Daisy Jones & The Six: Reese's Book Club: A Novel

#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • OVER TWO MILLION COPIES SOLD! A gripping novel about the whirlwind rise of an iconic 1970s rock group and their beautiful lead singer, revealing the mystery behind their infamous breakup—from the author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Malibu Rising, and Carrie Soto Is Back

REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK • NOW AN EMMY AWARD–NOMINATED ORIGINAL STREAMING SERIES EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY REESE WITHERSPOON

“An explosive, dynamite, down-and-dirty look at a fictional rock band told in an interview style that gives it irresistible surface energy.”—Elin Hilderbrand

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: NPR, The Washington Post, Esquire, Glamour, Real Simple, Good Housekeeping, Marie Claire, Parade, Paste, Shelf Awareness, BookRiot

Everyone knows DAISY JONES & THE SIX, but nobody knows the reason behind their split at the absolute height of their popularity . . . until now.

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 Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock ’n’ roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, 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 realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.

The making of that legend is chronicled in this riveting and unforgettable novel, written as an oral history of one of the biggest bands of the seventies. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a talented writer who takes her work to a new level with Daisy Jones & The Six, brilliantly capturing a place and time in an utterly distinctive voice.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of eight novels, including Carrie Soto Is Back, Malibu Rising, Daisy Jones & The Six, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their daughter.

“I devoured Daisy Jones & The Six in a day, falling head over heels for it. Taylor Jenkins Reid transported me into the magic of the ’70s music scene in a way I’ll never forget. The characters are beautifully layered and complex. Daisy and the band captured my heart, and they’re sure to capture yours, too.”—Reese Witherspoon

“Backstage intrigue is the engine of Daisy Jones & The Six. . . . [A] celebration of American mythmaking.”—Vogue

“Each character is compelling but Daisy Jones is the star. She’s a blazing talent who is unapologetic in her sexuality and lives life on her own terms. . . . Like a poignant song with lyrics that speak to your soul, Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid will transport you to another place and time.”—Associated Press

“Reid’s wit and gift for telling a perfectly paced story make this one of the most enjoyably readable books of the year.”—Nylon

“Wildly delicious.” —Entertainment Weekly

“This stylish and propulsive novel, presented in the form of an oral history, explores the ascent of a (fictional) hard-partying, iconic 1970s rock band. It reads like the transcript of a particularly juicy episode of VH1’s ‘Behind the Music.’”—The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice)

“Daisy Jones & The Six is just plain fun from cover to cover. . . . Her characters feel so vividly real, you’ll wish you could stream their albums, YouTube their concerts, and google their wildest moments to see them for yourself.”—HelloGiggles

“[A] juicy tell-all-style page-turner.”—Bustle

“Evocative . . . brilliant.”—Romper

“Prepare to fall for Taylor Jenkins Reid’s newest novel, Daisy Jones & The Six.”—PopSugar

“Reid’s novel so resembles a memoir of a real band and conjures such true-to-life images of the seventies music scene that readers will think they’re listening to Fleetwood Mac or Led Zeppelin. Reid is unsurpassed in her ability to create complex characters working through emotions that will make your toes curl.”—Booklist (starred review)

“Reid delivers a stunning story of sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll in the 1960s and ’70s in this expertly wrought novel. Mimicking the style and substance of a tell-all celebrity memoir . . . Reid creates both story line and character gold. The book’s prose is propulsive, original, and often raw.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Reid is a stunning writer whose characters are unforgettable and whose stories are deeply emotional. . . . Her most gripping novel yet.”—Emily Giffin, author of All We Ever Wanted

“Reid’s writing is addictive and all-consuming. Filled with passion, complexity, and fascinating detail, Daisy Jones & The Six felt so real, I had to remind myself that it was fiction.”—Jill Santopolo, author of The Light We Lost

“From the very first page you know this book is something special. Taylor Jenkins Reid brings insight and poetry to a story that’s utterly unique and deeply authentic, one that transports you to world of seventies rock—with all its genius and temptatio

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid is a vibrant, bittersweet novel about music, fame, love, and self-destruction, told as if it were a documentary about a legendary 1970s rock band. The story centers on two main figures: Daisy Jones, a wild, brilliant young singer-songwriter with a distinctive voice and a talent for chaos, and Billy Dunne, the disciplined, fiercely driven frontman of the band The Six. Daisy grows up in Los Angeles drifting through the glamorous but empty world of Sunset Strip clubs, parties, and older men, longing to be taken seriously as an artist rather than just a beautiful girl. She writes songs in notebooks, sneaks into shows, and slowly gains a reputation for her raw, emotional lyrics and her presence onstage. At the same time, elsewhere, Billy is building The Six with his brother and a handful of other musicians, all determined to make it big. Billy’s focus is absolute; he sees the band as his life’s purpose and is ready to sacrifice almost anything to succeed.

The novel begins by tracing their separate paths. Daisy’s life is fueled by drugs, alcohol, and relationships that don’t last. She wants to feel everything, and that desire often leads her into dangerous situations. She is both fragile and stubborn, craving recognition but unwilling to compromise. Billy, in contrast, is trying to hold himself together in the whirlwind of rising fame. When The Six begins to gain traction, he falls in love with Camila, a grounded young woman who becomes his wife and emotional anchor. Camila believes in Billy’s talent but does not idealize him; she sees his flaws clearly. On the verge of the band’s breakthrough, Billy’s pressure, fear, and taste of fame push him into heavy drug and alcohol use. While Camila is pregnant with their first child, Billy spirals into addiction on tour, cheating and losing control. This period almost ruins him, but ultimately becomes a turning point: after hitting rock bottom, he enters rehab and comes out determined to stay sober and be a better partner and father.

