A review by lorabgreen
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I devoured the first half of this book, but then the party started and it kind of lost the way. I did enjoy the ending. But the bulk of the party was not anywhere near as enjoyable as the first half of the book. Yet, it seemed the party should be the highlight... after all, it is what the whole first half of the book led up to.
Maybe that is because June was now gone, and I really liked her involvement in the story and the kids relationship with her? Maybe it is because there were less flashbacks after June died? I'm not sure.
The party introduces many new characters, and includes so much detail about the event, that seem unnecessary? I just wasn't sure where it was going. I felt similarly (though not as strongly) about The 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Strong in the beginning, too much in the middle, with a good ending (the 7 Husbands ending is much better than Malibu Rising though.... the ending here is nice, but not anything particularly memorable). I did very much enjoy Nina, along with the complexities and growth of her character. 
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