Many thanks to HarperCollins Publishers for provided an advanced reader copy of Summer In The City by Alex Aster via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In *Summer in the City*, we follow Elle as she travels across the country to visit New York City, hoping to gain inspiration for her new screenplay. The kicker? She *loathes* New York. Full of awful memories and bad experiences (a stairwell incident with an obnoxious stranger), Elle quickly holes up in her apartment content on never leaving again, except to get coffee, of course.

But one night when a fire alarm forces Elle out of her comfort zone and into yet another New York City stairwell with, as luck would have it, the same obnoxious stranger, she enters into a fake dating scenario in exchange for help exploring the city for inspiration.

Signed up for one night of pure tortured, Elle does her best to push her loathing for said stranger, *Parker*, aside and get the job done. But wait. Does his button down shirt actually *really* do it for her? No! Of course not. She’s literally spent the last two years of her life hating him with a passion, let’s just keep focus here.

When one night of fake dating turns into a summer gig, Elle find herself wondering if Parker really is as bad as she’s thought him to be. Buying her millions of dollars worth of jewels because she smiled at them? Becoming owner of a coffee shop just so she could have her favorite table and pastry? Saving her from sleeping in the hallway while she’s locked out of her apartment after a night out and a little too much to drink? Is this all part of the “fake dating” scenario or is it becoming something more than either of them planned?

Sharing family secrets and bonding over past traumas, Elle’s one night of torture is about to turn into the summer she’ll never forget.

Providing the enemies to lovers, second chance romance, forced proximity, fake relationship, secret identity and found family tropes, Alex packs a lot into this contemporary romance. Plot twists and shockers from Elle’s past will leave you on the edge of your seat, while Parker’s thoughtful nature will have you swooning and pinning over this MMC.

*Summer in the City* is a must add to your summer TBR!

✨ARC REVIEW✨

I had zero expectations going into this but in the end, I thought this was really cute. Were there flaws and things I'd change? Yeah, but was it still a really wholesome, fun, and cute read? Definitely 💕

Elle is spending the summer in a place she hates - New York City. Why? To write the next blockbuster movie. Add her new neighbor to the mix, the rich tech guy she hooked up with 2 years ago who she actually kind of hates, wrap it up in a bow and bam! Summer in the City.

Fair warning. I'm going to say cute a lot because it was just that...cute. The plot was cute. The romance was cute. The characters were cute. The vibes were cute.

Elle had her quirks and she was definitely more the black cat kinda gal. Viewing things more pessimistically, she had a lot of figuring thing out to do. I liked her growth, I just wish it happened sooner. But realistically, what fun would it be if the characters are all perfect, right? With that said, I enjoyed her artsy side of how she wrote and I enjoyed her storyline. She was sarcastic and witty and I was here for it 👏🏼

Parker was a little bit of a "in his own world" billionaire. He means well and tries to do he right thing but he kind of goes about it the wrong way. He thinks money can solve all problems and that it's the answer to everything. But the girl he's starting to fall for feels the complete opposite. I commend him for trying so hard. I did really love his storyline. I do like that he showed growth BUT AGAIN, I wish it was sooner. He definitely had a "I will do anything for you" attitude and I kind of loved it 🤭

Overall, I found myself enjoying this and wanting to keep picking it up. I did feel like there was a lot of fluff that could have been thrown out BUT I'm not gonna harp on it. I felt like scenes felt longer because ever single thing they did was very detailed. When I thought the end of the book was coming, it definitely dragged on. But again, I still very much enjoyed it.

A tad cheesy and predictable but...CUTE 🥰

I'm rating this purely on vibes alone. I was vibing with it. If you're looking for something cute and quick and gives you all the NYC in the summer vibes, then definitely add this to your TBR!

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow & HarperCollins for the arc copy!

thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

the goods:
- I felt this was a quick read with quirky scenes that did make me laugh.
- I liked Elle and her development in the book. I do like how she was consistent in her beliefs overall and stood by them.
- I really felt like this was well done in terms of describing New York as a city, I really felt like I was in a lot of the scenes.
- the family dynamic subplot was extremely interesting and honestly I wish I saw a bit more of that.

The loss of a star:
- I just did not like Parker. I feel like he literally had no growth in the entire book, which doesn't bode well for a romance book.

