Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!

When I tell you I DEVOURED this book, I mean I stayed up all night to finish it! It feels like the perfect blend of happiness, struggle, character growth, comedy, etc.

I read this right after reading sky shade, and while I enjoyed her storytelling in sky shade, this book really felt so different, in the best way possible. I hope she will continue writing books in this genre.

This book follows Elle, a screenwriter with a past that impacts her ability to trust or depend on other people in her life. She has a bumpy first encounter with her love interest and it makes for such great banter throughout the book.

If you like romcoms, I can’t recommend this enough! It does have spice, but it’s easy enough to skip if you’re not into that! It doesn’t feel overly done, or that the book is dependent on it.

Summer in the City felt like stepping into a whirlwind of emotions, growth, and city magic. From the very first chapter, I was drawn to the protagonist's journey—it’s one of those stories where you can’t help but see parts of yourself in their struggles and triumphs. What I loved most was how authentic it felt. The highs and lows of chasing dreams, navigating friendships, and figuring out who you are hit close to home. The city setting wasn’t just a backdrop but almost like a character in itself, perfectly capturing the vibrant chaos and beauty of urban living. I really enjoyed this one

Received this as an E-arc. I gotta say I was pleasantly surprised. I would give this around a 3.25-3.5. A fun little rom com perfect for the summer season.

I honestly would like to see more of this genre from Alex cause I think this might be her niche with her own bubbly personality.

Parker absolutely made this book. He was just so much fun. Elle on the other hand drove me nuts a little bit but it wasn't a deal breaker.

Alex's writing style in this book is a lot of fun and relatable. It just felt like a person talking to me rather than me reading a book. Her analogies and other descriptions were spot on. For example she described riding in a uber/taxi and it smelling like a sweaty sandwich...I felt that haha.

Thank you to netgalley and publisher for this arc!

First time reading this author and I was really impressed. I felt like I was in NYC. Loved the story and hero so much.

3.5 ⭐️

I was really hopeful for this book because I have been wanting to give Alex Aster a try. I think the story had a lot of potential to be captivating but the overall story felt generic and similar to other romances I’ve read. I feel like nothing really happened in this book and there definitely could’ve been better plot points and character development between Parker and Elle.

This one wasn’t for me but I’m sure other will love it!

2.75 rounding up

"Life is complicated. Love isn't."

Ok so. The vibe? Immaculate. Parker is a golden retriever bf who happens to be rich as hell. Our FMC Elle is a woman who works hard, but lives in fear of being belittled so her work is anonymous. Oh and she also refuses to date anyone with money bc she doesn't want to be assumed as a nepo baby (essentially).

Elle annoyed me to near death. It seemed she would come to these big revelations then repeat the same previous behaviors. As a result she came across as a self-important, holier-than-thou type she accused Parker of being. Yes she has trauma, but the person it led to her becoming seemed unrealistic to me. That being said, she's snarky and a writer so I relate to her in that way.

My major problem here is the wonky structure. Especially considering a them of this book is the idea that screenplays follow a clear, three act structure. This book felt like an echocardiogram of someone with an arythmea. There were multiple "conflicts" designed to be climaxes but they weren't impactful enough to mean much or alter the storyline, and the resolutions were always incomplete. IMO this book could have ended cleanly at 85%. Instead we time jump two years (really 18 months according to the chapter heading but the characters keep saying 2 years) and the characters haven't really changed that much. Elle still is mad that Parker doesn't understand her but we find he has made a significant effort to grow and change when the only changing Elle has done is that she is no longer anonymous.

Obviously, I have some major problems with this book. But that being said I did still binge it and order a physical copy because I did enjoy the overall vibe and the setting which I appreciated took us to some less stereotypical NYC places.

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

Summer in the City by Alex Aster is about Elle, an anonymous screenwriter, who goes to house sit for her sister, and realizes the man she almost spent a night with and now hates, tech CEO and billionaire Parker, is her next door neighbor. But the two begin to fake date because he needs help with his PR and image.

