This was such a cute story and I absolutely loved it! I was so glad that I got the chance to read this one and I’m looking forward to reading more rom coms from Alex Aster in the future. Parker and Elle were so great together and even with all their ups and downs this was just such a fun enemies to lovers story that I sold highly, highly recommend.

Billionaire, rememberable meet-cute, grand gestures, fake dating rom-com.

I’ve had Alex Aster on my TBR radar for quite some time. Honestly, I was stoked at the opportunity to read an ARC of her newest release, a romance. However, now when I have to form my thoughts into a coherent review, I am battling on my true feelings towards Summer in the City. When it comes to romance books featuring a billionaire, you have to suspend some belief; but our king of grand gestures Mr. Parker Warren had me thinking “lol ok” one too many times. This, coupled with the depth and growth we see from Elle, and the amount of high highs and low lows in their relationship left me wondering if I just liked or loved this romance.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced copy of Summer in the City in exchange for my honest review

An enemies to lovers romance featuring Elle, a screenwriter, and Parker, a billionaire CEO. The two are forced to be neighbors after a run in a few years prior that left Elle absolutely hating Parker. Elle has a strict deadline for her next screenplay, but will Parker Warren help or hurt her creative process?

I had a great time reading this story and adored Parker the grand gesture king. Suddenly I want to spend my next summer in NYC.

The last few chapters left me a little frustrated and I would have loved to see the end of the story go a bit further.

Overall I think this a quick, cute romance that will make a fun summer read. I hope Alex writes more contemporary romance in the future.

SUMMER IN THE CITY is a fun billionaire romance, but it does require you to suspend your disbelief (unless you're a billionaire, I guess. Which I am nooooot). This was my first Alex Aster book but I am interested in picking up her other books after this. I've been in a rough reading slump and this was a great book to help pull me out of it but I can't say it was the best romance ever. To me, it lacked a lot of details; we knew the basics about the main character and love interest, but they both felt very surface-level and so did their relationship. Because of that, I didn't *love* this one, but it was a pretty quick and entertaining read.

I knew I was going to love anything Alex Aster wrote. I’ve always been a huge fan of her Lightlark series, but I truly don’t know how much I’d fall in love with this book. Elle is such a phenomenal character and honestly so relatable. I love seeing the world through her eyes. The growth you see from her slowly but surely with Parker’s help is truly wonderful to watch. I loved how this book was such a love letter movies and writing, but I also felt like it was such a love letter to New York. The city felt like the third character the whole time and I felt like their little fake dating adventures were made even more fun by having the back drop of the city behind them! What a truly terrific read! I read this in one sitting and it was an automatic 5 stars!

Did I just ruin my entire day by staying up way too late finishing this book? Yes, yes I did. So worth it though. Summer in the City was everything I wanted it to be and more! I fell deeply in love with these characters, I just couldn’t get enough.
This book made me feel all the things—what a rollercoaster of emotions! The found family and self-growth aspects of it were so well written, I loved every second of it. I could almost physically feel Elle’s pain and Parker’s genuine feelings.
I felt everything I want to feel while reading a romcom.
This was my first time reading something from this author, but now I just need to get my hands on more of her work asap!

Thank you NetGalley & publisher for this advanced digital copy, this book comes out on 03.25.2025 and I hope everyone loves it as much as I did.

All opinions are mine and mine only :)

I received an advanced reader copy of this book for my honest opinion. I was happy to start a light romance after finishing a fairly heavy book. I was hooked from the beginning and read until my eyes could not stay open. I read it while in the elliptical and throughout the day. I liked the character development and it wasn’t smutty until at least halfway in. I could have used with less graphic detail, but the story line was so good that I just got the idea of what was happening and glossed over it. I was probably 88 % finished with the book when a big ridiculous disappointing situation happened that I just basically couldn’t agree with. I felt like the main character Elle had gotten past her negative attitudes towards money and gifts when it came to this particular guy. He had proven himself time and time again that he did not believe she could be bought. Even though she tied it up in the end, I was so annoyed by Elle that the book dropped to 1.5. I rounded up because it was a solid 5 until that disastrous scenario. Good beach read. I would just rewrite the ending. It doesn’t need much just definitely not that ending.

I hope the next book doesn’t have a character who takes so long to emotionally grow.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alex Aster for this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

What a cute read!! Literally felt like I was watching a rom com in NYC. Loved every second of it.

This was such a fun summer rom-com. It was so cute and funny. I loved how it combined the fake dating and billionaire romance tropes. The billionaire romance in particular was done well. I loved the extravagant/ridiculous gifts, and how sweet they were. It was obvious Parker’s heart was ultimately in the right place.

I also really enjoyed the whole premise of the book. It was so fun seeing the characters going all over New York so Elle could visit movie locations to help her better write her screenplay. I just loved Parker, and how he slowly was able to help Elle come out of her shell. I really enjoyed seeing her grow as a person and find herself. I also loved the relationship and sweet friendship Parker and Elle developed while they were fake dating.

