20190422_184611.jpgToday I have a review of Malibu Bluff by Janna King, publishing today via Pegasus Books! Thank you to Kathleen Carter

My Thoughts:

When I received this book for review, I did a quick read of The Seasonaires, which was released last year. I had read Malibu Bluff is a standalone, but reading The Seasonaires really set the stage for Malibu Bluff because I knew some of the characters and backstory, and truthfully, these stories are such guilty pleasures, I gobbled up every bit.

Disclaimer: I’m a recovering reality TV addict. It was bad, y’all. I’m from the reality TV generation starting with The Real World. I then moved on to Big Brother, Survivor, Laguna Beach, The Hills, and up to the Housewives. All.of.them. In the past year, I’ve been reading more, and TV and I have had a falling out, and slowly reality TV is losing its hold on me. That said, when I’m not feeling well and can’t read for whatever reason, there is nothing better for relieving stress than some reality TV drama. 

All of that to say, Malibu Bluff is indulgent and highly reminiscent of my favorite reality TV shows, especially Laguna Beach and The Hills. 

The premise is this: each summer six twenty-somethings are selected by Lyndon Wyld, the founder of her clothing line, to be brand ambassadors and influencers. This year, Mia, from last season, is chose to take the brand to the west coast and lead the pack. 

Mia’s mother passed away, and she has to be persuaded to join up again. She also thinks a change of scenery will be good for her. 

Mia will be living in a beautiful mansion with the other ambassadors, and each of them has quite the larger-than-life personality. 

Malibu made for such a fun setting! It took me right back to my shows I’ve loved. As with The Seasonaires, there’s some darkness and intrigue, which adds to the drama. 

Overall, Malibu Bluff is all about the sheer entertainment. The people are pretty, even when their actions aren’t. I couldn’t relate much to the characters, though I did find Mia sympathetic at times through the loss of her mom. But all that doesn’t matter because I don’t think the characters are meant to be relatable. They are just here for your amusement, and Malibu Beach was as fun as an amusement park. 

I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own. 

Synopsis:

Every summer is designed as a dream for six twenty-something seasonaires chosen by Lyndon Wyld, the founder of her namesake clothing line. This year takes the new brand ambassadors to the West Coast, led by last season’s Mia, who has been roped back in after her mother’s death by a sweeter deal and the hope to leave her grief behind for the California sun.

Mia is thankful that she won’t have to live with another former seasonaire, Presley, who is now handling Lyndon Wyld’s public relations in Los Angeles after making a meal out of the previous summer’s tragedy. In Malibu, Mia will share a stunning modern manse with Eve, an outspoken activist; Alex, a gorgeous boundary pusher; Chase, a warm-hearted surfer; Oliver, a preppy charmer; and Brandon, the son of Lyndon’s business partner, and the young producer of the brand’s new digital channel, which will up the seasonaires’ social media game.

Malibu is the perfect playground for their antics, which serve as juicy entertainment for their growing fanbase. But detractors from Mia’s past come back to haunt her, and when the line between what’s real and what’s staged gets blurred, the results could be deadly.

Have you read Malibu Bluff (and/or The Seasonaires), or is it on your TBR? Happy Reading! ~ Jennifer THR