Book Review - Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Title: Evidence of the Affair
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Genre: Romance/ Fiction
Published: 2018
 
Description: A desperate young woman in Southern California sits down to write a letter to a man she’s never met, a choice that will forever change their lives.
 
The correspondence between Carrie Allsop and David Mayer reveals, piece by piece, the painful details of a devastating affair between their spouses. With each commiserating scratch of the pen, they confess their fears and bare their should. They share the bewilderment over how things went so wrong and come to wonder where to go from here.

Review: “Evidence of the Affair” by Taylor Jenkins Reid is a compelling and emotionally nuanced short story that sheds light on the complexity of infidelity in a unique way. The book tells the story entirely through letters between Carrie and David, two strangers who discover that their respective spouses are having an affair with each other. This epistolary format works surprisingly well; it makes the reader feel as if they’re secretly eavesdropping on their deepest secrets, pains, and growing bond.
 
In just eighty pages, Reid succeeds in creating characters who feel genuine and relatable. Their grief and anger are palpable, and the evolution of their correspondence keeps the tension constantly high. I really wished this was a full-length novel. Some emotional shifts could have used a little more breathing room.
 
Nevertheless, the ending of the book felt satisfying and the story leaves a lasting impression. Highly recommended for a quick read.
 
Rating: 4,5/ 5

Book Review - Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Title: Atmosphere
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Genre: Historical Fiction/ Romance
Published: 2025
 
Description: Joan Goodwin has been obsessed with the stars for as long as she can remember. Thoughtful and reserved, Joan is content with her life as a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University and as aunt to her precocious niece, Frances. That is, until she comes across an advertisement seeking the first women scientists to join NASA’s Space Shuttle program. Suddenly, Joan burns to be one of the few people to go to space.

Selected from a pool of thousands of applicants in the summer of 1980, Joan begins training at Houston’s Johnson Space Center, alongside an exceptional group of fellow candidates: Top Gun pilot Hank Redmond and scientist John Griffin, who are kind and easy-going even when the stakes are highest; mission specialist Lydia Danes, who has worked too hard to play nice; warm-hearted Donna Fitzgerald, who is navigating her own secrets; and Vanessa Ford, the magnetic and mysterious aeronautical engineer, who can fix any engine and fly any plane.

As the new astronauts become unlikely friends and prepare for their first flights, Joan finds a passion and a love she never imagined. In this new light, Joan begins to question everything she thinks she knows about her place in the observable universe.

Then, in December of 1984, on mission STS-LR9, everything changes in an instant.
 
Review: “Atmosphere” is the latest book by Taylor Jenkins Reid, whom I previously read “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” and “Daisy Jones and the Six” from. Like other books, Reid choses a certain period in time, focusing on a field of work. In her previous book, the ones I read, they were 1950s Hollywood and the 60s and 70s music scene. For “Atmosphere” it’s the 1980s and NASA.
 
The story follows Joan. For as long as she can remember, she has been obsessed with the stars. She is content with her job as an astronomy professor, until she sees an advertisement asking for female scientists for the NASA Space Shuttle Program; a dream come true. In the summer of 1980, she begins her training, together with a group of fellow candidates. As unexpected friendships develop, Joan discovers a passion and love she never thought possible. But then, during the STS-LR9 mission, everything changes in an instant.
 
I was already a fan of her work, but based on two book, I couldn’t really say whether I could call her a favorite author yet. I usually say that after I have loved three books. And with “Atmosphere”, it’s Reid at her best. She transports readers back to an iconic time and place in a breathtaking novel about the transcendent power of love.
 
The novel combines elements of romance, science fiction and historical fiction, with a strong focus on the emotional journey of the characters and the impact of their choices. It explores the complex relationships between Joan and other characters, including her family friends and romantic interests, particular in the context of the intense pressure of the space program. I loved Joan, she is one of my favorite characters I read from this year. I loved her relationship with Vanessa, but my favorite was definitely the bond she has with her niece Frances.
 
