This book was just okay, nothing special. I kept waiting for it to get better, but it never really did. The writing felt sloppy in places, like the author rushed through certain parts without polishing them up. I couldn’t really connect with any of the characters - they all seemed pretty one-dimensional and predictable. The plot was fine I guess, but I saw most of the twists coming from a mile away. Some chapters dragged on forever while others felt way too short. It’s frustrating because you can tell there was a decent story buried in there somewhere. With better editing and more time spent developing the characters, this could’ve been really good instead of just meh.

I was really enjoying this book until I wasn’t. Parker deserves the world and Elle she deserves to go to hell. She was so hateful to him and I didn’t like that! I’m just so sad what a turn this book took.

Elle swore she would never return to the city that broke her heart. She finds herself in an apartment in NYC, she could never afford to write her screenplay that is set in NYC, and she's only there to gain some insight. She comes to find out that her neighbor is billionaire bachelor, Patrick Warren, whom she hooked up with in a stairwell two years prior. They are polar opposites, and she can't stand him, but Parker will stop at nothing in trying to impress her in the hopes she will stay in NYC a bit longer after the summer ends. He will help her with her screenplay by taking her to all these landmarks as long as she pretends to be his girlfriend all summer. Summer always comes to an end, and so will this pretend agreement, until it doesn't.

I don't know what I was expecting out of this book, but this wasn't it. Elle isn't the most perfect FMC. She has her flaws, but they made the book feel even more real. She is cynical and will protect herself and her heart from getting hurt. She is a bad ass though since she is very independent and will stop at nothing to get to where she is in life. Parker is absolutely ridiculous, but what billionaire isn't? He also carries a lot on his back. He is charming, loving, but is hiding a lot behind his money. He will eventually realize that money isn't everything and will not get you everything you want in life. I loved seeing their relationship develop on screen. It wasn't insta-love, but it wasn't a slow burn. The book wasn't long, and it made the pacing perfect.

I may be biased since I live in this wonderful city. I rated this book based purely on vibes. Was it perfect? Absolutely not, but there is something about a summer romance in NYC that had me absolutely hooked from the very first page. I actually took pictures of some new places to go to and try while I was reading this book.

Overall, this book is charming and just a lot of fun to read. It's a perfect summer romance, and I highly recommend it!

I liked this one but didn't love it. I felt like there was too much with Parker and Elle getting along and then a wrinkle appears. I think I would've enjoyed it more if it just took a little longer to get together and didn't have as much stuff trying to create tension.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was the perfect, fun summer book. I enjoyed it a lot!

Alex killed it with this romcom. To be honest, from watching her tiktoks i totally saw alex in the FMC

Alex Aster delivers a fun, fast-paced enemies-to-lovers story with just the right amount of emotional depth. I adored Elle as the slightly chaotic, ambitious screenwriter trying to navigate heartbreak, family drama, and her looming deadline. Parker, the broody tech billionaire next door, completely exceeded my expectations.

The fake-dating trope was done so well, and I loved the gradual unraveling of both characters as they let their walls down. The NYC setting added such a vibrant backdrop, it reminded me a lot of when I lived there. It was nice to see how accurate the representation was done.

I knocked off one star only because some of the pacing in the middle felt a little stretched, and I would’ve loved even more insight into Parker’s backstory. But overall, this is a fun, flirty, and heartfelt romance that left me smiling. Definitely recommend for fans of steamy rom-coms with a side of real emotion.

Cute read! So glad I got this one. If you love big cities and 90s rom com you’ll love this story. I’m so glad I was sent this and had such a blast with it

I'd like to thank Netgalley and William Morrow for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a fun, touching book. Perfect for a summer romance read. I loved the characters and especially Parker, who's love for Elle pulled at the heart strings. Loved this one!

This was a really cute book! I loved the characters and the setting, and was really vibing with it until the end. I thought there was too much crammed into the last handful of chapters and the third act breakup was so unnecessary in my opinion. Overall enjoyed and excited to read more from this author!

