I don't know how to read a Sarah MacLean that isn't based in the Regency or Victorian eras, but by god, did I figure it out fast! MacLean's voice shines through in her contemporary women's fiction debut and I am in awe. Eagle-eyed readers of her previous works will find an Easter egg linking back to her historical romance universe, but those who are new to her will thrive in this new setting (both time and location).

These Summer Storms is a taut emotional drama about a family fighting over the inheritances left by the enigmatic Franklin Storms, whose will has catapulted the Storms family into a week-long competition to complete tasks left to them in post-humous letters.

The result is a series of reckonings long overdue, dredging up family dramas small and large. It is up to the Storms whether their legacy will weather this one. (Sorry, couldn't help that one.)

It’s only February, but I already know this will be one of my favorite books of 2025!

Every Sarah MacLean novel is a masterclass in compelling characters and conflict, and this one is no exception. I absolutely loved her contemporary debut. My two favorite genres are romance and “beach read,” and this was a perfect combination of the two. Great love story and engrossing family drama against the backdrop of a richly imagined Rhode Island setting. Love, love, love!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the arc!

3.5/5
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book blends family drama with romance, and while I was hoping for something more focused on the romance, the story kept me intrigued. I appreciated how each family member faced their own struggles.

Some plot twists were a bit predictable, but I enjoyed the emotional growth of the characters. The setting was also charming, adding a warm atmosphere that complemented the narrative nicely.

My main issues were that some conflicts were resolved too easily, losing a bit of emotional impact and the romance, though sweet, was somewhat overshadowed by the family drama.

Sarah MacLean makes her contemporary fiction debut with a compelling family saga.

After patriarch Franklin Storm (think Steve Jobs tech genius meets Richard Branson) dies, noted on social media as 'the most billionaire death to ever billionaire', the Storm family, including black sheep Alice who was exiled from the family five years earlier, are forced to complete a an assigned task by Franklin on Storm Island for their inheritance.

All artist and public school teacher Alice needs to do is remain on the island for five days, to the chagrin of her siblings. Except this is no easy feat given Franklin exiled her after she refused to live the life he dictated for her. To her shock, Jack Dean, the man ensuring these tasks are fullfilled is the man she had a hot one night stand the night she arrived.

I was gripped by all the family secrets and realisations each has to come to in the wake of Franklin's death. Sarah Maclean manages to deftly balance between each family member's individual growth as they're forced to reconcile their grief and complex relationship with the controlling Franklin, who, even in death still controls them. At first you hate all of Alice's family members, but slowly you come to understand why they are the way they are, especially Sam, Alice's older brother who was desperate for his father's approval. I also loved the simmering chemistry between Jack and Alice (though I do think it needed a better resolution given Jack knew who Alice was without telling her) and the cute nod to Maclean's historical romances with the desk.

I devoured this book in one sitting. The only thing I wish is for an epilogue set a couple of years into the future to see where each character ended up, especially Sam. I can only hope. Loved it.

Thanks to Random House/Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC.

I was first introduced to Sarah Maclean's writing through her wonderful historical romances. This book was a surprising treat. This was a juicy family drama that also had a great romance in it. I flew through this book.

Sarah Maclean writes a banger, and These Summer Storms while a departure from her typical historical romances featuring feisty feminists who don't rely on aristocrats to save them, is the contemporary fiction we all NEED this summer.

This is everything Succession was while also repairing some of the damage it did to your heart and giving the characters some redeemable qualities and a romance that you wanted to cheer for!

You’re going to laugh, you’re going to cry, you’re going to want to shake and slap some nepo-babies, but you’re most definitely going to have the best time on this emotional rollercoaster! I’m quite frankly OBSESSED and have no notes. 5🌟s

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Sarah Maclean for this eARC!

When there's a new Sarah MacLean novel, I know it will be an emotionally satisfying time. MacLean's foray into contemporary romance was no just as emotionally satisfying. As a longtime "Fated Mates" listener, I was super excited to hear MacLean discussing her completion of a contemporary romance. I think there's sometimes trepidation when authors venture into new territory, but MacLean was up for this challenge.

Without releasing any spoilers, I loved this story there was a bit of mystery and intrigue, there was the "gothic" setting of an island with multiple storms (see what I did there...I saw what she did there, too--name is destiny and everything). MacLean tidily ties up all the plots including HEAs where it may have seemed doubtful.

This may be MacLean's initial foray into contemporary romance, but I am surely hopeful that this will not be her last foray into this world. Contemporary really needs her voice and her commitment to social justice (which is written throughout this title). Bravo! Well done, Ms. MacLean!

