4.25 Stars!
Um this book has no business being this bingeable?
I started this yesterday... and finished it this morning.

This story follows Elle, anonymous but very successful screenwriter as she finds herself back in NYC apartment-sitting for her sister, and working on her new project. But who lives next door? Billionaire tech bro Parker Warren... and she literally hates his guts.

This is true rom-com enemies to lovers and was so much fun to read. I figured Alex would write good romance banter, and she delivered. I fell in love with both characters, and despite their occupations being so unrealistic for most people, I found them to be witty, funny and very relatable.

This book is short and sweet, but doesn't lack depth. I shed a tear or two while reading, and the complex family dynamics of these characters really just propelled the entire storyline for me. I can't wait to see more romance from Alex!

There certainly wasn’t a lack of spice in this book, and there was a good amount of witty banter between the main characters. I didn’t particularly enjoy how the MMC tried to use his money to fix everything, even after Elle became upset he continued to do it and then suddenly she’s okay with it?

3.75 ⭐️“ there’s something peaceful about walking around a bookstore, knowing endless worlds are waiting to be discovered. Knowing there’s always an escape if we need it.”

This was an enemies to lovers, billionaire romance. The MMC Parker is an absolute cinnamon roll, will buy you anything you want to make you happy, bend over backwards for you. The FMC Elle was beyond frustrating to me. She judged Parker off of one negative encounter and took forever to forgive him and give him a chance. He did so many sweet things for her and she just brushed them off. GIRL LET HIM SPOIL YOU. Then things really escalated at the end and she just runs away. I think Parker deserved better 🙃

Also the getting engaged after only one summer was wild to me.. most of that time Elle was not even nice to him.

But thank you so much for the ARC!! I had a great time reading it

I thought this was pretty fun romcom. I enjoyed reading it but probably wouldn’t come back to it. I had a hard time connecting to the FMC Elle. This is a billionaire romance but it felt like every time the MMC Parker used his money she got upset. It got to the point that he would try to do something sweet and I was just waiting for things to go wrong. It didn’t feel like we really got to enjoy the fact that he had tons of money and wanted to spend it on her. I could understand where she was coming from but it just started to get old. I did not care for chapter 30 and it definitely brought down my enjoyment of the book. Still a fun romcom and I’m glad I read it! This is the first of her books that I’ve read.

Summer in the City is a fun rom-com about Elle, a screenwriter and Parker Warren, the tech billionaire she meets one night- and then meets again two years later. This book had such great characters, from the main two, Elle and Parker, to their friends, family and business associates. So many relationships are included besides the romantic ones- parents and children, friends of friends, frenemies. Just a great cast of characters! I loved the ways that Elle and Parker's respective stories unfold throughout the chapters and the way that they each change and grow- both together and on their own. Add in a list of must-see sites in New York City and a side trip to Paris and this book was a delight to read.
I read that this is the author's first novel for an adult audience after writing YA and middle school fantasy series. It's a great book for a debut like this. Congratulations to Alex Aster on making the leap!
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow publishers for the free ebook ARC for me to read and review.

First of all, I thought the story was super cute and I binged it. Being in the tech world for so long, plus being a working woman and mom that didn't come from money, I totally got where Elle's view came from. I also appreciated the female friendships that were cultivated and shown bright. Penelope and Emily are BFF goals!

People say money can't buy happiness but to be able to give that much to others or to be able to just do stuff on a whim, never have to worry about paying for things is definitely a luxury. I often think about the fame too though because there is a lot you lose when you're no longer a "nobody". Thank you for brining all these hard topics to light.

I wish I could give half stars because 3 seems way too low. I just kept getting annoyed though that that Elle kept being so hardheaded about the money. Kept thinking he didn't care about anything about money/himself when he had shown nothing but the opposite and she didn't even know anything about him because she didn't ask. I know we are ALL judgmental like that (sadly) but it was so much over and over. I'm glad Penelope finally gave it to her straight!

This book was such a fun, cute, and easy read. I love Alex Aster’s fantasy series, so I couldn’t wait to read her contemporary romance novel, and let me tell you, this book did not disappoint. I loved the characters, the plotline, and of course, the romance. The FMC was not my favorite; I felt like she was overly dramatic, but I loved everything else about the book that I could overlook the things that bothered me. Definitely a charming summer read.

This morning around 730am I was at 21%, according to Kindle. My intention was to read 1 chapter before starting my day.........it's now 215pm and the book is done.
I'm surprised how much I really love Summer in the City. For me, it started off very cliche and slow, a bit wordy at times in overexplaining things, but as time went on it had it own uniqueness and owned the "typical" rom-com, with a twist.
While I normally love a morally grey MMC, I oddly think this casts the FMC as the "grey". Our MMC is a green flag boy toy that is navigating the thralls of a healthy relationship, given his circumstances. Elle needed to find herself, discover who she wanted to be and be her own main character. There's a sense of realism connecting you to the FMC, where we are all guilty, moreso in the last couple of years, of being hermits and never leaving our five block radius. (Thanks Work From Home and Instacart)

Let Alex help you laugh, gasp, tear up and tape your heart back together.

