I was thrilled to receive an ARC of Summer in the City from NetGalley, and I couldn’t wait to see how Alex Aster would bring her vibrant storytelling to the romance genre. The novel follows Elle, a determined screenplay writer who reluctantly returns to New York—scarred by a humiliating memory tied to Parker Warren, the suave billionaire who once accused her of being a gold digger. With an offer of a “fake girlfriend” arrangement to give him a break from the social scene, Parker promises to help spark Elle’s creativity for her next script in return. Inevitably, this forced proximity and shared goal re-ignite old wounds, and watching Elle’s protective walls slowly crumble was both heart-wrenching and utterly compelling.

Despite Parker’s seemingly arrogant façade, he’s much more than a handsome face and a hefty bank account. The novel peels back the layers of his public persona, revealing a man hurt by false friendships and craving genuine connection. As Elle and Parker find themselves scouting filming locations and hashing out story ideas, their guarded banter blossoms into a bond neither can ignore. The chemistry crackles with tension built upon unresolved history and an unspoken understanding of one another’s vulnerabilities.

Overall, I’m giving Summer in the City a 4 out of 5 stars. Alex Aster transports readers right into the heart of bustling New York, capturing the city’s pulse and making the setting feel like a character in its own right. The romance is light yet emotionally charged, with a mix of humor and depth that kept me turning the pages. If you’re in the mood for a breezy read filled with witty banter, slow-burn tension, and vibrant city life, this is the perfect addition to your TBR list.

If you love a rom-com packed with tension, humor, and a dash of fate, this one’s for you! Parker, a carefree billionaire, and Elle, a frustrated screenwriter, are thrown together in the most inconvenient way—thanks to a not-so-coincidental neighborly setup. The catch? Elle despises Parker, and he doesn’t even remember her! The banter is top-tier, the chemistry is undeniable, and the slow-burn frustration is oh-so-satisfying. With laugh-out-loud moments and heart-tugging emotions, this book is a delightful mix of second chances and unexpected sparks. A fun, binge-worthy read! 💕📖✨ This is def for those who are the mood readers that need a breather from an intense fantasy read!

Much love to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for the complementary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this book because I loved Alex Aster’s fantasy series, Lightlark. However, if you’re looking to read this book for that particular reason, don’t do it.

This book felt like it was written entirely by someone else. The style was different, the writing felt stiff, the MMC felt like he had no actual purpose other than to support the FMC. His personality didn’t really exist other than the fact that he’s rich.

I struggled through this book, if I’m being honest. And then the third act break up? The rushing back together last minute? I would’ve thrown my kindle if I wasn’t worried about breaking it…

I knew going into this that I wasn’t a huge fan of contemporary romance or billionaire romance. But I thought that since Alex Aster wrote it, and I really enjoyed her writing style and flare of her other books, that I’d be able to enjoy it…. I was incorrect.

However, someone who likes those things may very well like the book. I’ve seen many positive reviews, many people think it’s a light, airy romance novel. So if you think you may be interested because of the actual storyline and not because you like the author’s previous work, then maybe it’s for you!

The ending of this book ruined the entire thing for me. Theres basically 2 third act break ups. THE FINAL CHAPTER IS 18 MONTHS LATER!! The fmc was insufferable. She said the break up was needed because they had to work on themselves neither of them did work on themselves. The.n they were rushed back together in one chapter. This had so much potential but was awful. It felt so forced. Ive never been so mad at the end of a “romcom” book. And no epilogue !!!

I was absolutely thrilled to receive an ARC of Summer in the City from NetGalley! Ever since the Lightlark series swept me off my feet, Alex Aster has been an auto-buy author for me. Now that she’s dipping her toes into the YA genre for the first time, I couldn’t wait to see how she would shake things up. The anticipation had me on the edge of my seat, and I was beyond excited to dive into this fresh new chapter of her writing journey!

