As a long time adoring fan of Sarah MacLean, I could not wait to get my hands on Sarah’s contemporary debut. I cannot overstate that this book is EXCELLENT. Sarah has an uncanny ability to draw you in and have you hooked from the very first page.

These Summer Storms opens with estranged daughter Alice Storm returning to her family home on the Rhode Island coast following the passing of the family’s patriarch, Franklin Storm. Upon Alice’s arrival, she is immediately confronted by the secrets, toxicity, control, and dysfunctional chaos she fought to escape in return for her freedom and a less than warm reception from her mother and siblings.

Franklin was eccentric, revered by the world as a self-made empire-builder, but to his family, he could be selfish and manipulative. Even in death, Franklin orchestrates a final Storm “Olympics” for the siblings and his widow, but the tasks are outlandish and for some of the siblings, cruel. The catch? They must ALL complete their tasks or no one gets their piece of the inheritance.

There were many times when my heart ached for Alice, Greta, Sam, and Emily. It’s a testament to how good Sarah’s storytelling is that she can take these spoiled, prickly, unlikable characters, peel back their layers to the root of their humanity, fears, and hopes, and has your heart hoping that they find healing and peace. Are they still dysfunctional, chaotic, and a bit unhinged? Of course, but what family isn’t?

The drama and layers of secrets were *chef’s kiss*, but while this is technically contemporary fiction, it also delivers a romance plot that is positively sublime. You are going to swoon for Jack “hot tattooed forearms” Dean.

Overall I liked this book. It was a little slow/redundant at times, but if you’re looking for lots of family drama with a little spice thrown in- you’ll enjoy this one!

Author Sarah MacLean is well known for her bestselling and award winning historical romances and young adult novels. “These Summer Storms” is her debut contemporary novel. Innovative inventor billionaire Franklin Storm has died, and his daughter Alice returns to the family island after a fight with her dad resulted in 5 years of exile. Franklin was a genius but also competitive and controlling, and his final communications to his family are conditions they must meet in order to inherit from his estate. Family dramas are not my favorite type of book, and the Storm family definitely has problems relating to each other. Sometimes I was impatient when they fell into old patterns, especially since the siblings are adults in their 30’s, but over the course of a week the widow and four siblings establish new ways of relating to each other as family secrets are revealed. I was drawn in by the characters and relationships, and there were plenty of unexpected twists in this family drama. And for fans of Sarah MacLean’s historical romances, there is still a HEA ending to satisfy. This is a review from an ARC provided via NetGalley.

Thanks to @ballantinebooks for sharing an advance copy of These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean, out July 8th!

I’ve read nearly all of Sarah MacLean’s historical romances, so I was absolutely chomping at the bit to get to read her departure — a contemporary!!! — set on a private island off the East Coast, where exiled daughter Alice returns to reckon with family secrets in the wake of her magnate father’s unexpected death.

This is the perfect summer read: Rich people behaving badly! Summer storms (both literal and figurative)! Rolled up shirtsleeves and slutty forearms! Steve Jobs meets Succession meets Sarah MacLean doing what she does best — creating complex characters and worlds that captivate readers.

I thought the premise was both SO FUN and a bit of a nod to the murder mystery genre — it kept me guessing til the very end.

I loved this book! In many ways, I thought it a fresh new take on Shakespeare's The Tempest; it had the island, the "magician" found in the Franklin figure, even though he was dead, and the themes of betrayal, power, redemption, and forgiveness. It could also be compared in some ways to King Lear - with he "children" fighting over inheritance and also betrayal. It is clear that Sarah MacLean is a student of Shakespeare. However, if you're not a fan of Shakespeare, don't worry. The plot is set in this time period, featuring love, romance, and a language that's easy to understand. These Summer Storms is the tale of the Storm family, who, under the patriarch's rule, Franklin, shaped technology in the digital age. The four siblings, partners, and their mother are stuck on their island off the coast of Rhode Island, to "celebrate" the life of this man. The novel is full of secrets, what appears to be an "impossible game" that their father imposes on them after death, and romance. I highly recommend this book and want to thank NetGalley and Ballantine Books at Random House Publishing for the e-arc.