I got a little worried there in the last 10%, but the characters thankfully got the ending they deserved!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

listen, i'm the first person on this website to say to suspend disbelief when you pick up a romance book but this...ehhhhh...

i just felt like this was a billionaire trope that wasn't fully flushed out and our FMC had some so-called "problems" that were just so out there and honestly silly i could barely take her seriously. also, as someone who lives in NYC...there were just so many incredibly specific things that were simply not realistic, even in romance book world.

overall i just think this wasn't for me and the ending was so, so rushed i literally felt whiplash.

special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Really enjoyed this cute book! The enemies to lovers troupe is always the best and Aster nails it. Parker and Elle had some hurdles to overcome, but the HEA was swoony.

It turns out I really enjoy Alex Aster when she’s not holding me captive in her own indecision and dragging out a book series.

This was a such a cute, easy read. Was it perfect? No. Did I have a good time anyway? Yes. I. Did.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC. This one releases March 25, 2025 and is a fun, quick summer read!

Review of Summer in the City by Alex Aster

Summer in the City by Alex Aster is a delightful, fast-paced rom-com that serves up all the right ingredients for an enjoyable escape. It follows Elle, a 27-year-old screenwriter stuck in a serious case of writer’s block, who’s desperately trying to meet the deadline for a big-budget screenplay set in New York City. When her creativity hits a wall, she takes a leap and returns to the city she’s tried to avoid, moving into a dreamy (and wildly unaffordable) apartment, complete with floor-to-ceiling windows and skyline views. The catch? Her new neighbor is none other than Parker Warren—her ex-stairwell hookup from two years ago, now a tech billionaire and very much the last person she wants to see.

The premise is a classic rom-com setup, but Aster gives it a fresh, engaging twist. As Elle and Parker strike an unlikely deal—she’ll help him fake a relationship to save face during a company acquisition, and he’ll help her get her screenplay written—their chemistry sizzles. What starts as a convenient arrangement turns into a slow-burn romance that’s full of humor, tension, and some surprisingly heartfelt moments.

What really sets Summer in the City apart is Elle herself. She’s relatable in a way that makes you root for her, whether she’s grappling with self-doubt, navigating the chaos of New York, or dealing with a serious creative block. Parker, with his high-powered, flashy life, might seem like a standard billionaire love interest, but Aster adds depth to his character too. Beneath the polished exterior is a man who’s just as vulnerable and flawed as Elle, which makes their slow-burn, love-hate dynamic all the more compelling.

The setting is another win for Aster. New York City isn’t just a backdrop here—it’s practically its own character. The way the city’s energy, quirks, and even its quieter corners are woven into the story makes it feel alive, adding a sense of magic that’s perfect for a romance. From coffee shop runs to moments on the rooftop, the city pulses through every page, making it easy to imagine yourself right alongside Elle as she tries to reclaim her creativity and heart.

Though the plot treads familiar rom-com territory—fake relationships, love-hate dynamics, unexpected sparks—Aster manages to breathe new life into these tropes with witty, sharp dialogue and genuine emotional depth. The humor hits just the right notes, but it’s the emotional growth of both Elle and Parker that really carries the story. The push and pull of their relationship feels earned, and the moments of tension are tempered with enough sweetness to make their eventual connection feel satisfying.

If you’re in the mood for a lighthearted, feel-good romance with enough heart to make you care about the characters long after the last page, Summer in the City is a perfect pick. It’s the kind of book that transports you to a sunlit New York summer while exploring themes of career, love, and self-discovery. Alex Aster proves that sometimes the best stories come when you least expect them—just like a perfect summer romance.

The book had uneven pacing, and portions felt like a self-insert for Aster based on what she shares on social media. From 10% in past the halfway mark, the story shined, but after the 70% mark, the story felt phoned in. I understand she wrote it over a long period of time and in between writing the Lightlark series, so the disparity in quality amongst the chapters makes sense.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC.

This was my first book by Alex Aster and I enjoyed it SO MUCH. I felt so connected to Elle and the issues she goes through daily. It felt like the perfect mix of romcom and self discovery. Both of herself and the city. 5 STARS and a new addition to my ‘personality books’.

This was such a cute, easy read. I loved how the fmc was able to overcome her childhood trauma that was preventing her from finding happiness. Some of the stuff on here was ridiculous, but that's what a romcom is. I love how it was perfectly balanced with deep things, too. I enjoyed reading this, and what a great first adult romance by Alex!

This was such a fun romance read. I am not usually a romance reader and I had no problem getting through this

This book was absolutely amazing. I loved Alex's books of lightlark and this was so different from that. I am usually not a love story person but this book took my heart from the start. I can relate to Elle so much. I loved her relationship with Parker. At every turn I was screaming at Elle not to leave him. And the ending was so perfect. This was the book that I didnt know I needed. It actually helped me with my current situation. Everything about this book was so perfect. As a writer, I fell in love with the story behind the story. Every word that was written I can feel Alex's emotions when she wrote it. I wonder if this was part of a real story for her or something she just felt she needed. I want to know these things. But it was the sweetest love story. I also loved Elle's back story. That is so real and relatable to so many people. This book made me feel something and for that, thank you Alex. I will be in line getting my physical copy the second it hits the self. Thank you for the ARC!

This was so fun! A light-hearted rom-com for any time of year, with just the right amount of humor, drama and a dreamy list of places to visit in NYC and beyond.

Deluxe Editions are fun! Book collectors appreciate the special covers and pages and edges. I don't normally purchase books for those reasons, but I can see how many do. The story is entertaining and Aster has crafted excellent characters. The limited edition is a bonus in my eyes. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.