Rich families behaving badly can be fun and entertaining or it can't be a complete flop, in my opinion. In the case of These Summer Storms, it works because I didn't loathe the characters and I appreciated the growth they displayed by the end. Franklin and Elisabeth were honestly made for each other. While I enjoyed the chemistry between Alice and Jack, it felt like instant love and I thought there would be more to their story than there actually was. I was disappointed with the inheritance reveal but the wrap up with the siblings was nice. It was a quick read and would make a fun beach read.

This is such a wonderful contemporary with a generous touch of romance. The Rhode Island setting was perfect for a summer read. The writing style was absolutely gripping and mesmerizing. The story begins with Alice Storm reluctantly visiting her family’s private island after her billionaire father (who kicked her out of the family) passes away. There, she finds that her father gave each family member a task to complete in order to receive their portion of the inheritance. If one person fails to complete their task, the inheritance is forfeited for everyone.

I really liked the setup of this “game” and the mystery aspect to it had me fully hooked in. I also enjoyed the dysfunctional rich family dynamics (seriously, it’s messy), drama, and secrets that were dispersed throughout the story. It slightly reminded me of both the Inheritance Games series and Succession, but with adult characters and without all the puzzles.

I actually loved Alice’s character! Her family annoyed me at first because I was upset for her and how unfairly she was treated as the “black sheep”. The theme of grief and complex relationships with her parents were explored in such an interesting way.

I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of romance in this, since this is author’s first contemporary as a historical romance author. I wasn’t sure how to feel about Jack at the beginning but I began to love his slow and intense chemistry with Alice. The banter was entertaining and I loved their conversations. They had an exciting enemies to lovers dynamic, considering his ambiguous role in the entire game because he’s not a Storm. He’s broody, mysterious, calm, and I wanted to know more about his backstory. His character development over time had me swooning because I was constantly giggling and smiling at the moments between them.

The sibling dynamics in this were complex and messy. They are all rich, entitled, and don’t know anything beyond the power of the family name. I love how the author delved into this because some of it also felt realistic, considering the age gaps. I especially loved the comedic relief that they brought because I found myself laughing at a couple of scenes with them.

Emily is my favorite because she and Claudia were so sweet. I loved her relationship with Alice. I also related to Greta’s role as an eldest daughter even though she was quite frustrating at times. And Sam….still not sure how to feel about him though a part of me understood his decisions after his upbringing. I liked how each sibling got their own chapter too because you realize that their imperfect qualities makes them very human. It was natural for me to form a love-hate relationship towards the Storms. I only wish we got the mom’s POV too.

The book wraps up just enough to keep you satisfied but wanting more from the Storm family. I grew so attached to them and could not put this down. I still have some lingering questions about the reveals and wanted more from Alice and Jack as well. Other than that, this was the perfect summer read and I would highly recommend it if you’re looking to get into a contemporary.

What an epic journey. This is a fantastic contemporary fiction from one of my favorite Regency Era writers. I was immediately hooked into the story. There’s drama, lies, twists, turns, sibling shenanigans and so much more. There is also a romance subplot that has you rooting hard for Alice. I really intrigued by the mystery of what was going to happen. What each person had to do to in the inheritance game. Were they going to be able to complete their tasks? Will they fail? I was absolutely hooked for this book.

These Summer Storms is Sarah MacLean’s first contemporary fiction (having previously written many NYT best selling historical fiction romance novels) and she made the crossover look easy. I absolutely loved this book. The story follows a mega-wealthy New England family as they gather at their family beach compound for a week after a tragic event. Romance, buried family secrets, family drama, and a slight suspense element - this book has it all. It's like an Elin Hilderbrand novel meets Succession, with a mix of an adult version of We are Liars. The book has a perfect pace - never drops into cliche or overworked storylines, drama or tropes. This will be a year end favorite for sure. Did not want book to end. And I want a sequel and a series. Thank you Random House Publishing and Net Gallery for this advance reader copy in exchange for my own and honest review. Book released on 7/8/25.

