She had to choose what, of the things she inherited from the people who came before her, she wanted to bring forward. And what, of the past, she wanted to leave behind.
Malibu Rising
Written by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Nothing has made me fear marrying a celebrity quite like Malibu Rising. There is an established fantasy of being plucked out of a crowd by a famous singer who sees you and thinks “Her! She’s the one!”, but some of the the horror stories in the tabloids could make a person second-guess marrying someone famous. So if I was June, I don’t think her husband Mick Riva, superstar singer, would be the right choice for me.
Malibu Rising exists in two timelines. The first takes place in one day. Nina Riva readies her home for the annual Riva party, the it place for celebrities and locals to make memories that will be discusses and rumored about for years. This year Nina is already the talk of the town as her husband, a famous tennis player, just left her for another famous tennis player. Nina has fame of her own from being a knockout model and being the daughter of Mick Riva, who is akin to this universe's Elvis Presly. But for Nina, being a sister comes first and today she'll be surrounded by her younger siblings: Jay, a competitive surfer, Hud, a surfing photographer, and Kit, the youngest and a thus far overlooked surfing prodigy. This family loves surfing, including Nina, and each sibling is at a pivotal point in their lives, and the Riva party is sure to shake things up.
The second timeline brings us up to speed and starts all the way back before Nina's parents met. We see how June and Mickj Riva's tragic love story shaped their children and the recent events that brought the Riva's to where they are at present. Just in time for the Riva party.
This book centers around family and choosing what to inherit.
I found this book to be a more somber tale than Taylor Jenkin Reed's other historical fiction books. There are themes of alcoholism, abandonment, infidelity, and child neglect that may be difficult for some readers. With that said if you enjoy Taylor Jenkin Reed’s other works, you have a high probability of enjoying this one too. I’ve read it more than once, and while The Seven Husband of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones and the Six remain my favorites, this one has a special place on my shelf.
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