Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid – Honest Book Review (Spoilers!)

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

If you loved One True Loves and are walking into Malibu Rising expecting the same magic… temper those expectations. 😅 This book was a mixed bag for me — slow pacing, time jumps galore, and characters I didn’t click with — but hey, let’s talk about it.

Quick Details

  • Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid

  • Genre: Historical Fiction / Family Drama

  • Setting: Malibu, California (1950s–1980s)

  • My Rating: ⭐⭐.5 / 5

  • Trigger Warnings:

    • Parental abandonment

    • Infidelity

    • Alcoholism & addiction

    • Death of a parent (drowning)

    • Fire (destruction of home)

    • Emotional neglect

Spoiler-Free Thoughts

Okay, cards on the table: I adored One True Loves. It punched me in the heart and then gave me a warm hug. So naturally, I came into Malibu Rising with high hopes.

This one… was different. And not in a “wow, I learned so much” kind of way — more like “why are we bouncing between 1983 and 1956 every other chapter?”

The timeline jumping? Exhausting. The characters? Hard to love (or even like). And while I don’t have to like characters to enjoy a book, I do need to care about something — and I just didn’t. The drama felt like background noise, and the plot simmered without ever boiling over.

Full Spoiler Plot Summary

(Major spoilers ahead – proceed at your own risk!)

The novel kicks off by telling us about Malibu’s history of fires (foreshadowing alert!). The big fire of 1983 starts on August 27, the same day Nina Riva is hosting her famous annual summer party. And guess what? By the end, we find out who lights the match — literally.

Meet the Rivas: Surf, Drama, Repeat

  • Nina – Oldest sibling, supermodel turned family caretaker after their mom’s death. Recently dumped by her tennis-star husband.

  • Jay – Pro surfer with a secret heart condition and unresolved feelings for a woman named Lara.

  • Hud – Surf photographer and Jay’s half-brother, secretly dating Jay’s ex-girlfriend (yikes).

  • Kit – The youngest, still figuring herself out (and low-key realizing she doesn’t like kissing guys).

Flashbacks Galore

We bounce back to the 1950s and learn about their parents: Mick Riva, a famous singer and professional deadbeat dad, and June, their sweet but overwhelmed mom. Mick cheats, leaves, comes back, leaves again — you get the picture. June struggles with alcohol and eventually dies, leaving Nina to raise her siblings.

The Infamous Party (a.k.a. Everything Hits the Fan)

The entire second half of the book unfolds during Nina’s legendary summer bash, where:

  • Brandon (Nina’s cheating ex) begs for her back in the most awkward, public way possible.

  • Hud reveals to Jay that he’s dating Ashley (Jay’s ex) AND that she’s pregnant. Cue chaos.

  • Kit kisses a guy and realizes… nope, she’s not into guys.

  • A random girl named Casey wanders in — surprise! She’s also Mick’s daughter. (Because of course she is.)

  • Mick himself shows up, wanting forgiveness. The siblings aren’t impressed.

The Big Fire

In the end, Nina decides to stop living for everyone else and finally puts herself first — she heads to Portugal to surf and live her best life. The siblings unite, Hud proposes to Ashley, and they start healing their messy family wounds.

Oh, and Mick? On his way out, he flicks a cigarette into the dry Malibu grass. That spark? Starts the fire that burns down Nina’s house and kicks off Malibu’s cycle of rebirth.

My Take: Why It Didn’t Work for Me

  • Too Many Time Jumps: The constant back-and-forth between decades took me out of the story rather than enriching it.

  • Flat Characters: I never got attached to anyone — they felt more like archetypes than real people.

  • Slow Burn (…Too Slow): The big “party drama” didn’t feel as explosive as I hoped.

  • Zero Emotional Hook: Compared to Reid’s other books, this one felt more style than substance.

That said, the vibes of Malibu in the ‘80s were cool, and the sibling loyalty theme was sweet. It just wasn’t enough to make me love it.

Would I Recommend It?

If you loved:

  • Dysfunctional family sagas

  • 1980s California surf vibes

  • Multiple POV storytelling

…you might enjoy this more than I did. But if you’re craving a tear-your-heart-out romance like One True Loves? This isn’t it.

Where to Buy Malibu Rising

Grab your copy here:
Buy Malibu Rising on Amazon (affiliate link – thanks for supporting the blog!)

If You Liked This, Try:

  • Daisy Jones & The Six – Also by Taylor Jenkins Reid, rock ‘n’ roll drama.

  • The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo – Old Hollywood gossip and heartbreak.

  • We Were Liars by E. Lockhart – Family secrets + summer setting.

What did you think of Malibu Rising? Did you love it, hate it, or fall somewhere in between? Drop your thoughts in the comments — I love hearing different takes!

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