My first introduction to Taylor Jenkins Reid was, inevitably, TikTok. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo blew up, and I couldn’t turn a corner or scroll for a minute without hearing about it. I caved, eventually, and read it. I teared up at the ending, then proceeded to devour Daisy Jones & The Six, Carrie Soto Is Back and Malibu Rising. And I’m currently number 268 in line at the library for her latest release, Atmosphere: A Love Story. If you, too, are anxiously waiting to get your hands on the author’s newest book, may I suggest filling your time with her early work? I’ve read all her books but one (Forever, Interrupted) and trust me, the tomes published between 2013 and 2016 will be well worth your while. Here are three of her earlier works that you shouldn’t sleep on.
I’ve Read Nearly Every Taylor Jenkins Reid Novel and These 3 Deserve Way More Hype
I blew through them all
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1. After I Do (2014)
Before she found her groove in historical fiction, Jenkins Reid started her career writing poignant contemporary fiction, often set in LA. After I Do is her second novel. I was touched by the way she thoughtfully tackles what is likely a common conundrum that is rarely addressed. What happens when we find ourselves falling out of love? So often we are given a “happily ever after”—but I always wondered what happened to the Disney princesses after they drove away in a carriage, wedding bells ringing. No one ever talks about what’s required to make a relationship work after the butterflies are gone. Jenkins Reid attacks the subject with deft and care, with an unpredictable ending for good measure.
2. Maybe In Another Life (2015)
The structure of Maybe in Another Life is a novel one, told in dueling realities. The story follows Hannah Martin and the two different lives she could have lead depending on whether or not she chooses to get back together with her high school boyfriend. It’s not the drama, glamour and rock ‘n roll of Daisy Jones, but Hannah’s story is one that reasonates with all of us—the question of what if? But rather than a glum meditation on regret, think of this as the version of La La Land’s ending that we all wanted (because, yes, this one is also set in Los Angeles). Here, Jenkins Reid challenges the reader to contemplate how we can have peace with our decisions and maybe even be happy.
3. One True Loves (2016)
The premise of One True Loves is a real doozy. It starts with a phone call: A spouse, once thought dead, is alive. Oh, and did I mention, the protagonist is engaged to her high school best friend? Who let her go so she could be with the presumed-dead high school sweetheart? Complicated. It’s a messy love triangle, but an honest one, and I give Jenkins Reid major props for concocting an unpredictable story—I truly couldn’t figure out how it would end until I got there. Read the book first, then check out the 2023 film adaptation starring Phillipa Soo, Simu Liu and Luke Bracey (available to rent on Amazon Prime).
TL;DR: Tackling Life’s Big Questions with Grace and Feeling
Although not as glitzy as her more famous novels, in these three underrated picks, Jenkins Reid acknowledges the messiness of life and teases it out in the most engaging way. She does this with care and thoughtfulness, without moralizing, defaulting to the obvious conclusions or making things feel too happy-go-lucky. The endings are always unexpected and yet they always feel right. As someone who is writing the fourth draft of her first novel, let me tell you, that’s a feat, to stick the landing. Reid hits it consistently, and she does it well.
So, which one will you read first?
