*Summer in the City* by Alex Aster is a fun, nostalgic read that captures the essence of 2000s romcoms with its playful charm and vibrant New York City setting. The romance between the leads is engaging, though the male main character (MMC) feels a bit underdeveloped, leaving a slight gap in the story’s emotional depth. Despite this, the book’s energy and wit make it an enjoyable escape. Overall, I’d rate it 4 out of 5 stars for its lighthearted, entertaining nature.

wait. i didn’t want this to end. i absolutely loved it. it was at points heartbreaking and hair pulling, wanting conflict to easily dissipate but also appreciating that it didn’t. because sometimes it just takes time. i loved that she hated nyc but then also loved it—i think that’s maybe what it’s like to love nyc, sometimes believing anyplace in the world is better and sometimes believing there’s no better place in the world.

wow. i’m not over it. and i wish i could read it again for the first time. but also i really loved that this book encouraged me to spend less time reading and more time doing—choosing to live some really remarkable moments rather than just watching someone else. and it made me think it might be nice to be a billionaire (which might the opposite of what i was supposed to feel)

so so so grateful to have received this arc!! all thoughts and feelings and reflections are my own.

LOVED this book! I've already been recommending this book to everyone I know! I love the lovers to enemies to lovers trope, so clever and fun! There is spice towards the end of the book but can be easily skipped if needed. Such a fun easy summer read! Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

This is such a great rom-com with a love letter to New York as a whole. From the descriptions of the places that Elle and Parker visit to the witty banter this book just screams NYC. Just overall a great book from the emotional turmoil that the author creates for the reader throughout Elle and Parker's relationship, to little and sometimes big gestures that Parker makes. Elle was a hard character for me to relate to. She seemed a bit too whiny for my taste and her personality was difficult for me to understand. Parker makes the whole book. He's a billionaire but not snobby and always willing to go above and beyond to make memories for Elle. All his gestures were swoon worthy in my opinion.

Book Tropes:
-Billionaire Romance
-Fake Dating
-Miscommunication
-Enemies to Lover
-Single POV
-Forced Proximity
-Spicy

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for the gifted eARC. All opinions are all my own.

Thank you to William Morrow for providing me with an eARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!
A fresh take on a summer-whirl-wind-romance with a billionaire who made a bad first impression. When their paths cross again, they agree to fake date to help each others careers. As they paint the NYC in new colors, they also tear down the walls around their hearts.

There were so many cute moments in this book! Parker is the type of billionaire any woman would fall for so it did make it a little difficult to understand Elle’s push back on loving such a great man. GIRL! He’s been groveling since you met again. Also, just like they said they don’t like time jumps in romcoms, I too did not like it in this book.

This felt like a quintessential 00’s NYC Romcom in the best way.

There’s a dislike to lovers trope with a delicious slow burn, green flag billionaire MMC (only in fiction) and skeptical/prickly FMC at the center of the story. Fake dating turns into deep love and understanding.

Third act breakup strikes in this one and while frustrating it did seem realistic at least from the FMC point of view.

Devoured this book in a day.

Ah, Summer in the City, the book that made me feel like I was sipping a piña colada on a sun-drenched rooftop, only to realize it was just a glass of lukewarm lemonade. With all the glittery buzz surrounding it, I was ready for a five-star extravaganza, but alas, it turned out to be more of a three-star picnic!

From charming meet-cutes to the classic "will they, won't they" dance, Aster crafts a narrative that feels like a cozy blanket on a breezy day. The characters are adorable, the banter is light, and the setting is vibrant-perfect for those who want a whimsical escape. But here's the hitch: as delightful as it was, I found myself yearning for a little more spice, a dash of unpredictability, or even a plot twist that would knock my flip-flops off!

All in all, Summer in the City is a charming read that will warm your heart and might just inspire you to grab a sundae and stroll through your own city streets. It's perfect for a lazy afternoon or a beach day-just don't expect it to turn your world upside down. So, if you're in the mood for a predictable yet pleasant romantic adventure, dive in.