The only thing that could bring Alice Storm back to her family's island is the death of her father. Having been estranged for 5 years, it's the first time she's been back since the fight with her father that sent her packing. Alice finds that not much has changed in the time she's been away, and yet she feels more separated from the family than ever before. Growing up with a genius tech magnate for a father wasn't always easy, regardless of seemingly having all the available opportunities, Alice always felt her father's affection was more transactional than loving, always wrapped up in some kind of game. Well, he left one more for them to play: if any of them want to inherit they'll have to do what he sets out for them for the week they're together on the island. If one fails, they all fail. It seems easy enough, until long-held secrets are forced into the open.

I loved how this is Sarah MacLean's contemporary debut and yet she still infuses so much history into the story. It's unavoidable really because everything around us has some kind of history and none more so than affluent family with plenty of secrets they're keeping from one another.

Having said that, I appreciated that the true secrets were the ones I didn't see coming. Almost like Sarah MacLean did a feint by pushing us toward one revelation, but the real kickers were almost out of nowhere yet still on theme.

Of course I enjoyed the near forbidden attraction between Alice and Jack, but where the book really popped and shined was whenever the Storm children would get together. You could feel the pacing surge forward as they bantered the way only siblings do when there's so much shared...History! Seeing each of them maybe not making "peace" with their father or his death, but begin to heal with each other - despite the secrets and the history - was the best part of the book and sets it aside from MacLean's more traditional historical romances.

What I think I appreciated the most was how well Sarah MacLean stuck the landing in terms of the ending. You know, oftentimes the build up of the story overshadows how everything ties together in the end potentially leaving things a bit unsatisfied. Not here. All the revelations and the ruminations, the grief and family dynamic I think Sarah McLean pulled off remarkably well.

Overall, it's a fabulous departure from what we've seen from Sarah MacLean in the past, but still filled with the wonderful writing and characters that makes her an auto-read for so many. I cannot wait for more!

An enjoyable read somewhere between a family drama and a romance. The characters stuck with me and I cared what happened to them.

These Summer Storms was my first book by Sarah MacLean, and this is her first foray into contemporary fiction. She is well known for historical romance. While I am a newer fan of romance in the past five years, I haven't dipped my toes in historical yet. But I've enjoyed her on episodes I've listened of her podcast Fated Mates, and was excited to get an ARC of this book.

These Summer Storms is based around the Storm Family and their reaction to the passing of the patriarch, Frederich storm, who was a billionaire tech mogul. He was also, kind of, the worst. He loved to have competitive games at family gathering, pitting siblings against one another. Even from the grave he continues it...his four children and wife can only get there inheritance if they each follow the instructions they've been given when they gather at the Rhode Island coastal compound the family owns. The plot mainly follows Alice, the 3rd to last child, who has estranged from the family. He gave her no envelope for the game, but she must stay with the family for a week or else everyone misses out on the money.

It's frustrating for her, especially marked by the grouchy second hand man of her father, Jack. Who is a pain in her blankety blank and infuriatingly handsome.

This was a fine read, and I think if you like Succession, it will scratch the bad rich family being bad itch. I will definitely check it our as an audio book as well since it's narrated by the amazing Julia Whelan. Thank you Random House and NetGalley for the ARC for my honest review.

This book, with its drama, manipulations, power struggles, and secrets was reminiscent of 1980’s night time soaps Dynasty and Dallas. It was a delight. As Alice said, “there’s always a second shoe to drop.” Everyone had secrets, even to almost the end. Franklin Storm liked to have his kids play “Storm Olympics,” and that didn’t end with his death. Each family member got instructions on distasteful (to them) things to do over the course of the next week. Complete them, inherit. If even one of them doesn’t complete their task, nobody inherits.

While the romance wasn’t as forward as usual, this focused more on family dynamics, healing, and growth, tho there was a heavy dose of romance to be had. A good contemporary from a top historical romance writer.

This review will be posted on Goodreads.

