5/5
I absolutely loved this book. It was funny, gave me butterflies, and allowed me to reminisce on my time in New York city. While it shares a similar structure to other romance books, it was bolstered by the added humor between characters and care to detail to describe the settings. I loved the relationship between Parker and Elle. The back and forth was adorable and it had a well written enemies-to-lovers trope. My biggest criticism was the end, when you get there, you will understand this (cough cough Elle), but despite this, I think it added a good depth to the characters that helped to round out their story. Overall, I would highly recommend this wonderful read!


Many thanks to HarperCollins Publishers for allowing me to read this as an advanced digital copy via NetGalley; all thoughts are my own.

This was such a fun read, and a great contemporary romance debut for Alex! I really liked the dynamic between the characters, they had great chemistry and interesting backstories. The tension in this book is 10/10! I devoured it in a day :) Thanks so much to Alex and team for the ARC.

Summer in the City by Alex Aster was an absolute delight, and I couldn’t wait to dive in after hearing about her romance debut. This book has everything, neighbors-to-lovers, fake dating, and a touch of billionaire romance, all set against the magical backdrop of a summer in New York City.

Elle and Parker’s chemistry is fantastic, with witty banter that had me smiling throughout. The NYC setting feels like its own character, bringing every scene to life with iconic spots and hidden gems, like their romantic walk from one end of Broadway to the other. She balances romance with just the right amount of humor and emotion, making it easy to get swept up in the story. Parker’s grand gestures are so cute!

The ending wasn’t quite what I expected, but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the journey. Super excited I got to read an ARC of this - thank you, NetGalley!!

When I first picked up this book I thought, “Can Alex Aster truly be good at writing romance just as well as she does fantasy?” Well, I’m here to say this is the best book she has written to date. I honestly couldn’t put this book down and found myself giggling and blushing along with our FMC.

In this novel we follow screenwriter Elle and tech CEO Parker. These two first meet briefly at a club in NYC but don’t quite hit it off (way to go Parker). They end up neighbors for a summer two years later, and Parker needs a fake girlfriend to distract the media while his company negotiates a huge multi-million dollar merger. Elle also needs someone to go with her exploring NYC for her script. What unfolds is pure love with every page and adventure.

I am totally in love with this book because of the fast paced and meaningful plot, characters that just speak to me on a deep level, and the overall writing quality. It was just a perfect story (even if I read it in fall from Middle-of-nowhere Midwest.

Elle was such a memorable character. She really spoke to me. I could relate to her in many ways, especially with her anxiety and fear that people don’t truly like her. Girl, same. And Parker was 100% book boyfriend material.

The only issue I had was everything was going perfectly until chapter 30. However, Aster made up for this during the last half of Chapter 32 (the last chapter).

If you’re looking for a cute romance with no cheating, a HEA, banter that will have you literally LOLing, and characters that make you want to jump inside this book, then read Summer in the City.

*An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review.

I sadly wasn’t the biggest fan of this, I think I prefer her fantasy series more! It was well written but I think I was just stuck in fantasy land lol

I was so happy to get this book as an ARC! I love Alex Aster's writing. Thank you William Morrow Books and Netgalley for the opportunity. #SummerintheCityDeluxeLimitedEdition #NetGalley

This was such an awesome romance. I am not a New York resident and the way she describes different locations really made me feel like I was there or that I could envision what the surrounding area looked like so I could imagine it perfectly. Her attention to detail really made me enjoy this book.

The characters in the book were great! The fact that they made misconceptions about one another the first day they saw each other made their "fake dating" story so much more enjoyable. I love that Parker just keeps buying things or using his money to try to make her happy. You can tell he just does not know how to be normal. I can just imagine their argument about using the jet to get to her sister who is in labor, I giggled.

There were times I did feel the story dragged slightly and I just was not into it and there were times I could tell this was a first-time romance book for the writer. But like I said before, the writing was very descriptive at times when it needed to be and it really helped me imagine the scene.