The best part about this book was its descriptions of NYC. This book felt like a love letter to New York, and went into incredible detail about the city. It truly felt like as the reader, you were where the characters were at every moment.

This book fell for me in the characters a bit. I really enjoyed Parker’s character, but struggled to like Elle. I understand WHY Elle made all of the decisions she did, but that didn’t mean that I agreed with them or didn’t find them childish, and I struggled with her behavior throughout the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for this e-arc!

Alright this was literally perfection. Alex Aster can you please always write contemporary romance because you have the absolute skill and I will read literally anything you write. I was very happily surprised by this because I haven't read any of her books and this was just exceptionally. What I thought would be a cheesy typical billionaire romance was anything but. You get a snarky grudge holding comfy clothes wearing FMC and a kind, understanding and trying to make all of Elle's dreams come true MMC and it is perfect. Loved the opening and loved the time jump. Loved the pace of the book, their friendship built slowly overtime and not getting any real relationship until the last 50 pages usually would irritate me, but this was built just beautifully. I wish I could lose my memory and read this again and again. Definitely a one sitting read!

I really liked this book! This was such a fun romance and the enemies to lovers trope was very well executed.

Loved this book! The story was so cute and sucks the reader in. It’s such a great book for the summer. The characters are relatable and likeable, it’s easy to be sucked into the story because you’re invested in the characters.

As a story about a screenwriter, I think this ironically would be best as a movie. The bones are good. I like the fun romcom aspect. There’s some good scenes & some good lines. But I just didn’t love it.

But I really struggle with Alex Aster’s writing. It’s so full of similes and metaphors, it’s repetitive, there’s so many times when I’m questioning what the heck I even read. I had the same issues with her Lightlark series - but this was actually better than Lightlark. Maybe because she didn’t have to worldbuild? It absolutely did not feel original - this felt so much like Twisted Love, for example.

Overall, not bad. It had some cute moments. But it wasn’t unique enough as a romance for me to love it.

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of Summer in the City!

As a lover of all things NYC, I really enjoyed how the city came alive in this book—it felt like a character of its own, adding an extra layer of charm to Elle’s journey. I also loved Elle’s career as a screenwriter, which was an engaging aspect of the story and provided an interesting glimpse into the industry.

That being said, while the premise had a lot of potential, certain aspects didn’t fully land for me. The romance between the FMC and MMC felt more rooted in lust than a deeper emotional connection, which made it difficult to fully invest in their relationship. Additionally, the friendships lacked depth, and the major conflict—while clearly aiming for an impactful, bittersweet moment—felt both over the top and underwhelming. It seemed to be channeling La La Land’s ending but didn’t quite hit the emotional mark.

Overall, this was a quick and enjoyable read with fun, escapist elements, but I think there’s room for improvement in terms of character development and emotional depth. This was my first book by Alex Aster, and while this one didn’t fully resonate with me, I’d love to check out her fantasy novels in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing the ARC.

So, I wanted to like this book, but it fell short for me in a variety of ways. First, the main characters never felt fully fleshed out for me. Even though I was inside Elle's head, I never got to know her as a character in this story. And her reticence towards Parker never allowed me to fully understand him either. Parker was incredibly stoic and jaded and while he does have brief shining moments, most of the time he's not very interesting. And that may be because he never felt complete to me.

Second, the plot was somehow both quick and dragged on for ages. There were times when Aster dived deep into situations that didn't realize warrant having a microscope on in favor of times where it made sense to spend a bit more time and flesh those moments out. As a result, the pace is very stilted, coming in fits and starts, and not at all cohesive like I wanted it to be.

Third, while I can understand Elle's reasons and hangups, the ultimate issue at hand between her and Parker was flimsy at best and it didn't seem like a good idea, to me, for it to lead where it led. Like the characters, I wish there had been more substance to it so that it would lend weight to the decisions that Elle makes.