Alice Storm hasn't been home to Storm Island in years. She has been making her own way in the world as a teacher who lives modestly on her own paychecks and is vastly different from her 3 siblings who have been living off of daddy's billions their whole lives. On her way to the island, she meets a mysterious stranger who she strongly connects to and who protects her from paparazzi. A "one night stand" ensues and Alice sneaks away in the morning to the island she hasn't been welcome on since her father banished her.

As many readers can imagine, this book is filled with discomfort related to deep familial issues. The Storm siblings were subject to manipulation and control over their entire lives. Alice was the only one bold enough to tear herself away from the nepotistic mess. Many secrets will be revealed, hearts will be broken, and the test of true family ties and love will be at stake.

The characters in this book were each deeply described and became real, endearing, and at times completely insufferable...or sometimes only insufferable *cough* Sam's wife *cough*.

Oh and did I mention that the stranger Alice meets and has a one night stand with, actually worked for her father?! And that he's there to referee an inheritance game? Like, whhhaaaaat? I just knew that extremely lovely stranger would make his way back into the book, because he was too delicious and wonderful to get rid of.

Fans of romance, drama, and mystery will find enjoyment in this story. The mystery stranger is absolutely delightful and one could only hope that they could also find themselves someone so fierce and dedicated and lovely.

I have few complaints about the story, it did take me a while to get into the story, but once I did, I was completely invested and couldn't wait to see how everything panned out.

Oh this was *such* a good story - what a jump into contemporary romance for MacLean! It was incisive, clever, steamy, and dramatic - and the family dramatics were over-the-top in the best way. This felt like a romance/mystery hybrid without sacrificing what makes the romance genre so good. While it gives off Knives Out and Succession vibes, the entire story somehow still felt fresh - the commitment to the romance and love story between the FMC and MMC gives it an extra punch that's not there in other stories. This is a perfect beach (but also anytime) read!

I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this one, but as I'm a huge fan of Sarah Mackenzie I still went into this pretty hyped. I am sad to say I was pretty disappointed. This book felt so meandering with very little direction moving this forward in the middle section of the book. It is odd to see a Sarah MacLean book about rich people in the year 2025 with no social commentary on their effect on society, which is something I feel like she always did so well in her historical romances. This instead felt like a group of whiny rich people who were neither as interesting or as terrible as anticipated. And the romance felt so flat and weak. I didn't care for any of the characters, especially Alice and Jack, who just seemed like placeholder characters with pretty much zero arc. I'm disappointed. I expect better storytelling and character work from this author.

These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean
Rating: 4 ⭐️

Alice Storm, estranged heiress to a vast tech empire, returns to her family's private Rhode Island island after the death of her father, Franklin Storm. What she expects to be a brief funeral visit turns into a week-long ‘inheritance game’—a series of manipulative tasks imposed posthumously by her father. Add in complicated siblings, a secret romance, and Jack Dean—the family fixer and mystery one‐night stand—and you've got a potent mix of contemporary drama.

Loved the story just hoped for some juicy secrets to come out. The ending sort of fell flat for me.

Recommended for fans of juicy family sagas, sharp-witted character studies, and enemies-to-lovers romance set against a backdrop of wealth and secrets.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books & NetGalley for sharing the eARC with me.

what a great read! i haven't read anything by this author before and this was a pleasant surprise. i loved the writing and characters. the plot was intriguing and addictive. really fantastic read for the summer

I have been a fan of Sarah MacLean for what seems like forever. I started reading her historical fiction very early in her writing career and have been looking forward to reading her contemporary fiction, These Summer Storms. This book gives you everything you can expect from a Sarah MacLean romance: it is well-written and unputdownable with a satisfying romance. I have contemplated this review for awhile because the novel didn't hit with me quiet as well as her historical novels. I had to ask myself if I am okay with entitled rich people in historical romance, why do they give me the ick in a contemporary romance setting? The issues I had with the book, are definitely down to my own personal reading taste but I highly recommend These Summer Storms.

I gave the book 3.5 Stars, but this is a solid read which I would recommend to anyone who reads contemporary romance. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the advanced reader's copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was fantastic! Centered around the Storm family, there was no shortage of drama. Though the book primarily centers around Alice, each sibling, and the mother, come with their own fair share of drama.

