Enter the Reidverse: Ranking the Books of Taylor Jenkins Reid
If you are an avid reader or find yourself scrolling through book content on TikTok, then chances are you are familiar with Taylor Jenkins Reid. Ever since publishing her first book in 2013, TJR has become one of the most talked about and celebrated modern authors, with her collection of contemporary romances and fictional famous women stories, readers just can’t get enough! Celebrities, like Reese Witherspoon, have applauded her stories and Hollywood has already begun adapting many of her works for film and television. What I like most about TJR’s stories is her characters and the world that she creates, especially since half of her books take place in the same fictional universe. Some main characters will be mentioned in other stories, while some supporting characters get their own book! TJR’s books are ones that I find myself struggling to put down because I get so consumed by the main characters and their stories.
To be honest, Taylor Jenkins Reid has ruined my life…in the best way. I cry over her books, and that’s something I haven’t really felt for an author in a long time. Today, I would like to rank and review her books, spoiler free of course, from my least to absolute favorite. So if you haven’t checked out any of her books yet, I hope this will inspire you to check out her works.
8. After I Do (2014)
When Lauren and Ryan’s marriage reaches the breaking point, they come up with an unconventional plan. They decide to take a year off in the hopes of finding a way to fall in love again. One year apart, and only one rule: they cannot contact each other. Aside from that, anything goes. Lauren embarks on a journey of self-discovery, quickly finding that her friends and family have their own ideas about the meaning of marriage. These influences, as well as her own healing process and the challenges of living apart from Ryan, begin to change Lauren’s ideas about monogamy and marriage. She starts to question: When you can have romance without loyalty and commitment without marriage, when love and lust are no longer tied together, what do you value? What are you willing to fight for?
To clarify, I have enjoyed reading all of these books, but After I Do is the one I connected with the least. And if I’m being honest, I really struggled to recall what this book was about before sitting down to write this. I found it really hard to connect with our main character and as the story went on, I didn’t want to root for the main couple. I don’t really have much else to say on this one. Wasn’t for me, but not by any means a bad book.
7. Forever, Interrupted (2013)
Elsie Porter is an average twentysomething and yet what happens to her is anything but ordinary. On a rainy New Year’s Day, she heads out to pick up a pizza for one. She isn’t expecting to see anyone else in the shop, much less the adorable and charming Ben Ross. Their chemistry is instant and electric. Ben cannot even wait twenty-four hours before asking to see her again. Within weeks, the two are head over heels in love. By May, they’ve eloped. Only nine days later, Ben is out riding his bike when he is hit by a truck and killed on impact. Elsie hears the sirens outside her apartment, but by the time she gets downstairs, he has already been whisked off to the emergency room. At the hospital, she must face Susan, the mother-in-law she has never met and who doesn’t even know Elsie exists.
As her debut novel, this book showed a lot of promise, but it’s still one of her weakest books. As you can tell by reading the description, this book was emotionally draining at times. I like how the story interweaves between Elsie and Ben’s romance as well as Elsie’s grieving period. The relationship with Elsie and her mother-in-law can be frustrating at times but also ends up becoming sweet. My biggest issue with this story, however, was the main character. Elsie is pretty unlikeable for a good portion of the book. While I understand her grief, sometimes I just wanted to jump into the book and tell her to snap out of it! Overall, still a good read, just not the best.
6. Malibu Rising (2021)
Malibu: August, 1983. It’s the day of Nina Riva’s annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together, the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over — especially as the offspring of the legendary singer, Mick Riva. The only person not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself, who never wanted to be the center of attention, and who has also just been very publicly abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. — By midnight the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family’s generations will all come bubbling to the surface.
The third installment in the “famous women quartet”, or “Reidverse” as some choose to call it, started out really good for me, but ended up being a little disappointing. While I heavily enjoyed the first half of the book, which covered the backstory of the Riva family, the second half was harder to finish. Of the four siblings, Kit’s storyline was by far my favorite, but I also wanted so much more of her. It seemed like with all of the storylines, this book either needed to be much longer or some storylines needed to be cut. As far as we know, Malibu Rising is being developed into a TV show, which I think will work out much better for this story.
5.) One True Loves (2016)
In her twenties, Emma Blair marries her high school sweetheart, Jesse. They build a life for themselves, far away from the expectations of their parents and the people of their hometown in Massachusetts. They travel the world together, living life to the fullest and seizing every opportunity for adventure. On their first wedding anniversary, Jesse is on a helicopter over the Pacific when it goes missing. Just like that, Jesse is gone forever. Emma quits her job and moves home in an effort to put her life back together. Years later, now in her thirties, Emma runs into an old friend, Sam, and finds herself falling in love again. When Emma and Sam get engaged, it feels like Emma’s second chance at happiness. That is, until Jesse is found. He’s alive, and he’s been trying all these years to come home to her. With a husband and a fiancé, Emma has to now figure out who she is and what she wants, while trying to protect the ones she loves.
