The Riva siblings—Nina, a now-famous supermodel; Jay, a championship surfer; Hud, a feted photographer; and the youngest, Kit—have a connection that allows them to weather complicated things. Since they were young, it’s been them against the world. “But a family being close and there for each other doesn’t mean that mistakes aren’t made, that there aren’t huge conflicts that can seem sort of impossible to get past in the moment,” Jenkins Reid says. Within 24 hours, the wild party—and beach town—will go up in flames, but before that, you’ll find a story of sibling bonds, familial fallout and the lasting effects of fame. “As alluring as it is, and as much as we adore the people we put on a pedestal, I’m interested in the truth behind the fame,” she says. We spoke to Jenkins Reid about diving into the ’80s, writing about fame and her most recommended summer reads. In Malibu Rising, similar to Daisy Jones and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, we see the double-edged sword of fame with its obvious perks and various temptations. What about the rich-and-famous lifestyle intrigues you? I’m writing about fame because I think it’s a part of our culture that fascinate me the most. And I’m exploring it in different ways and with different characters. But the thing I keep coming back to is the truth is behind the glamor. I understand what it looks like on the outside. I get what it looks like to be a 70s rock star. I get what it looks like to be an ’80s supermodel. What does it feel like? And the more I investigate that, the more I realized that what it looks like and what it feels like are just two completely different things. Why did you choose a decade like the ’80s for the setting of this novel? Part of it is wanting to go to a certain time and place. After spending time in the late ’70s with Daisy Jones, the ’80s were sort of calling to me, namely Springsteen’s “Born in the USA,” which I just couldn’t stop listening to. So I started thinking about the ‘80s and this decade of excess. There weren’t limits to the ridiculous things that you could do and how much money you could spend. Once those elements came together, it felt like going to ’80s Malibu for a party could be fun for readers, too. Nina is forced into this very parental role early on, making decisions based on what’s best for her family. What about her personality was exciting to write? In the past few books that I’ve written, the women front and center are really forceful women. Evelyn Hugo is very self-actualized, she knows what she wants. Daisy Jones is so wild and carefree and intense. And Nina has a quieter sort of strength. Who’s this woman who is in the public eye and maybe has complicated feelings about being in the public eye? And what’s special about her? What is her life like? To me, Nina is a really, really compelling character as a writer, because she’s a person who really needs to grow into her voice, and that was a fun thing to explore. And the party—it’s epic. Are any of the Hollywood stars based on real-life celebs? There’s no one there that you can point to and say that’s this person. But in general, I think you can go to pretty much any of them and guess like one, two, maybe three people that it could be. Part of what I wanted to deliver to readers is getting to feel like you’re at an ’80s Hollywood party. Who are the crazy Hollywood people who would show up there and what would they do over the course of that night? There’s not a single one representative of a particular celebrity, but I think when readers go through and see these characters, I’m hoping that it can be a little bit of a fun guessing game to say, oh, maybe this character is a bit like this actress or this screenwriter—they get up to some crazy high jinks. What are three books that you’d recommend people read this summer? Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir: A lone astronaut is the only person who can save humankind in this sci-fi interstellar adventure from the author of The Martian. “An absolutely thrilling novel that takes you on a wild ride.” (Ballantine) The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang: “She is such a star, and I love everything that she does,” including this romance about a violinist and motorcycle-riding CEO. (August 31, Berkley) The Idea of You by Robinne Lee: “I recommend this especially if you like books about fame,” Jenkins Reid says. This four-year-old book is about a divorced L.A. woman approaching 40 who falls for the British lead singer of her daughter’s favorite boy band. “It’s romance and it’s beautifully written, but it’s so much more. It has fascinating thoughts about aging and older women with younger men. It’s just a knockout book.” (Griffin) Next, For Summer Vacations, Wanderlust and Friends Turned Lovers, Emily Henry’s Latest Beach Read is Waiting For You
