Ugh, I was wanting sooo much more from this book. The writing was easy to read, and being set in NYC was great (not to mention the amazing cover!) BUT, I couldn't stand the FMC. All it felt like she was doing was complaining and creating problems that weren't there. Not to mention she kind of seemed like a gold digger...but then when the MMC does something really special for her and spends a lot of money...she gets mad because she wanted to buy it herself. She's like half feminist/half wanting to be taken care of...and the feminist part of her wins. Chapter 30 just made me done with her...and I couldn't care less how it ended. The MMC deserved better.

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for the ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars

Summer in the City is a swoony New York romance between a screenwriter and a billionaire tech genius. When Elle returns to New York for inspiration to write another blockbuster movie, she finds out her neighbor is Parker, her stairwell hookup from years earlier. So lovers to enemies to lovers galore.

I really loved this fast-paced romance that had excellent dialogue and fun tropes. I will definitely be reading whatever Aster writes next.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I did not like this book. I dont know if it was the writing style, if it was the characters but It felt very whiney and i did not like the characters..

I LOVED this book! Summer in The City was the perfect beach read for this upcoming summer.

Elle is an anonymous screen writer and Parker is a tech billionaire. They happen to meet at a party, while Elle has absolutely no idea who Parker is, and sparks fly! But Parker quickly messes it up.

They happen to meet a couple years later and Parker has decided he will do everything in his power to win over Elle. Starting with fake dating…but just for the summer.

Parker is literal boyfriend perfection! Of course his dates were probably a little over the top and not realistic for us mere mortals, but a girl can dream!!

Elle had a lot of depth and trauma to her character, but I feel like there were times she was too stubborn and got in her own way when it came to her feelings for Parker.

Anyway, it was summer perfection! And I fear that I too, have fallen in love with Parker.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for this ARC in exchange for my review.

"Summer in the City" by Alex Aster is an absolute gem of a novel! From the very first page, I was swept away by the vibrant energy and captivating characters. Aster weaves together a perfect blend of romance, self-discovery, and the thrills of city life, all set against the backdrop of a sun-soaked summer.

The protagonist's journey is relatable and heartwarming, filled with twists and turns that keep you hooked until the very end. Aster’s writing style is refreshingly engaging, with lush descriptions that bring the city to life and make you feel like you're right there, experiencing everything alongside the characters.

The romance is sweet and real, with chemistry that jumps off the page, while the moments of personal growth make for a truly fulfilling story. It’s the perfect book to get lost in during a lazy afternoon, and it’s impossible not to root for the characters as they navigate love, dreams, and the ups and downs of life in the city.

A must-read for anyone looking for a fun, uplifting escape with a perfect mix of heart and humor. Five stars all the way!

This was so cute and so swoony. I loved Parker so much. He was such a dream out billionaire. I also loved Elle and her independence and her back story, so much depth. Alex Aster writes beautiful love stories. I would recommend this!

This was such a cute rom-com. Hearing that this is a departure from the authors normal genre I was intrigued and pleasantly surprised. The characters were well fleshed out and while billionaire tropes are usually a little too ridiculous for me this one wasn’t bad. I like how the author made NYC come alive like its own character. The FMC was a little irrational at times but overall I enjoyed this!

Rom-Com with some spice and banter?! Lovers to enemies to lovers?! YES PLEASE AND THANK YOU!! Elle is a successful screenwriter who has a bad case of writer’s block. Parker is a tech mogul in the middle of a deal to sell his company. A chance encounter in a club 2 years ago makes for a great lovers to enemies trope. Now they’re neighbors in NYC. They come up with an agreement just for the summer - fake date to take some attention off of Parker’s deal while helping Elle write a movie based on different NYC locations. Just for the summer - Right? We need more Elle and Parker… Please!!

Elle and Parker’s first meeting is love at first site and then hate. Fast forward a few years and they meet again. Elle is experiencing a writers block and Parker is just needing a break from his hectic life. They make a platonic deal to help each other….it’s still hate and then love to the end.
I loved this book. I was thoroughly enthralled with this story so it was over too soon.

I liked this book in the beginning, funny, fun, and their hatred was incredible.

Alas, chapter 30 and beyond ruined the book for me, miscommunication typically doesn’t bother me but Elle was SO MEAN to Parker. Unforgivable.

I absolutely love @alexaster Lightlark series so I was really excited to read her debut adult novel. It was really good! Loves the storyline and I couldn’t put it down! Perfect amount of plot, character development, and romance.

This book instantly hooked me with the classic enemies-to-lovers tension—so much banter, chemistry, and slow-burn goodness that I quite literally couldn’t stop reading. I was completely invested in these characters and their journey!

