Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

HerKentucky Whiskey Glass Rating: 🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃

Malibu Rising is THE must-read novel of Summer 2021. I think that’s clear by now. We’ve seen Taylor Jenkins Reid’s latest Los Angeles story of celebrity and heartbreak on the New York Times bestseller list, Jenna Bush Hager’s Today Show Book Club, and every summer-themed #bookstagram post the Internet has to offer. This one certainly lives up to all the buzz.

Malibu Rising is the story of the Riva siblings, four beautiful California kids who’ve grown up in the shadow of their absent father, superstar singer Mick Riva. The novel centers around family heartbreak and secrets, all of which come to light on the night of the Rivas’ annual Malibu party. Over the course of the evening, Riva family secrets come to life amidst the backdrop of celebrities, wannabes, and the spark that lights a Malibu wildfire.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is a fantastic storyteller, and she weaves an absolutely fascinating world of interconnected characters (Mick Riva is one of the titular Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and one of the rock stars who partied with Daisy Jones and the Six). If you love Eighties memorabilia, Hollywood gossip, or a great beach read about family dynamics. This one gets five whiskey glasses from me; it’s a fast, fun read!

If you’re interested in Taylor Jenkins Reid’s celebrity novels, read in this order:

• The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

• Daisy Jones & The Six

• Malibu Rising

Shop for Malibu Rising on Bookshop.org

This review contains affiliate links; I will receive a small commission for purchases made through the links in this post. This commission does not impact the purchase price of the item.

That Summer by Jennifer Weiner

HerKentucky Whiskey Glass Rating: 🥃🥃🥃🥃

Publisher’s synopsis: Daisy Shoemaker can’t sleep. With a thriving cooking business, full schedule of volunteer work, and a beautiful home in the Philadelphia suburbs, she should be content. But her teenage daughter can be a handful, her husband can be distant, her work can feel trivial, and she has lots of acquaintances, but no real friends. Still, Daisy knows she’s got it good. So why is she up all night?

While Daisy tries to identify the root of her dissatisfaction, she’s also receiving misdirected emails meant for a woman named Diana Starling, whose email address is just one punctuation mark away from her own. While Daisy’s driving carpools, Diana is chairing meetings. While Daisy’s making dinner, Diana’s making plans to reorganize corporations. Diana’s glamorous, sophisticated, single-lady life is miles away from Daisy’s simpler existence. When an apology leads to an invitation, the two women meet and become friends. But, as they get closer, we learn that their connection was not completely accidental. Who IS this other woman, and what does she want with Daisy?

From the manicured Main Line of Philadelphia to the wild landscape of the Outer Cape, written with Jennifer Weiner’s signature wit and sharp observations, That Summer is a story about surviving our pasts, confronting our futures, and the sustaining bonds of friendship.

HerKentucky review: (Content warning: This book includes themes of rape, assault, and trauma and could trigger some readers.)

I honestly can’t remember a time in my adult reading life that I didn't love Jennifer Weiner’s novels. I read her debut novel, Good in Bed, nearly twenty years ago and was immediately hooked on her compelling writing style. Ms. Weiner writes smart, witty female protagonists better than anyone. (Fun Fact: Ms. Weiner briefly wrote a pop culture column for the Lexington Herald-Leader!) Of course, I picked up her latest novel, That Summer, on its publication date, knowing little more than that it took place in part on Cape Cod, with a callback to last year’s fun, fast-paced Big Summer. It’s a Jennifer Weiner beach novel, I thought, it’ll be fun and lightweight. Instead, I found myself devouring a story that’s part Lifetime movie, part Promising Young Woman, and part Christine Blasey Ford’s Congressional testimony.

That Summer is a smart, well-written story — one I couldn’t put down — but it’s far from a lightweight beach book. Ms. Weiner intertwines the stories of two women named Diana — one a corporate consultant, the other an anxiety-ridden housewife on Philadelphia’s Main Line — who forge a friendship seemingly based on their very similar email addresses and the misdirected messages that each woman receives. The ensuing story is a complex #METOO era tale of sexual assault, culpability, privilege, and the aftermath of trauma. Ms. Weiner explores ethical implications and psychological impact with skill and clarity, while making (most of) her characters imminently likable and relatable. The work manages to be funny and sweet at times, while presenting a complex story of revenge. It isn’t quite the breezy beach thriller I’d expected; in fact, it’s far better.

As a longtime fan of Ms. Weiner’s work, I find that one of her greatest storytelling strengths lies in the quirky details with which she imbues her characters. That Summer delivers odd, likable characters in droves — a prairie-core teenager who skips class at her swanky private school to make and sell crafts on Etsy, a banker-turned-Cape-Cod-restaurant-owner, and a teacher with an almost compulsive need to save all the children. These so-odd-they-have-to-be-real characters add a goodnatured twist to a story that ventures at times into dark territory.

