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Malibu Summer

A book about love, grief, and television…

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New York Post

Rogue Valley Times

If you’re a fan of second-chance romances, try your hand at opposites-attract romance. It couldn’t be more engaging, especially when the dreamy scenery of Malibu is tossed into the mix. Here, Ivy Bauer is an ambitious soil scientist who’s also the entrepreneur of an organic irrigation system. When her husband is killed in a biking accident, she takes a summer job in Malibu as a gardener, allowing her time to grieve.

A novel that draws from two lives lived by Medford author Libby Gill — one in Southern California working in television, another in Southern Oregon learning about soil — recently landed her a book deal with a major publisher. "Malibu Summer," a work of contemporary women's fiction published May 21 by Penguin Books, is a story of grief, gardening, Hollywood and opposites attracting that was largely born in Southern Oregon. 

Woman's World

A heartbreaking yet hopeful story unfolds in Libby Gill’s debut novel. Meet Ivy Bauer, a scientist and inventor of a new organic irrigation system. But after her husband passes away, she takes a summer job as a gardener in Malibu in an attempt to heal. Her new boss is Hollywood has-been Conrad Reed, who lost his wife and lives with his stepson, Hudson. As Ivy bonds with his stepson, Conrad feels his heart mending.

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StarStyle Podcast

Looking for a fantastic summer read? Check out Libby Gill’s newest novel, Malibur Summer. Ivy Bauer is a young scientist who has invented a game-changing irrigation solution. When her husband dies unexpectedly, she takes a job as gardener on the Malibu estate of down-on-his-luck television producer Conrad Reed. When Ivy and Conrad meet, it's a clash made in heaven! Cynthia and Libby chat about her inspiration!

  1. ​You’ve published nonfiction books on leadership as a successful speaker and coach, but this is your debut romance novel. What drew you to make the jump to fiction and write MALIBU SUMMER?

  2. As readers may guess from the title, the city of Malibu is a character all its own. Why did you decide to set the story here?

  3. Like MALIBU SUMMER’s producer-writer-director Conrad Reed, you worked in television for fifteen years. What aspects of your experience informed Conrad’s world?

  4. Ivy Bauer’s professional life is radically different—she’s a soil scientist working at the forefront of a new sustainable product. Did you research the world of botany to depict Ivy’s work?

  5. Ivy and Conrad are both trying to making significant changes in their careers, which is similar to what you’ve gone through professionally. Did you draw on your own experiences in writing about their career shifts?

  6. One of the most poignant themes of the book is the moving, transformative, and often painful journey of grief that Ivy and Conrad follow. How did you approach writing about the loss of a loved one within a romance story?

  7. Conrad’s stepson, the plucky and curious Hudson, is a delightful addition to MALIBU SUMMER. How would you describe his role in the novel?

  8. What are some of your favorite fictional romances? Did any of them inspire aspects of Ivy and Conrad’s relationship?

  9. What do you hope readers take away from MALIBU SUMMER?

Interview Questions

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Author Bio

Libby Gill is a former television executive who headed communications at Sony, Universal and Turner Broadcasting. She is an award-winning author of six non-fiction books, including You Unstuck, Traveling Hopefully, Capture the Mindshare, The Hope-Driven Leader, and Leadership Reckoning (co-author). Libby's debut novel, Malibu Summer, was published by Penguin Random House in May 2024.

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Libby is an executive coach, leadership expert, and international speaker, and has delivered keynotes on four continents and in 39 US states. Her clients include ADP, Capital One, Disney, Ernst & Young, Honda, Intel, Kellogg's, Microsoft, United Healthcare, Warner Bros. and many more.

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She has been featured on the CBS Early Show, CNN, NPR, the Today Show and in Good Housekeeping, the New York Times, O magazine, Self, Time magazine, and the Wall Street Journal.

 After many years living in Los Angeles, Libby and her husband relocated to Oregon’s Rogue Valley, where she hikes, gardens and attempts to learn golf.

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