Not a terrible book per se. I just wish that it had been stronger.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I loved this book so much! Summer in the City is the perfect romcom with the best mix of enemies to lovers and self-discovery, all set in New York City. The main characters were both so lovable, and I couldn't get enough of their banter and relationship. I also really appreciated how much this book focuses on personal growth, not just romance. It’s a sweet reminder to find yourself while figuring out love and life. It also had a great amount of unpredictability, with twists and unexpected turns! I was hooked from the first chapter. If you're looking for a fun, feel-good summer read, this one’s a must!

This was a super cute and fun summer rom-com! I am super impressed as it is the author's first book in this genre. The writing was so easy to follow along with and I love Alex's sense of humor.

This is billionaire romance story and I enjoyed the development before all the "lovey stuff", it was so well paced. Throughout reading this, I was giggling, swooning and yelling at the characters. There was so much tension and I loved Parker's character. He was a walking green flag and I adored him-- I feel like it was so refreshing to see him being so devoted and sweet. Like--- the scones? GAH. If he wanted to, he would.
I also, really really hope we get a second book about her best friend!

The only part that I wish was different in this book was the predictability and the third act break up act (I hate them) but overall this was such a cute, easy read and I highly recommend.

Thank you Alex Aster and William Morrow for the ARC!

I loved this book!! Elle and Parker were so sweet to see them go from enemies/ strong dislike to a relationship and how they got there. Elle is an anonymous screen writer and Parker is a CEO of a tech company. Elle and Parker make a deal that she would be his fake girlfriend to better his PR image and Parker would help her sight see in New York for her movie. Watching their care and love grow for each other was so kind. I loved this!!

I loved everything about this book! I think Elle is my new favorite FMC. She was so easy to relate to. This book made me feel so many things but it also made me realize that maybe Im not living life to the fullest. I will forever remember this book and how it opened up my eyes. I think it's time I start making memories like Elle did without worrying about what everyone else thinks.

Wow I had such a great time reading this! This book had be giggling, screaming, kicking my feet. I truly fell in love with the characters and Parker is my new favorite book boyfriend. The tension and the banter between Parker and Elle was chefs kiss.

This one was very cute! It was like a love letter to NYC and Rom Coms! I enjoyed the almost parallel storytelling (storytelling inception??) within this story as the Elle thought through the screenplay she was working on. It’s interesting to get to see into the mind of a writer! While we are seeing into the Elle’s mind as she is writing her screenplay, it feels kind of like we are getting a glimpse into Alex Aster’s mind as far as what she considers when writing a romance which was kind of fun! It was also fun to read about their adventures around the city and interesting to learn more about what NYC has to offer outside of typical touristy spots.

I found Elle to be super relatable in many ways! I found myself identifying with her a lot. I liked that Elle was successful and wealthy in her own right and didn’t need or want Parker’s money (stepping away from the poor girl, rich guy dynamic that is so common in billionaire romance). I can also appreciate that this book didn’t follow the common romance pattern of the guy solving all her problems with love. She definitely had some things to work through about her mom and her personal realtionship with wealth and I am glad she did so. It was also nice to see her step out of her comfort zone and develop a better work-life balance as the book went on. I thought both she and Parker had good character growth by the end!

Parker was a bit ridiculous and over the top (in an endearing way) in demonstrating his affection by spoiling her. He was super sweet in his earnest desire to just make her happy. He was so gone for her! 😍 I liked that he wasn’t your typical grumpy and controlling billionaire. He was actually such a golden retriever and did whatever he could to try to make Elle happy, even if some of his choices were a bit misguided. 😅 His character was definitely the highlight of the story for me! I really enjoyed their banter as well!

Beyond the romance, the book also explored how money can changes people, how men’s and women’s success can be treated differently, and how people have different values and priorities with regard to money, relationships, family, and their careers.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book! I know the author has a very successful YA fantasy series, but I thought this was a good debut effort for her first adult romance novel and I will be interested in reading future books of hers! 🫶

Thank you to Alex Aster, NetGalley, and William Morrow Books for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is my first book from Alex Aster and I’m hooked! I love enemies to lovers and this was done so well. I really liked that both main characters had flaws and their own issues, as it makes the story more relatable. I enjoyed the NY setting as well