Reviews: MALIBU RISING & THE INVISIBLE HUSBAND OF FRICK ISLAND
Sorry I disappeared off the blogosphere for a few days but man, it has been a week. We are short-staffed at work, as usual, so the universe decided this would be a great week for a trip to the ER with my son, followed by a fender bender this weekend when a teen driver decided to plow into the back of my car while we were stopped at a traffic light. We’re all fine thankfully, but if the universe could cut me a break for a bit, that would be fantastic. Anyway, my life drama aside, I do have two reviews to share today, one for Malibu Rising, one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and one for The Invisible Husband of Frick Island, which I was drawn to because of the island setting. When I read the synopsis, it reminded me of a little island off the coast of Virginia called Tangier Island and being from Virginia, I was intrigued.
Malibu Rising Goodreads Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Publication Date: June 1, 2021
Publisher: Ballantine Books
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Taylor Jenkins Reid became one of my favorite authors after I fell in love with her most recent novels, Daisy Jones & the Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Her masterful storytelling and her ability to bring unforgettable characters to life just really won me over, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of her new novel, Malibu Rising.
Malibu Rising is a story of love and loss, secrets and betrayals, and at the heart of it all is the Riva family, the parents Mick and June, and the four Riva children, Nina, Jay, Hud, and Kit. Those familiar with TJR’s books will probably recognize Mick Riva, who appears in the Daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo novels. Mick is an iconic musician who can’t seem to break the cycle of infidelity that he falls into the moment he becomes successful as a musician. He waltzes in and out of June and their kids’ lives, leaving wreckage in his wake each time he decides family life isn’t for him. To say the Rivas are a dysfunctional family is probably putting it mildly.
Malibu Rising is told using a dual timeline, which I’m always a fan of if it’s done well, and TJR uses it effectively here to peel back the layers on the Riva family. One timeline is set in the past which explores Mick and June Riva’s life together, showing how they met and the dramatic ups and downs of their relationship and how it impacted their young children. The second timeline is set in the 1980s and focuses on the Riva children, Nina, Jay, Hud, and Kit, who are all adults now and are experiencing their own ups and downs.
This family’s journey is a wild and often heartbreaking one and because of that, I loved the modern timeline that shows the kids all grown up and trying to make their way in the world. I loved how tight their sibling bond has grown over the years, probably because they could only rely on each other. Nina, the eldest, was a particular favorite of mine in that she sacrificed everything to basically become a mother to her younger siblings. Their lives are full of ups and downs as well, but they are all there for each other in ways their parents weren’t there for them.
The only part of the novel I didn’t enjoy was actually the big end-of-summer party that is the focal point of the story. Yes, it’s most definitely a life-changing event as it brings many issues to a head and turns quite a few lives upside down. At the same time, however, I found it to be somewhat tedious at times. I guess the Hollywood life doesn’t appeal to me and I just got bored reading page after page of celebrity after celebrity showing up and behaving in utterly predictable ways. The drama surrounding the Riva siblings at that party is riveting and everything else just felt like it was in the way.
Even though I wasn’t the biggest fan of the party itself, everything else about the novel made for a very compelling read. If you enjoy family dramas and sibling stories, you’ll enjoy Malibu Rising. 4 STARS.
The Invisible Husband of Frick Island Goodreads Author: Colleen Oakley
Publication Date: May 25, 2021
Publisher: Berkley
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Colleen Oakley’s new novel The Invisible Husband of Frick Island is an emotional story about love, loss, and grief and the lengths people will go to in order to help those they love. The story centers on Piper Parrish, a young woman who lives on Frick Island, a tiny island located in the Chesapeake Bay and only accessible by ferry. The Frick Island community, cut off as they are from the mainland, are a tightknit group who look out for each other. When Piper’s husband Tom is lost at sea when his boat capsizes during a terrible storm, the community rallies together to help Piper cope with the loss. It’s the method in which they choose to rally that brings a bit of a whimsical element to the story. When they realize that Piper is hallucinating that Tom is still alive and by her side, the community decides to play along with it and pretend he’s still alive as well. When Anders Caldwell, an aspiring journalist, is sent to the island on assignment, he witnesses Piper and her hallucinations as well as the community going along with it, he can’t believe what he is seeing and decides he needs to investigate it further. He thinks this is a story that could make his career but has no idea how truly life changing it will end up being.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. I especially loved the small town island setting and how they’re all practically one big family. I also loved all the quirky characters who live on the island. They were fun and I immediately liked them all just by virtue of what they were willing to do to keep from breaking Piper’s heart. Piper herself is of course an incredibly sympathetic character because of the loss she has suffered and it’s easy to see why her community loves her so much. I very much enjoyed watching her interact with Anders as he tried to piece together what was motivating the community to go along with Piper’s hallucinations rather than set her straight about Tom’s death. There were times when I wanted to shake him for using Piper’s tragedy to further his career, but he shows tremendous growth in this area as he and Piper grew closer and he starts to realize his own mistakes.
