This was definitely more women’s fiction/contemporary, but that didn’t stop my enjoyment! These Summer Storms was messy and had me reading straight through for hours.

sarah maclean never misses!!! this book is perfect

thanks to netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review

These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean is a beautifully written, emotionally charged novel that captures the essence of love, loss, and personal growth. MacLean’s lyrical prose and deeply relatable characters create a captivating story that stays with you long after the final page. The romance is both heartfelt and powerful, making it a must-read for fans of contemporary fiction. An absolute gem!

I really enjoyed this book! Sarah is such a fabulous writer! You could really feel all the emotions of the family. The dynamic of the family was interesting. I really enjoyed the ending! Check it out!

These Summer Storms straddles the line of family drama, mystery, and romance for a contemporary spin from the queen of historicals, Sarah MacLean. Alice Storm comes from a Succession-esque family -- her father founded a succesfull tech company, and she and her three siblings were raised in the most privileged circles. But privilege -- and access to the family money -- comes with strings, so Alice left years ago and hasn't seen any of her family since. When her father dies, she returns to the family's private island and estate off of the coast of Rhode Island to see the property, and her family, for the first time. Also on the island is Jack Dean, her father's employee, who is charged with administering her father's will...and the tasks each member of the family must complete in order to be eligible for their inheritance.

One of the strengths of this novel was it's sense of place. Sarah MacLean is intimately familiar with Rhode Island, and it shows in her gorgeous descriptions of summer in New England. The island felt so real, I wanted to visit! I also got such a kick out of the descriptions of old vs. new money, and the intricacies of the social nuances for each group. The romance was also extremely strong -- the chemistry between Jack and Alice was off the charts, and he was an excellent foil to some of her family's craziness. I also loved the chapters we saw from the other Storm family member's POV -- it added some depth to the whole story.

Where the novel fell flat, for me, was in the Westing Game-esque mystery nature of the will. Each member is given a task, and it seems to be building to something...but the ending fell a little flat for me. The book was doing many things at once, so makes up for the weaker mystery aspect with a really strong romance and family drama.

Overall I really enjoyed reading, and would happily pick up Sarah MacLean's next novel -- whether contemporary or historical, she excels at all!

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book!

Sarah MacLean has long been a master of historical romance, captivating readers with heroines who take center stage in empowering narratives. From the moment she released "Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake," I've eagerly awaited each new installment of her historical series. When she announced a shift into contemporary romance, I'll admit I was hesitant; too often, authors bend to trends at the expense of their unique voice. However, "These Summer Storms" defied all my expectations and left me utterly captivated.

This novel is nothing short of a literary rollercoaster, weaving a tapestry of emotions that had me spellbound from start to finish. MacLean's ability to craft complex characters and poignant relationships shines through in this contemporary setting just as brilliantly as in her historical works. "These Summer Storms" is a testament to her talent for storytelling—it's raw, it's real, and it's deeply resonant.

"DAMN!" is the one word that comes to mind when reflecting on this book. It's a testament to MacLean's versatility and dedication to her craft. While I eagerly anticipate the next installment of her historical romance series, I'm also rooting for her to explore more of what inspires her, whether in historical or contemporary realms. This novel is a testament to her ability to capture the essence of human connection and emotion, leaving readers like me hungry for more. Bravo, Sarah MacLean, for once again proving why you're a powerhouse in romance literature.

4 stars- i love rich people behaving badly. this is one i'd love to see adapted for tv to bring these characters to life. thank you netgalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sarah MacLean has been a go to author for me since her debut and I was curious to see how she did contemporary romance. While I liked this book, I didn’t love it. The characters in here are what makes this book a 4 star. They are very entertaining while have enough depth and plenty of flaws to make them interesting. Where this book falls apart is in the romance. So much of the book is on the family drama that that feels like the main genre and the romance is the background.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for an early copy.

In a family of unimaginable wealth, it is interesting to see that with his words only. that Franklin continues to lead and expects everyone to abide to his every wish. He enjoys when he can play chess and move people around according to his wants at that moment in time. Therefore, it is not surprising that he gives each one of his children a task that only if the comply with everything he asks for a week, do they gain access to their respective inheritance. The "family" is not there to bond as a team but rather to get what they feel like they deserve. It is an emotional toll that Greta encountered with respect to Tony and I was so happy about their ending. She deserved love like Emily and Claudia. In Jack, Alice found her person and it was with a great amount of respect that she chose her voice and walked away from a highly lucrative position as his daughter. In doing so, she chose herself unlike Sam who always believed that he was worthy of the life that Franklin gave him. Regardless, Elisabeth set the tone for the family and even with wanting for nothing, was tremendously shallow and sad. No emotions were ever expressed even when deeming her husband's death as a celebration. She refused to mourn. That was not the path that the brother and sisters wanted to continue with their relationships with each other. Like the text thread, Alice started with "this is your sister".