Elle, a screenplay writer, reluctantly moves back to New York—a city that holds nothing but bad memories for her. She's in a creative slump, struggling to come up with a new script idea. But the real thorn in her side? A humiliating incident from two years ago, when a guy she had fallen for turned around and accused her of being a gold digger. As fate would have it—because the universe has a twisted sense of humor—Elle unexpectedly crosses paths with him again. This time, not only is he still in New York, but he also happens to be her new neighbor, living on the same floor of her apartment building. His name? Parker Warren.
Ever since she was a child, Elle’s mother had instilled in her the importance of being an independent woman—someone who could stand on her own two feet without relying on anyone else. So when Parker humiliated her with his cruel accusation, she threw herself into her work with even more determination, determined to prove him wrong. Now, every time their paths cross in New York, she either avoids him like the plague or meets him with sharp words and an icy glare. But as fate keeps pushing them together—through scouting locations and shared activities—Elle slowly begins to let her guard down. Bit by bit, Parker chips away at the walls she’s built, making her question whether he’s really the villain she’s made him out to be.

Parker Warren—the billionaire bachelor with an air of arrogance. He’s the kind of man who always seems to have the upper hand, exuding confidence that borders on condescension. One day, he makes Elle an offer she can’t ignore: pretend to be his fake girlfriend for the summer to give him a break from the social scene. In return, he’ll accompany her to every location she needs for inspiration, brainstorm ideas with her, and even help act out scenes she’s struggling with. But the more I read, the more I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. Behind the flashy magazine covers and the effortless charm lies a man trapped in a life that isn’t as perfect as it seems. Beneath the wealth and status, he’s someone who’s been used and taken advantage of by so-called friends who only see him for his name and fortune.

I’ve never been to New York, but while reading Summer in the City by Alex Aster, I felt like I was right there, walking the bustling streets alongside the characters. The way Aster paints the city with such vivid, detailed descriptions made it come alive, and now I can’t help but wish I could visit all the places Elle and Parker explored. Their romance completely melted my heart—their witty banter, the slow-burn tension, and the weight of their past encounter made their connection feel so real. The humor woven into their conversations had me grinning, giggling and their history added just the right touch of depth.

Overall, I highly recommend this book! If you’re looking for something light yet captivating, with that unmistakable New York charm, this is definitely one to add to your list.

No, just no.

A shallow contemporary romance that is underdeveloped and presents unrealistic characters. It seems like the author is writing about her writing process through a character that is a screenwriter. The screenwriter is writing a love story, which makes the entire reading experience weird. It felt like self-insertion from the author. The “lovers to enemies” is just 5 minutes of a steamy make-out session in the stairway of an elite New York City dance club with a tech billionaire. He offends her with the assumption that she only cares about his wealth. So, she obsessively forms a hatred for the guy and writes off the city. Several years later, she needs to return for a film that will use various locations in the city. And the condo she agrees to house-sit happens to be next door to the tech billionaire (queue the “enemies to lovers” trope).

Every cliche moment that I’ve seen contemporary authors nail with emotion and struggle was lined up too perfect and left me disturbed. And I love a good billionaire romance novel. My favorite rom-com series is a billionaire romance. Alex Aster did not include the process of peeling back the layers of the main characters to show vulnerability and intimacy. The male lead seemed like he was only there to serve the female lead. He did not want to be used for his money, but he would give up everything for her. The conflicts were dull and few moments showed genuine romantic connection. I am unamused and will stick to emotional love stories for the foreseeable future.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Summer in the City follows Elle, a screenwriter, who is house sitting in NYC for the summer. Honestly, she doesn't love the city, but everything is relatively fine, until Elle realizes her new neighbor, Parker, is the same tech billionaire 'bro' she had a not so cute meet with two years prior. And...she absolutely hates him. But not enough to deny a fake dating scheme that should be a win-win for them both, just for the summer.