My only real issue with The Invisible Husband of Frick Island is that it felt a little slow at times. As much as I enjoyed it, I felt like the story got a little bogged down by Anders’ repetitive ferry rides back and forth to the island. I think I would have preferred either fewer trips or maybe less description of them each time.
If you enjoy small town settings, quirky characters, and reading about the things we do for love, you’ll want to check out The Invisible Husband of Frick Island. 3.5 STARS.
Top Ten Tuesday – My Favorite Enemies-to-Lovers Quotes
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Top Ten Tuesday has been one of my favorite memes ever since I started blogging, so huge thanks to Jana for taking over the hosting duties!
This week’s TTT topic is Book Quotes that Fit X Theme (Pick any theme you want, i.e., motivational quotes, romantic dialogues, hunger-inducing quotes, quotes that fill you with hope, quotes on defeating adversity, quotes that present strong emotions, healing, etc. and then select quotes from books that fit that theme.)
This was such a wide open topic that I struggled a bit to even find a starting point. Since I’ve read so much romances during the pandemic, I decided it would be fun to share some of my favorite quotes from those. That was still a little too broad for me so I’ve narrowed it to my favorite quotes from one of my favorites tropes, enemies-to-lovers. Gotta love that snarky banter!
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My Favorite Enemies-to-Lovers Quotes
1. “How do you tell the person you’ve spent four years trying to destroy that you have a crush on them?”
― Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon
2. “The only coherent thought that comes to mind is how insulting it is that eyelashes like his were wasted on Satan’s Errand Boy.”
― The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
3. “Those of us who aren’t summoned by the Dark Mark consider honesty to be a virtue.”
― The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
4. “The moment you first called me a prick, my fate was sealed. O, fathers of my bloodline! O, ye kings of olde! Take this crown from me, bury me in my ancestral soil. If only you had known the mighty work of thine loins would be undone by a gay heir who likes it when American boys with chin dimples are mean to him.”
― Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
5. “He’s not like any other guy I’ve dated or crushed on. And while he’s capable of making my blood boil like no one else, I feel a magnetic pull toward him that I can’t explain.”
― The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker
6. “It’s not natural for women to fight.”
“It’s not natural for someone to be as stupid as he is tall, and yet there you stand.”
― Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
7. “You look like you’re cycling through a lot of things right now.”
“Like what?”
“Like whether you should kiss me or punch me.”
“It’s a daily struggle.”
― Dating You / Hating You by Christina Lauren
8. “To what do I owe this honor?”
“Let me in. I need to talk.”
“I don’t know. Are you going to hurt me if I let you in?”
Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter
9. “I have a theory. Hating someone feels disturbingly similar to being in love with them. I’ve had a lot of time to compare love and hate, and these are my observations. Love and hate are visceral. Your stomach twists at the thought of that person. The heart in your chest beats heavy and bright, nearly visible through your flesh and clothes. Your appetite and sleep are shredded. Every interaction spikes your blood with adrenaline, and you’re in the brink of fight or flight. Your body is barely under your control. You’re consumed, and it scares you. Both love and hate are mirror versions of the same game – and you have to win. Why? Your heart and your ego. Trust me, I should know.”
― The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
10. “Most of all, I hate you because I think of you. Often. It’s disgusting, and I can’t stop.”
― The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Book Reviews: The Road Trip, One Last Stop, & Playing the Palace
It’s hard to believe that summer is already almost upon us, but here we are nearly finished with the month of May already. One of the many wonderful things to look forward to about summer are the fantastic romance books that will be soon be hitting the shelves. Today I’m sharing my thoughts on three more books that I read recently and really enjoyed.
The Road Trip Goodreads Author: Beth O’Leary
Publication Date: June 1, 2021
Publisher: Berkley
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Beth O’Leary’s new novel The Road Trip hilariously combines a second chance romance with what might actually be the worst road trip ever. The story follows Addie and Dylan, who broke up two years ago and haven’t spoken to each other since but find themselves traveling to attend the same wedding. Addie is traveling with her sister, Deb, and some random, socially awkward guy named Rodney who needed a ride to the wedding. As if that isn’t awkward enough for an 8 hour car ride, almost as soon as they start out on their trip, their car is rammed from behind in traffic by none other than Dylan and his best friend, Maurice. It’s an accident of course, but Dylan and Maurice’s car is totaled. Addie and Deb reluctantly agree to give Dylan and Maurice a ride and all five adults pile into Deb’s mini Cooper and off they go!