This one is getting such amazing reviews but I had a really hard time staying focused on it and keeping my attention. I liked the main characters but all her family members were annoying, but in a boring way. Unfortunately this one wasn't for me.

A glamorous and scandalous depiction of complex family dynamics.

These Summer Storms was an emotionally charged, contemporary family drama that centered on an unconventional inheritance game. This was MacLean’s first leap into contemporary fiction. She has mainly written novels in the historical romance genre. However, Maclean delivered a razor sharp tale that blended drama and romance, and wove generational retribution, grief, and the healing & unraveling power of family.

These Summer Storms followed Alice Storm. Alice was estranged from her wealthy New England family for five years. When her father passed away unexpectedly, his death wasn’t the final word, it was the beginning of an unusual test. Set on the private Rhode Island, her father left a final challenge- each family member was invited to spend one week on the island and complete assigned tasks in order to claim their inheritance.

I was astonished to learn this was MacLean’s first contemporary fiction novel. She was successful in fabricating a beautiful written narrative about the complexities of family. Regardless of her talent lying mainly in the historical romance genre, These Summer Storms delivered a richly layered and emotionally resonant narrative. It dove deep into family estrangement, legacy, grief, and forgiveness and portrayed the tension between obligation and self-determination. More specifically when Alice returned to her powerful and emotionally fraught family. At its core, this was a slow burn compelling romance between Alice and Jack. Their romance was filled with angst, buried desire, and reluctant vulnerability making their love story an intriguing one. Along with the mesmeric romance, the atmospheric setting on the private Rhode Island was the perfect backdrop. It gave a gothic inspired, moody summer atmosphere.

Despite being entertained by this contemporary tale, I did not prefer the repetitive language and dramatic sentiments. I felt these elements slowed the pace of the narrative and was overly theatrical. Since the story was already paired with heavy internal dialogue, the repetitive vernacular could have been diminished.

Overall, I was so pleased to have gotten the opportunity to read Sarah MacLean’s debut contemporary fiction novel in advance of its publication date. MacLean delivered an emotionally resonant story with strong character development and thematic depth. If you like slow burn succession-style family dynamics with romance and richly drawn characters, you will most likely be satisfied with These Summer Storms.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Sarah MacLean is an autoread author for me and it was so fun to see her in a different genre, which she slayed, of course. Usually when I read an inheritance story, its a murder mystery, so the whole time I was waiting for someone in the wings to start taking out family members. Not a single Storm was likable, (nor Jack), but Sarah MacLean did a wonderful job of making the reader empathize with their individual tasks, even though being ultra rich is not relatable. I am also in the minority because I hated the tv show Succession, which this is comped to a lot. I would absolutely read more of her drama/literary work, and of course ready for all her romance.

After a 5 year estrangement with her family, Alice returns home to her family for her wealthy father's funeral. The siblings are then thrown into a sort of inheritance games in order to receive their inheritances.

This was a fun surprise for me. I really enjoyed hearing the story behind the messy family, the complicated father/daughter relationship, and the romance that develops.

Super impressed that this is the author's first book into a genre different than what she normally writes.

Thank you to Random House Ballentine and NetGalley for the ARC!

These Summer Storms is Sarah MacLean’s first foray into contemporary fiction and it was worth the wait! Emotional, dramatic, hopeful, and written with MacLean’s signature humor and wit, These Summer Storms makes for the perfect beach read by day, or cozy read on a stormy night. On a side note: as an avid fan if MacLean’s historical romances, I absolutely loved the little reference to Lady Georgiana and her descendants.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc!

