Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

582 reviews

heidibaumgart's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.5

The main characters were wonderful. How they interconnected and their hopes and fears got on each other … I thought that was great. The bit parts weren’t great. At the beginning of Part 2, it felt like when you have to do time period research and you over describe fashion and music to prove that you did the research, or lived in that time. It was like a bingo card spaces of 80s / Malibu related people and culture. (Thanks goodness Rob Lowe was mentioned or it really would have been bad - research for 80s Malibu.) 

The tie up was satisfying. The fire was just bookends and not really necessary except for the bingo card. 

Also imho: 
Evelyn > Malibu > Daisy
Reading TJR in publish order. Only Carrie Soto is left and I’m not looking forward to it, having met her in Malibu Rising. But then I will have completed the TJR author binge…

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Alcohol

Moderate: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent

Minor: Body shaming, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, Vomit, Medical trauma, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

The main characters were wonderful. How they interconnected and their hopes and fears got on each other … I thought that was great. The author does grief and dealing with it in a very layered multidimensional way emin every book. The bit parts weren’t great. At the beginning of Part 2, it felt like when you have to do time period research and you over describe fashion and music to prove that you did the research, or lived in that time. It was like a bingo card spaces of 80s / Malibu related people and culture. (Thanks goodness Rob Lowe was mentioned or it really would have been bad - research for 80s Malibu.) The tie up was satisfying. The fire was just bookends and not really necessary except for the bingo card. Also imho: Evelyn > Malibu > Daisy Reading TJR in publish order. Only Carrie Soto is left and I’m not looking forward to it, having met her in Malibu Rising. But then I will have completed the TJR author binge…

sarajjj_'s review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity and Alcohol

Moderate: Drug use, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

Minor: Grief

brooklynelle's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Another wonderful TJR read. The end is a little anti-climatic but the premise of the book, the way it’s told, the background ensemble being woven in and the heart of the Riva family was beautiful! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: Alcoholism and Infidelity

noelle_madison's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I decided to read this book after loving “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” and “One True Loves” by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I’m so glad I did because man did this book take me on a journey! 

This book focuses on four siblings, Nina, Jay, Hud, and Kit, throwing their annual party at Nina’s house in Malibu. It is set over 24 hours in August of 1983. This story is jam packed with drama, emotion, relationships of all forms, and pure entertainment. I was intrigued the whole time because I no idea where this story was going to take me next! There were so many side characters that I’ll admit sometimes it was a little hard to keep up with and remember everyone, but it didn’t take away from the overall pull of the story. This book will have you absolutely hooked! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Moderate: Pregnancy and Fire/Fire injury

isabellemay14's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring medium-paced

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

3.5

This book is for eldest daughters and eldest daughters only. I loved the first half with the flashbacks to Mick and June and the beginnings (and ends) of their life together, and how their oldest child, Nina, really stepped up to fill in the gaps in parenthood for her younger siblings. Nina’s journey and resilience throughout the whole book is written so beautifully that, in contrast, the journeys of the rest of the siblings seems pretty lackluster. I enjoyed the second half of the book distinctively less so, as the focus really became about the party. I had expected more of a mystery surrounding the events of the party, but instead it was kind of just a devolution of how chaotic things became with a million irrelevant characters doing a million things. The multitude of POV’s definitely lent to the feeling of chaos throughout the night but just didn’t hold my interest as much as the stories of Mick and June and Nina. Overall definitely not my favorite TJR read, but still had its moments. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: Alcoholism, Infidelity, and Abandonment

findleydunn's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

3.25

Kind of slow until 3/4 through, then fast and exciting. I like the morals at the end, but it's a little hard to get there.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual content, Violence, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Vomit, Car accident, Abortion, and Injury/Injury detail

katrinakellyreads's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

I enjoyed this - read it because I previously liked Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones. This wasn’t as good as those two, probably on a par with Carrie Soto. I liked the characters involved - liked the sibling relationships, and the flawed parents. Similar themes to her other books of hidden family relationships in the face of a celebrity life, a ‘behind the scenes’ type of look at the lives of the famous. It felt like it was realistic enough to be just about real, but was also fun and fast paced. I felt that the eldest daughter was portrayed well, I could empathise with her lack of personal character after she’d spent years holding everyone else together - and loved that her siblings freed her from that. I did keep thinking something BIG was going to happen (ie a couple of times the way people are described as leaving in cars drunk etc you expect something awful to happen) but it never does and at first I was a bit thrown by that but actually it felt like quite a clever twist to what you might expect. Overall I enjoyed it.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Moderate: Infidelity

Minor: Addiction, Car accident, and Pregnancy

gondorgirl's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

sherylm0rgan's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Infidelity, Death of parent, and Abandonment

eeelwell's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Another gem from Taylor Jenkins Reid!  I loved how this book was broken up into hours over a 24 hr period with some flashbacks mixed in and told from multiple points of view!  The characters are all troubled in their own way but you can’t help cheer for them as they make their way through this crazy night.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Alcohol