A review by rileyharrell
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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

2.0

I guess sex sells?

I feel like I am the ONLY person who really did not enjoy this book.. This is what I get for trying to venture out of my preferred reading genre. Not that this was a bad book by any means (I think the Goodreads star ratings speak for itself "it was OK"), I just felt that it was really overtly sexual in places that it did not need to be. Maybe being part of an asexual community myself I just don't really enjoy reading about those kinds of encounters. I get that the times that this book was written for it was probably common, I just didn't really enjoy reading about them.
I also felt that TJR introduced SO many characters, nearly all of them except Nina and Kit were underdeveloped by the end. Her last minute addition of Mick in there actually made sense, though, considering that is the role that he played in his kid's lives. I feel like TJR wants/tries to write for men and their narratives and I just read it as kind of unbelievable? Like I don't think their inner dialogue that she gives them (specifically referring to Jay and Hud) really is what they would be thinking in the scenarios she writes them in. Then again, who am I to say what they should be thinking?? I don't know, this one fell kind of flat for me. I am glad I read it, however. I think this is one the community will be talking about for a while much like 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.
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