Taylor Jenkins Reid’s writing style is compelling and she again manages to create vivid characters. She made me laugh and cry several times throughout the story. I was hooked from start to finish and can confidently say that this is my favorite book by her so far. And it’s most definitely a favorite of the year and of all-time.
 
In short “Atmosphere” is a novel that will appeal to a wide range of readers, from fans of Reid’s previous work to lovers of historical fiction and stories about space travel and the human experience. I will be recommending this book to everyone that loves to read.
 
Rating: 5/ 5

TV Show Review - Daisy Jones & the Six

Season: Mini Series
Genre: Drama/ Music/ Romance
Number of episodes: 10
Year: 2023
Starring: Riley Keogh, Sam Claflin, Camila Morrone, Suki Waterhouse, Will Harrison, Josh Whitehouse, Sebastian Chacon, Nabiyah Be, Tom Wright, Timothy Olyphant

Description: Following the rise of rock band Daisy Jones and the Six through the 1970s Los Angeles music on their quest for worldwide icon status.

Review: Based on the book of the same name by Taylor Jenkins Reid, “Daisy Jones & the Six” focuses on the rise and fall of a rock band in 1970s Los Angeles. The book is an absolute favorite of mine and I was so happy to see it come to life. The book is still better, but I highly enjoyed the TV series.  

The book is in interview form, the series is set up as a retrospective documentary. While being interviewed, the band looks back at how they started. The setting is amazing, the sound, the wardrobe, the hair, the vibes, it’s aals present. The band is somewhat modeled after Fleetwood Mac, around the time they made their album “Rumours”. The serie’s “Rumours” is called “Aurora”.

Riley Keough and Sam Claflin play the two lead singers of the band, Daisy Jones and Billy Dunne. They both portray their respective roles wonderfully. Claflin is charismatic, the cool rock star with a sensitive edge. But Daisy Jones is really the magnetic centerpiece here. Keigh, who is Elvis Presley’s eldest granddaughter and daughter of Lisa Marie Presley. She is a joy the watch. Daisy Jones is confident, independent, strong, but also fragile and a little broken. And both of them have a great voice.
As many book to movie/ TV series adaptations, there are a lot of differences. I really liked how Camila, Billy’s wife, got a more prominent role and she was actually one of my favorite characters. In the book she wasn’t. I also enjoyed Simone’s story, how they added that in the show. She played an important role in Daisy’s life in the book as well, but they give her more to do in the TV series.

What I didn’t like was the role of Karen. Pianist Karen was my favorite character in the book. A woman who knows what she wants, trying to keep her head above water in a man’s world, constantly having to prove her worth and fighting for her place in the music world. I love how confident she was I the book, how Karen said it like she saw it and she was never inferior to the men. Karen disappeared a bit into the background, her as a band member and woman. The show does focus on her relationship with fellow band member Graham, Billy’s brother. And that’s fine. But I wanted more of the person Karen. We hardly get to know her here.

The thing that bothered me the most was the “The Six” didn’t have six band members. Pete, a character in the book, is not in the series. They simply count Camila as their sixth band member. But I really hated that. Pete didn’t have a huge role in the book, he was barely in it. But calling a band with five band members “The Six” is pretty lame.

Because it’s a story about a band, there needs to be music. And Taylor Jenkins Reid did a great job describing all the songs on the album “Aurora”, what their vibe is, their meaning, what you’re supposed to feel, what they represent. We were finally going to hear the songs. And “Aurora” is an actual album which you can listen to on Spotify. “Look at Us Now (Honeycomb)” is definitely the song with the biggest impact.

Despite the series having two changes I hated, I did really love this show. And listening to the album, makes the book even better.

Book Review - Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Title: Daisy Jones & the Six
Series: -
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
 
Description: 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 Whiskey a Go GO. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock ‘n roll she loves the most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting notices, 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 realized that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next is the stuff of legend.
 