Summer in the City takes us all over NYC, in such vivid color, it made me want to partake in all the coffee, pizza, books and plants Elle and Parker were enjoying too. The adventures were page turners. The characters were adorable. Frankly, it all seemed perfect until a proverbial match was lit in the third act that left me feeling a bit burned. But, I can forgive that because the rest of it was so much fun! Summer in the City is a juicy, full bite read that I would happily read again and again.

Thank you to Willam Morrow, and NetGalley for an early book review copy of this book!

Summer in the City is being released March 25th, 2025-mark your calendar!

I surprisingly loved Parker and Elle's love story. It was very sweet and boy was it a slow burn. This fake dating romance will have you giggling and blushing.

My main complaint is that she doesn't eat veggies because why?

thank you netgalley for my ebook arc!

I could not put this book down! I gobbled it up in 2 sittings. In a time where real life billionaires are losing popularity left and right, Parker is a billionaire you can certainly root for! This is pure escapism in the best way possible, a love story not just between Parker and Elle, but a love letter to summer in NYC.

Right up front I found the prologue a bit unpolished or overblown compared to the rest of the book. Because of that, I had a hard time understanding why Elle got so mad at Parker and held this grudge for so long. It was a common theme throughout the book. He would do something flashy to show how he felt about her and she would freak out, take it negatively and flee. I wished she would have had some more personal growth because it felt like he adjusted so much to be with her.

Read if you like an enemies to lovers, fake dating, billionaire romance. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 3/25

3.75 stars

This is a very character-reliant book, and that's not necessarily a bad thing, but it did cause me to read this super slow as I wasn't motivated to get through it with nothing happening. I did enjoy this book, and I enjoyed the characters most of the time, but it felt like the same problems kept being re-used throughout the story. Although, the relationship pacing in the beginning of the book was great and I loved their interactions. The ending kind of took my rating down a TON, but it did make sense in the context. This was a solid novel that had a bit more character development and relationship growth than others in the genre.

I stayed up way too late finishing this book. The nightclub meet cute HOOKED me and I could not put this book down. Elle and Parker have incredible chemistry from the jump, and Alex is really good at crafting it in both dialogue and interactions. This is a true enemies to fake-dating to lovers vibe that will keep you on your toes, with lots of fun twists and surprises. The pacing is perfection, and you can see their growth as friends and eventually lovers in a believable way.

I took away one star, because I didn’t love the multiple third act breakups. However, still an amazing read that I will recommend to everyone!

Summer Fling Romance that gives you all the best 2000s RomCom feels! I loved the homage to New York City even though I've never been but it feels like I have now! This was a fun read and the writing style is fast paced. Elle isn't my favorite FMC because like how could you find anything wrong with Parker?? He is what all billionaire boyfriends should be like! All in all, cutesy summer romcom book that has mee dreaming of flowers and summer nights!

A sweet read! I only wished we could have had Parker's POV. It was a fun friend to enemies story based in New York! These two, Parker and Elle had wonderful chemistry with each other! Add in some fun side characters and you have a great story! I wish it wouldn't have taken them so long to find each other again but I loved how both stayed faithful to each other and were miserable without each other! This was my first book by this author and it definitely won't be the last!

I devoured this book in two days…I loved it! This book was very well written and kept me wanting more. It is the perfect summer romance. It was so much fun getting to explore New York City along Elle and Parker!

I really liked Elle she was very relatable. Her mom raised her to be very independent and to not rely on anyone else for her success. When she starts catching feelings she doesn’t believe she can be loved back. Parker just wants to make her happy despite her “hating” him. He remembers all of her favorite things and knows how she is feeling by just looking at her. He is also very smart and a fancy CEO. This man is perfection!

I also absolutely loved her friend Penelope. I always love a good romance but seeing their relationship as best friends was really nice and some of their conversations had me giggling 🤭

Thank you so much NetGalley, William Morrow Books, and Alex for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Summer in the city is a fun, sexy enemies to lovers romance set in New York City. Elle is house sitting for her sister and working on her next big screenplay after a long bout of writers' block. When she runs into her new neighbor, Parker Warren, the tech CEO she remembers their first meeting which did not go well at all. Despite their animosity the two decide to team up, Parker gets a fake girlfriend and Elle gets someone to show her all the iconic New York places that will be featured in her script.
This was a lot of fun and I loved that Elle and Parker had similar background with their parents which made it easier for them to connect.