Daisy and The Six are brought together by the music industry. Their label and producer recognize that Daisy’s voice and songwriting could mesh perfectly with Billy’s band, creating something truly special. The first collaboration—a song called “Honeycomb”—reveals an electric chemistry. Daisy’s lyrics cut deeper than Billy’s original version, pushing the song from good to unforgettable, while their voices together have an intensity that neither can achieve alone. However, this musical chemistry comes with emotional danger. Daisy is still using heavily, living recklessly, and she immediately clashes with Billy, who is now trying to stay clean and maintain control over his music and his life. He resents her intrusion into his band, her insistence on altering his lyrics, and her chaotic energy. She, in turn, resents his arrogance, his judgment, and his desire to dictate the band’s sound.

As they begin writing and recording an album together, the tension between Daisy and Billy becomes the core of the story. Their arguments in the studio are fierce and personal. Daisy pushes for vulnerability and honesty in the lyrics, while Billy fights to keep certain truths hidden—especially anything that exposes his darkest moments or his conflicted feelings about fame and family. Yet these very conflicts produce extraordinary songs. Their disagreements force them to go deeper, and the resulting album, Aurora, is a masterpiece that captures heartbreak, desire, regret, and longing. The band as a whole—Karen on keys, Graham on guitar, Eddie on bass, Warren on drums—gets swept up in the creative storm. Everyone feels they are part of something important, but each member also has their own frustrations and ambitions, quietly simmering under the larger drama between Daisy and Billy.

The novel’s unique structure—an oral history formed from interviews years later—allows each character to tell their own version of events. This creates a fascinating portrait of memory and perspective. People remember the same moments differently: one sees a fight, another sees flirtation; one believes a decision was noble, another sees it as selfish. Through these overlapping voices, the reader slowly pieces together what really happened as Daisy Jones & The Six rose to fame and then suddenly fell apart. The style makes the story feel real, as if you’re reading the transcript of a true music documentary about a band that once existed.

At the heart of the book is the complicated relationship between Daisy and Billy. They are drawn to each other in ways they both understand and fear. Daisy, chaotic and open, pulls emotions out of Billy that he has tried to bury. Billy, intense and focused, sees through Daisy’s self-destructive bravado and recognizes the vulnerable person beneath. There is a simmering attraction between them, but it is tangled up with Billy’s commitment to sobriety and to Camila, and with Daisy’s own struggles with addiction and self-worth. Their connection becomes most powerful in the music: when they are writing or performing together, truths they cannot say plainly seem to slip out in the lyrics and harmonies. Many of the songs on Aurora are essentially conversations between them—arguments, confessions, and admissions of feelings that cannot be acknowledged directly.

Around them, other relationships evolve and strain. Karen and Graham develop a secret romance, complicated by Karen’s fear of being reduced to the “girlfriend” rather than being seen as a serious musician. Eddie grows increasingly bitter, feeling overshadowed by Billy and sidelined in decisions. Camila stands in the background of the band’s story but is emotionally central. She sees the connection between Daisy and Billy long before either fully admits it. Rather than simply being jealous or possessive, Camila takes a broader, more painful view: she understands that Daisy is important to the band and to Billy’s art, but she also insists that Billy honor their family and his promises. Camila’s quiet strength and maturity give the novel its emotional ballast.

As the band tours with Aurora, everything intensifies—fame, pressure, the press, and private struggles. Daisy’s addictions worsen. She leans on drugs and alcohol to cope with her own feelings for Billy, her fear of being alone, and the uncertainty of her place in the band. Billy fights every day to stay sober, knowing that one slip could destroy his marriage and his ability to be a good father. The stage becomes both escape and confrontation: performing the songs together forces them to relive what they wrote, all the hidden emotions turned into lyrics. The rest of the band feels the tension, and cracks begin to show in the group’s unity. Misunderstandings, resentments, and unspoken hurts pile up.

The climax of the story comes when the emotional and professional strains finally collide. Daisy and Billy reach a point where their bond and their conflicts cannot coexist peacefully. Daisy realizes that staying in the band and staying near Billy is pushing her further into self-destruction; she cannot find stability or recovery in an environment where her feelings are constantly stirred but cannot be fully returned. Billy understands that crossing certain lines with Daisy would mean betraying Camila and everything he has tried to rebuild. Both are trapped between desire and responsibility. The band’s last show becomes symbolic: they are at the height of their success, yet everything is falling apart behind the scenes.

Ultimately, the band dissolves, and Daisy Jones & The Six quietly disappears at the peak of its fame. Years later, as the characters provide their accounts, we learn that Daisy did leave to save herself, and Billy stayed with his family, choosing domestic life and long-term sobriety over the intoxicating chaos of life with Daisy. The final revelations about who is conducting the interviews and why add an extra emotional layer, tying the story back to the consequences of Billy’s choices and the impact of the band’s legacy on the next generation. Daisy, in the end, finds a different path, one that allows her to be healthier and more whole, while Billy learns to live with the knowledge that some of the greatest songs of his life came from a love he could never fully allow.

In the end, Daisy Jones & The Six is less about the mechanics of rock stardom and more about the messy, beautiful, painful ways people collide with each other while chasing their dreams. It shows how art can arise from tension, how love can be both transformative and impossible, and how the stories we tell about ourselves—and each other—change over time. The novel leaves the reader with the feeling of having witnessed the rise and fall of a real band, complete with unforgettable songs, complicated relationships, and the lingering echo of what might have been.