This summer romcom is an absolute delight. I adore when books set in NYC portray the city as a character, and this one does just that! The billionaire romance adds just the right amount of absurdity, making me laugh, blush, and even yell at the characters, evoking all the feelings of my favorite 2000s romcoms set in NYC.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Summer in the City by Alex Aster was an absolute delight from start to finish. I found myself devouring this book quickly, and it was the perfect escape. The storyline was swoony, filled with just the right amount of romance and tension that made me smile throughout. The characters were incredibly likable, and the chemistry between them felt so natural and heartwarming. I couldn't help but root for them the entire time.

The way Aster brought New York City to life during the summer months made me feel like I was right there, experiencing the heat, the energy, and the charm of the city. It was the ideal escape for me, transporting me across the country for a brief but much-needed vacation.

While the writing wasn’t the most poetic or intricate I’ve ever read, it was simple and flowed effortlessly. The story was easy to follow, and the pacing kept me hooked without feeling bogged down by unnecessary complexity. It made for a fast, enjoyable read, and I flew through it in no time.

All in all, Summer in the City was a fun, feel-good read with a swoony romance, a great setting, and characters you can’t help but love. It’s a perfect choice if you’re looking for something light, quick, and enjoyable!

Oh I LOVED this story. I'm only giving it 4 stars because I found Elle to be rather annoying at times and nothing ruins things for me quite like an annoying MC.

This book has it all, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, billionaire boyfriend, found family.....decently done, too. I did not think the reason they were enemies in the first place to be strong enough to warrant the feelings, like who holds on to that so strongly for 2 years?

Summer in the City

This story follows Elle, a screenwriter with writer’s block who is forced to go back to the city she hates, and Parker, a billionaire tech CEO who ruined their first encounter. Two years later, Elle leaves LA for NYC again when her sister needs a house sitter for her luxury apartment. It’s the perfect place to finish her new screenplay until she realizes her neighbor is the same billionaire she has hated for the last two years. Parker proposes a deal and Elle sets aside her disdain to help each other out. He needs a fake girlfriend and she needs a tour guide to discover the city’s magic for her screenplay. It’s one summer of fake love. Until her love for the city and its memories become real.

I LOVED the early 2000s rom com NYC vibes!! Enemies to lovers and New York are two of my favorite things so I devoured this one!! Alex nailed this contemporary romance!!

Tropes: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, billionaire romance, fake dating

Thank you to Alex Aster and William Morrow for this ARC!

*thank you netgalley for this arc—all thoughts are my own.*

this book follows our two main characters : elle, a screen writer and parker, a billionaire. this book starts off with a mini make out scene and immediately following this they both end up “hating each other”. there is a time jump of two years before they meet again and are still holding a grudge against each other. the story ultimately continues from here where they are forced to be around each other with the fake dating trope.

this book was very fast and easy to read. there was digestible content and fun back and forth banter. however, my only gripe with this is how was happening, yet nothing was REALLY happening. i am unsure if that makes sense, but it felt like the story was happening to the main characters because aster wanted it to, rather than it being a natural progression of the plot. this does have a stereotypical plotline of the FMC—elle hating the MMC—parker because he is rich and aloof. i feel like aster tried too hard to make elle this independent woman and she started to lose me with that. other than that, parker is a fun and likeable MMC who just wanted to spoil her rotten.

overall, this is a really vibey book. the vibrant cover is what attracted me to this in the first place. i would recommend this since it's very easy to read and has such an entertaining cast of characters.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

***I received a copy of this as an ARC via Netgalley for my honest review ***

- Fake dating - Billionaire MMC - NYC hot spots - Independent FMC - Forced proximity - lovers to enemies to lovers - Open door spicy -

Alex Aster, known for her addictive fantasy series Lightlark, has done it again with her billionaire romance debut Summer In The City. This book about anonymous screenwriter Elle and billionaire tech CEO Parker reads like a summer chick flick you won't want to put down.