Review: Late 1960s. Los Angeles. Daisy Jones, a gorgeous woman, dreams of becoming a famous singer. She meets Billy Dunne, the front man of the up-and-coming rock band The Six. Sparks fly and their first song together becomes a big hit. In “Daisy Jones & the Six”, Taylor Jenkins Reid provides a behind-the-scenes look at the rise and fall of a band. Not only drugs, alcohol and rock ‘n roll play an important role in this story. “Daisy Jones & the Six” is all the more about heroic women in the music industry, holding their own in a man’s world.
 
“Daisy Jones & the Six” features three strong female characters: Daisy, Karen and Camila. How do they hold their own in the music industry, a real man’s world? All three of them were great characters. Camila loves Billy wholeheartedly and is willing to forgive him his imperfections and his mistakes. Karen, on the other hand, chooses herself. Playing the keyboard in the band is her joy and her life. And finally, of course, Daisy. She apologizes for nothing or no one. No man is her boss. She is no one’s muse, but her own person.
 
Daisy and Billy are the main characters and they steal the show. But for me Karen and Graham were the ones that stole my heart. Daisy was sometimes insufferable, but she and Billy are both very interesting and complex characters. Great characters to read about.
 
Taylor Jenkins Reid chose to write the book in the form of an interview. All the band members (and other people involved with them) give their side of the story. I constantly felt like I was reading a biography of a band. This particular method of narration gives the book a completely unique atmosphere. More than once it felt like the band had really existed.
 
I loved the theme of the book, it’s incredibly interesting. An inside look in the creation of a band, as well as their shows, recording an album and life in the spotlight. And eventually their downfall. But there is more. In addition to music, drugs, sex, love, cheating, addiction and death take center stage.
 
I loved “Daisy Jones & the Six” from start to finish. An interesting theme, great characters and a unique narration all turn this story into a must-read for fans of historical fiction. Cannot fault it, I found a new forever favorite.
 
Rating: 5/ 5

Book Review - The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by TaylorJenkins Reid

Title: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Series: -
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
 
Description: 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 near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.
 
Review: Evelyn Hugo is a Hollywood icon and she is ready to tell her life’s story. At 79 years old, she decides to hire journalist Monique Grant to write her biography. And in that story, she will include all the great moments, the terrible scandals and all of her seven husbands. And she will reveal who was her one true love. Why Evelyn wants Monique to write it, is yet unknown.
 
“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” is a popular book seen all over social media. Is it worth the hype? YES! First of all, the story feels very real. It is very loosely based on the life of Elizabeth Taylor, who was married eight times. Furthermore, the story itself is completely fictional. This story sucks you in from the first page.
 
Evelyn Hugo is probably not the most likeable female character you will even read about, but she certainly is interesting because of her complexity. You read about how Evelyn Hugo made her way to the top and what she had to do and give up for her life as an actress.
The life of a classic Hollywood actress in the 50s and 60s really interests me and I loved reading about Evelyn’s life.
 
This was my introduction to author Taylor Jenkins Reid and I love her writing style. I love how she used three different “voices” for her book: Monique, the tabloids and Evelyn Hugo herself. You follow her life through three different points of view. And I always love that other forms of media, like letters, newspapers or magazine articles, are used in a novel.
 
Throughout the book, you keep wondering why Evelyn asked Monique to write the story. How they wrapped this up in the end, is the only reason I didn’t end up giving the book a 5-star rating. The eventual reveal I liked, I believe they dragged the story a bit too long in the end.
 
I could totally recommend “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” to readers who enjoy historical fiction. The books feels realistic and you go through a rollercoaster of emotions. It’s a true page-turner, with classic Hollywood as it’s décor. Definitely a book that will stick with me and fully deserves all the praise it’s getting.
 
Rating: 4,5/ 5