Thank you NetGalley and @williammorrowbooks for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Summer in the City was such a fun, fast-paced read that perfectly captured the magic (and drama) of a whirlwind summer romance. The NYC setting was vibrant, and the tension kept me hooked. I loved the blend of glamour, ambition, and messy emotions—it felt like stepping into a summer rom-com with just the right amount of depth.

3.75 ⭐️ 2🌶️

A fun and light summer 00s romcom that will have you kicking and giggling. If you go into this hoping for a cute and cringey and ridiculous billionaire romance, you’ll have the best of times and that’s exactly what I did!

The writing (& therefore the audio) felt a bit choppy for me and I had some frustrations with the 3rd act of the book, but overall had a really fun time and I’m excited to see what’s in store for Alex Aster next!

This was the best rom com I’ve read in a long time! I absolutely loved Elle and Parker. I could not put this down… the chemistry was A+!

Summer in the City was a super cute and trope-y story with a bit of a slow start. I wasn't convinced initially, but after learning more and more about our MMC Parker Warren. MFC Elle is initially pretty self-involved, but after spending some real time with Parker, he starts to peel back her layers and she's giving him a real chance.

I got SUPER nervous for a big when things were all good and there was still 10+% left in the book, but then I was glad because honestly the marriage proposal was SUPER sudden and WAY too soon!! Parker is honestly just so unbelievably thoughtful and well-intentioned, and I fell in love with him myself throughout this story. The HEA absolutely paid off in the end.

Summer in the City is OUT NOW! Thank you to the author Alex Aster, publisher William Morrow, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

(social review post will be up on @bostonkatreads via instagram within a day)

A delightful romantic comedy that is like a love letter to the City. I had some problems with how the female main character functioned at times and the choices she made (I literally said, "Why??" out loud a few times) but overall it is a fun, lighthearted read.

Ah, I am struggling with how to review this book.

Pros:
great pacing, witty banter, and fun premise (Elle, independent woman meets Parker, aloof but lovable tech billionaire years after a bad first impression, while trying to fight writers block in NYC)

Cons:
I have read too many books lately with really challenging FMC. I am all for multi-dimensional, imperfect characters, but when taken too far, it takes away from the book. Especially in juxtaposition with an all-star, easy to like MCM.

I found Elle really hard to like; she puts Parker through the wringer time and time again when he is trying to show his love. There is way too much miscommunication and issues Elle needs to work through and the timing of all of it felt off?

Maybe if this was the first book I read recently with this type of FMC, I would feel differently, but after several in a row, I am less and less into it!

3.5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Alex Aster should write more Romance. Summer in the City was an absolute good time to read. Following quirky, stubborn Elle be pulled through NYC by enigmatic Parker, slowly falling for him before she even realizes. Elle struggles to accept love from Parker because of unhealed grief and trauma. As she lets her walls down, she can’t help but let Parker into her heart. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and am grateful for the opportunity to do so with an arc from HarperCollins and NetGalley.

I was supposed to read this as an ARC, but life happened, and I didn't get to it before it was published🫣 However I did get the audiobook, and I finished it in less than 24 hours!

This was my first Alex Aster book, and I loved it! Elle annoyed me at first, but I think it's because she's so relatable with having her walls up so high and not wanting to let anyone in. She eventually come out of her shell, and the walls came down, and I ended up loving her!
Parker is officially one of my favorite book boyfriends. I really didn't want to like him at first, but it was almost impossible not to like him. He was so caring and thoughtful and sweet. He was almost too perfect, it seemed. He was so devoted to Elle. The man literally bought a chain of coffee shops so she could have her favorite scone🥺

The third act break up made me so mad and honestly that what took this from a 5 star read to a 4.5 read because in the end they did fox things and they have a HEA so it worked out.

4.5 stars

“I didn’t fall in love with a version of you, Elle,” he says. “I fell in love with every you.”

This was such an enjoyable story! It had so many of my favorite tropes—forced proximity, enemies to lovers, fake dating, billionaire romance, and more. With all these elements combined, it was impossible not to have fun reading it. That said, the story was a little cliché and predictable, but honestly, that didn’t take away from the enjoyment.