This was a fun and quick read for me. The road trip itself was a highly entertaining comedy of errors where truly everything that could possibly go wrong did, and I loved the way the author structures the story into Now and Then timelines. The Now timeline is where all of the hilarity takes place, while the Then chapters gradually reveals the backstory between Addie and Dylan, how they met and fell in love and of course what happened to drive them apart as well as the role Maurice plays in their breakup.
The road trip is messy, and Addie and Dylan’s history is equally messy, but I couldn’t help but root for them to somehow find their way back to each other through all of the awkwardness. I won’t say that I was quite as attached to Addie and Dylan as I was to the characters in O’Leary’s last two books, The Flatshare and The Switch, but I still liked them both and thought they belonged together. I also really enjoyed the secondary cast of characters, especially Addie’s sister, Deb. Maurice was the character I loved to hate, although he grew on me over time, while Rodney might have been the biggest surprise of them all. No spoilers but keep your eye on that guy!
If you enjoy road trip stories and second chance romances, you’re going to want to add Beth O’Leary’s The Road Trip to your list of must-reads. 4 STARS.
One Last Stop Goodreads Author: Casey McQuiston
Publication Date: June 1, 2021
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston is one of my favorite reads of 2021 so far. The protagonist of the story is 23-year old August, who has moved to New York City because she has become cynical about everything to do with her life and feels like New York is the perfect place for her to embrace her cynicism and go through life alone. August’s new roommates, however, have other ideas. They help her find a job, show her everything that is wonderful about New York, and basically adopt her into their little found family and it’s the cutest thing ever. Think “Friends” but with a much more diverse cast, including a drag queen who lives across the hall and a lovable extended family at the 24-hour pancake diner where August ends up working.
August is also taking college courses and encounters a young woman named Jane on the subway one morning when she spills coffee all over herself and Jane comes to her rescue. August is attracted to Jane right away and it seems like Jane feels the same way. They meet on the train every morning and evening and grow closer with each encounter. August even starts thinking that maybe she doesn’t want to be alone after all and decides to ask Jane out. Every time August asks Jane to go out, Jane tells her she can’t come. August is confused by the mixed signals Jane is sending until she finally figures out that something very strange is going on. Jane has somehow been displaced in time from the 1970s and is trapped on the subway line. She can’t go out with August because she’s literally stuck on the train. August loves Jane and is determined to figure out how to set her free, even if it means sending her back to her own timeline and never seeing her again and she calls on her roommates to help.
I don’t want to give anything away about how this all plays out, but wow, I just fell so hard for this entire lovable, quirky cast of characters and I also loved how unique the overall premise of the story is. Sometimes magical realism doesn’t work for me, but I thought McQuiston used it perfectly here. It was like Quantum Leap with a side of romance set in the subway. One Last Stop is such a refreshing and original read and I just loved every page of it. 4.5 STARS
Playing the Palace Goodreads Author: Paul Rudnick
Publication Date: May 25, 2021
Publisher: Berkley Books
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
I can’t remember the last time I laughed so much while reading a book, but Paul Rudnick’s new romantic comedy Playing the Palace delivers nonstop laughs and kept me entertained from cover to cover. The story follows Carter Ogden, who is an event planner and an adorable hot mess whose number one skill is self-sabotage. When Carter meets Edgar, the openly gay Prince of England, their attraction is immediate and the two men decide to get to know each other better. They try to keep it lowkey with little pancake dates at the local IHOP, but it doesn’t take long for the media to figure things out and to go looking for trouble. The more nervous Carter gets about the fact that he is dating a Prince, the more his self-sabotage skills kick into high gear, resulting in one embarrassing incident after another, much to his dismay as well as that of the Royal Family.
I was invested in Carter and Edgar’s relationship from that first meeting and really wanted Carter to get his act together, although his blunders did make for hilarious reading. I also loved his encounters with Edgar’s Nana (a.k.a. the Queen of England). She gives Carter a hard time but he gives it right back to her and they are actually quite hilarious together. Add in Carter’s loud and lovable Jewish family, in particular his sister Abby who is just the absolute best, and his Aunt Miriam, who practically becomes bffs with the Queen, and the story really is just one big barrel of fun.
If you’re in the mood for a romantic comedy that is truly laugh out loud funny, Playing the Palace is the book for you. 4 STARS