This book had me kicking my feet and squealing at times, it had me crying at times. This was such good romantic drama to read, it totally had me confused over on which guy to root for. Both of Emma’s relationships with Jesse and Sam were sweet, romantic, and even sexy at times. If I had to pick one little flaw, I would say it probably could’ve had a quicker ending. After a while, it became pretty clear which guy Emma should be with, it just took her a little bit longer to realize. Overall, One True Loves is a good romantic drama that I couldn’t put down. Oh, and there is a film adaptation, but as of writing I still haven’t watched it.
4. Daisy Jones & The Six (2019)
Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock ’n’ roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things. Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road. Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.
Chances are you’re familiar with this one, whether from the Amazon Prime series or just by word of mouth. This book was super unique as it’s written in interview format. I loved reading about the 60’s rock scene, the Fleetwood Mac influences, the different relationships, and the main girl herself, Daisy, is an awesome character. The only thing I didn't really connect with was the character of Camila. I don't want to spoil anything, but she’s a beloved part of the story for many, and I just didn’t really vibe with her. In the end though, this story tugged at my heartstrings. I definitely recommend reading the book and then checking out the tv adaptation as well, which in my opinion elevated the story a lot more.
3. Maybe in Another Life (2015)
At the age of twenty-nine, Hannah Martin still has no idea what she wants to do with her life. She has lived in six different cities and held countless meaningless jobs since graduating college. On the heels of leaving yet another city, Hannah moves back to her hometown of Los Angeles and takes up residence in her best friend Gabby’s guestroom. Shortly after getting back to town, Hannah goes out to a bar one night with Gabby and meets up with her high school boyfriend, Ethan. Just after midnight, Gabby asks Hannah if she’s ready to go. A moment later, Ethan offers to give her a ride later if she wants to stay. Hannah hesitates. What happens if she leaves with Gabby? What happens if she leaves with Ethan?
I find Maybe in Another Life to be the most underrated of TJR’s books. I flew threw this book in a few days and I had a great time reading it .We follow two alternate storylines, one where Hannah leaves with her friend Gabby, and one where she leaves with her ex Ethan. While both stories are cute, I favored the Gabby timeline much more. It’s almost like reading two books for the price of one, which I quite enjoyed! Both stories are sweet, enjoyable, and it made me crave cinnamon rolls. If you know, you know.
2. Carrie Soto Is Back (2022)
By the time Carrie retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty Slam titles. And if you ask her, she is entitled to every one. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father as her coach. But six years after her retirement, Carrie finds herself sitting in the stands of the 1994 US Open, watching her record be taken from her by a brutal, stunning, British player named Nicki Chan. At thirty-seven years old, Carrie makes the monumental decision to come out of retirement and be coached by her father for one last year in an attempt to reclaim her record. Even if the sports media says that they never liked the ‘Battle-Axe’ anyway. Even if her body doesn’t move as fast as it did. And even if it means swallowing her pride to train with a man she once almost opened her heart to: Bowe Huntley. Like her, he has something to prove before he gives up the game forever. In spite of it all: Carrie Soto is back, for one epic final season.
The assumed final installment of the “Reidverse”, and her most recent book at the time of writing, Carrie Soto Is Back is a hell of a ride! When I first opened this book, I wasn’t sure I was going to like it, but it took me by surprise. I love the title character, she’s one fierce bad bitch! Her relationship with her tennis coach father is also a gem. You wouldn’t think that reading about tennis would be thrilling, but because of TJR’s writing style, it’s like you’re watching an intense match. This one had the slowest of slow burns, but it was so rewarding in the end. I’m pretty sure Carrie Soto is being developed for the big screen, and I can’t wait!
1. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (2017)
Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now? Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career. Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ’80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story nears its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.
The beginning of the “Reidverse”, and by far the most popular, I’m sorry to be basic by putting this at the top of the list. But Evelyn Hugo is a true gem of a book. It was the first book in a long time that I found myself struggling to put down. Any free time I had was spent reading Evelyn Hugo. I laughed, I cried, I swooned, I gasped, I was shocked, I was enthralled. There is so much about this book that had me on the edge of my seat and wanting more. The relationships Evelyn has with all of her suitors is fascinating to read about, and the development of her relationship with the interviewer Monique is intriguing. While reading this book, I was never bored. And in the end, I cried harder than I have ever cried while reading a book. I really can’t give anything away, just know it’s best to just go in and read it. While TJR still has a long career ahead of her, I’m positive that this will always be her magnum opus. And I will be rereading this book while waiting for the movie adaptation (though I still think this book will work better as a limited series).
What’s your favorite Taylor Jenkins Reid book? What did you think of the Daisy Jone’s & The Six adaptation? Who do you want to play Evelyn Hugo? Let’s have a fun discussion in the comments!