That Summer is a must-read for my fellow Jennifer Weiner fans and for anyone who enjoys plot twists, quirky characters, or smartly-written depictions of tricky relationships.

Purchase That Summer on Amazon or Bookshop.org.

This review contains affiliate links; I will receive a small commission for purchases made through the links in this post. This commission does not impact the purchase price of the item.

Just a Few Miles South by Ouita Michel

HerKentucky Whiskey Glass Rating: 🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃

Publisher’s synopsis: For twenty years, diners in the Bluegrass have been able to satisfy their cravings for Ouita Michel's sustainable, farm-to-table cuisine at her many acclaimed restaurants. Each restaurant—from Wallace Station to Holly Hill Inn—features dishes that combine Kentucky's bounty with Michel's celebrated vision. Diners can enjoy traditional southern staples like buttermilk biscuits, country ham, and Po-Boy sandwiches, or opt for unique variations on international favorites and American classics. Now, readers around the country can experience what makes Ouita Michel a culinary and cultural treasure.

Just a Few Miles South serves up the recipes that patrons of Michel's restaurants have come to know and love, including the Bluegrass Benedict breakfast sandwich, Ouita's Sardou Panini, Wallace Station's Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Soup, and Honeywood's Hoecake Burger. Some dishes offer creative twists on classics, like the Inside Out Hot Brown, the Wallace Cubano, or the Bourbon Banh Mi. Throughout, the chefs responsible for these delicious creations share the rich traditions and stories behind the recipes. When you can't get down to your favorite place, this book will help you bring home the aroma, the flavors, and the love of fresh foods made with locally sourced ingredients—and share it all with friends and family.

HerKentucky review: A few years ago, I attended a media event preceding the opening of Chef Ouita Michel’s Honeywood restaurant in Lexington. I’d met Chef Ouita a few times prior to that event, and had interviewed her fairly recently. We stood around talking for a few minutes as the camera crews and various blogger and media folks set up. Then, Ouita noticed my hands. “Those are kitchen burns,” she said worriedly. “I would recognize them anywhere.” Here was a multiple James Beard Award nominee and owner of 7 Central Kentucky restaurants, less concerned about the news cameras in her new restaurant than in asking about my kitchen mishap. I laughingly told the story of an ill-fated lasagna I’d battled with years earlier in Nashville. I also went from considering myself quite fond of Ouita’s restaurants to being a Ouita Michel fan for life. Ouita, as any Kentucky grandmother would say, is good people.

If you ever have the pleasure of meeting Chef Ouita Michel, whom most of us consider The Queen of Kentucky Food, you’ll find her to be one of the kindest, funniest and loveliest people ever. Her food is insanely good and she doesn’t shy away from a stiff bourbon pour. But, most importantly, she loves Kentucky — our food, our land, and our people. In the twenty years since Ouita and her husband, Chris, opened their first restaurant, Midway’s Holly Hill Inn, their restaurants have become synonymous with local, seasonal Kentucky food. She was one of the key people who helped attract Bravo’s “Top Chef” competition to film a season in Kentucky. She works tirelessly to promote fellow chefs and to improve the community around her. She uses her knowledge and talents to promote the study of Appalachian culture and foodways — she even made dumplin’s at a fancy NYC James Beard House dinner!

Chef Ouita’s first cookbook, Just a Few Miles South: Timeless Recipes from Our Favorite Places, recently released by University of Kentucky Press, reflects the Southern-style comfort food served in her restaurants. The po’ boy sandwiches from Windy Corner Market are included, as are the hoecake burgers from Honeywood and the bourbon cheese dip and Weisenberger Mills cheese grits from Holly Hill Inn. If you’ve enjoyed a dish at one of Ouita’s restaurants, odds are that they’re included in her cookbook!

Just a Few Miles South demonstrates Chef Ouita and her staff’s commitment to fresh Kentucky food and authentic local recipes. It’s a great gift for anyone who enjoys Southern and Appalachian cuisine, an expatriated Kentuckian, or anyone who, like me, always looks forward to dining at one of Ouita’s restaurants. It would make a fabulous Mother’s Day, graduation, or wedding gift when bundled with a bottle of Woodford Reserve (Ouita is also chef-in-residence at Woodford Reserve Distillery!) Trust me, it’s a gift any Kentuckian would love!

Purchase Just a Few Miles South on Amazon or Bookshop.org.

I was given an advance review copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions are my own. This review contains affiliate links; I will receive a small commission for purchases made through the links in this post. This commission does not impact the purchase price of the item.