This was such a fun summer romcom. I loved getting to visit well known and lesser known spots in New York City while reading, especially their hunt for the best NY pizza. It made me want to book a flight to do the same! The romance was fun to read, especially all the grand gestures that come with a billionaire romance, but I do feel it lacked some depth. Yes, they both had feelings for each other but the feelings they had weren't described in enough detail to make it feel real to me. I loved that Elle stayed true to herself throughout the book and we saw her evolve from someone who preferred anonymity to fully embracing who she was and making friends and making a difference. This is definitely something I would recommend to someone looking for a light, fun summer read set in NYC!

I can’t even explain how much I loved this book. I binged this in 24 hours, and now I’m going back to reread my favorite parts again.

The chemistry was so unreal for Elle and Parker, it was ooooozing off the page. I loved our FMC Elle; she’s smart, beautiful, sarcastic, and so fun. Our MMC Parker is just all around sexy and vulnerable and delicious; I loved him!

I have already ran to order my own copy of this lovely novel. This was true romcom brillance at it’s finest. Fantastic job Alex Aster; I will be reading everything you write going forward!

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for the ARC of this novel; all opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the eARC.

I loved this book and the characters! I liked reading about the New York scene, it felt like Gossip Girl vibes. The fruition of the relationship had all the right aspects between the characters. I highly recommend this book if you love romcoms.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book!

I’m a sucker for a good romcom and Alex did a beautiful job with this one. Both character’s had a great arc throughout the book. Parker is a closed off billionaire that trusts no one. Elle is an anonymous screenwriter who keeps herself isolated from the world due to her past experiences as a child/young adult. They start off on terrible terms, end up neighbors years later, and start a fake relationship. The burn is slow in this one but I wasn’t mad about. This reminded me of an early 2000s romcom based on NYC. And I loved every second of it!

⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️ 🌶️

This was a fun read. Loved the banter between the characters. MMC is such a green flag and and the FMC was so relatable.

So enjoyable and well written.

I LOVED THIS. It was so good. I want another contemporary romance from Alex Aster ASAP please! I loved the characters, the plot, and the spice. I love how both Elle and Parker grew by the end and found each other again. 10/10. I want more. I already preordered the target special edition to add to my physical book collection.

Oh my goodness, this novel. This novel healed parts of me that I didn't know even existed. Admittedly, I had no idea what to expect, but knowing that I have found some of my all time favorite authors that way, I was so excited wihen I got approval for Summer in the City. It did not disappoint.

Elle and Parker have great chemistry. Nothing ever felt forced and their stories intertwined so well, especially when you least expected it. Elle is a little stuck on her feelings about New York and on hating billionaires-rightfully so. Parker is lovely, charasmatic, charming and cares so deeply for Elle. They just...worked as a couple and boy does she make him work for it. They are perfectly imperfect, and that makes it special. I would even go as far to say that this isn't your typical billionaire romance.

Even though I don't read young adult fantasty books, I could tell this was written by Alex Aster. In the best way possible, the descriptions and writing style was different than some of other romance books I've read. I don't really know how to describe it, but there was no diaglouge to just fill a couple pages or to add a scene. It was so new, fresh, and I couldn't put it down. I loved meeting all the other characters and the way the story was told made a lot of sense, had some shock and awe, and was filled with well placed descriptions and dialouge.

I'm going to need this special edition for my shelf because I adored this book so much!!!

Oh my lanta! If I could give this book 10 stars I would. This is going to be the romcom of the year. This is a slow burn with banter that is just *chef's kiss* and an MMC that is so swoon worthy I thought my husband was going to have to scrape me off the floor. I loved every single second of this. Aster can write fantasy but dang can she also write a romcom and I neeeeeeeeed her next one like I need air to breath!

I was so excited when Alex Aster announced she was writing a romance book that enemies to lovers! Summer in the City was so good! I loved how Parker was so in love with Elle that he bought an entire coffee shop, her dream house, and a 50-million-dollar necklace for her. I just wished the reason she disliked Parker so much in the beginning was something other than he was rich because I feel like it would've added a little more angst. However, the communication between the two main characters was amazing, and I loved how you could relate to the realistic issues they were facing. Overall, Summer in the City was a great read, and I can't wait to see what else come from this author.