I absolutely loved the idea of exploring different parts of the city, and it added such a fun layer to the story, though I will admit I wished we got a few more stops along the way. Still, the whirlwind of events kept me flipping pages like mad.

And can we talk about Parker for a second?! His thoughtfulness, his effort—ugh, he melted my heart. His intentions were everything.

This book had me chuckling one moment and tearing up the next. So much happened in one summer, and it was such an enjoyable, emotional rollercoaster. The ending did feel a bit rushed for my liking, but I still closed the book with a big smile on my face.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read this sweet, swoony summer story!

Knowing of Alex Aster from the fantasy genre, I was ecstatic to see her branching out of her comfortable niche and trying a new style. Getting this ARC was icing on the cake!
This book was such a cute and fun escape to the world of NYC where we followed along as Elle and Parker work through their ... issues and arrangements. The banter was incredible and scenes were pristine!

Brava, Alex!

Thank you for the chance to read and review this ARC! Now I need to go back to NYC!

This was a sweet one! I loved the flow of their story, It truly felt like its sent up like one of Elle's movies. I loved the TENSION between the main character, their fake relationship blossomed beautifully into a real one. I hope Alex Aster continues to write romance novel! As a debut, its amazing!!!

The end felt weird. Having them apart for 18 months simply to run into each other again. The proposal plus the town house thing was a lot but I understand how it was necessary to Elle's fears and reality.

This review will be live on my instagram: @lastbookshelfontheleft on 4/5.

I was very indifferent about this book for the first half. I couldn't connect to the characters, especially Elle. They felt very flat and two dimensional to me and became pretty cliche/stereotypical (her a bit more so than him, but the way she thought about him never really changed much from her stereotype idea of him).

I also felt like there was important information given about Elle that would have been more helpful to have earlier in the story rather than getting an insight into her as a character as the events arose. Plus, I would have rather been shown the characters personalities than rather than being told a lot of the time.

I ended up finding Elle to be really annoying as well, especially towards the end (she was gave me whiplash right as things were wrapping up nicely, she did a complete 180 out of nowhere and it just ended up doing way too much). I don't mind a hyper independent character but she was too hyper independent.

The pacing and progression also felt choppy, especially in the last 2 chapters (those chapters also ruined the rest of the book for me). There were moments in the book that went by really fast while others seemed to almost drag on, it was just all over the place.

There were some really good lines in the book that I enjoyed though.

I originally was going to give this 3 stars, since I didn't love it but it also didn't hate it. However, the last 2 chapters really ruined it for me.

2.5 stars

Thank you Alex Aster and NetGalley for the eARC.

When screenwriter Elle, has to move back to New York City for the summer, she does not expect to be neighbors with her angry muse, billionaire Parker Warren.

Welcome to the land of contemporary romance, Alex. You definitely know how to write a MMC.
Parker was... swoon. Here's the thing. Parker doesn't like movies that jump ahead in time, and I agree. The 18-month jump was a NO for me. It lost my faith in this hunk of a billionaire. He made billboards for her?? Why didn't he chase after her???? I was really enjoying this book until the time jump. Now I'm left feeling upset. Maybe that's just me.
Also, I would have liked more than a glimpse of Parker's mom. We had more facetime with Elle's crappy dad than we saw of this wonderful women.
3/5 Stars

Give me all the billionaire romances! Elle randomly meets Parker randomly at a club and they hit it off until he put his foot in his mouth and she starts to hate him. Yes, he becomes her hate muse! Fast forward a few years later and they become neighbors for the summer. I love how Elle grows in this book and starts to realize what's important to her and Parker learns he can't buy everyone's love. Its a great summer read.

THIS is a classic 90's rom-com at it's core. It's utter chaos in the best possible way. I loved the Lightlark Series, but as a contemporary romance reader THIS is my favorite Alex Aster book. I am OBSESSSSSSSSED.

As is typical for a book like this, everything could've been resolved much sooner if they'd just actually talked to each other about their thoughts and feelings, but I really enjoyed myself while reading this. I'm not usually big on billionaire romances, but this one worked somehow!

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up

This book started off really strong. As a Lightlark/Nightbane fan, I was extremely excited for this o e, and I think Alex did an amazing job with the writing style and descriptions of NYC. The entire thing felt very magical–like I was there living it like Elle. I was hooked immediately, and this one helped pull me out of a reading slump that I’ve been struggling to peer through for months now. That being said, the last 25% or so really through me off. There were two third act break ups (both revolving around miscommunication, which I’m not a fan of) and the ending felt rushed. I also felt that it was a tad too unrealistic for me. I love a billionaire romance as much as the next person, but this one ended up being a little too extreme. All in all, I’d absolutely recommend it as a cute, fun romance read perfect for the summer!