5 Taylor Jenkins Reid Books Ranked From Best to Worst

We all have those authors we flock to. You know the type. Whenever they release a new novel, you run to pick it up as fast as possible. For me, Taylor Jenkins Reid is on that list. I just recently finished reading Carrie Soto Is Back, her eighth published book. So, today, I wanted to share my ranking of the best and worst Taylor Jenkins Reid books.  

Before I do, I want to give a quick shout-out to another book blogger: That Happy Reader. She has a series on her blog called “Who Wore It Better” where she compares different book covers. I absolutely love that concept and I wanted to include a cover comparison here as well, just for fun.

Taylor Jenkins Reid Books Ranked

As I mentioned earlier, Taylor Jenkins Reid has a total of 8 published books on the market. However, I’ve only read 5 of them. Of course, I’m only going to be ranking the ones I’ve personally read, although I will talk about the other 3 after that.

Related Read: Book List: Best Books To Read This Fall

1. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

The most difficult part of making this list was choosing the number one book. I was pretty torn between The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones and the Six. In the end, I went with Evelyn Hugo, but it was a very close call.

If you haven’t read it yet, it tells the story of Evelyn Hugo, an old Hollywood starlet whose personal life has remained quite the mystery. At the age of 79, she gives a final interview to an up-and-coming journalist, finally sharing more about her infamous marriages to seven different men.

It’s a beautifully written book with enticing characters. TJR has a knack for giving glamorous depictions while also evoking real human emotion.

Cover Comparisons: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

As far as the book covers go, they’re all fairly similar but option A is my favorite. The striking green dress against the red background really captures the old Hollywood glamor of the story.

2. Daisy Jones and the Six

Next up, I’ve chosen Daisy Jones and the Six. This was actually the first Taylor Jenkins Reid book I ever read and it definitely got me hooked on the author. And, as I mentioned, it was incredibly hard to choose between this one and Evelyn Hugo for the top spot.

Daisy Jones and the Six is another fictional Hollywood story about the rise and fall of a 1970’s rock band. What’s interesting about this one is the format TJR chose to write it in. The story is mostly told through a series of interviews, so it reads a lot like one of those VH1 Behind the Music docuseries.

Cover Comparisons: Daisy Jones and the Six

Of all of the Taylor Jenkins Reid books, Daisy Jones and the Six has the most alternate cover options. Possibly because this one is going to be adapted into a mini-series.

It was hard to choose a favorite, but I think it’s a three-way tie between Options A, C, and E. The version I have is option A, and there’s something very nostalgic about the sepia-colored cover. At the same time, C and E give more of a rock-and-roll vibe, which definitely fits the book. The other two options, B and D, I absolutely hate. They just don’t really capture what the story is about in my opinion.

3. Malibu Rising

Taylor Jenkins Reid writes about fictional celebrities often. She also tends to write recurring characters across her novels.

In Malibu Rising, both of these factors are at play. The novel follows the Riva siblings, the adult children of a famous rock-star, as they navigate one unforgettable night in Malibu. While the siblings are famous in this one, it’s more of a Hollywood-adjacent story. The characters and the relationships between them are really what’s at the heart of the book.

Related Read: Best Books to Read This Summer

Cover Comparisons:

I actually love both of these two cover options, but if I had to pick, I’d go with option B. Mostly, that’s because the vibrant colors evoke the feeling of Malibu in the 1980’s more.

4. Carrie Soto is Back

Next up, I’ve got the book I just finished reading, Carrie Soto is Back. Like her other books, there’s a familiar character in this one, although you might not catch it at first. At least, I didn’t.

The book centers around Carrie Soto, one of the greatest female tennis players of the world. When her title is threatened by a newcomer, though, she decides to come out of retirement. I’ll be honest, there’s a lot of descriptions of the tennis matches so, depending on how much you enjoy sports commentary, you may or may not like that.

Cover Comparisons:

Hands down, option A is the better cover here. As much as I like the look of option B, it just doesn’t fit with the actual book.

5. Maybe in Another Life

Choosing my number 1 pick was a huge challenge. Similarly, it was really hard for me to decide between this one and Carrie Soto for last place. None of her books are bad, and I’d recommend all of them, but I found Maybe in Another Life the least enjoyable.

It’s more of a romance than the others and that’s not typically my favorite genre to read. Still, it’s well written and if you do like romantic reads, you’ll really enjoy this one. The best way to describe Maybe in Another Life is to compare it to the film Sliding Doors. Like that movie, it explores the idea of a parallel universe, of what might happen if we make one different choice in life.

Cover Comparisons:

Again, the cover I like best for this one is option A. And, again, that’s because it does a better job of capturing what the book is actually about.

TJR Books on my TBR List

There are three novels by Taylor Jenkins Reid I haven’t yet read. Unlike her more recent books, these fall into the category of romance and don’t (to my knowledge) involve celebrity or fame. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but I’m fairly certain I wont like them as much because of that. Still, I definitely do want to give them a shot at some point.

Which Taylor Jenkins Reid books have you read? Do you agree or disagree with my ranking? Let me know in the comments down below!