Two years after a stairwell hook-up brought to an abrupt end, Elle agrees to oversee renovation in a high rise apartment in NYC while working on her next screenplay only to discover Parker, the tech "Billionaire Bachelor", is her new new neighbor. They spark a fake dating agreement only for the duration of the summer that will benefit both of them. He gets relationship publicity to distract from his company's precarious acquisition, and she has someone to help her visit the filming sites for inspiration to complete her screenplay by the deadline.

From well-known locations to a pizza tour of the city, I loved how this book takes you around NYC throughout the development of the story as well as Elle and Parker's (fake)relationship. Aster weaves our FMC's background through the story in just the right places, giving the reader insight into why Elle feels so strongly on why she could never be in a real relationship with a billionaire. As expected with all billionaire romances, there are some over-the-top gestures and situations the couple ends up in, but Aster has written these in the way we want our billionaire romances to be, leaving us wishing WE were the one fake dating the MMC!

Add Summer In The City to your TBR for your next fun, spicy summer read!

This book was so much fun! A screenwriter in need of inspiration teams up with a billionaire who needs a fake girlfriend for an important business deal—and they have history? Say less!

It was swoony, sweet, flirty, and seriously funny. Elle, the FMC, had me giggling with her sharp inner monologue—she’s independent, self-aware, and such a fun character to follow. And the MMC? Total heart-eyes. He was adorably smitten, and their chemistry was chef’s kiss. Even with the book’s shorter length, the romance didn’t feel rushed—the slow burn was so good, and I never wanted to put it down.

The NYC setting added so much charm—it felt like a love letter to the city, making me want to book a trip ASAP. My only real gripe was chapter 30—it took a turn I didn’t love, and with only a couple of chapters left, it felt a bit rushed. But the ending still wrapped things up well enough, so it didn’t impact my overall enjoyment too much.

This is the perfect fun and flirty romance for summer reading—I had such a great time with it!

A big thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Why can’t I fall in love with a billionaire who spoils me with fancy gifts just because he’s obsessed with me? The way he went all in on the grand gestures had me questioning my entire existence. Sure, they’re completely unrealistic, but I’m a sucker for that over the top romance. And gifts are my love language. I mean, who doesn’t want their heart overflowing with emotions after a surprise gift that makes you cry? Yeah, it might be cheesy, but I love it. Don’t judge me, I’m living vicariously through Elle here.

Read if you enjoy:
💸 Billionaire romance
🌶️ Slow burn romance
🗽 Set in NYC
💕 Hate to love

But let’s talk about Elle for a sec because, girl, she was driving me nuts. Like, why are you rejecting all of this?? I mean, Parker’s just out here trying to shower you with gifts and love, and you’re out here pushing him away. But then… the reason behind her hesitation hits, and I was like, Okay, Elle, I get it. You’re complicated, I see that now. But girl, I still want to be you in my next life. Seriously, who wouldn’t want to live in that fairytale romance?

If you’re looking for a fun, sweet read that’ll make you swoon and laugh at how extra everything is, this is your book. Just don’t blame me when you start daydreaming about your own billionaire romance.

Such a sweet lovely read!! Parker is such a great book boyfriend and I love his love for Elle. This book was also just such a wonderful love letter to New York. It felt like another character and I fell in so much love with Elle and Parker falling back in love with the city. This one just made my heart so happy. The only reason I am giving this 4 stars is I had a hard time resonating with Elle as a character. I understood her motivations and hesitations around money given her background but I felt like Parker just had to prove himself to her again and again and again and her immediate response was to jump to him trying to buy her love. ESPECIALLY with the house. Girl just accept that house!! Overall such a fun lovely read though. I also want to call out the wonderful girly friendship scenes. Give me books about Taryn Gwen and Penelope plzzz!!

4/5 ⭐️

Loved this book so much, like what?! I usually like to cozy up with a fantasy book, but this one was cute, steamy, and hilarious and had me laughing out loud at times! The setting is amazing and honestly, this would make an amazing movie, no joke intended!!