Summer in the City is a fantastic read. Ellie and Parker had great chemistry. It was fun reading. Their fake dating arrangement was also entertaining, It was an easy-to-follow storyline. The pacing of the story worked well. There is nothing I didn't like about this book. It was the perfect rom-com.

I don’t know when I’m going to emotionally recover from this, which is not something I expected to say about a book titled “Summer in the City” that I decided to read solely based on the cute special edition vibes.

Alex Aster turns the concept of the billionaire romance on its head in this fun, joyful, meaningful rom-com. I love that one of the central themes of the book is how much Elle is immune to Parker’s grand gestures based in obscene wealth. But also it’s a little adorable that Parker is the very definition of down bad and cannot help but throw money around to try and to make her happy because he doesn’t know any other way.

In between, there are quiet moments, and reflections on loss, friendship, wealth, and a woman’s independence. And wrapped up in it all is a truly charming love story.

10/10 will recommend again and again. A triumph for Alex Aster’s debut into the world of adult romance.

Thank you to William Morrow and HarperCollins for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

Thank you William Morrow Books for providing me an ARC for this book.
I really enjoyed this book, it was such a fun and easy read, and I couldn’t put it down. This is such a perfect book for the summer, and a great way to do a summer fling but set in the city. This book was a love letter to NYC, and it makes me want to visit some of the spots listed in this book. It was great to see Elle’s growth throughout the book and how she pushed herself out of her comfort zone. I do wish Parker was a little more fleshed out, it wasn’t super clear how he became the way he is, or why he does the things he does (outside of wanting to make Elle happy). All in all, this was a feel-good book, and a great option for those who want to read something more lighthearted.

Summer

Thank you to the William Morrow Books team, Alex Aster, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an eARC of “Summer in the City”.

This was a fun, quick read that I enjoyed reading. While I have never visited New York City, this book was so clearly a love letter to the city and made me yearn to one day visit all of the places and restaurants that Elle and Warren visited during their summer together. I loved the description of their adventures and how it was depicted as a slice of life in the perfect day spent in the city. I am highly considering buying one of the special editions of the book once it is released just to have a copy of the map that is featured in the book, and given that all the best books have maps, the one for their Parker and Elle’s adventures is a must have.

I really enjoyed Parker’s character; he was a wonderful MMC and I loved how much he openly yearned for Elle and would crawl on his hands and knees across the country to get to her if needed. I didn’t totally love Elle, however. I felt as though she frequently made his money a problem, and while sometimes justified given he is a billionaire, I felt as though he did not deserve the lashing out she gave him. I did not like her character at multiple times throughout the book because of the way she acted or treated Parker.

Sometimes, the writing style was a bit jarring for me, as there are a lot of jagged, short sentences that were hard for me to follow along with at times.

All in all, this was a cute summer romance that many people may enjoy. If you love stories set in the summer, adventures in a big city, and an MMC who has book boyfriend potential, you may just enjoy this one.

Thank you again William Morrow Books for the chance to read this one early!

4 Stars

Summer in the City felt reminiscent of a really good 2000’s RomCom and/or the types of books I was reading in 2013-2016 where the MMC was of course a billionaire and obsessed at first sight IYKYK. If you’re part of the, “bring back yearning & pining” side of the internet then I think you will love! It’s also set in NYC and that felt like a character all on its own.

All in all, I really enjoyed it. I probably would have rated it higher but Elle sort of drove me crazy? The girl was super hot or cold &
indecisive! Otherwise though it was a really fun read and as a bonus the cover is also very cute.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC of Summer in the City in exchange for an honest review.