Alex Aster debut romance novel was done perfectly! I wouldn't change a thing and enjoyed reading every page.

Elle Leon is a screenplay writer with writer's block. Parker Warren is not only the billionare neighbor but the guy she shared a kiss with a few years ago.

The combination tropes like fake dating, close proximity and billionare mmc, are my favorites. Elle was hesitant to date someone like Parker for real so fake dating didnt seem like it would effect her much but Parker kept surprising her. He was thoughtful, considerate and caring. Whatever he didnt say with his words, he said with his actions.

Elle was such a sweetheart and she definitely deserved someone like Parker, consistently proving why they were perfect for each other. Elle's writers block did not last long in nyc either. Parker became her somewhat of her inspiration and helped her in so many.
I loved exploring Nyc throughout the pages and I loved their cute outings and date nights.

Overall, This is one of my Faves from Alex Aster! I Highly recommend!

Thank you William Morrow/NETGALLEY for the ARC!

I was nervous going into this based on how I felt about Skyshade but was happily surprised!

some things I liked:
- it wasn't insta-love
- the "is this real" thoughts that happen in every fake dating wasn't redundant
- quick descriptions of locations
- a fun setting!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This was a fun cheeky romance following a billionaire and a screen writer who hates him. I loved the journey across the city, finding themselves, the growth each character had as well as the perfect ending!

For Alex Aster’s first adult romance this did not disappoint!! I’m not one for billionaire romance, but I found myself not able to put this book down! Also the fact that this was placed in New York when I’ve never been there myself was so much fun, all the descriptions and details of all the places they explore was wonderful!

All I know is that I loved Alex Aster before with her Lightlark Series, and now with this adult romance I love her even more!!

This was my first Alex Aster book! And, I really enjoyed it. It was fun and overall full of love. I enjoyed the character building and their story. Parker was very dreamy and the best part of this story.

This was a quick read. People aren’t always what they seem like. It’s very easy to judge someone based on appearances and attitudes alone. The main characters are well developed, have flaws, but are very likable. Spending a summer in a city that you think destroyed you and finding out that’s it’s one you truly love was a good background to the story. New York City is the perfect setting for this book. I liked how the love story played out.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

🎬🏙️🗽💰

enemies to lovers, second chance romance, forced proximity, opposites attract​, neighbors, billionaire romance (kinda?), fake dating

📖: Screenwriter Elle moves to NYC for inspiration while writing her next script, only to find herself living next door to Parker—the tech billionaire she once hooked up with and now can’t stand.

💭: LOVE LOVE LOVE. This story had me blushing so many times! Parker, the busy billionaire who still made time and bent over backwards for Elle, was so swoon-worthy. While I did feel like he was money/love-bombing her at times—despite her clear discomfort—I still really enjoyed the story.

That said, I wish the engagement at the end didn’t happen. It felt unrealistic since they had never officially dated and had only been together for about three months. Parker went from not believing in marriage to proposing in such a short time, which felt rushed. I loved the time jump, but everything wrapped up too quickly in a single chapter. I would have loved more insight into their time apart and how they found their way back to each other.

But overall, the plot was chef’s kiss—live, laugh, loved this story!

I have read past fantasy books by Alex Aster and loved them, but this book just didn't hit the mark for me. The initial meeting felt rushed, and I feel like moments that should have been bigger and elicited more emotion seemed rushed and fell flat. For example, the reveal that they knew each other came and went in a heartbeat, and I feel like it should have been bigger. Their relationship itself was well paced and sweet though.
I don't like the FMC. She kind of seemed like a bitch. I understand her past and issues with money, but it seemed like they were an issue of convenience. She commented about how she hated he flashed his money around and made it a big deal to her (which is fine, and I support that), but then immediately decided it was fine when he was giving that money to charity. It was still the same show of money though?
I liked Parker. He was a little boring and started off the book a little short, but he ended up having more to say and expressing himself more towards the end. I enjoyed his genuine interest in her and unwavering devotion to her.
The writing in this was kind of juvenile. There could have been so many more uses of descriptions to tell and explain the story. It seemed like words were put on the pages with the purpose of being put there to get from point A to point B, vs being weaved into the story and connecting the parts and dialogue together better. Ironically enough, it almost felt like it was written like a screenplay vs a romance novel.
This story had a lot of potential and was a good plot overall (can't go wrong with fake dating), but it unfortunately fell a little flat for me.

