Are you a fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books? Then here are 7 amazing books like Malibu Rising to add to your reading list!
Malibu Rising (by hugely popular writer Taylor Jenkins-Reid) is an irresistible, unputdownable book about family ties and the price of fame.
With a sumptuous setting, realistic and relatable characters, and an unusual family setup, it’s a good depiction of the reality behind fame and fortune.
It’s also a great story about reconnecting with your own roots, even when your family history is difficult.
If you like Malibu Rising and you’re looking for something similar, here are seven books you can add to your reading list.
These books share similar themes: slowly unfolding mysteries, family secrets, and vividly described settings.
If you want some escapism, look no further – these books like Malibu Rising will take you somewhere else for a little while.
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7 Amazing Books Like Malibu Rising
True Crime Story by Joseph Knox
True Crime Story shares a similar style to Malibu Rising (as well as the incredibly popular Daisy Jones and the Six).
Written as though the events are real, it investigates the disappearance of Zoe Nolan, a student at Manchester University.
Seven years later, writer Evelyn Mitchell is drawn into the story and turns to crime writer Joseph Knox to help.
The book has a journalistic style, using interviews and emails to crack the case. It’s punchily written, and like Malibu Rising, the characters are incredibly believable.
It’s the small details in dialogue that makes it feel as though you’re really eavesdropping on other people’s conversations.
It’s a compelling story about the way our memories work, and how investigators can uncover the truth when recollections vary.
Stylistically, it’s a unique book, and the story unfolds in a slightly different way than a regular novel. If you want to switch things up a bit, this is a great one to try out.
Buy True Crime Story: Amazon | Blackwells | Waterstones
The Sunset Crowd by Karin Tanabe
Malibu Rising’s setting is integral to the story; the location makes a big difference to the plot, the characters’ interests and motivation, and the atmosphere. If escaping to a different location is important to you, The Sunset Crowd is worth a try.
In this case, we are teleported to 1970’s Los Angeles, rocketed into the world of Evra Theodora, and Bea. All three are tangentially connected to Hollywood, with each one battling, in their own way, to keep their positions or claw their way up the ladder in an unpredictable crowd.
Similar to Malibu Rising, the fickle and changeable nature of fame is a key theme in The Sunset Crowd, and it’s packed with ruthless ambition. You get to see a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll nature of 1970s Hollywood, and there are real moments of tension. I’d recommend this as a perfect holiday read for a bit of escapism.
Buy The Sunset Crowd: Amazon | Blackwells | Waterstones
Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell
One of the strengths of Malibu Rising is the way the characters are able to reflect on their lives, and whether they’ve gone in the direction they expected. In Slow Dance, protagonists Shiloh and Cary are best friends in high school, and they expect to be friends forever. But after joining the Navy and attending college, they lost touch.
How do you fall in love when life is so complicated? When you have family responsibilities, trauma, and years of pain and growth behind you? How do you reckon with how your life has turned out, compared to what you thought it would be?
Slow Dance is a really gorgeous exploration of these topics, and while it’s far more focused on romance than Malibu Rising, the character-driven nature of Rowell’s writing may resonate if you love Jenkins-Reid. There are some lovely unexpected moments, and the romance really does stick with you.
Buy Slow Dance: Amazon | Blackwells | Waterstones
Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult
If you want a juicy story about celebrities, this is the one for you. Picture Perfect tells the story of anthropologist Cassie Barrett, married to Hollywood darling Alex Rivers.
Their wedding was a fairytale, but their marriage is a different story.
Stuck in a cycle of abuse and anger, we meet Cassie in the midst of making the most difficult decision of her life. This book shatters the myth of a perfect celebrity couple.
Cassie reminds me of Nina River in Malibu Rising: outwardly, her situation is perfect, but inwardly, the situation is much different. Picoult is excellent at depicting the small, subtle details in long-term relationships.
It’s probably worth noting that this book brings up some hard topics, and if you find books about domestic abuse difficult, you may want to steer clear.