Heart wrenching family and drama filled dynamics make this a must read!

I adored this book. I have read Sarah’s historical romances and enjoy them but I have also heard her talk at book cons and it was so fun to read contemporary text that I could hear her saying in my head.

Alice Storm is summoned to her family’s island estate after her billionaire tech father dies. She has been estranged from her family and does not want to be there. What follows is a large cast of characters in varying degrees of likability.

This is women’s fiction, not romance though there is some romance with steam. I love how it kept me guessing what would happen next. I had to suspend belief at certain parts but I was there for the wild ride.

I loved Alice, Jack, and Emily. The jury is still out on most of the others, but especially Franklin.

3.5.⭐️ This novel from Sarah MacLean (a new author for me) was different than any novel I’ve read before. Part mystery, part romance, part family drama - a fun combo!

Pros:
• Interesting premise
• Easy to like & easy to loathe characters
• Unsure who you can trust/believe (is this a pro?)
• A good plot twist or two

Critiques:
• Lengthy chapters & sometimes felt unnecessarily wordy
• Slow start
• Drawn out ending - i.e., the kitchen scene between Emily & Alice in the final few chapters

Overall, I liked the book and it was a good change of pace for me, but I found myself struggling to keep reading another chapter due to just feeling a little bored. My rating comes from sometimes feeling while I was reading that it was a 3⭐️ read and at other, more riveting points in the book, I leaned more towards 4⭐️.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books & NetGalley for sharing the eARC with me.

4 ⭐️

What a solid book. The writing drew me in immediately and I felt like I was there watching the story unfold. Sarah Maclean wrote with such detail and created an amazing bunch of characters. Alice was a fantastic narrator for most of the story but I also enjoyed the glimpses we got into the other siblings POV as well. While I started hating Alice’s family I grew to love them through out their journeys.

Inheritance terms that are wild are always so interesting to read about and I was extremely happy with the ending. I just wish we got to find out more about their lives after!!

Huge thank you to NetGalley and the author for this ARC!

Ahhh! This book is so great! Family secrets…east coast private island style, with a side of romance ⛈️☀️🤍

Told from the POV of Alice, exiled sister of the Storm Family. She’s back on the island after her father’s death. Now they’re all stuck on the island in order to get piece of thier dads billions…4 siblings, their mother & Jack, who is over seeing it all 💰

I was hooked from the very first page…uber-rich family, private island &&& a ton of secrets 🤫While this was more family drama/secrets & less of a romance…I still totally enjoyed it. The romance def took a back seat but was great & filled with tension 🥵There were some LOL moments too…mostly just because this family was soooo wild…totally messy & completely entertaining! There were also some shocking twists 🤯 This would make a GREAT movie or TV series! 🎬

Simply outstanding. Imagine if Logan Roy died on the very first episode of Succession and left instructions for his surviving family members to play a diabolical game together in order to earn their inheritance; that is loosely the feel and premise here. This novel is an extremely addictive blend of juicy elements: dynasty, wealth, drama, romance and mystery all set on a private island during a one-week period that comes to a stormy climax. The delicious sexual tension and slowly building connection between Alice and Jack lured me in at first, but what truly hooked me were the fascinating Storm family dynamics on display while the tale unfolded. Although the story is primarily told from Alice's point of view, readers get a strong sense of all her relatives by the many interactions she has with each of them. MacLean does wonderful work in particular bringing each of the siblings from their initial impression of spoiled rich kids to fully rounded and sympathetic characters by peeling back their many layers, aided by a single chapter devoted to each. Much of the book had the page-turning feel of a thriller with secrets revealed often that made me very reluctant to put it down after a while. The writing is excellent throughout, frequently very amusing in scenes with playful banter between characters, but also evoking strong emotions during pivotal moments. MacLean's first foray out of historical romance is a massive success and I hope she returns to this corner of the genre down the road in addition to her fantastic output within her wheelhouse.