4.5 stars

I really really really enjoyed this book! Elle reminds me so much of myself and also I want the life that she has in New York. You could tell how much love the author has for New York City. The comedy was on point. The FMC had me laughing so much. And Parker was such a good billionaire MMC. There were some points with how he decided to spend his money that kind of seemed cliche for this type of genre. Also how the FMC says his full name kind of annoyed me but it happened less frequently farther into the book. I really hope there is a sequel or a novella about this couple during winter in the city. I think it’d be so cute!

This was a fun and quick read. I like the idea of what this book was but it came together a little clunky at some points. I still would absolutely recommend this to others to read!

4.25

What a beautiful and fun summer of falling in love Elle and Parker had.
The chemistry between the two was cute and fun while still a little bit sexy. I would have killed to read any of those chapters from Parker's POV because I feel like it would have been amazing because it was clear to everyone but Elle that he was already in love with her. I think really my only negative is the third act break up with a time skip. While it did seem to be needed for Elle to finish her last bit of personal growth and get them to the happy ending, third act break ups and time skips are my nemesis lol.

Definitely a cute read and I will be adding that adorable hardcover to my physical collection!

really loved the sound of this book but billionare romances aren't always for me. it was just ok. it was really hard for me to get into and took me weeks to finish. Read the last 50% in a day. The main character kind of bothered me. loved some parts of it and the NYC details. maybe the problem is me not loving the trope!!

I was lost in this book! Perfect summer reading and will go to my summer must list! Their city exploration was so enjoyable. I'm so in love with NY.

I'm a goner for a fake dating, so this one was perfect. Billionaire boyfriend? Perfect!
Characters depth was great, very good written book. The story is fast paced and I love it, very dynamic!

Tropes:
- Fake Dating
- Forced Proximity
- Enemies to lovers
- He Falls First

Recommend to everyone who loves summer romance!

Summer in the City by Alex Aster
5 stars

arc read
Pub date: 3/25/25

Tropes:
- Fake Dating
- Forced Proximity
- Enemies to lovers
- He Falls First

Okay Alexxxxxx. I loved the powerless series but here we are with your adorable romance debut. This was just absolutely adorable. I immediately fell in love with the characters. They were both so easily loveable and I actually would like more of them. This was one of those books where you are kicking and screaming over the first *thigh brush* and you are just waiting for more but the build up was so easy and made it all worth it.

We start off with our FMC moving back to the city she absolutely loathes, but her career is relying on it. Only to find out the MMC we met at the beginning of the book who she thinks called her a '"gold digger" is her hallway neighbor and he wants nothing but to know her. She hates him and he doesn't even remember her from that night, but somehow he is the muse for her career so she agrees to fake date him for selfish reasons for them both.

The story just picks up from there and we watch them explore the city giving each other what they needed out of this deal, except who started falling for who first? I need an extended epilogue just so I can give a few more crumbs please.

I wanted an escape from the cold/snow so I dived right in to SUMMER IN THE CITY 🍎

What to expect:
-steamy
-fake dating
-billionaire romance
-NYC setting
-fun banter

This was definitely a fun escape and would be great to read in the summer time as well, but it wasn’t a wow read for me. I don’t care for third act breakups and I didn’t like how the MMC tried to shower the FMC with insanely expensive things.

I enjoyed this book but felt like I was loosing interest towards the end. Either way it was still a nice read. Thank you Netgalley for the arc of this book I really appreciate it.

Never in my life did I think I would get an ARC for this book. You may be wondering why is that Lexie?!? Well let’s just say I am the biggest hater of Alex Aster “Lightlark” series and my hatred has been very vocal. So I thought to myself there was no way they would approve me for Alex’s first romcom. But the wonderful team at William Morrow Publishing and NetGalley did so here we are. And I have to eat some crow because unlike “Lightlark” series “Summer in the City” is a dang good romcom.

“Summer in the City” had everything I look for in a good romcom. I loved the characters, the plot, the tension and romance. It hooked me from the very first page and didn’t let me stop reading until I was done.

Now even though I devoured it I still have some minor gripes and most of those gripes stem from the last 88%-92%. I’ve seen a lot of third act break up tropes done in romance books. This one though takes the cake for being the most unnecessary one I’ve ever read. Elle just completely lost me there. It felt like all that growth and development she did for the other 87% of the book was for nothing. And instead of watching this fierce, smart independent woman flourishing we did a complete 180 and get a whiny immature child throwing a tantrum. Trust me I understand the “crisis” but I think it could’ve been handled differently. Especially since she had all that growth leading up to that moment. Like our boy Parker did not deserve that. Speaking of Parker, I have no qualms with this man. I adore this man. I want my own real version of this man.