Picoult is excellent at creating realistic characters that you can’t help but root for, even if you don’t agree with their decisions. Cassie’s journey is at times frustrating to observe, but the fight for her own freedom is compelling.
Buy Picture Perfect: Amazon | Blackwells | Waterstones
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller
The setting is important in both Malibu Rising and The Paper Palace, where the place is almost as important as the characters.
Unlike Malibu Rising’s beautiful beach setting, The Paper Palace takes place in an old, rambling house in the woods of Cape Cod.
The main characters in both books find solace and comfort in the water, even if the water doesn’t always treat them kindly in return.
While visiting her childhood holiday home, the main character Elle betrays her husband by sleeping with her best friend.
What follows is a deep dive into Elle’s life up until that point. Similar to Jenkins-Reid, Cowley Heller is excellent at portraying complex relationships.
Elle makes some questionable decisions, which makes The Paper Palace a good choice for book clubs.
A small warning: this book contains some very heavy themes. I won’t mention them here in case you want to avoid spoilers, but it’s worth looking into this a little more if you want to avoid books about difficult subjects.
This makes the book a little divisive, with some loving the brutal depictions of traumatic events, and others hating the lack of warning. Again, it’s another good discussion point for a book club.
Buy The Paper Palace: Amazon | Blackwells | Waterstones
Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin
Saint X is an excellent summer read. It begins on the tropical island of Saint X, where college student Alison disappears on a family vacation, and it begins with both incredibly vivid depictions of paradise and an underlying sense of unease that will hook you in almost immediately.
The rest of the story follows her little sister, Claire, now living in New York, as she desperately tries to uncover the truth of who her sister really was.
Claire stumbles upon a man, Clive, who was questioned after the disappearance of her sister, and this begins an obsession to find out what happened.
Schaitkin describes the reality behind the paradise of Saint X: the gorgeously maintained resorts, with the overflowing bins around the back.
The beautiful golden beaches, and the tractors scooping up the seaweed before guests wake up in the mornings. It’s these details that make the events in the book feel more believable.
Saint X is the kind of book you’ll devour in a day, just like Malibu Rising. The mystery underpinning the story makes it compulsively readable, but it has some interesting points to make about wealth, poverty, race, and more. Again, it’s a great choice for a book club!
Buy Saint X: Amazon | Blackwells | Waterstones
Perfect Tunes by Emily Gould
Set just after the turn of the new millennium, Perfect Tunes begins in New York, where hopeful musician Laura is trying to find her space in the music industry. Her story is waylaid slightly by a tumultuous relationship with another musician.
The two of them grapple with life in New York in the aftermath of 9/11, and the events of this relationship will echo through the years.
Later, Laura’s daughter Marie has some difficult questions that Laura is not prepared to answer. Marie’s quest to uncover her own heritage has echoes of the journey of the siblings in Malibu Rising.
It’s a journey of how far life can take you, and whether or not it is possible to completely disconnect from your past.
It has a lot of similar themes, too: about parenthood, sacrifice, and broken dreams. The characters are believable, and again, you’ll be rooting for them throughout, even if you disagree with some of their choices.
Perfect Tunes is touching, sweet, and memorable. It’s also a light read, perfect for your summer holiday.
Buy Perfect Tunes: Amazon | Blackwells | Waterstones
If you’re looking for books similar to Malibu Rising, hopefully, these books will help to fill the gap! They’re all suited for a summer holiday, so you can squeeze them into your suitcase and enjoy a break from reality.
If you liked this post, why not check out these:
Malibu Rising Book Club Questions
Books Like Daisy Jones and the Six
Daisy Jones and the Six Book Club Questions
Books Like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo Book Club Questions
Megan Bidmead
Guest writer
Megan is a freelance writer based in Somerset, England. When she’s not writing about books, videogames, and pop culture, she’s running around after her two kids and trying to squeeze in the occasional walk in the countryside.
[This post was updated in 2024 to add even more books!]
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