REVIEW:

First things first. When it comes to Taylor Jenkins Reid, there are fans that are B.E. and A.E., as in Before Evelyn or After Evelyn. I am straight up B.E., because I fell in love with the author’s contemporary fiction before the publication of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo that took her not only into historical fiction territory but also into the mainstream.

Oh how I hope she returns to her B.E. style one day soon, but in the meantime, here’s a glimpse into my thought process regarding her latest novel, Malibu Rising:

• TJR has a new book! TJR has a new book! Gimme it!

• Ah man, it’s historical fiction not contemporary romance. Bummer.

• But a large part is set in the ‘80s! Amidst the So. Cal. surfing culture. Gnarly! Let me bust out my Ocean Pacific t-shirt and grab a Bartles & Jaymes lemon sunset cooler.

• Okay so we’ve got a family of 4 siblings who have a famous Dad and are each a bit famous in their own way. Kinda like the Kardasians of the pre-Insta ‘80s???

• So they’re just having a big rager of a party? Not sure I’m going to care about the storyline here.

• This is feeling like it might be my first 3-star TJR read. :(

• Wait, it’s almost over already? Well those 380 pages certainly flew by.

• And I actually really cared about these characters! How did that happen?

• Oh right, it was written by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Of course her writing and depth are going to elevate a book that might have been ordinary in a lesser author’s hands.

• Let me sleep on it before writing my review. 3.5 or 4 stars??? Hmmm. Zzz.

• 4 stars!

While Malibu Rising probably won’t rise to the top of my 2021 reading list, I still recommend it as a great summer indulgence. Just dive in with no expectations and ride the wave of TJR’s skillful storytelling.

PUBLISHER SYNOPSIS:

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 for him 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.