Malibu Rising By Taylor Jenkins Reid
Genre: Fiction, Contemporary, Adult, Romance, Historical, Adult Fiction, Family
Pages: 369 pages
Publication Date: June 1st 2021
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Plot: Four famous siblings throw an epic party to celebrate the end of the summer. But over the course of twenty-four hours, their lives will change forever.
Malibu: August, 1983. It’s the day of Nina Riva’s annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together, the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over—especially as the offspring of the legendary singer, Mick Riva.
The only person not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself, who never wanted to be the center of attention, and who has also just been very publicly abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Oh, and maybe Hud—because it is long past time to confess something to the brother from whom he’s been inseparable since birth.
Jay, on the other hand, is counting the minutes until nightfall, when the girl he can’t stop thinking about promised she’ll be there.
And Kit has a couple secrets of her own—including a guest she invited without consulting anyone.
By midnight the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family’s generations will all come bubbling to the surface.
Malibu Rising is a story about one unforgettable night in the life of a family: the night they each have to choose what they will keep from the people who made them… and what they will leave behind.
My Thoughts: Anytime I hear Taylor Jenkins Reid is coming out with a new book, I get so excited. She has become an auto-buy author for me. So the moment I saw this book on Netgalley I knew I needed to try to request it. I am so happy that I was able to get early access to it. My reading habits are thankfully out of a funk so I was able to fully enjoy this one. I have to say Taylor Jenkins read does it again. This was such a perfect fit for me.
Majority of this story takes place over one night. The Riva kids, whose Dad is a famous musician, are throwing their annual party that they have once a year. Everyone who is everyone is there. If you know where Nina Riva lives then you’re invited. However this is the one year that Nina, the oldest Riva, isn’t looking forward to it. She was just publicly dumped by her husband who left her for someone else. However we soon find out she isn’t the only Riva that isn’t looking forward to the party either. Her younger brother, Hud, has something important to tell their other brother Jay. So be prepared for lots of family drama. Taylor Jenkins Reid does not hold out.
One of the favorite things I loved about this book is how many point of views you get. I know I repeat myself constantly by saying I love multiple point of views. I feel it isn’t something that is easy to do. Taylor manages to remind you each time it changes to someone else’s perspective. So I never felt confused by whose point of view you’re reading. I also liked that we get other point of view’s besides the Riva’s. I really liked how these people played into the bigger picture of the story. I think because Taylor eases you into these different perspectives that it makes it less confusing. I’ve read so many stories where you meet so many people at once that I have no clue who is who. I always hate that because it takes me out of the book.
Another thing I really enjoyed is that you get the whole history of the Riva family. The story mainly takes place over this one night. You also end up getting the family history of the Rivas. You get to know their parents . Who they were before they met and then the story of how they met. As well as their childhood. So by the end of this book you have a clear understanding of who these kids are.
Lastly, Malibu plays a big part in this book as well. Right in the beginning of the story you get told a bit of history of Malibu. Malibu ends up being such an important part of the story just like the characters. I feel the timing of when this book came out was so perfect. It really is the perfect summer read. The majority of the time reading it I wanted to be on the beach. The Rivas really enjoying surfing and it’s brought up a good amount. I’ve never surfed in my life. After reading this book I was ready to give surfing a try.
Overall I really really loved this book. Taylor Jenkins Reid continues to prove she is an incredible storyteller. She does such an incredible job making these fake characters feel so real. She really does a great job getting you to picture everything that is happening. I really can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.
*I just want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an e-arc of this book. These are my honest opinions.*
Wow I just noticed it has been such a long time since I posted a book review. I do feel a bit rusty now when I write them because it’s not something I’ve kept up with. I do want to get into doing reviews and writing more on this book. Anyway, this book was one of my favorites of the year. I feel it’s been a rocky reading year but I’m so happy this one didn’t disappoint. I do have a couple of other Taylor Jenkins Reid books I need to read. I will be including them in my try a chapter to help pick which one I pick up next.
Have you guys read this book? If not are you planning on picking it up? I would love to hear from you guys!
Bookish In Bed 
great review 💅🥰
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