30 Best Taylor Jenkins Reid Quotes

“People think that intimacy is about sex. But intimacy is about truth. When you realize you can tell someone your truth, when you can show yourself to them, when you stand in front of them bare and their response is 'you're safe with me' - that's intimacy.”

Evelyn explains to Monique the difference between physical intimacy and emotional truth, reflecting on her relationship with Celia.

“I was a woman who had to fight for everything I had. I was a woman who had to use my body to get what I wanted. I was a woman who had to be smarter than the men who thought they were using me.”

Evelyn describes her early years in Hollywood and the survival tactics she employed.

“You can be sorry for something and still do it. You can love someone and still hurt them. You can be a good person and still do bad things.”

Evelyn reflects on her past mistakes, particularly her treatment of some of her husbands.

“I think everyone has a story they are afraid to tell. I think everyone has a story they are ashamed of. I think everyone has a story they are not ready to tell.”

Evelyn tells Monique why she is finally ready to reveal her secrets.

“I didn't want to be a wife. I wanted to be a star. But I learned that to be a star, I had to be a wife.”

Evelyn explains the transactional nature of her marriages in the context of Hollywood's expectations.

“I had absolutely no interest in being somebody else's muse. I am not a muse. I am the somebody end of that sentence.”

Daisy Jones says this in an interview, reflecting on her refusal to be seen merely as an inspiration for Billy's songs.

“You can't just sit there and put everybody's lives ahead of yours and think that counts as love.”

Camila says this to Billy, challenging his self-sacrificing attitude toward the band and his family.

“It's not about the music. It's about the people who make the music.”

A line from the book that underscores the central theme of the story, spoken by one of the characters in reflection.

“I think you have to have faith in people before you can get them to have faith in you.”

Billy Dunne says this in an interview, discussing his approach to leading the band and his relationships.

“The only thing that matters is that you are true to yourself.”

Daisy Jones says this in a moment of reflection, emphasizing the importance of authenticity in her life and art.

“The ocean is a powerful thing. It can be calm and serene one moment and a raging beast the next. It is a lot like love.”

Nina reflects on the nature of the ocean and love, early in the novel.

“She had been so busy being strong for everyone else that she had forgotten how to be weak for herself.”

Narrator's observation about Nina's internal struggle.

“He was a man who had never learned to say no to himself, and he had passed that on to his children.”

Narrator's commentary on Mick Riva's influence on his children.

“The Riva children had learned to be each other's everything, because they had no one else.”

Narrator's description of the siblings' bond.

“She was not going to let her father's mistakes define her. She was going to be her own person.”

Kit's internal resolution, late in the novel.

“I am not a role model. I am a tennis player.”

Carrie says this early in the book, when asked about her public image and the expectations placed on her as a female athlete.

“You have to be willing to be hated to be great.”

Javier tells Carrie this during a training session, reinforcing the idea that greatness requires sacrificing popularity.

“I didn't come back to be liked. I came back to win.”

Carrie states this to the press during her comeback, explaining her motivation for returning to tennis.

“The record is not who I am. It is what I did.”

Carrie reflects on this near the end of the book, after she has decided to retire for good, showing her growth and self-awareness.

“I have spent my whole life trying to be the best. And now I just want to be happy.”

Carrie says this to Bowe in a quiet moment, revealing her shifting priorities as she contemplates life after tennis.

“The weather doesn't care about your plans. It just is.”

Ellie says this early in the novel to a colleague who is frustrated by a canceled research flight, establishing her fatalistic view of nature.

“You can't control the storm, but you can learn to dance in the rain.”

Marcus says this to Ellie during a tense moment in Washington, trying to lighten her mood and hinting at his more optimistic outlook.

“I'm not trying to play God. I'm trying to save the world, and if that means getting my hands dirty, so be it.”

Julian says this to Ellie during their secret meeting in Oregon, justifying his willingness to accept collateral damage.

“Grief is like a low-pressure system. It sits over you, and you think it will never lift, but it always does.”

Ellie reflects on her childhood loss after opening up to Marcus, using a meteorological metaphor to describe her healing.

“The most dangerous person is the one who believes they are right without a doubt.”

Anita Rao says this to Ellie in a phone call, warning her about Julian's mindset.

“I had loved Jesse with my whole heart. I had loved Sam with my whole heart. And I had loved them both at the same time.”

Emma reflects on her dual love for Jesse and Sam, a central theme of the novel.

“The person you are at twenty-two is not the person you are at thirty-two.”

Emma realizes how much she has changed since her marriage to Jesse, influencing her final decision.

“I was not the same person I had been. I was someone else now. And I had to live my life as that person.”

Emma acknowledges her personal growth and the need to honor her present self.

“You can love two people at once. You can love them both with your whole heart. But you have to choose one.”

Emma's internal realization about the nature of love and the necessity of choice.

“I had to stop thinking about what I wanted and start thinking about what I needed.”

Emma shifts her perspective from desire to necessity, guiding her decision.