Malibu Rising

 

You know that feeling you get when you try something amazing for the first time?  For me it was the first time I tasted cheesecake.  It’s like I inherently knew that I would never meet a cheesecake I didn’t like, no matter what flavor it featured, and I’d always want another bite.

This was my first Taylor Jenkins Reid book, and all I can say is, YUM!! I’m definitely gonna want more of this.  Don’t care what flavors, just gimme a bite.

The Riva family in this book are fascinating.  Iconic singer Mick can’t keep it in his pants, despite his marriage and later remarriage to kind-hearted June, but one good thing that does come out of the marriage is their children: Nina, Jay and later Kit. Added to the mix is Mick’s illegitimate son, Hud, who June lovingly raises as her own.  The Riva children, now grown, have never known a life in which Mick was physically present and involved, and by circumstance, now find themselves completely dependent on each other to navigate life.  In this situation, they’ve each found ways to survive and thrive.

Nina, the oldest, is the responsible one.  The caretaker.  The comforter.  The one who will sacrifice her own desires and dreams to hold her family together.  If that means working as a well-paid model in the public eye when she’d really rather have a quiet life surfing, she’ll put everyone else’s needs first.

Jay and Hud are brothers from different mothers and are almost like twins, both in age and in their inseparable nature, often traveling together as adventurous Jay pursues surfing professionally and sensitive-natured Hud photographs him for magazines.

Kit is the youngest, a no-nonsense girl in the shadow of her beautiful and talented older siblings, but possibly the most talented surfer of the bunch.

I love these four.  They’re dysfunctional and wounded in their own ways, but wholly committed to one another, and you just always get the sense that no matter what happens in life, they’ll have each others’ backs.  I felt so invested in each of them and their well-being.  When the story culminates in the infamous Riva party that Nina holds at her place each year getting wildly out of control, those bonds get put to the test as all chaos ensues.

The story bounces between the past - the beginnings of Mick and June’s relationship and their relational history, together and apart, and the present (1980’s), showing the current lives of their children.  I loved both storylines equally, as each one was compelling in its own way.  Additionally, there are no boring characters to be found in this book, and there are a LOT of characters - so many! 

Some books just resonate with you, and this was one that I connected with.  I think there were aspects of the story that I personally related to because of similarities to aspects of my life, but there was also just a tremendous amount of humanity in these characters.  They just felt real in a way that I sometimes struggle to find in book characters.  I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea:  I love this book and highly recommend it!

★★★★★ ❤️

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.  This will be published June 1, 2021.