Special thanks to NetGalley, William Morrow and Harper Collins for an advanced reader copy of Summer in the City. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

This is a perfect romcom book for those looking for big city meets early 2000’s vibes. It’s funny, romantic, and immersive and I loved it.

ARC read - 5/5⭐️ Alex Aster ateeeeeee with this one. Summer in the City is an enemies to lovers romance that follows Elle, a screenwriter, and Parker, a tech billionaire, who go on these extravagant dates throughout New York City. Fake dating, grand romantic gestures, humor; this had everything I could have wanted in a romance book. Elle and Parker’s love story was so fun to watch and be a part of. I loved the creativity of the dates they went on. Alex’s writing is engaging and witty. Absolutely loved every minute of this! This is the perfect summer beach read. I cannot wait for this to be released so I can purchase a physical copy. Thank you again to Alex Aster, William Morrow and HarperCollins Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy!

I'm a sucker for a good romance. I also love the enemies to lovers trope. So I was super thrilled that I got to be an early reader of Alex Aster's new book. I had a hard time putting this book down. Although I wasn't a fan of the last few chapters. It was still a great read in my opinion.

Alex Aster’s romance debut had me glued to the pages—this is the perfect book to pull you out of a reading slump!

In Summer in the City, Elle, a screenwriter battling writer’s block, moves to NYC for inspiration—only to discover her new neighbor is Parker Warren, a billionaire tech CEO and her ex-stairwell hookup turned enemy. What follows? A mix of neighbors-to-lovers, fake dating, and billionaire romance, all set against the dazzling backdrop of a New York summer.

What I Loved:

The NYC setting—every landmark, park, and pizza shop felt so vivid, even though I’ve never been there!

The chemistry—from hate-fueled banter to undeniable tension, Elle and Parker’s dynamic was addictive.

Billionaire romance with heart—Parker isn’t just a rich guy, he’s layered and complicated.

A love letter to NYC—the city truly felt like a character of its own, and you could feel Alex’s love for it.

I’ve enjoyed Alex’s fantasy series, but her romance debut feels next level. Maybe it’s the real-world setting, but the world-building and atmosphere made this book come alive in such a raw and realistic way.

Summer in the City releases March 25, 2025, and if you love rom-coms with depth, summer vibes, and the magic of NYC, this one needs to be on your TBR! I've already preordered it, and can't wait for a reread!

Thank you Alex Aster, William Morrow, and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you SO MUCH to NetGalley, Harper Collins Publishers, and Alex Aster for this eARC!

I'm obsessed with Alex's fantasy books so I was so excited to read her first contemporary romance! It definitely didn't disappoint!

Elle and Parker were the cutest in this rom-com like story! Reading about all the places they went around NYC, to help Elle right her movie script, brought back memories of my husband and I getting engaged there (at Christmas) in Dec 2023. Definitely adding 'trying all the most popular pizza places' to our to-do list for our next trip! No riding a carousel afterwards though. I loved seeing Elle slowly open up to Parker, and vice versa, during their fake dating - about their lives, their past trauma/grief, their wants for the future - and eventually realizing they have real feelings for each other. Get you a man who can buy you you're favorite coffee shop (chain) and who brings you your favorite coffee and scone every morning haha While Elle isn't, generally, impressed by things money can buy, it was adorable watching Parker give Elle the things he knows she loves.

Overall, I loved this book! I devoured it in less than a day. I can't wait to read more of Alex's romances!

Some of my favorite lines:
-"You're strong, and you're smart, and you're creative, and I'm glad you write, because it's a way to be let int your perfect mind."
"I'm not perfect"
"You are, though. To me, you are. It's like your mind and soul and body and everything was made for me. It's like you're perfectly mine."
"But I'm not."
"I know, but sometimes, I pretend."

-"It's a shame, that summers always end,"
"Maybe this one can be endless."
"Nothing in life is endless."
"Love is, Elle."
"And what do you know about love?"
"Now? Everything."

-"I didn't fall in love with a version of you, Elle, I fell in love with every you."

Huge thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for letting me read this one early in exchange for my review!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (4.5)
Release Date: March 25, 2025

✨ Fake Dating
✨ Forced Proximity
✨ Billionaire CEO / Anonymous Screenwriter
✨ Summer in NYC
✨ Fake Dating
✨ Second Chance
✨ Lovers to Enemies to Lovers

While struggling with writers block, our main girl Elle heads back to NYC to try make her deadline, so she’s staying at her sisters dream apartment while it’s being renovated. Her neighbor? Just so happens to be the same guy she hooked up with in a stairwell 2 years ago before he called her a gold digger.

