Happy Friday All,

Hope you’re all well and enjoying your Good Friday. I need this long weekend so badly just for a break from work. I’m struggling with my job at the moment in that I’ve got a permanent state of boredom. I don’t do well with that so I’m hoping that a break away from it will help in the interim but I am definitely starting to think that it may be time for pastures new. Anyhow, I have time to do as I please for a week now and I plan on savouring and enjoying every single minute.

Book 📖

I fan girl so hard for Taylor Jenkins Reid so when I spotted that her next book was available for request on Netgalley I moved at lightening speed. This is probably the most excited I’ve ever been to be approved for an ARC. Thank you to @penguinrandom and @tjenkinsreid for this advanced copy of Malibu Rising in return for an honest review. Malibu Rising is due to be published on 27th May 2021 and you can get a copy here.

Description 🔖

The Rivas are known for their end of summer parties. Everyone wants to be there and anyone can be as long as they know the address. The year of 1983 is no exception.

Siblings; Nina, Jay, Hud and Kit all have different feelings about the 1983 party. Nina is not at all looking forward to it following the breakdown of her marriage. Jay is feeling excited about it as he is hoping that a certain girl is going to make an appearance. Hud is nervous as he plans to reveal a secret that he knows nobody will like to hear. Meanwhile Kit as also hiding a secret of her own and has invited a guest that nobody will be expecting to see.

The party will both start and finish with a bang but none of the Rivas will be the same people they were once it is all over.

General Thoughts 🤔

I was so looking forward to reading this book and it did not disappoint. I love TJR for her fabulous story writing and the way she pulls the reader in deep. I was in over my head with all of the characters and felt like I was watching an episode of a drama series. I loved the 80s LA vibe that this book oozed and the mix of glamour and seedy.

What surprised me about this book was the lack of hit you in the face drama. It certainly wasn’t a bad thing. The story slowly unfolded and developed as I learned more about each of the characters and their relationships with one another.

Characters 👬👭👫

Malibu Rising was 100% all about the characters for me. I fell in love with all of the Rivas for different reasons.

Nina – What a hero. I had so much respect for her. At the age of 25, she seemed to have lived a lifetime and continued to put other peoples needs before her own. I was silently encouraging Nina to see that she didn’t have to do that. She had choices and I wanted her to realise that.

Jay – There was definitely potential for me to dislike Jay and see him as arrogant and self-centred. However as the story went on and I learnt more, I admired his softer more vulnerable side.

Hud – I instantly liked Hud. He was definitely the level headed, sensible sibling. I empathised with him for carrying such a potentially damaging secret and I felt his relief when the truth was revealed.

Kit – She was fiery, determined and strong minded but harbouring her own big secret that she didn’t feel like she could reveal to even her family. As the youngest out of the siblings I think she struggled to find her own identity and not compare herself to her older and successful brothers and sister.

Writing Style ✍️

This is the first one of TJR’s books that I’ve read on Kindle as opposed to listening to the audio book. I was intrigued to see how this was as her audiobooks have a very special and signature “feel” and structure to them. This book was a very different experience but I’m not convinced it was because I read and didn’t listen.

I thought that the pacing was fantastic. The book covers 24 hours on the day of the party and there was no point where I thought it was dragging or needed to be faster. The narrative switches between 1983 and as far back as the 1930s and I thought the way those two narratives were sewn together was brilliant.

Conclusion & Scoring 🎖️

I was absorbed in this story and the characters. TJR has a way of drawing you in to the point of feeling like you know each individual in a book and it’s quite consuming whilst you’re reading. I am pleased to say that I am still very much a fan girl!

😍😍😍😍😍