Blurb:

August,1983, it is the day of Nina Riva’s annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone who is anyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: surfer and supermodel Nina, brothers Jay and Hud, and their adored baby sister Kit. Together, the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over – especially as the children of the legendary singer Mick Riva.

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 of dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family will all come bubbling to the surface.

Review:

I loved Daisy Jones And The Six and The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo but I’d heard mixed reviews of Malibu Rising, and it’s the only one of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s novels that I’ve read that’s written in the traditional format, so I was a little nervous going into it. However, I needn’t have been. I became completely immersed in the characters and their lives and it was difficult to tear myself away from their story. I loved that I recognised some of the characters from the later novels in this one.

Malibu Rising takes us through, hour by hour, the build up to and the events of Nina Riva’s annual party. It is clear from the beginning that the day was eventful and I really wanted to know what had happened. I loved tension created by the time frame, as despite the slow build up, the novel is really quick to read. 

There are also chapters in Malibu Rising that go back in time to when June and Mick Riva started dating. Taylor Jenkins Reid takes us through their life together, including the childhoods of Nina, Jay, Hud and Kit. This gave me real insight into the characters and why they behaved in the way they did, and I really enjoyed getting to know them more deeply. It meant that as the story went on, I was rooting for them, really invested in their lives.

The lives of the Riva family are turbulent, and there’s a lot going on for them. This allows Taylor Jenkins Reid to explore a number of themes, including grief, addiction and infidelity. Her writing is incredibly emotive and I often felt the sadness and anger and disappointment of the characters pouring off the page. 

I’m looking forward to reading more of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s earlier work in future – as it’s definitely just as good as her more recent work!

Malibu Rising is available from Amazon.