Book of the Month is a monthly book subscription box. Each month, five curators pick out their favorite new hardcover books, and you can choose which one you want to receive on the first of the month. You can also add up to two additional books for only $9.99 each. (This box was named one of the best subscriptions under $15 by MSA readers in the 2021 Subscription Box Awards.)
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
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About this Box
The Subscription Box: Book of the Month
The Cost: $14.99 per month
The Product: Subscribers get to pick from a selection of hardcover books each month. Skip any month you aren't interested in. Add up to two additional books for $9.99 each.
Ships to: The U.S. for free
Book of the Month June 2021 Review
These are the five book choices offered to subscribers this month.
1 of 2
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid - Retail Value $28.00 (On sale for $16.80)
Book Summary from Amazon:
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.
The only person not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself, who never wanted to be the center of attention, and who has also just been very publicly abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Oh, and maybe Hud—because it is long past time for him to confess something to the brother from whom he’s been inseparable since birth.
Jay, on the other hand, is counting the minutes until nightfall, when the girl he can’t stop thinking about promised she’ll be there.
And Kit has a couple secrets of her own—including a guest she invited without consulting anyone.
By midnight the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family’s generations will all come rising to the surface.
Malibu Rising is a story about one unforgettable night in the life of a family: the night they each have to choose what they will keep from the people who made them . . . and what they will leave behind.
I honestly have not been following authors and their new releases, so I was surprised and excited to see this new book from Taylor Jenkins Reid having enjoyed her previous works so I didn't spend too much time making my pick this month. There is something so unique about the way she writes and this was no exception as I was immediately drawn into the world of these siblings! I also loved that it was set in the '80s because right now that just feels like such a simpler time and I enjoy escaping to a world where technology is a bit slower.
We start in the present day with the sweet selfless oldest sister, Nina, but then we flashback to the very beginning of their family - when their parents met. The story is told through the present day with all of it taking place on one day- the day of their big annual Riva sibling party where anything can happen, but then we keep flashing back to the past for the big important moments: when their parents married, when each of the kids was born, to when their father left, and to when their mother died, leaving Nina in charge. It's so sweet to see the way the kids stepped up and took care of one another but it's also incredibly sad to see them do so instead of having a happy childhood thanks to the decisions of their parents. The siblings are all so likable and the first part of the story was filled with so much heart and sadness.
The second half of the story takes place only at the party and we begin to get glimpses into some of the lives of the guests and of course, more glimpses into the struggles and lives of the siblings in the present day. This part of the book was interspersed with stories about some of the guests and fringe characters at the party, some of the moments a bit wilder than others, but the parts I was really interested in were the ones that involved the siblings coming to terms with their own decisions and choices that they've made and some glimpses into what their futures might look like. It was entertaining and easy to read and I honestly wish there was a sequel because I'd love to see what happens next in Nina's life.
Each month, Book of the Month includes a bookmark.
If you picked this book this month, please let me know what you think of it!
Verdict: I was so excited to see a new book by an author that I am familiar with and already enjoy from past Book of the Month choices! I really liked the main characters in this story and I honestly feel like there could be so much more to tell in a sequel. I'd love to know more about the father and see how things end up for Nina. It was engrossing and the fact that I want more on these characters means it was a book worth reading to me! Let me know what you thought if you read this one, too!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this book if you sign up today? Yes, June 20th is the LAST DAY to sign up for Book of the Month to receive the June selections – learn more about the options here – but you may be able to choose this book later as an add-on.
Check out all of our Book of the Month reviews and see what other book subscriptions made our favorites list!
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