Overall, if you're looking for a quick rom-com read, this is it, but I don't think this is a book where there is a lot of the depth in the relationship. So if you're looking for a deep relationship book, this isn't it.

With this being Alex Aster’s debut Romance novel, I was genuinely impressed!! I finished this in one sitting. The MMC had me swooning the entire time. It was giving nostalgic romcom vibes. My only complaint is that I wish it was longer!!

I absolutely loved everything about this book! It’s my first 5 star read of the year. This book is the perfect rom com. Summer in the City is my first Alex Aster book but I have fell in love with her writing style. This book needs to be on everyone’s summer TBR!

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this amazing book!

I absolutely devoured this book in 24 hours. A rom-com that gives you all of the feels and keeps you hooked. Perfect read for the summer.

At first I wasn’t sucked in and the FMC was giving very much “I’m not like other girls” and then somehow at some point I could not put the book down I was addicted. I was obsessed with Parker the second Elle got back to NY and saw him in the elevator. I stg he’s like the perfect book bf. I’m actually giggling over him!! I loved having a writer main character because it was really cool to see her mind work like when she was looking at a location and immediately started envisioning tropes and meet cutes and the entire plot. Elle pissed me off again towards the end but other than that I loved this book so much it was so fun and entertaining and one more time in case you missed it: I love Parker 😭🤣

“Summer in the City" by Alex Aster is a total game-changer. I absolutely devoured this book—it’s the perfect blend of heartfelt, fun, and just the right amount of tension. The characters are so easy to connect with, and the storyline is super engaging.

Everything about this story is too good! The storyline is so cute, Parker is absolutely perfect! Of course he needed some reminders and explanations on Elle’s needs, which to me was his only fault! But my goshhhh was he perfect!!

The love building between Elle and Parker was just too good. Their chemistry was unmatched especially when they went on their adventures around New York.

Honestly, if you're looking for a book that will take you on an emotional rollercoaster while keeping you hooked with tons of surprises, this is it!!

✨Thank you Netgalley and Alex Aster for the ARC! ✨

This was such a a fun summer rom com!

Fast paced digestible with great banter, it's absolutely a vibe that I would absolutely recommend

4.5 ⭐️ this was so much fun! a hot summer romance between a screenwriter in desperate need of inspiration and a hot billionaire in need of a date (plus some history that leads to hate — which we all knew was LOVE!)

parker warren is one of my new all time favorite MMCs which is insane but hell if that man did not steal my heart. this man was so in love with elle that he would have let her break his heart a million times over and still moved heaven and earth for her. he had such a pure heart and just wanted elle to shine and be happy. i love him so very much. also — the unexpected mouth on him! well yes! life take note, this man is the blueprint for my dream man.

elle leon was a baddie! i really respected her need for independence and holding her ground. she has a lot of strength and was a creative genius. also, i LOVE a girl who is obsessed with coffee + existing in sweatpants because that’s so me! my main quarrel with her was her reason for breaking things off with parker and obsession with money. i understand where she was coming from and her need to be able to support herself, but i feel like she so heavily misread what parker was doing and used her experience with her dad to dictate her future.

as such, i had a hard time with chapter 30. a third act breakup always gets me, but especially this one. they were SO happy and we all knew he was gonna buy the townhouse, and i hate that it had to be the reason she left him. ugh. and then the turnaround in two chapters was so fast and a little bit like whiplash. obviously they were endgame and i wanted them together, but i think the breakup could have been skipped and replaced with something else where they stayed together but kept living individually for self growth or something?

anyway, aside from that this book was great. the romance was wonderful. the tension was crazy and the chemistry was there from page one, but alex still wrote a REALLY good slow burn. experiencing new york with elle and parker was the best. i want to be friends with them (just not go on runs with them because no cardio ever!). the side characters were also great — all the friends in new york + penelope were icons. that’s a good quality girl squad! overall, parkelle forever!

🌞 A Fun, Flirty, and Sweet Summer Rom-Com 🌞

📖 It's a perfect blend of neighbors-to-lovers, fake dating, and billionaire romance 🤑.

🗽️ The author's love for NYC shines through, making the city feel like its own character 🌆. I adored the summertime adventures and the vibrant atmosphere 🌞.

👫 The characters are well-developed and relatable. Elle, the female lead, is strong, independent, and hilarious 😂. Parker, the male lead, is swoony and charming 🥰.

