Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for early access on this title!

I rated this book 3 stars for a few reasons. Firstly I would like to say the start of this book was addicting. I was very intrigued and hooked. One of the reasons this book isn’t getting a higher rating is because I wish more than anything this was dual pov. I feel like I didn’t get anything from the MMC at all, so there was always something missing in the book for me. Secondly the third act break up was painful to read. Normally I don’t care when authors do this but this one irked me mainly because ot seemed like the fmc was jumping over that issue. I think it also jumped so many times which made me feel very lost in the story, but like I said I did enjoy it. Parker is the reason I would recommend this book to anyone, he is a gem! That aside, I really had so much fun with this book!

This book was really cute and easy to read. As a lot of the other early reviews mention, the writing really does make NYC feel like a character in itself and almost makes you want to book a trip right away. I didn't really love the last "break-up" but I do also feel an engagement would have been rushed after 3 months, so the time apart and coming back together with some personal growth in between made sense to me. Overall solid read and I would definitely read other books from the same author!

This is such a cute summer read and what I really loved about it is that New York feels like a main character in this book. The MMC is obsessed with the FMC, it's really cute. I didn't rate it higher because there were dynamics and struggles surrounding money that I found really annoying. I kind of felt like the author was trying to write an ethical billionaire, which is meh. And if you like a book with a rich guy just buying everything for the woman, then this won't be for you, because the FMC absolutely hates that. With that in mind, I would still totally recommend this. It's fast. It's fun. It's cute and it'll make you want to take a trip to New York.

Thank you, Netgalley, HarperCollins, and Alex Aster, for this incredible opportunity to review this little gem in exchange for a personal opinion.
In this enemy-to-lovers, we have a hot young billionaire and a quirky-hermit screenwriter, two apartments, and only a wall between them, but mostly, readers, we have NYC. And yes, NYC is the main character. Between the streets of the city, pizza places, coffee shops, and the most famous locations we will see their love blossom and our tears shed.
Full of witty one-liners, comebacks, and personal trauma this emotional journey will leave you with a full heart and maybe a ticket for NYC.
The story is pretty linear, and the characters are well-structured (loved loved loved the founding family); Alex did a great job with her first adult book. It was funny imagining how much of Alex we have in this book, I can picture her like a little writer-hermit or hopping between coffee shops.
This book is a love letter to NYC, home, and true love.
I can't wait to re-read the finished copy of it .
It left me in tears more than one time and me laugh out loud equally so.

Our FMC is actually so ridiculous. She's judgmental, immature, but was also relatable in ce3rtain ways (like wanting to stay in and read/watch tv and not go out LOL.) The book had some good parts but the third act breakup was so unnecessary and ruined the book for me. Our MMC deserved better, he seemed like he really grew as a person as he spent time with out MMC.

⭐⭐⭐⭐/🌶️🌶️ Summer in the City by Alex Astor is a standalone romance about Elle, a screenwriter, struggling with writer's block. In an effort to get the creative juices flowing, she agrees to house-sit in New York City, which is where she runs into Parker, the billionaire playboy she bumped into at a club and had a steamy kiss with, but then didn't see again... Now he's her neighbor, and in need of a girlfriend for the summer.

I really enjoyed this! It's funny, sexy, full of tension and banter, and has an FMC that is so relatable.

🍒Fake dating
🍒Second chance
🍒She's a screenwriter, he's her muse
🍒Billionaire romance
🍒Forced proximity (neighbors)

This was just the pallet cleanser I was looking for! This book was a lot of fun and I had trouble putting it down. This gives me a lot of excitement about Alex Aster jumping into romance. It was not a realistic romance by any means but it was fun and addictive and had a lot of heart! I can wait to see what other genres and books Alex creates in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow Publishing for the arc for a honest review 💗

This book truly felt like a love letter to New York City. I loved the balance of humor, forced proximity, and budding romance. Elle's internal monologue is hilarious and made me laugh out loud at least a few times. I was impressed by the blend of art, high society, and reality of New York City that combined to create a gorgeous world for our main characters. I appreciated the nods to the New York Botanical Garden, Manhattanhenge, the Cloisters, and more. Having visited many of these places myself, the story came to life and felt immersive, as though I was right along side the characters in these scenes. Like Elle, I have aphantasia, and having a familiar setting really helped me connect to the story. Elle's character development and backstory are so inspiring throughout this story and I can't wait for you to experience it too! This book surpassed my expectations for a contemporary romance and made me feel warm and fuzzy...one might even say like a fuzzy unicorn.

I love the true crime/Twilight/Taylor Swift jokes in the beginning. Had to force myself to go to sleep instead of continuing this story into the late hours. Overall, perfect romcom for summer!