I'm giving this a 3.5/5.

I'm a bit confused with how to rate this - from a bird's eye view I thoroughly enjoyed most of the book and flew through it. It was a cute cheesy romcom, but then there were some serious themes that I just don't think were handled well at all and kind of muddied the whole book. For the most part I did really love Parker. I also thought the spice scenes were pretty much perfectly written which I find is hard to do - so I think the author has a lot of potential to continue to explore adult romance. I think the difficult themes are hard to pair with the ridiculousness of a billionaire romance and I feel like they shouldn't have gone together. I do think the author did a good job of explaining why Elle felt the way that she did, but it was frustrating to see how poorly she handled it.

Chapter 30 is a little rough - it's both ridiculous from Parker's end but also Elle with the 180. This character needed years of therapy and it doesn't really seem like she got it because the second they're reunited she starts spiraling again. It just seems like the FMC/MMC have horrible communication skills with each other and it made it hard to root for them near the end.

There are also a few loose ends I would have loved to see resolution from - what happened with Elle's father? Why is it OK that her sister just accepts money from him and pretends he's not a bad guy? He literally is a bad guy. Does the public still think Elle's father is the reason behind her success? Did she set the record straight? What happened with Parker's company/does he have work life balance now??

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the ARC!

Sometimes I find it hard to connect with contemporary romances (I often enjoy the thrills of dark romance or Romantasy more) but I was pleasantly surprised that I really enjoyed this book!

I found the FMC, Elle, to be really relatable. I feel like people often make assumptions about “prickly” women who develop strong boundaries due to their past traumas and it was refreshing to see her navigate that in her personal life and how it impacts her relationships (or lack thereof). It’s easy to say she’s being too hard on people or she’s a negative Nancy but in reality she’s guarded and tries to protect herself at all costs.

Seeing her grow into herself and let those walls down was worth all the moments I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and yell “GIRL WHAT IS WRONG W YOU” lol. But in reality, this is something I struggle with too so seeing it from this side helped me open my eyes a bit more.

The MMC, Parker, was a total sweetheart, a super patient and thoughtful rich man who literally just wanted to make her happy. Love that about him! Men like this obviously don’t exist but it was cute!! I think it’s easy to see how much he helped Elle but I can also appreciate how much she helped him. Them learning to understand each other was all part of their journey.

Lastly, I’ll say I can really see how much Alex, the author, connected with this book. She left so many pieces of herself throughout this book I loved it. The imagery of NYC - if you follow her on socials you’ll often see her walking the streets of NYC! Down to Elle’s love of coffee - you’ll also often see Alex grabbing a coffee before writing! It was so much fun. I’ve been to NYC a few times and she captured the magic of the city PERFECTLY! This felt like it truly came for her heart.

Elle, a screenwriter, is struggling with her muse and New York City when her neighbor Parker offers her the deal of a life time. He'll visit the places in her list for the script with her if they fake date

This was a delightful ride. I really adored both of the lead characters. It touched on topics like grief and financial abuse that you don't normally get to see in a romcom. But they felt like they were handled well. I adored the side characters and loved that Elle had friends which is always my main complain in romcoms.

It has so much heart and felt like a love letter to New York.

Summer in the City is a must read enemies-to-lovers rom-com. I love that the characters were honest about their flaws and the angst between them. The friendships were such a nice touch, and the descriptions of the setting transported me to NYC.

I received an ARC from William Morrow via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so good!! This was such a fun summer rom com. I’m obsessed with the characters. Their flaws and the obstacles they overcame! Parker is a billionaire tech ceo. Elle is a very successful screen writer who writes anonymously. Parker and Elle have a spicy meet cure that turns into an enemies to lovers situation. A couple years later they meet again. Elle is house sitting for her sister while it undergoes renovations. Parker is the neighbor. Elle has writers block for her current screen play. Parker seems to be her unexpected muse. They strike up a deal. She attends events with him pretending to be his girlfriend while he tries to lock down a deal. He takes her to the places her screen play will take place. They slowly fall in love. He freaking buys the chain of coffee shops that she goes to every single day. The coffee shop discontinued her favorite scone so he buys the entire chain to have them make it again. So many more things happen like this but I don’t want to spoil it. The spice was great! I am obsessed! I’m so glad I have this preordered as well. Thank you NetGalley for an arc.