Thank you netgalley for the earc in exchange for an honest review
3.5/3.75 stars, I binge read this in one sitting cause I kept on turning the page. I loved getting to know this family and uncovering all the misteries. Also the romance plotline was so cute!
Really recommend picking this up if you enjoyed the inheritance games

I had a blast with this book! It's part mystery, part character study, part dysfunctional family drama, with a dash of romance and it was a grand time. Think Knives Out and The Inheritance Game (also apparently Succession but I haven't watched that so cannot personally confirm)

I expected to like it because I love Sarah MacLean's historical romances and think she is a really great writer who like gets fiction and what readers want. But I didn't expect to be obsessed with this book! I've been struggling getting sucked into books, but this one sucked me right in and when I wasn't reading it, I wanted to be reading it. 

This is a really gripping read. You want to turn the page and speed through it so you can put all the pieces together. It's slow in parts, but I don't mean that in a bad way. Sarah's writing is sort of Kate Clayborn esque here in that every description is impactful and the characters feel fully developed. At times the descriptions slow down the plot, but since plot in mysteries can be annoying this really worked for me. 

It was cool seeing Sarah write something besides historical romance and see how her voice changed for this type of story and it really worked. 
Obviously the romance was a grand time and I just LOL seeing some of Sarah's trademark hero qualities show up here with Jack. (died a bit at the pirate moment). My hot take is that even though this book isn't a romance (which I agree it's not) the romance plot line is way more fulfilling than a lot of the books that are being marketed as romances today. 

My only critique is that the ending and resolution didn't entirely work for me. I wanted more from it, but not entirely sure in what way because I was mostly happy with how it all worked out. 

I definitely could see myself revisiting this and savoring the writing a bit more bc I was flying through the chapters.

Sarah MacLean is one of my all-time favorite romance authors so I couldn't wait to see what she does in her first contemporary fiction book, and THESE SUMMER STORMS did not disappoint! It's compulsively readable, perfect to toss in a beach bag this summer. I was immediately invested in Alice, the main character, and while the other Storms initially are deliciously unlikable, I had a soft spot for each of them by the end of the book. And Jack! Jack is a classic Sarah MacLean hero dressed up in contemporary corporate garb. I adored him. All in all, I loved that this book still felt like a Sarah MacLean book, and I hope it will pave the way to more readers discovering her historical romance backlist. Fans of Jenny Jackson's PINEAPPLE STREET and Alison Espach's THE WEDDING PEOPLE will love THESE SUMMER STORMS!

Although this is by no means original, it is a charming read. It’s the story of Alice returning home, after been exiled by her billionaire father, for his funeral. As always there is a mysterious, magnetic man there to rescue her and handle the extremely complicated directions left for tge family in order to inherit.

Somehow, the author keeps the plot fresh and moving. The main characters are likable and, despite the anticipated ending, it’s a fun, well written novel.

Thank you Netgalley for this very entertaining ARC.

Sarah MacLean's first contemporary romance is filled with just as much love and angst as her historical romances but with a healthy dose of family drama. I loved it! My only quibble is that I would have loved an epilogue set farther in the future with updates on everyone in the family. I loved these characters and the setting.

LOVED IT!

These Summer Storms has an inheritance plot scheme with the edgy conniving family structure of Succession (without being bleak or overly heavy). It had that same compulsive readability that Sarah Maclean’s historical romances have, but with a different flavor. It was a pleasure to read, and it deserves to be a huge hit. It’s the perfect summer book to throw in your beach bag & get lost in. It is soapy, funny, and even a little steamy… everything you want in a beach read.

This is the perfect sexy and smartly written beach read for 2025. The idea of the book seemed familiar, but the mix of family relationships and romances paired with grief took on a new story for me. MacLean is an expert storyteller. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Any book Sarah Maclean writes is always on my tbr list. I have been longing for Duchess’ story and began These Summer Storms with a bit of a chip on my shoulder that this book got in the way of me getting the book I wanted.

I get it. If I had These Summer Storms in my head, I, too, would have to get it on paper before I could go back to any other series.

These Summer Storms is full of well developed characters, a satisfyingly rich plot and plenty of twists and turns. SO GOOD! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

These Summer Storms is a family drama with a side of romance. To be honest, the romance feels like it got lost in the shuffle of the family chaos. The story follows Alice as she navigates the aftermath of her father Franklin's passing, dealing with complicated family relationships and a little bit of love along the way.

I really enjoyed the romance that was there. Alice and Jack had great chemistry, and I found myself wanting more of their moments together. Jack was an intriguing character but we barely scratched the surface with him, especially his relationship with Franklin. There was so much potential there and I kept waiting for more.

The family drama was a lot. There are so many characters and most of the conflict stems from a lack of communication. I wasn't a fan of the random single chapters from the other characters POV. They weren't distinct enough from Alice's perspective. I would have preferred to have those moments from Alice's perspective.

Overall the book kept me intrigued, I wanted to keep reading to find out what Franklin had up his sleeve. In hindsight, the family drama felt a bit flat and unrelatable. If you enjoy a complex (if slightly exasperating) family dynamic this might the book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean. Anyone who has ever read a bok written by Sarah MacLean already knows her characters are going to grab you and not let you go. She is at the top of her game with These Summer Storms.

I'm not sure if Sarah MacLean has never written a modern romance or if I've just never read one of hers, but I will read anything she writes and this was just great. As in, stay up until 2am and regret it the next day at work great. Mystery, weird rich people, the fancy part of Rhode Island, decent politics, excellent setting. Would have taken 30 more pages at the end of what comes next. But loved Alice and Jack and just the whole deal.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley.