A review by ksheaffs
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Let me be honest, I’ve been purposely avoiding Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books for quite some time. I know they are huge fan favorites but the synopses were never a huge draw for me and I didn’t get the hype. Trust me when I say, I get it now! Maybe it’s the setting of the Malibu coastline, or the family of surfers, or TJRs engating writing style or the way Julie Whelan absolutely smashes the audio book but Malibu Rising blew my expectations right out of the water.

I loved the relationships between the four siblings and how much they valued their bond with one another. I loved getting to watch their character’s confront their own flaws and grow into themselves. I even loved the guilty pleasure drama of it all (even when the party scenes were a little too over the top). This was a fast paced entertaining listen that had me picking up the audiobook any time I had a few free minutes. I found myself rooting for characters, even if I didn’t trust them to make the right decisions. 

Jenkin’s writing combined with Whelan’s narration provided a fantastic listening experience that captured my attention and made this an emotional and incredibly enjoyable listen. Dare say I am very excited to see what else TJR has to offer.
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