Overview: Alice Storm is finally returning to Storm Island after 5 years of being estranged from her family to attend the funeral of her father, tech billionaire Franklin Storm. Upon arrival, she finds out that her father has set up a task for each family member to complete in order for anyone to receive their inheritance. And who delivers this news? Jack Dean, the mysterious stranger who Alice met on the train on her way back to Storm Island and had a one night stand with…and never revealed that he was the managing director of her father’s company…

Thoughts: This is the first contemporary romance I’ve read by Maclean and I have to say - she needs to write more of these!! She does such an excellent job drawing out the chemistry between the two leads, while also creating this dysfunctional family environment that Alice had to grow up in. Also, Storm Island was the perfect setting for this book. The only negative to me is that the chapters featuring each of the other Storm siblings’ POV felt superfluous and not necessary for the overall story.

Take home message: These Summer Storms is a fantastic contemporary summer romance between the daughter of a tech billionaire and the stranger who she has a one night stand with. It also explores the devastating impact that the whims of a tech billionaire (and the prospect of large sums of money) can have on those around him.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A Romance That Lost Its Way
I requested this ARC after seeing it featured in the Washington Post's "8 romance novels to read this summer," but I wonder if the book is being marketed to the wrong audience. Rather than the breezy summer romance the article suggested, this reads more like contemporary women's fiction—and not particularly successful women's fiction at that.

While a romantic subplot exists, the story primarily focuses on the protagonist's internal journey as she processes her billionaire father's death and navigates complex family dynamics in its aftermath. Sarah MacLean, known for her historical romances, clearly wanted to stretch her creative muscles with this contemporary departure, but the execution feels unfocused and uncertain.

The book suffers from an identity crisis. It lacks the sharp social commentary you'd expect from a novel examining billionaire family dynamics. It doesn't deliver the literary depth and emotional resonance needed for a serious exploration of grief. Most disappointingly for romance readers, it fails to provide the engaging, escapist love story promised by its marketing. Specifically, we have no idea why the protagonist falls for her father's fixer other than he's hot, can sail, and has a sextant tattoo. All the details about her love interest come far too late in the book to explain the attraction.

MacLean's writing ranges from competent to quite good (though the ARC was riddled with typos), but the fundamental issue is that she seems unsure what story she wanted to tell. The novel touches on wealth, privilege, family trauma, and romance without fully committing to any of these themes. There are plenty of thought-provoking romances that successfully balance serious subjects with satisfying romantic elements—this simply isn't one of them.

The book might have succeeded if it had either leaned fully into being a incisive family drama about extreme wealth or committed to being the fun summer romance it was marketed as. Instead, it occupies an uncomfortable middle ground that serves neither purpose particularly well.

Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

3.75 stars rounded up.
First off I’d like to say thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House publishers for this advanced reader’s ebook copy.
When I read the blurb for this book on NetGalley, I knew I wanted to read it. It gave me a Agatha Christie-ish theme thought.
The entire storyline is set on a remote island with family drama/trauma? Yes please! I couldn’t wait!
The storyline flowed great. I’m not a huge fan of billionaire and heiress/heirs, spoiled brat subject matters in books but this one was really good.
The family dynamic, hatred toward certain members, the mother character….oh my! I hated her in all the right ways!
The dramatic/heart wrenching parts were so good. I shed a tear multiple times.
…figuring out love always wins in the end, it’s not all about the money, truly heart warming.
The sexual scenes in the book bordered on soft p__n and was majorly over the top graphic in my opinion. I’m not a fan. The amount of times I had to skim over x-rated parts turned me off.
The amount of f-bombs throughout the book was cringy in my opinion as well.
There were grammatical errors in a couple of places but I was given an “uncorrected copy” so that did not sway my star rating.

Thank you again for allowing me advanced access for my honest review. I truly appreciate it.

Sarah MacLean is one of my favorite authors and she crushed her first foray into contemporary fiction. Great characterization, great plot, lovely world building. The perfect summer read!

As a fan of Sarah MacLean's for her feminist take on the well-worn bodice ripper, I was eager to read her entry into modern fiction. I wasn't disappointed by the nuanced dynamics of Family Storm, centered around the death of the patriarch, and seen through the lens of the prodigal daughter. I found it a little hard to have much pity for the uber-rich family, but having chapters told through the perspective of the other siblings is a nice touch. It doesn't fall into the tropes of a traditional romance, and I was intrigued by the breadcrumbs of the family mysteries and the secrets that kept unraveling as the week progressed. I hope MacLean continues to explore this genre.