I digress. Overall, would I recommend this book? YES. Even though I had that gripe I still had a ton of fun reading Elle & Parker’s story. I think any romance fan will also greatly enjoy it. Plus I can’t wait to pick up a trophy copy when it releases March 2025!

Received a free digital arc. All opinions are my own and freely given.

Forced proximity, enemy to lover with major romcom hall mark movie vibes. I’m a huge hallmark romance movie lover so I adored this. Elle & Parker forever.
Started off I couldn’t stand Parker but he redeemed himself quickly.
Haven’t read her Light Lark series yet so went in to this blind and no expectations. Obsessed and can’t wait for the special editions to release so I can get my lands on it.

This was such a cute romance! Once I started I couldn’t put it down! I will definitely be picking up her next romance!

4.5 ⭐️

I really enjoyed this one! A super funny rom com set in NYC. Romance is not normally my go-to genre, but I adore Alex Aster so I knew I had to read it.

The story follows Elle, an anonymous screenplay writer, as she spends a summer in NYC, a city she hates, alongside Parker, a man she hates, but who is oddly the only person capable of pulling her out of her writers block. They had a brief encounter two years prior which sparked her hatred of him. Now, two years later, they are penthouse neighbors and (begrudgingly on her end), agree to a mutually beneficial summer arrangement.


I ugly-face laughed multiple times throughout the book. The spice wasn’t outlandish and it was appropriately placed which is a big thing for me. I enjoyed watching Elle evolve as a person, as well as seeing her perspective completely shift as she got to know the real Parker.

The only reason I didn’t give a full 5 stars is there were a few moments that seemed to switch quickly from one extreme to the next that gave me a little whiplash lol. But overall, I really loved it.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange got my honest feedback.

W O W! I have so many thoughts. Initially when I found out about this book I was nervous to hear it described as an adult romance, because so many "adult romances" are just back to back romance scenes with no real plot line. Or they're uncomfortably vulgar to the point where I can't read it at all. Alex completely surprised me with this. I found this book to be so well-written, and fell in love with all of the characters at first glance. Love a strong, independent woman who dreams of achieving her goals on her own, Type-A older sisters unite! Parker? SWOON. I loved not only their relationship but also her relationship with her little sister, and the self-growth that Elle shows especially at the end of the story. Also bonus points for a storyline that didn't immediately have everything resolved predictably, I loved that I was still hoping and guessing up until the last chapter. There's some great examples of female friendship in here as well, and those women are the type of friends we all want to have in our corner. This book is an absolute TRIUMPH, and Aster really proved that she can write other genres equally as successfully as she can construct an immersive and addictive fantasy world. I cannot WAIT to add this to my library!! Love, love, LOVE!!

Elle and Parker are such a vibe and I'm here for it Es wa C
I adored how fun and lively this book was all while keeping in touch with the complex themes and how Elle's family history clearly weighs on her. This book was so dreamy with the visitations of the many different, and famous, NYC landmarks! I've been to NYC before so it felt sweet reliving it in Elle's mind and seeing what caught her eye!
Classic enemies to lovers, so much to the point where I was screaming at Elle to fall in love with this gorgeous man.
Elle was a character I enjoyed for the most part. She is pretty complex. I haven't went through a whirlwind of emotions with a character before where I switch back and forth fairly quickly between compassion, love, annoyance, sympathy and irritation. But I honestly think that was the point and the author did a great job with this part. AND it showed that no one is ever too hard to love, Parker was a star with this. Good for her for finding her true happiness.
PARKER LOVE OF MY LIFE. I adored him from the very beginning. New book boyfriend added to my list thank you very much ~ an incredible fake boyfriend, and he's a billionaire?! I can't gush anymore
It was so fast paced and so hard to put it down. The third act breakup (and what honestly seemed like a fourth act breakup) was not my style and that's when I fell off at the end there. Solid romcom though.
Can't thank the publishers enough for this arc and allowing me to review this

4.25 stars! Thank you, NetGalley and the William Morrow team for providing me with this ARC.

This is the fast-paced, binge-worthy romance novel of my dreams, and Parker Warren is the man of my dreams. Between the fake dating, lust-to-enemies-to-lovers situation, and forced proximity, this one has it all. This fun romance is set in New York City, where a 20-something screenwriter finds herself living next to a billionaire tech CEO who also happens to be her arch nemesis and twisted muse. Agreeing to fake date for the summer, Elle and Parker find themselves changing in more ways than one. It explores family dynamics and uncovers childhood trauma that will determine whether or not these two can pursue something real. With plot twists and dates I could only dream of, this kept me hooked the entire time.