Now, let’s talk about the characters. The MMC was perfect boyfriend material—funny, attentive, caring, and unbelievably patient. I mean, the man literally donated all his money for her and waited so long for her to accept him. I don’t know if anyone could be that patient.

On the other hand, the FMC got on my nerves. Yes, I understand her issues with money, but he was trying—constantly—and she still kept pushing him away. By the last few chapters, her endless rejections became exhausting, and it felt like the story was dragging just to add unnecessary conflict. They could have had their happily ever after right there, but no, we had to go through more pain first.

Honestly, if I had a billionaire boyfriend who would buy an entire coffee shop chain just because they stopped making my favorite scones, I’d be saying yes to the wedding immediately. (Yeah, I know I’m married, but let’s not tell my husband about my fictional boyfriends, okay?)

Overall, this was a super fun and addictive read—you’ll devour it just like I did.

Thank you, William Morrow, for the early copy!

Rating-
4.5/5 stars
(Rounded up!)

Genre-
Contemporary Romance

Tropes-
Enemies To Lovers
Billionaire Romance
Fake Dating
Forced Proximity

Thoughts/Would I Recommend This?-
I honestly thought this was a great book, and I was happy it was because I was really worried that it may not be since the author is a fantasy author, but I was presently surprised by how much I liked it. I liked how the fmc was a movie writer because I hadn’t read a book with anyone in it having a job like that, so I thought it was fun to have and unique. I overall just really enjoyed the book and thought it was great. The only real reason it’s not a 5-star book is because I just felt that something was kind of off and I don’t know why, but it just wasn’t a 5-star and I don’t know why…but nonetheless an amazing book that I totally recommend you read if you want a good contemporary romance.

I rated this one 3.5 stars. I really enjoyed the descriptions of Paris, NYC, and surroundings, but I felt kind of detached from the FMC. Loved the MMC, though. The scenes felt somewhat choppy... almost like working through a checklist. I think some additional editing could've really helped. I liked the story and the messaging, and the cover is beautiful. I look forward to reading more of Alex's work, as I'm sure her future books will be a success.

This was such a fun romcom!!

I loved both of these characters and found them and their romance to be so beautiful! I loved Alex Aster’s writing style throughout this book—especially as she usually writes fantasy, but I thought she did a beautiful job of getting into these characters’ minds. Plus—the chemistry was absolutely beautiful!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and William Morrow for an ARC Copy of this book!!

Despite Lightlark being easily available to me (lol), I have been eager to read an Alex Aster book since having had the opportunity to hear her talk in several panels at the last two YALLFests in South Carolina. She is sweet, hilarious, and seems like not only a good time, but a genuinely nice person. Since I have obviously failed at reading her YA Fantasy series, Summer in the City—being a stand-alone contemporary romance—was the perfect introduction to Aster.

There were elements of this novel that worked better than they normally would for me solely because it was told in first-person from the single POV of the protagonist, Elle. Soooo, for instance, regarding the pace of the romance: an “ooo la laaa” moment WOULD happen but then something WOULD NOT happen, if ya get what I mean. This is mainly because Elle is at a continuous struggle with her love/hate relationship with Parker. There was a constant back and forth that kept me, for the most part, invested as a reader—though towards the end, it did become a little tedious to the point where I spoke “girl, come on now” out loud. Several times. Though, luckily, her flaws are recognized by herself and her supporting friends so it is, I guess (hehe), essential to the plot.

Here are some qualities of the novel that you can look out for and/or that I liked!

-Grumpy female protagonist
-Female lead can be a bit of a hater
-Overall, imo, A Golden Retriever Male protagonist
-This is NOT an enemies-to-lovers story—only the mc views male lead as an “enemy”
-Lots of mentions of coffee, i.e., one of the best things on this planet
-Adventures in the great city that is NY

There were def qualities of the book that frustrated me, but overall, I had a really fun time with it!

Thank you to NetGalley & William Morrow for this ARC!