This was the perfect rom com and just what I needed. I stayed up late and finished it in 7 hours. It gave me all the feels - I laughed, I awed, I teared up, I gasped. I loved that the third act breakup wasn’t dragged on for long. Sometimes in those stories, it seems to drag on where you’re practically yelling at the book to hurry up and make up already. This moved at a good pace for my emotional sanity and patience level.

If you’ve read any recent rom com, you know the arc and have some expectations of what will happen and when. It’s the characters and dialogue that set the stories apart. I loved the characters’ personalities and wit, their supporting friendships, and their relationship with each other - each had their own dynamic, shined in their own ways, and supported Elle in different ways.

If you want a cute, enemies to lovers, quick-to-read rom-com, this should be your next read.

Okay so here’s the deal I have a list of books that fall under the category “more than a romance” and Summer in the City is exactly that. This book made me literally laugh out loud, I kicked my feet and screamed like a teenager reading their first romance book ever, I slammed my metaphorical book (e-reader) shut with shock more than once, and I cried, also more than once.
This story truly made the New York City come to life, I felt like I was right there the whole time and I’ve never even been to NYC. Elle and Parker’s chemistry flewwww off the pages. Like literally from chapter one. I just know this one is going to be adapted into one of the most iconic romcom films ever someday and I can’t wait!! 😍 this book truly read like I was watching it as a movie. I finished it in two sittings it was so damn good.
Another facet of this story that I loved was the strong female friendships and the important conversations of what it means to let someone truly in. And allowing them to SEE you, KNOW you, LOVE you. And to also do those things with yourself. Finding out who you really are right here and now. And loving yourself and accepting that same unconditional love from the people around you, even when you don’t think you deserve it, but then you discover that you do. You do deserve to love and be loved.
All that to say Summer in the City is simply a must read. 🌇🍎✨💓

Tropes:
✨ Billionaire romance
💘 He falls first
🌆 Opposites attract
👩🏻‍❤️‍👨🏻 Fake dating
🫂 Strong female friendships

Thank you so much Alex Aster, Willam Morrow and Company pub, and Net Galley for this ARC 🫶🏼

I’m a fan of Alex Aster’s young adult Lightlark series and was so excited when she announced her debut adult novel, Summer in the City!

Summer in the City has great tropes, including two of my favorites…fake dating and enemies to lovers. It’s a cute, fast-paced romance with twists that will keep you engaged. I thought this was a really fun story and it had me wanting to pull an all-nighter to keep reading. The plot will leave you thinking about creating your own perfect movie moment…just like Elle and Parker!

Thank you to @netgalley for an advanced digital copy of this book!

Okay this was cuuuute. I really loved it. Alex’s skill for banter was great. However later in the book things got a little choppy? I felt like the conversations weren’t as organic, or maybe the plot just fizzled a bit? I can’t put my finger on it other than to say the writing was so strong until 6/10 of the way through. But towards the end it really got brought back around until… it didn’t?! It’s a charming book and it definitely gave me the feels. But was a bit more abrupt at the end than I expected. I think I’m leaning more towards 3.8 although I thought for the first 50% it’d be a five star. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC!

When I tell y'all: I WANTED to hate this book, and, two pages in I fully thought I was going to... but Alex Aster absolutely decimated my walls and made me fall in love & I've not recovered since 😭

What began as an excessively cheesy romcom with a highly implausible, wildly unrealistic plot and an FMC who (appeared) to be the epitome of every pick me in existence... turned into a book on love, self acceptance, and finding the "right person at the wrong time" (one of my all time favorite tropes). Despite my earlier concerns and resolve to evaluate the book irrespective of its perceived hype, I can safely say that by the end, I didn't even care.