Summer in the City by Alex Aster was such a fun surprise! I went into it not knowing what to expect, but I ended up really enjoying it. The story follows Elle, a screenwriter struggling with major writer’s block, who moves to New York for the summer in hopes of finding inspiration. What she doesn’t expect is to run into Parker Warren—billionaire, tech mogul, and her former stairwell hookup-turned-enemy. When their late-night arguments somehow fuel Elle’s creativity, and Parker conveniently needs a fake girlfriend, they strike a deal. It’s supposed to be temporary, but, of course, feelings get involved.

This book feels like such a cute summer read! I loved how much detail Aster put into describing New York—it made me want to book a trip ASAP just to visit all the coffee shops and restaurants mentioned. The city felt like a character itself, and I loved how Elle’s screenplay tied into exploring different NYC spots. The whole vibe of the book was cozy yet exciting, with a mix of city charm, late-night writing sessions, and that perfect blend of tension and chemistry between Elle and Parker.

One of my favorite parts was the friendships Elle builds along the way. The found family aspect added so much heart to the story, and I loved seeing both Elle and Parker grow—not just in their relationship, but as individuals. Their romance was really sweet, and I liked how their banter and past history made their connection feel real. Overall, Summer in the City was such a fun, charming read, and I’d definitely recommend it if you’re in the mood for a lighthearted romance with amazing NYC vibes!

I wanted to say this book was 4, maybe 4.5 stars but after sobbing at an absolutely perfect love story, it is - hands down - 5 stars. Alex knocked it out of the park!

Summer - in NYC - a strong FMC with Daddy & money issues meets the most perfect billionaire and has to figure out how to mature to find her happiness. I laughed throughout the book, I really disliked Elle A LOT in this book, her character needed so much growth (& we received it) but I fell head over heels for Parker, a pure romantic.

This is a MUST summer read.

As a New Yorker, I loved that this was set in NYC. The plot line was a bit unbelievable at times, but I read to escape, so that’s totally fine for me. This book is the perfect summer read, it made me yearn for summer days so bad! This book also gave me some early 200os nostalgia, which is a huge plus for me! This book gave me all the feels and I would definitely recommend it.

I really enjoyed this!! Great characters and banter, and the pacing felt really consistent. I loved the tension that was built throughout and how everything hit its breaking point. The ending felt like it wandered a bit, but overall this was a great time!

Thank you so much to William Morrow, Harper Collins, and NetGalley for the arc! 🩷 It’s always a privilege to receive one.

As always, I believe in being honest with my reviews, and while I encourage everyone to read and form their own opinions, I wanted to share my thoughts on Summer in the City by Alex Aster.

I’m a fan of Lightlark and romance books, so I was interested in reading this one, especially with tropes like:

🍎 Fake dating
❤️ Billionaire romance
💎 He falls first
🍕 Forced proximity

Unfortunately, this book didn’t quite meet my expectations. The female lead, Elle, was hard for me to like, and the writing didn’t resonate with me. There were moments that felt more juvenile, like these:

“I’ve never had beer before, but it’s good, especially when shared.”

“I haven’t even had much to drink, but I’m drunk on the excitement, on the freedom, on the music”

“In the end, I decided to put [the makeup] on, if only to do something with my hands”

But the biggest issue for me was the dynamic between Elle and Parker. Elle was constantly rude to Parker, even though he was being thoughtful and kind. She rejected him because of his wealth, even though he was trying his best to show her love in the way he knew how. She continued to push him away, despite clearly liking him.

I honestly considered DNFing early on, but I pushed through. Unfortunately, the book still didn’t fully win me over.

My rating: ⭐️