This was a slow burn and I absolutely loved it! It almost feels like it should be classified as a second chance romance. Loved to see Elle’s growth and Parker’s unwavering dedication to her. The 3rd act breakup was absolutely necessary in order for Elle to grow, find her own voice & love herself.

I would’ve liked to have seen a resolution to Elle’s relationship with her dad. Also, would’ve liked to have seen the loop closed on who revealed Elle’s secret.

The writing was so vivid, I felt like I was in New York. I loved the pizza day, and the blueberry scones. I got so hungry reading this book, I went in search of my own blueberry scones.

Can’t wait for more contemporary romance in the future.

I absolutely loved this book! I was swooning and laughing the whole time while reading. This book consumed me, I just couldn't put it down! It's such a fun and flirty romcom. I really enjoyed the main characters. Elle and Parker are incredibly cute together. And their banter is amazing! If you like romcoms then this book is definitely for you. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for allowing me to read this book ahead of release in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love this book so much I could cry. This is the rom-com book of my dreams!!!!

Elle is a screenwriter who operates under a pen name and thrives being a wallflower hermit anonymous being in her professional and personal life. She is determined to not make the same mistakes as her mother and live every day to be fiercely independent like her mom taught her. Parker is a hotshot young tech genius CEO. His slingshot into celebrity status as one of the richest and most successful people has him jaded that relationships are transactional and based on what you get from the other person, that you can buy your and others happiness.

First and foremost, the banter was B A N T E R I N GGGGGG. They were both so funny and cheeky with their banter. I lived for their exchanges. I can see this being a movie that I would absolutely watch. BRB need to pre-order all the editions now. I devoured this entire book and I’d do it again.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Elle meets Parker at a party and there are immediate sparks they almost hook up in a stairwell until Elle sees straight through Parker and his billionaire playboy tendencies. She feels like she dodged a bullet there, but soon leaves NY. She hates the city and hates Parker even more.

When Elle gets the chance to get back to New York to write a screenplay that sets primarily in New York, she begrudgingly takes the opportunity. Only to find out that her neighbor is none other than Parker Warren - the same man who she almost hooked up with and that she hates. But every opportunity she is forced to interact with him something unusual happens - she gets the urge to write. Elle has had writers block and couldn't figure out a way to write this screenplay, but turns out she just needed her muse - the one and only Parker Warren. Parker soon has an offer for Elle. They'll pretend to fake date for PR so that he can keep everyone off of his back as an important merger is going on with his company and Elle continues to write while in close proximity to her muse. But when the lines start to blur between real and fake are these two brave enough to cross that line?

Summer in the City was a really cute rom-com! I ended up reading the first 40% of the book in one sitting. I liked Elle and Parker's dynamic even though Elle hates Parker and he just wants to spend more time with her. There were parts of the book where I was getting frustrated with Elle. She was hot and cold when Parker genuinely only wanted to spend time with her. Summer in the City was written from a single POV and I think this made it kind of hard not to see his side of the story.

I still enjoyed Summer in the City! I like Alex Aster's writing style. Looking forward to reading more contemporary romance from her.

I don't know why but I was so excited for this book and am so glad I got approved for it. The premise just sounded like so much fun and it was!

This follows our FMC as she goes to New York City for the summer (hence the title of the book) to find inspiration to write (she has some good ole fashioned writer's block going on). She also happens to run into our MMC who she has a not-so-amazing past with. He is a very wealthy tech bro that is about to become an even wealthier tech bro. And since they hate each other, of course they have to do a fun little fake dating situation! I think fake dating is so much fun to read about and this did not disappoint in that department.

There was something lacking about this book that I can't quite put my finger one, there just wasn't enough oomph. But I still had so much fun reading this! It just wasn't as exciting as I wanted it to be - I think that was the problem. Give me more drama!

This was so fun and I would definitely recommend this if you're looking for a fun and summery read. And especially if you love a fake dating trope like I do. Who doesn't?! And it was a super fast read too!

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.