YES I'm sure there will be plenty of criticisms of this book and YES they are valid, but this book became my happy/safe place in the most unsuspecting way... a book that was so adorable, so funny, and so comforting, I couldn't help but root for Elle and Parker (the absolute most perfect book boyfriend ever). I loved the evolution of both their relationship and their personal growth; and this one made me tear up several times.

Reading Summer in the City honestly just felt like being snuggled in the warmest hug and it was such a joy to curl up with... I am truly so sad it's over :( New peak comfort read unlocked. I'm officially an Alex Aster fan ❤️

This was a great debut into the romcom genre for Alex Aster! I really enjoyed watching the story play out, there were a couple of moments that I wanted to scream and throw the book, or shake some sense into these two, but anytime a book can cause me to experience real emotions I say it’s a job well done. I understood Elle’s fear and hesitancy, while also falling in love with Parker trying hard to learn and be better. It was a really fun story to read.

Such a fun read, had a great time. Author wrote really good banter sense. I love me a billionaire trope, the possibility are endless.

The perfect summer romance to read by the pool!!
Add this to your beach bag and summer TBR!

I loved the New York City summer setting. Parker and Elle have so much chemistry. It’s witty, fun and such an adventure as they visit all the landmarks in New York City!

”It’s a shame, that summers always end.”
“Maybe this one can be endless,” Parker says.
“Nothing in life is endless.”
“Love is, Elle,” he says.
I laugh. “And what do you know about love?”
“Now?” he says. “Everything.”

Summer in the City is a fun, popcorn read that was super easy to get absorbed in. Our heroin, Elle, is an anonymous screenwriter working on a tight deadline for her next project and our main squeeze, Parker, is a tech billionaire. Forced proximity vibes as both are staying on the same floor of a high-rise condo for the summer and share a thin wall. Parker needs a fake girlfriend for the summer while he tries to close a large business deal and Elle needs help exploring the NY City to finish her screenplay on time, so the two partner up with the promise of their arrangement ending come the end of summer.

The story was very entertaining following along as the two explore the city as well as their complicated feelings for one another.

Thank you to Netgalley & William Morrow for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 Stars

Forced proximity
Billionaire
Strongly dislike to love vibes
Rom Com
Fake dating

Summer in the City is a must read summer fake dating romance! NYC feels like a character in the book, and it has that nostalgic classic rom com vibe. Parker & Elle have immediate chemistry. The flirty banter and the slow burn are perfection. There were times it was so ridiculous that I was laughing out loud. A true rom com that also had emotional depth to it. I admired Elle’s ambition so much but also got frustrated with how she treated Parker sometimes. Parker is a billionaire and is so down bad for her. I absolutely loved him. I couldn’t put this book down! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I absolutely loved this book! The fake dating between Parker and Elle was ~chefs kiss~ I loved that he took her on all of the dates she needed for her movie. NYC will always have my heart so it was so fun to read a romcom set there. Parker was amazing, and Elle was so funny! I loved their relationship and I think their timeline and growth made a lot of sense.

Well done to Alex on a knockout romance debut!

The perfect Summer rom-com book in my opinion!

In this book, we follow Elle, who is a 27-year old screen writer, currently working on writing the biggest screen play of her career, except, she has two problems. The screen play is set in New York so she has to spend the Summer in the city she hates, and she has writers block. Unfortunately for Elle, she is also stuck living next to the billionaire bachelor she despises , Parker Warren. After having a steamy and short encounter with him two years before, Elle has become obsessed with hating him. However, his presence seems to be the only thing that helps her get over her writers block. Eventually, Parker and Elle decide to have a fake relationship that will help Elle finish her screen play and help Parker have a good image with the press to ensure the acquisition of his company goes through. What could possibly go wrong?

This book has all the tropes you need: billionaire romance, forced proximity, fake dating, and enemies to lovers. It was truly such a fun Summer read!

Thank you to William Morrow for the advanced readers copy!