I am pleasantly surprised how much I loved this!
Malibu: August, 1983. It’s the day of Nina Riva’s annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together, the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over—especially as the offspring of the legendary singer, Mick Riva.
I didn’t know what to expect going into this book. I had a vague idea of what it was going to be about but when we get into it it just delves so much deeper into the lives of the Riva’s than what I was expecting. First I just thought it was going to just be all about Nina but then the timeline shifts to when Mick and June meet for the first time and everything comes full circle and is just beautiful to read.
I liked Nina’s character, she’s probably my second favourite of the Riva children behind Kit. I just loved seeing her character progression over the course of the story. Feeling abandoned by her dad and seeing her mum spiral out of control and having to pick up the pieces and find a way to raise the rest of her siblings and come up with the cash to pay all the bills. Then in present day having what happened to her mother happen to her when Brandon comes crawling back.
The multiple povs were a great way to highlight each of the Riva’s and we get to see how different they are from each other but also how committed to each other they are. I really feel like even though they have their differences because of what they have had to deal with growing up their bond will never be severed and that was lovely to read. Also the fact that each of them had their own issues and dramas that they were going through separately but all come together and get exposed in the end. It was just so entertaining and had me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading.
Overall I was highly invested in the story. The countdown to the party was a great way to build up the anticipation and keep me wanting to read on to see what was going to happen next. The journey of the Riva children was traumatic and sad yet they were able to overcome all of the adversity together and managed to excel in their lives despite not having any contact or help from their father.
⭐️5/5 stars This is the kind of historical fiction that I can get behind!!
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