Have you ever read a book that is so pretty, gives you the biggest heart eyes on the shelf, but then is a bit lackluster on the inside? Well, that's exactly how I felt with Summer in the City. It had all the makings of being *the* book of the summer (as the title states) but it didn't quite reach its potential in a way that helps it stand out. It was all just alright and none of it was outstanding.

Thank you Netgalley and WM for an ArC of this new beach read, " Summer in the City". This was one of my most anticipated reads since I loved the cover and love NYC. However, from the first page, the lead character bugged me. She is at a nightclub when a hot billionaire tries to woo her, and from that point forward, she makes it her goal to avoid NYC forever until her sister asks her for a massive favor. She ends up going back to the city, just to find out that her new neighbor is said hot billionaire. This one was way too predictable, and I'm sorry, what single girl would not want to be wooed by a hot, single billionaire?!

This is definitely your class romance read. Did I find it enjoyable? Yes. Is it my favorite summer time type romance ever? No. The beginning started off strong, the characters were great, the writing was good, and the plot was moving, but I found the ending to be just lacking and ugh. Again, a decent summer read but not my favorite one ever.

Actually... 2.75 rating
This book is a fun, chaotic rom-com with serious movie potential. Elle’s stupid pride and emotional walls made her wildly frustrating—but also real. Parker, though sweet and generous, sometimes felt a bit too perfect to be true. At times he also made me mad. Their dynamic was equal parts infuriating and addictive, like watching a slow-burn trainwreck. Despite the character flaws, the story’s heart and humor made it worth the ride. I think this is the type of book that would make a good rom-com movie.

A cute and quick summer read that I really enjoyed! Sometimes you need a good dose of enemies-to-lovers, and Alex Aster’s Summer in the City is the perfect medicine for that.

The book follows Elle, who is a successful but anonymous screenwriter who has escaped to New York City for the summer to finish a manuscript while dealing with writers block. Luckily for her, her biggest muse (and biggest pain in the butt…), Parker, is living next door.

This one was juuuuustttt about perfect for me, minus the fact that there’s the dreaded miscommunication trope. Womp womp. But I put it aside and let the sweet rom-com vibes take me away. Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the eARC!

Summer in the city was such a good book to read. I enjoyed this read and so happy to come across this book. So thankful to read this book.

Short synopsis: Elle is given the opportunity of a lifetime to write a big budget screen play set in NYC, when she runs into Parker the billionaire she made out with in the stairwell 2 years prior.

My thoughts: First off, I loved the setting! I’ve been dying to visit NYc and this book basically had me doing that. Touring the sights, eating my way through the different pizza options, and of course stopping at a MLB game. I love the adventure and atmosphere in these pages.

Elle was hard to like during some of it with her irrational decisions, but I did like that she was a hard working successful woman all on her own fulfilling her dreams! She didn’t need some uber-rich tech billionaire to buy her fancy things. But he did have some great (albeit excessive) grand gestures. My favorite interactions were when they did the normal stuff like visit Home Depot at midnight to pick out paint colors.

Overall a cute summer-time romance!

Read if you love:
* Second chance romance
* Celebrity romance
* Grand gestures
* NYC sights
* Fake dating
* Neighbors to lovers

Parker was a 10/10 book boyfriend but I had a love/hate relationship with the FMC. I liked the tropes, but there were certain parts of the story that felt rushed or disjointed. Overall this book was a quick and easy read. I finished it in an afternoon.

3.5/5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this eARC

I really enjoyed this one! Aster is so talented to be able to right in multiple genres and be amazing in every one! The story was so cute and I loved the characters so much! I had to buy it too and add this beautiful masterpiece to my collection

Loved this! It has everything you want in a summer reading book - billionaires, fake dating, second chances and chemistry. It was a super fast read and am sorry I finished it took quickly. Recommend for sure!