💕 The chemistry between the leads is amazing, and their relationship progression feels natural 🌈. The book is well-paced, making it hard to put down 📚.

👎 My only complaint is the direction the story takes in the final chapters 🤔. .

👍 Overall, I highly recommend this book for fans of summer rom-coms, NYC, and sweet, swoony romances 🌟.

📚 Rating: 4.5/5 stars ⭐️

👏 Alex Aster's romance debut is a must-read! 📚

Thank you Netgalley and Avon books for this eARC

As a New Yorker at heart, born and raised in South Jersey, I could NOT have loved this book any more!!!! What a beautiful tribute to the city of lights, the greatest city in the world, to the big apple. A wonderful written rom -com about a girl who HATES NYC but meets a guy (the GUY!) that needs her help. So the two start fake dating and his end of the deal is to show her all the different great parts of NYC. The pizza tour, the Highline, the Manhattan Top to Bottom tour (that I have had on my list of things to do for years and have a plan to do it this April...) I loved Parker as the male lead who falls first and falls hard. He is over the top and I am here for it. Thank you Alex Aster for writing such a loving and fun story set in the Concrete Jungle! I can not wait for others to read this summer loving book!

i really liked this one! really refreshing story. good plot. extremely likeable characters! i love this author's writing and this one was no different. would recommend.

I found this book adorable and really enjoyed the New York setting. While some of the drama felt unnecessary and Elle, the main character, came across as annoying and a bit immature at times, I still had fun reading it. It's a breezy, lighthearted summer read, and I'm looking forward to checking out the audiobook version!

Disclaimer: this is a three star read BUT because it took place in NYC, the concrete jungle of my 20s, I bumped it up a star. This book opened up at Marquee, one of the most frequented clubs of my party girl era. I was suckered in instantly, transported to the space, the music and the energy. I was there even though I haven't been in almost 10 years. This is probably what time travel feels like. Anyways, so now you know I am biased and this review is definitely going to be written as such. Okay enough of this reminiscing, let's get into it.

Summer In The City follows Elle, a work hard, play never screenwriter who is incredibly successful in her field but chooses to remain anonymous. People just aren't her thing and neither is the city. However, she is stuck there writing a script with a block and Parker, her annoying billionaire neighborhood who she hates because of a run in years ago that he doesn't remember. She needs inspiration and he needs a "girlfriend" for the summer to provide an image of stability for his companies acquisition. They strike a deal and the fun begins.

This was so bingeable, in fact that's exactly what I did. I binged so hard. Parker is head over heels in love with Elle. He's a bit over the top but it's all with pure intentions and heart. Elle, my girl, you are a pink starburst, act like it! She got there but it took the whole book. I did appreciate her overall growth and felt like Elle on page one vs Elle on page 'The End' were a worlds apart for all the right reasons. Simply put, Summer In The City is fun. It highlights the most iconic places in NYC, some of which I have the best memories of. If you've ever lived in NYC or even visited, this book is for you. If you want to visit, this book is also for you. It's essentially a top tier itinerary with a good time story to go long with it. Definitely what you should have in hand this summer at the beach :)

***Trigger Warning: Loss of a parent***

I thought this book was cute. I loved the New York setting of this book. I did feel like some of the drama was very unnecessary. I did feel like the main character Elle was super annoying and a bit childish at times. But I enjoyed this one. This is just a lighthearted summer read.

Thank you, Alex Aster, William Morrow, and NetGalley, for the ARC of this book. This comes out on March 25.

**Spoiler Alert: This review contains spoilers for *Summer in the City* by Alex Aster!**

If you're looking for a book that will make you laugh, cry, and want to book a flight to New York City immediately—*Summer in the City* by Alex Aster is *it*! This book was a five-star, heart-bursting, can't-put-it-down kind of read. The pacing? Absolutely perfect. Every chapter pulled me deeper into Elle and Parker's world, and I didn't want it to end.

First off, this book is not just a love story between Elle and Parker—it's a love letter to rom-coms *and* to New York City. And wow, did Alex Aster nail it in the best way. Elle and Parker hit up all the iconic spots: Central Park, a dreamy rooftop, even those tucked-away NYC corners that feel like a secret only you know. If you've ever fantasized about falling in love during a Manhattan summer, prepare to swoon.

And speaking of swooning—the spice? Chef's kiss! Perfectly placed, beautifully written, and so emotional. It's not just there for the sake of it; it adds real depth to their relationship and makes you feel *everything*.