My thoughts? It’s a billionaire romance, I am kicking my feet screaming. There is just something about knowing he can get everything he ever wants, but when it comes to Elle, he has to be patient and treat her like no one he’s ever met. It’s swoon worthy, it’s romantic, it’s delicate, but oh buddy is this a delicious rom-com laced up with a spicy bow. I loved that the best friend was the best friend, her sister was a character, and her new friends are just as cozy.

The stars show 5 stars, but I do take a way a TEEENY TINY bit for the 3rd act breakup, but it was (oddly enough) necessary, and I am here for the ending 110%.

And let me be real with you all, I have never read anything by Alex. I have her fantasy books on my shelf for a while now, but after reading this I just *know* I will adore anything she writes.

I'd like to start by thanking NetGalley for the early eARC copy of this book!

There were so many things about Alex Aster's debut contemporary romance novel that she did right. For starters, the setting was woven into the story immaculately. It was so fun to travel all over New York through the eyes of the FMC and MMC and I actually added many of the stops to my own list of "if I ever go back to NYC" places to visit. This book deals with grief of a loss of a parent, which I resonate with so much, and the complicated emotions that accompany that in regards to siblings, etc. (As a side note, I almost cried when they passed the large Olive Garden because I went there with my dad when we saw his best friend play in Carnegie Hall.) Alex did a beautiful job capturing the duality of places holding good memories which can make them bad after loss.

As for the romance, I felt like there could have been 1-2 more scenes to help strengthen Parker and Elle's relationship. We get the prologue like first chapter where Parker is just an ass. It is not the same to assume someone works at a club they are in dressed in all black and that someone is a prostitute/ gold digger, but I digress. I don't feel like we ever got closure on that version of Parker (a good explanation as to why he did that). In my opinion, he probably thought no one would ever like him outside of his money and he just wanted to feel a connection and was used to that being what it was about but it was never explicitly said on page. Between that and having ONE moment where Parker went from what we saw in ch 1 to the doting "I'll buy anything to make you happy" guy we see for the rest of the book, it would have felt more believable. I essentially just had to ignore that and the rest of the book was enjoyable.

*slight spoiler* I do think that the story would have been better with only one break up.

Also, in the spicy scenes, it would be nice to use a word other than center over and over again. It's not even a bothersome word, its just the only word used so it was distracting lol.

That being said, this was exactly what I expected. Light and fun, kick your feet tension, and a dirty mouthed billionaire MMC. If you're coming here for a fun good time with billionaire shenanigans than you will enjoy this book.

This is a perfect read for summer! It was fun and light and I read it in two days.

I liked all the unique NYC locations. (Or they were at least unique to me as a non-New Yorker.) My favorite was the day spent eating only pizza. The exploration was a fun way to get to know the characters while making the setting of the book integral to the plot.

It wasn’t perfect. Her girl friends had no distinct personality. The ending still had some loose ends and I wanted more closure. How does Elle’s relationship with her sister change? Does her relationship with her dad change? Elle takes time to “work on herself” but we don’t really see it happen.

Overall I still very much enjoyed it and would read more by this author in the future!

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC.

My final rating for this book was a 3.5⭐️

Overall plot of this was incredibly fun and enjoyable. This is the perfect summer romance that had me dreaming of a trip to New York City!

Now the part I didn’t love about the book was the main character. I felt like she was really hard for me to relate to and honestly a little hard for me to like. She was very black and white and set in her ways. Instead of asking people things and making educated judgments about people she jumped to her own conclusions and then was to stubborn to admit when she was wrong. I did really like the MMC though, I thought his character was sweet, caring, and just overall a great mmc.

The final thing I didn’t love about this story was the ending. I felt that it was just a little too wishy washy for my liking and it dragged on a little too long.

All in all I still really enjoyed this book and will recommend it as the perfect summer romance!

I want to thank NetGalley, Harper Collin’s, and Alex Aster for sending me the advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, it was cuuuuuuuute, 4 stars! I went into this book with low expectations for some reason but was very pleasantly surprised. Any story with a strong FMC and a strong group of female friendships will always win brownie points with me. Parker was such a sweet MMC, what a great man. I loved Elle's quirks, her resilience, her not setting aside her wants and needs for someone else, and her background story was great. In most millionaire/billionaire romance books, the FMC gets wooed by money or the things that money can buy, and this isn't the case (woot!). I've never been to NYC and never had a desire to visit (outside of the food scene), but this book made me want to visit and just spend a day roaming around.

Great, easy, and fun summer read!

Format: ebook

Thank you so much to NetGalley and William Morrow for the arc!!

Very cute love story! Such a fun read! A bit over the top with gestures and feelings but it was a really entertaining read.
I loved how they met and that theme returned again and again over the course of the book.
Now I want to visit NYC again!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am always entertained by Alex Aster's books and was thrilled to receive an early copy. I was excited to hear she was writing a Contemporary book set in New York setting. Elle and Parker's summer romance was great. I enjoy books where the city is a character, New York and all the different attractions just added more to the book. I really like Elle's character development in the book. I can't wait to read more contemporary from Alex Aster.