Tropes:
🖤 Enemies to Lovers
🖤 Fake Dating
🖤 Forced Proximity
🖤 Billionaire Romance
🙄 Third Act Breakup

✨ SPOILER WARNING ✨

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Now for my mini rant as to why this isn’t a 5⭐️. For romances I either really connect and get drawn in (4-5⭐️) or I just don’t vibe as much (3⭐️ or less). Only reason for the ⭐️ drop was due to Chapter 30. I was loving it UNTIL the proposal.

Parker was great, Elle was dramatic. Like I get it, you want to be fiercely independent and you have some trauma, but Parker’s love language is obviously gift giving and UGH. She just can’t give him a break. He LITERALLY WAS JUST TRYING TO HELP HER ACHIEVE HER DREAM AND SHE BLEW IT WAY OUT OF PROPORTION. All the character development she had done and then, BAM, unnecessary regression.

Parker 👏🏼 is 👏🏼 not 👏🏼 like 👏🏼 her 👏🏼 father 👏🏼. Yet she treated him as such and holds him to ONE line he said when she barely knew him and he barely knew her. Frankly, she was JUST as judgy that first night they met and she seemed to forget that.

Book Deets 📖
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Emotional Damage:💧
Genre: Romance
Format Read: 📱

4.5 ⭐️ A literal love letter to NYC and as someone who has been obsessed with “the city” since her pre-teen years, this book spoke to my soul. The story was a fun take on a billionaire romance, Parker, the MMC, is a tech bro while Elle, the FMC, is a successful (albeit anonymously) screenwriter. Her being a screenwriter also opened up the whole world of writing puns which is one id my favorite “fourth wall breaks” in books. I could not put this one down. It was fast paced, witty and heartwarming.

Highlights:
✨Fake Dating
✨Neighbors
✨Billionaire
✨Love Letter to NYC
✨Writing Puns

Favorite Quotes: “I didn’t fall in love with a version of you, Elle,” he says. “I fell in love with every you.”

“Do all books have maps?” he asks. “No,” I say. “Only the best ones.”

Thank you to the author, HarperCollins, and NetGalley for this advanced copy. My opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed the atmospheric setting. This was such a great take on a NYC rom-com story. I loved how Elle came out of her shell and more into herself while spending her summer in the city. Not only with Parker, but with new friends as well. Parker was dreamy and I loved getting to know him past his billionaire tech CEO persona.

3.5 ⭐️
Such a fun and entertaining summer read! The billionaire aspect was a bit overly ridiculous at times but that’s part of the fun with billionaire romances. The main character did annoy me at times I’m not going to lie but I liked how we got to see where her character was coming from and why she reacted the way she did. The MMC, Parker, was a man down bad from the very start.

Overall, a bingeable, cute read that is perfect for the summer! Thank you HarperCollins for the arc!

4.5 stars - I am so incredibly grateful to have received an advanced copy of Summer In the City from the author, NetGalley, and William Morrow Books! 🫶

“And, Elle, just so we’re clear: I’ve never wanted anything like I’ve wanted you.”

Summer In the City is one of the cutest rom-com books I have ever read! 🥹💕 It has 2000s rom-com vibes and I devoured this book in less than 24 hours and loved it so much! ❤️ I seriously want this to be made into a movie so badly because I think it would be incredible on the big-screen and see this world and all the characters come to life in front of my eyes! 🍿🎬

Elle is truly such a relatable main character! 🥰 She’s a screenwriter who is going through so major writer’s block and she hates NYC and Parker Warren. However, after a turn of events Elle needs to house sit for the summer and write her next movie which happens to take place in NYC. Also guess who turns out to be her next door neighbor? Parker Warren! 🤪

I absolutely love the banter and tension between Elle and Parker! ❤️🔥 It is so much fun and this book had me giggling, squealing, and kicking my feet in excitement with every interaction they had. I also honestly love that NYC is basically another main character in the story with how much the book is centered around it! 🍎🗽

If you love enemies to lovers, fake dating, forced proximity, billionaire romance, and slow burn then this is the book for you! 🫶

Summer in the City has a cute romantic premise that takes Elle and Parker, the man she should hate — but doesn't — around some of New York City's highlights over the course of a summer. As someone who has spent summers in the city, I though Aster did a decent job bringing the setting to life.

Unfortunately, this book was just not for me. Elle has several complexes around things like money and taking credit for her successful career as a screenwriter, and these issues are explained later in the book. Yet I never felt like she grew as a character, only blaming Parker and other people around her for problems that sometimes stem from within herself. There were several times an "I'm sorry" or "thank you" felt very needed from Elle, and I don't think she ever says either.

My other main issue was with the pacing, which is okay until the last third or so of the book, when there are unreasonable choices made by the characters, a strange and unnecessary time jump, and the pacing really falls apart. Finally, the writing throughout the story was okay, but a bit surface-level for my taste.