Alice Storm has returned home to her family’s private island on the Rhode Island coast after the sudden death of her larger-than-life billionaire father. She fully expected her reunion with her mother and siblings to be awkward, especially because they all sided with their controlling father after he banished her from the island five years ago.

However, Alice underestimated her father, who even after death, found a final way to control the Storm family. And so begin the inheritance games - each Storm family member - including Alice - must complete their designated tasks and stay on the Island for a week. All under the stern and judgmental watch of Jack Dean, her father’s unfairly handsome second-in-command.

I really enjoyed Alice’s story, her entire messy family all full of rancor and secrets, her complicated relationship with her father, her attraction to Jack - which provided just the right amount of romance, and the rollercoaster of emotions throughout it all.

Sarah MacLean is one of my favorite historical romance authors so I was excited to see what she could do in contemporary fiction. She absolutely worked some magic!

This story of the death of a billionaire tech magnet, and the inheritance games he sets up for his family after his passing. The focus of the story is on this dysfunctional family, and we get their pov’s over the course of the book.

There is a romance or love story that develops over the course of the book, but the book is not necessarily a romance. But does have some steamy scenes.

This was a propulsive read and I was totally invested in learning how it all played out! This is a perfect beach read to escape reality and see how billionaire’s live (and die). And how awful the family dynamics were despite (or because of) all their wealth.

Definitely one of my top reads for the summer!

Other than a moment where they talked about counting after lightning to see how far away it is…and it was wrong, but I had to just waive it away (maybe it got fixed before publication), I thoroughly enjoyed this book

Thanks to Random House Ballentine and @netgalley for an early copy of this.

I really enjoy a good character-driven story full of family drama, and These Summer Storms definitely delivers on that front. It had its fun moments and a premise that seemed right up my alley. However, it just didn’t fully work for me. I found the pacing pretty slow, and I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters. Overall, it had potential and I can see why others might enjoy it, but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!

I like the way Sarah MacLean writes contemporary and messy family dynamics. I felt like I was on the island with the Storms and also in their heads, listening to their thoughts. This book has drama and secrets and thankfully a big stern MC who is gonna punch people for his lady. Definitely a perfect summer read.

In a compelling tale of secrets, inheritance, and fractured family ties, These Summer Storms draws readers into the turbulent world of Alice Storm, who returns to her family’s private island estate for the first time in five years—banished, estranged, and unprepared. The sudden death of her billionaire father, Franklin Stone, brings his four children and their mother back together, only to find that true to Franklin’s manipulative nature, their inheritance comes with strings attached.

A representative from Franklin’s company, Jack—a man who happens to be Alice’s enigmatic one-night stand from the evening prior—arrives to distribute letters outlining individualized tasks that each family member must complete in order to receive their share of the estate. Except for Alice. She is given no letter—only one condition: remain on the island for one full week.

Furious and unwilling to play games, Alice offers up her inheritance on the spot—only to learn from Jack that if one sibling opts out, the entire family forfeits their claims. Trapped on Storm Island with three siblings she barely recognizes anymore, a mother who was once complicit in her silence, and a man she doesn’t know whether to hate or trust, Alice is forced to confront a tangle of unresolved wounds and long-buried truths.

As the family competes in what they come to call their father’s final challenge—the “Stone Olympics”—the week unfolds into a revealing odyssey of self-discovery, buried resentments, and complicated love. Each task exposes deeper cracks in their relationships, and as accusations fly and secrets unravel, they must decide: Is the inheritance worth the price of peace? Or is reconciliation the greater prize?

Layered, emotionally charged, and laced with suspense, Storm Island poses a haunting question: What are we truly owed by the ones who made us—and what are we willing to forgive to reclaim ourselves? This gripping family drama invites readers to explore the lengths one might go to for family—and whether blood alone is enough to bind us