One of the things I adored most was how this book didn't shy away from real, messy feelings. The story of grief was raw and beautiful, and the exploration of being an immigrant's child hit so hard. Elle's journey of balancing gratitude for her mother's sacrifices while still wanting to dream and live her own life was incredibly moving. When her mom said, *"None of the women before me ever got to do anything but work. But you're going to do more than that. You're going to dream. You're going to do it."* —I felt that in my soul.

And let's talk about character growth—Elle's transformation from someone confined to her little island to someone who opens herself up to love from friends, family, and Parker? Stunning. And the way Elle and Parker both have to confront their complicated relationships with money before they find their way back to each other? So real, so refreshing.

Plus, the writing? Gorgeous. I highlighted SO many lines, but two of my absolute favorites:

“It's interesting how love colors things I would normally hate into my absolute favorite shade.”

*And this one? Gut punch in the best way:*

“Life might be complicated, but love isn't. It's pretty straightforward. It's a lance through plans, and morals, and pride. It cuts right through everything. It doesn't care about the mess it makes. It hurts, and we let it.”

If you love a book that delivers humor, heart, and heat while giving you all the feels, *Summer in the City* is an absolute must-read.

Thank you Netgalley & William Morrow for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you Netgalley for an earc. All opinions in this review are my own.

This was a quick read for me that I quite liked. If this book ended 50 pages earlier, I think I would have enjoyed this book a lot more. This is my second Alex Aster book and I was not sure what to expect from it going in. It seems like a fun summer romance and that was exactly what we got which I loved. Elle is a screenwriter who hates NY and a billionaire Parker who leaves a bad impression on her. They just so happen to be neighbors while she is house sitting for her sister. I honestly really liked their dynamic as neighbors. I thought it was so fun. The forced proximity brought out fun banter.

As someone who has been to New York only once, I find the city extremely overwhelming. I really enjoyed how this story took pieces of the city that are famous and yet also inserted those peaceful moments. I love everything about the coffee shop, and the pizza places, and the places they went for the movie research. Up until the end, I honestly really enjoyed the plot of this book, it felt like a vacation.

I enjoy Elle’s character for the most part. I appreciate how she is assertive and I liked that we got to see her interact and grow beautiful female friendships. I am almost as big of a fan of friendships in romance books as I am the romance, so this was heartwarming to see. While I appreciated her wanting to work for everything, I honestly found her stance on money so exhausting and hypocritical sometimes. There was one scene (no spoilers) where she needed something, and when Parker offered what he could, she kind of berated him for it, and yet took up the offer anyways. It was things like holding his money over his head that bothered me, especially considering Parker’s character which I feel as though he proved many times.

As for Parker, he was just absolutely so sweet. I really loved how he did anything he could to make Elle smile. He genuinely felt like he cared so much about her interests and he truly tried to make himself a better person. He definitely was the saving grace of this book, although sometimes I felt as though he is too forgiving. I appreciate that Alex Aster did not take the direction of the grumpy billionaire. It was honestly really refreshing.

Without giving away too much, I just briefly want to tough on the ending and why I felt so frustrated by it. I honestly really enjoyed the pacing of this story, both plot wise and romance wise, yet the last 50 pages I feel like sped up that exponentially. I felt that the romance jumped a million steps and the plot went a direction that I did not care for. I feel like if this book ended 50 pages earlier It could have ended the same, but just better. The fact that these characters were never officially together, yet managed to have a second AND third act breakup really lost me.

Overall, I enjoyed most of this story but, the end was definitely a let down. If you are looking for a fun, fast paced, summery story, then this is definitely for you. It was fun to visit the city and Parker is a sweetheart.

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me to read this early on NetGalley. I really really really liked the storyline, the build up to a happily ever after. I liked all the places they went to, how it all ended up in the end. I loved the characters, all of them!!! Wonderful wonderful wonderful!!! I would read it a thousand times over. Amazing job!!!

3.5 ⭐️

so i was immediately hooked and loved the nyc setting because it felt like a 2000s movie playing out, however the last 25% irritated me. parker was so sweet and went out of his way numerous times to show elle he cares about her and she wasn’t the nicest about it. the third act breakup really got me annoyed too. it was refreshing having a billionaire romance where he was the sunshine though! overall, it was fun but there were some things i didn’t love and wish it was dual pov