Overall, not being able to get behind the main character or understand what the love interest sees in them is a dealbreaker in romance for me, but others who want a light summer beach read may still enjoy this book. Thank you very much to William Morrow for the arc!

I am pleasantly surprised by this book! I adored it! Her first non romantasy/ fantasy book. This was well done and a fun read. Bonus being the cover is so eye catching that anyone would want it on their shelves.

This was a very well written romcom that gets you in all the giggly feelings. It’s giving hallmark. It’s giving let me root for these two! It’s giving summer vibes and everything nice.

I thought the ending was a tad bit rushed but overall it was a very enjoyable read. I will be recommending this book and throwing it in to my bookclub as a nomination for a read/ book meeting.

Elle Leon heads to New York City to get past her writers block as her next screen play is due at the end of the summer. While watching over renovations of an extravagant apartment she would never be caught dead living in, finds out her floor mate is tech billionaire (read, arch nemesis and former hookup) Parker Warren. After the two reconnect, they realize they could form a mutually beneficial pact by dating for the summer: Parker needing positive PR and Elle needing screen play inspiration. As the summer progresses and lines are blurred, is this relationship really as faux as it seems?

I had an absolute blast reading this contemporary romance and found myself wondering when I would be able to pick this up again. Since reading Lightlark series by Alex Aster, I was excited to see what a contemporary romance from Alex would be like. It was even better than I could have imagined. I loved the combination of billionaire and fate dating tropes, but there were moments where the story was wild, outrageous, and little absurd.

Our FMC, Elle, is strong, independent, stubborn, and occasionally frustrating. I loved how she wouldn't do anything that she didn't want to do and stuck to her guns, but there were a few moments in the book where the decisions she made frustrated me. Her two year grudge over Parker seemed quite over the top and this story features a third act breakup (my least favorite trope) which is due to Elle acting immature, in my opinion. Parker behind all of his billions of dollars is a wholesome, genuine man (who occasionally buys over the top gifts, seeming a love bomb-y but at the end of the day is done with good intentions). The pair make harsh first impressions of each other and after taking the time to learn more about each other, realize they vastly miscalculated. While fake dating, they learn what makes each other tick, what their favorite drink or foods are, and how to make each other comfortable in challenging situations. These small acts of caring are beyond sweet and I think are truly the backbone of their relationship.

Overall, this book was charming, filled with some of my favorite all time micro tropes, and is the perfect lighthearted contemporary romance. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Summer in the City tropes include:
✨ fake dating
✨ billionaire
✨ enemies to lovers
✨ third act breakup
✨ MMCs eyes drop to FMCs mouth
✨ MMC tucks FMC's hair behind ear

I really enjoyed this book! I was unsure what to expect in an author’s first non-fantasy book, but I thought it was really well done. I felt very invested in the characters and could not wait to figure out what was going to happen!

This is a fun read if you like Rom Coms and if you do I think it’s better than most. I have a love hate relationship with Rom Coms so I wasn’t sure what to expect from this one because I usually hate the fake dating trope and I know this author from her fantasy series which I did not finish. I liked that series at first and then was annoyed with it so I did not continue it after book two. One of my main complaints with this genre is the dumb reason to keep the couple at bay, which actually works here for the most part, or when one character is just plain unlikeable which again the author mostly avoids. The couple is mostly cute and you will root for them to get together for real. On the downside Elle is the usual introverted female we find in this genre only the author has decided that she is not thriving that way and despite her successful career and best friend she needs more to be enough which frankly annoys me. I also hate when these books spend too much time with unnecessary friend characters which this book does and just barely avoids it being annoying by for the most part making those parts short. I also hate when family drama takes over so be warned that is very much the case here.

Obviously in a Rom Com we want fun banter between the main characters which we mostly get here but the author has made Elle insecure with heavy baggage that weighs her down and can be annoying. Parker is perfect, possibly too much so, and we are supposed to believe his amazing over the top gestures are too much which is really one of the hardest things to overlook. There’s an ironic scene where the characters talk about something they hate in movies which the author actually does in the book. One of my main complaints is that lack of payoff between an important back story to the characters that is never addressed. Despite those real complaints the author really does do a great job with the pacing and moving the story forward so none of those problems stopped me from reading. Especially for her first novel in this genre it’s definitely a fun story that holds its own and if anything will only be more enjoyable to Rom Com fans that have less quibbles with these things

5 stars! Thank you for allowing me to read this book I am OBSESSED with Elle and Parker. It was such a cute romance for the summer book. I definitely fell in love with the two characters and could not stop reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow publishing for this arc.

What a fun sweet summer romance. there was a turn that I didn’t expect, but fully loved the characters, even when they can be a little frustrating at times. You really felt the tension and obviously the romance between the two main character characters. I was rooting for them throughout the entire book and I’m a sucker for a happily ever after.