Reviews with content warning for Infidelity - Malibu Rising

Four famous siblings throw an epic party to celebrate the end of the summer. But over the course of twenty-four hours, their lives will change forever.

Having read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo earlier this year for the 52 Book Challenge and loved it, I decided to read another novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I again appreciated the flowing writing style, with some really good character development and interesting narrative bouncing between the 1950's to the 1980's and 24 hours over a day in August 1983, when Nina Riva hosts the party of all parties in Malibu!

This book did not grab me in the same way that The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo did but I still really enjoyed the story and the two timelines taking place.

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stuckinatimeloop's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

this was my first time reading a taylor jenkins reid book, and only because i saw that it has good sibling dynamics. even though i loved it i'm not likely to read another tjr book simply because the genre isn't for me.

this book is amazingly written. at one point i even shed some tears. there's not much going on for most of the book but it still was easy to read and somehow felt fast paced. maybe it was the dual timeline.

i do wish there was more chance for me to get attached to the characters though. besides nina we don't really see a lot into their minds.

Spoiler

also, i still don't get why exactly jay was so mad at hud, i mean he was over ashley so what's the big deal?

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apeck's review against another edition

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emotional funny

Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

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withlivjones's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

So many great things in this book. I loved the premise of this Gatsby-like party atop a precarious Malibu cliff. I loved the family dynamics and how each Riva sibling’s personality fit within their close-knit group - they are such well-written characters and their sibling bonds felt so realistic. I loved the rising tension of the fact that you know how the story is going to end from the beginning but you don’t know how it will get there. I was a bit iffy on the third person narration at first but I really think it is perfect for creating the little vignettes within the chaos of the party. I loved the shoutouts to other characters in TJR’s showbiz universe, particularly Carrie Soto (I read her book before this one although I wonder how my perception of that book might have changed had I read this one first). Overall I absolutely devoured this book, and I am pretty desperate for TJR to release another instalment in this universe.

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