'Malibu Rising' Is The Perfect Beach Read To Cap Off This Summer!

Malibu Rising is the perfect beach read for the Summer filled with family drama, secrets, references to the '80s Hollywood scene, lots of surfing, and an unforgettable night at the end of Summer.

It is August, 1983, Malibu. Everyone is getting ready for the annual end-of-Summer party hosted by the famous Rivas. On the night of the big party, all the Riva siblings -- Nina, Jay, Hud, and Kit -- either have something to hide or something to run from. By midnight, everything will get out of control, and by morning, the Riva mansion will go up in flames. 

Written by Taylor Jenkins Reid, the acclaimed writer of Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six, Malibu Rising will make you want to leave everything behind and move to Malibu so you can spend your days surfing, listening to the waves, and Malibu dream...

Each chapter, character backstory, and flashback to the past brings out a new spark to this well-crafted story: Nina, the oldest, a surfer/supermodel; Jay, the a pro surfer; Hud, the famed photographer; and the baby sister Kit, the one who is trying to prove herself amongst her star siblings. Here are playlists for each Riva sibling posted by the author herself:

The relationship between the siblings is complicated, warm, and feels realistic. Like every other family, the Rivas had their ups and downs -- and the downs were pretty harsh. Throughout it all, the siblings came out stronger and established a legacy of their own. 

Reid is a remarkable writer when it comes to creating relatable but at the same time intriguingly different characters who have admirable lives but complicated secrets. In order to explore the origin of the Riva siblings, Reid shifts between the past and present and introduces June and Mick Riva -- the mom and dad -- from the very beginning: 1956. The Riva family history becomes a crucial element of the story that allows the reader to connect some dots from the present and make better sense of the young Rivas' through a journey between '50s and '80s.

Malibu Rising tells the tragic, emotional, and heartfelt story of the Rivas that quickly turns into a scandalous family fallout ending in actual fire. As I was reading the novel in Malibu -- absolute ideal location to read this novel, obvs -- I admit that I cried more than once, felt jealous of the beautiful oceanside Malibu mansion of the Rivas, craved fried clams, and dreamed of attending the annual Riva Summer party in the '80s…

Make sure to go to an indie bookstore near you where you will most likely find Malibu Rising in the "Summer Read" or "Bestsellers" sections, and grab a copy before the Summer officially ends! What is a better time than the end of August to enjoy a beach read set in Malibu?