Parker Warren..... the man that you are!

3.5⭐️
First, I would like to give a big thank you to William Morrow Books, NetGalley, and the author for the complimentary digital copy of this book.

~ After a steamy moment and some major miscommunication with an attractive billionaire at a club, Elles anger over the situation helps to fuel her writing career. Years later, after agreeing to house sit for her sister in New York City to help gain some inspiration for her current screenplay, Elle comes face to face with the man she loathes- who just so happens to be her sisters neighbor, one smooth talker, and who needs a fake girlfriend for the summer. ~

This was a cute, binge worthy, summer rom-com, that I did not want to put down. It was fast paced, funny, flirty and had some great tropes- it also had just a little bit of spice 🌶️. For the most part, I enjoyed the characters- Parker was an absolute doll, I adored him! Elle on the other hand, I’m sorry, but she was kind of insufferable! I understand wanting to be a strong, independent woman and making your own way, believe me. And yes, it can be frustrating when someone is frivolous with money- but girl, come on- get over yourself.

Unfortunately, I do have to agree with other reviews saying that Chapter 30 really threw things off. After this, the rest of the book felt rushed and the overall tone shifted. However, I did enjoy the story itself, the chemistry between the characters and had a fun time reading it.

Thank you William Morrow Books and NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Summer in the City follows twenty-seven year old screenwriter Elle as she gets the once-in-a-lifetime chance to write a big-budget movie set in New York City. Unfortunately, she has had writers blocks for months, and her screenplay is due at the end of the summer. When she realizes that her next door neighbor in the apartment building she’s in is none other than “Billionaire Bachelor” Parker Warren, who she had a steamy, yet infuriating stairwell hookup with two years prior, her situation becomes more complicated than ever. She realizes that maybe he can help her get over her writers block, as her twisted muse, while she can fake date him for good publicity. Will these lovers turned enemies become lovers again?

Summer in the City was an incredible read! This book had so many tropes that I loved such as forced proximity, enemies to lovers, billionaire romance, and slow burn. Alex Aster’s description of New York truly made you feel as though you were right there alongside the characters. I also loved how relatable her main character Elle is. Parker sets the BAR for fictional men. I was absolutely swooning over him the entire book and I loved the banter and tension between him and Elle. This book had me giggling and kicking my feet!

This book released March 25, 2025 and if you love swoon-worthy main male leads and relatable main characters as much as I do, you should check this one out!

“I didn’t fall in love with a version of you, Elle,” he says. “I fell in love with every you.” I will be a map to finding your way back to yourself.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 read for me! This book was sooo much fun!! I feel like I just got home from a trip around NYC, after reading this!

Thank you to William Morrow for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion. I am a huge fan of Alex’s fantasy series, so I was so excited to read her debut romcom novel, and it did not disappoint!!

This book was so much fun!! We get to follow Parker and Elle around NYC all summer as they fake date, and visit all the locations for a film Elle is screenwriting for. Let me just say NYC as a backdrop for falling in love, when the MMC is a billionaire was just *chefs kiss*.

I related to Elle so much about how she saw herself as an island, but it was so rewarding to see Parker pull her out of her shell over the summer, and watch her become more confident in herself.

The only reason this wasn’t a perfect 5⭐️ read for me is because the ending became a bit complicated with a third act breakup (which is truly the worst). But other than that I loved this book so much, and I think all my Rom Com girlies will love!

I would also like to throw it out there that this would make the best movie!!!

Tropes:
💕Summer Love
💕Enemies to lovers
💕Billionaire Romance
💕Set in NYC
💕Forced proximity
💕Fake dating

I loved the beginning of this book. I was hooked. I loved their meet cute and how they met again years later.

Parker is adorable and I would greatly fake date that man.

This book was sooooo close to being a higher rating but chapter 30 ruined it. Looking at reviews seems like I wasn’t alone. The 3rd act break up was too much but I didn’t enjoy how he was flashy and throwing his money when he knew her dislikes. It felt off. He knew how much she hated fame and money, yet he planned all that know her past. I think it was necessary for Elle to step away and focus on herself, but it just didn’t sit right with me.

I did love not knowing much about Elle, her career and past, but learning about her alongside Parker added so much more depth and understanding to her character for me.

Overall, I really enjoyed it. I felt like I was watching a movie. I was throughly entertained. I also loved Penelope and hope she gets her own story as well.

Thank you so much to Alex Aster, NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC.

Such a fun, light hearted read!!! Perfect for the summer. My only issue is that it wasn't dual pov. And I wish there wasn't a third act breakup towards the end. Full review is up on all platforms!