Taylor Jenkins Reid Books in Order: Complete Reading Guide
Character-driven emotional fiction for readers who love the feeling of being completely consumed by a story and the people in it.
About Taylor Jenkins Reid
Taylor Jenkins Reid is not a fantasy author — but she belongs on this site because the readers who love her work are overwhelmingly the same readers who love romantasy. The reason is simple: Reid delivers the same core experience. She writes characters you become intensely attached to, romantic dynamics with real tension and real cost, and emotional arcs that leave you genuinely wrecked in the best possible way. She just does it without magic systems or fae courts. Her breakout novel, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, turned her from a mid-list author into one of the most talked-about writers in popular fiction, and the novels that followed it — particularly Daisy Jones & The Six and Malibu Rising — confirmed that she had found a formula for character-driven storytelling that connects with readers who want to feel something enormous. Her books are a reliable answer to the question: what do I read between fantasy series when I need to come down from a dopamine spike?
Where to Start: Evelyn Hugo or Daisy Jones?
Start with The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo if you want the single most celebrated Taylor Jenkins Reid novel — it's the one that defines her reputation and the one most readers point to as the book that made them fans. Start with Daisy Jones & The Six if you want something slightly lighter in tone and love music. Both are excellent first choices, and both can be read in an afternoon. After those two, Malibu Rising and Carrie Soto Is Back are the natural next reads.
Taylor Jenkins Reid Books in Order
- 1
Forever, Interrupted
2013
Elsie and Ben fall in love and get married impulsively — then he dies nine days later. The novel splits between their relationship and Elsie's grief. Reid's debut and already emotionally devastating.
- 2
After I Do
2014
A married couple agrees to take a year apart to rediscover themselves. Reid explores whether love that has worn down can be rebuilt — and what it costs to try.
- 3
Maybe in Another Life
2015
One night, one decision, two completely different lives. Reid splits the narrative into alternating timelines to explore how much of our lives is choice versus chance.
- 4
One True Loves
2016
Emma is engaged to be married when her first husband — declared dead after a helicopter crash — returns. A brutal examination of what love means when you have to choose between two versions of it.
- 5
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
2017
A reclusive Hollywood icon grants one final interview and tells her full story — seven marriages, decades of secrets, and a love story that defined everything. Reid's most celebrated novel and the most common recommendation for new readers.
Most popular starting point — start here if you're new to TJR.
- 6
Daisy Jones & The Six
2019
The oral history of a fictional 1970s rock band, told through interviews with everyone who was there. Utterly convincing as a piece of music history, and as emotionally precise as anything Reid has written.
Excellent first choice alongside Evelyn Hugo.
- 7
Malibu Rising
2021
Four famous siblings throw a legendary party on the night their world falls apart. Told over 24 hours with deep dives into each character's past, Malibu Rising is Reid at her most structurally ambitious.
- 8
Carrie Soto Is Back
2022
A retired tennis champion comes out of retirement at 37 to defend her record. A surprisingly propulsive sports narrative with Reid's signature emotional intensity applied to ambition, legacy, and sacrifice.
If You Like Taylor Jenkins Reid, Try:
Sharp, witty contemporary romance with the same emotional intelligence and slow-burn tension that defines Reid's best work.
Emotionally intense, fast-paced contemporary fiction with a huge crossover audience among romantasy readers.
If you love Reid's emotional arcs and romantic tension and want to add fantasy world-building, ACOTAR delivers the same addictive reading experience in a fantasy setting.
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