high‑school sweetheart turned adventurer. A helicopter crash over the Pacific leaves Jesse missing and presumed dead. Years later, Emma has rebuilt life and love with Sam and is engaged again. The return of Jesse alive creates a direct triangle with immediate legal and emotional puzzles. Mid‑story meetings and family counsel map out living arrangements, rings, and promises. The stakes rise as Emma weighs shared histories against present stability. The trajectory narrows toward a choice that will define where and with whom she lives. The endpoint resolves the triangle with a clear, personal decision.
#6) Malibu Rising – 2021
- Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Published: 2021
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, historical fiction, family saga
- Themes: fame, siblings, inheritance, wildfire
- Goodreads Rating: 4.02/5
In Malibu, 1983, the Riva siblings prepare for their legendary end‑of‑summer party. The family’s origin threads through the rise of singer Mick Riva and the hardships of their mother, June. Nina hosts while Jay, Hud, and Kit bring simmering conflicts to the same house. Relationships fracture over secrets, romances, and a long‑held confession. Mid‑night, the party swells into chaos as strangers fill rooms and trespass lines. Stakes escalate when property, careers, and loyalties collide against the backdrop of a fast‑moving fire. The arc points toward dawn choices about what to salvage and what to leave behind. The endpoint leaves the siblings with a redefined home and future plans.
#7) Daisy Jones & The Six – 2019
- Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Published: 2019
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, oral history, rock fiction
- Themes: creativity, addiction, ambition, found family
- Goodreads Rating: 4.20/5
Los Angeles and the 1970s rock scene introduce Daisy Jones and the band called The Six. A producer engineers a collaboration between Daisy and bandleader Billy Dunne after separate successes. Daisy seeks a recording foothold while Billy fights to keep the group stable. Key tensions run through songwriting sessions, touring schedules, and a marriage under pressure. Midway, studio work on a breakout album brings new collaborators and rivalries. Risks rise with substances, publicity demands, and clashing visions for the band’s future. The build heads for a defining concert and a parting of ways that seems inevitable. The endpoint closes the group chapter while leaving personal letters and tracks to carry the story forward.
#8) Carrie Soto Is Back – 2022
- Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Published: 2022
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, sports fiction, tennis
- Themes: legacy, competitiveness, father‑daughter bonds, comeback
- Goodreads Rating: 4.20/5
In the 1990s tennis world, retired champion Carrie Soto watches her Grand Slam record fall. The inciting call is a decision to return to the tour to reclaim it. Her immediate objective is physical readiness under the watch of her father‑coach, Javier. Relationships with a younger rival and practice partner Bowe Huntley channel friction and strategy. Mid‑season results unevenly test form, injury limits, and media scrutiny. The stakes rise at major tournaments where history, age, and pressure converge. The arc aims toward a final run that will either restore the record or define a new role. The endpoint settles on what remains after the last match is played.
Early Currents to Midlist
#9) Atmosphere – 2025
- Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Published: 2025
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, historical fiction, space‑program romance
- Themes: ambition, secrecy, duty, exploration
- Goodreads Rating: 4.36/5
During the 1980s Space Shuttle era, two NASA trainees meet in Houston and enter the same astronaut class. A mission assignment and training setbacks forge the initial conflict. One aims for a specific flight slot while the other guards a past that could change selection. Their bond tightens under simulators, survival courses, and guidance from veteran controllers. Mid‑book, political shifts and budget pressures alter schedules and crew lineups. The stakes rise when a critical systems issue threatens to ground a flight that intersects their plans. The arc leans toward a high‑risk launch window that tests promise and trust. The endpoint gestures toward a hard‑won trajectory that carries them beyond Earth and back to a changed home life.
#10) The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo – 2017
- Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Published: 2017
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, historical fiction, Hollywood
- Themes: identity, sexuality, ambition, secrecy
- Goodreads Rating: 4.40/5
In present‑day New York, reporter Monique Grant is summoned by retired movie icon Evelyn Hugo. The inciting condition is Evelyn’s demand that Monique write the authorized life story. Monique’s immediate objective is to gather interviews and understand why she was chosen. Relationships unfold through Evelyn’s seven marriages and a hidden romance that shadowed her career. Midway, revelations about studio contracts, publicity deals, and private letters reframe the assignment. The stakes rise as Evelyn’s account intersects with Monique’s family history. The arc moves toward a final interview that forces a choice about what to publish. The endpoint delivers a manuscript and a personal reckoning that closes one story while opening another.
Taylor Jenkins Reid: Career at a Glance
Taylor Jenkins Reid (born 1983) grew up in Massachusetts, studied media at Emerson College, and worked in casting before publishing fiction beginning in 2013. Her core forms are the contemporary and historical novel, with one epistolary novella. Signature works include Forever, Interrupted, After I Do, Maybe in Another Life, One True Loves, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Daisy Jones & The Six, Malibu Rising, Carrie Soto Is Back, and Atmosphere. Her books connect through recurring locales, public‑private lives, and interlinked families across decades. Adaptations have brought several titles to film and television. Recognition includes bestseller lists and broad readership across book clubs. Her influence shows in pop‑culture conversations about celebrity, sports narratives, and the craft of ensemble plotting. Education programs and reading groups often pair her novels to compare time frames, point‑of‑view devices, and subplots. She continues to publish into the mid‑2020s with ongoing screen development.
Conclusion
This guide includes 10 titles spanning 2013 to 2025, moving from early domestic dramas through Hollywood‑set sagas to space‑program romance; the order shows a climb from deep cuts to consensus peaks. For a concise background overview, see the Britannica profile on Taylor Jenkins Reid, which situates her training and early career. The Best Taylor Jenkins Reid Books lens clarifies how early experiments lead into the widely read middle period and later cross‑genre turns.
Across the set, recurring subjects include ambition, public image, complex marriages, siblings, and professional rivalry, delivered through timelines, letters, and oral‑history structures. For additional context on recent milestones and sales, TIME’s feature “How Taylor Jenkins Reid Became a Publishing Powerhouse” outlines market impact and adaptations (read the piece). The Best Taylor Jenkins Reid Books grouping shows range from intimate grief stories to ensemble celebrity epics.
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