Oh my goodness, I have to tell you about this book I just finished - "These Summer Storms" by Sarah MacLean! You know how sometimes you start a book and suddenly it's 3 AM and you're thinking "just one more chapter"? That was me with this one!

So MacLean, who usually writes historical romance, just made her first dive into contemporary fiction and wow, did she stick the landing! The story follows Alice Storm (great name, right?) who's been kicked out of her mega-rich family years ago. Then her tech mogul dad dies, and instead of just having a normal funeral like regular people, he sets up this wild inheritance challenge. Classic wealthy person drama, but I was living for it!

The whole thing takes place in this gorgeous Rhode Island estate that honestly sounds like something out of "Succession" meets "Knives Out." And let me tell you about Jack Dean - the dad's right-hand man who's giving off major brooding-but-brilliant vibes. The chemistry between him and Alice? fans self Every time they were in a scene together, I was just waiting for something to happen!

But what really got me was how MacLean digs into all the messy family stuff. Like yes, there's all this glitz and glamour and scandal (which I absolutely ate up), but underneath it's really about these siblings trying to figure out who they are beyond their family name. I found myself getting genuinely emotional at parts, which I wasn't expecting!

My only tiny gripe was that some of the big reveals felt a bit out of nowhere - you know when you're reading a mystery and you're like "wait, when was that clue mentioned?" But honestly, I was so invested in the Storm family drama that I didn't even care.

I literally stayed up all night reading this because I HAD to know how it ended. And now I'm sitting here hoping MacLean writes more about the Storm family because I am not ready to say goodbye to these characters!

A very huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing me this advance copy! I 'm so glad I got to read this in advance because waiting for it would have been torture!

When I see Sarah MacLean, I get excited. I’m obsessed with her writing style and fell in love with every character arc and story she tells in her historical romances. These Summer Storms is in every way a success as much as her other books & I am happy to say that she rocks the contemporary romance genres just as well. I particularly loved that there wasn’t a ton of text/phone/screen time in this book which takes me back to why i love historical romances in the first place — the suspense with not knowing what the other characters are thinking — cutting off the WiFi - brilliant idea Sarah.
Here’s the caveat - I recently lost my nephew to a skiing accident and have been dealing with my own grief and what that means for our family so this maybe wasn’t the right book for me to read at this time — anyone who has lost someone close to them, a parent especially.. this might not be the book for you. That being said, I think the way that Sarah writes characters is amazing and I still give it a 4 star rating because even though it wasn’t exactly what my soul needed right now, it was still a greatly written book that deserves its place among some of the great contemporary romances. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC and look forward to seeing what Sarah has up her sleeves next.

These Summer Storms
Following the death of a tech billionaire, his family gathers to mourn the loss, plan a “celebration”, and finds themselves in the middle of a game over their inheritance. Who doesn’t love reading about uber rich people fighting over money?
However, this story ended up being so much more than that. We are introduced to our female main character, Alice, and quickly find she has been estranged from her family for the past 5 years. While traveling to her family’s remote island off the Rhode Island coast, she encounters a handsome and brooding stranger who comes to her rescue and shows her a great time without knowing who this man was.
Fast forward to the next day when Alice has returned to her family home to the judgmental stares and snide comments from her mother and siblings when she comes to find this handsome and brooding stranger is Jack, her father’s right hand man, who is here to deliver the family the shock of their lifetimes… that maybe their multi-billion dollar inheritances are not actually guaranteed. Each family member, except Alice (ouch), is given a letter with tasks to complete for a chance at receiving their inheritance. However, if one family member does not complete their task, they all lose out on their inheritance.
All Alice has to do is stay, which ends up being a harder task than you would think it would be. In the days that follow, the family must face the death of Franklin, plan the (funeral) “celebration”, and make sure that everyone else is following through with their tasks.

*The Good*
I found myself caring about these characters even in moments where I found them annoying. I kept anticipating that there was more to them than their basic storylines may suggest. The use of interstitial chapters in their POV was great, as it offered a deeper dive into their minds and helped me understand how they became the people they were. These chapters also helped break up the single POV (Alice’s) that dominated the bulk of the book. I also felt like the reason for Alice’s estrangement and what she “did” was totally justified and inspired more respect for her character. I thought there were also some great moments between the siblings that captured the complex nature of sibling relationships and showed how each child in the family often views a situation from a different lens.
As messed up as the controlling inheritance games may have been, I do think Sarah MacLean did a good job of “targeting” the requirements for each character for their specific weaknesses. Making Sam- your typical lazy and hardly working mega heir- do manual labor was very on the nose, as was making the critical and unforgiving Elisabeth say something nice about Franklin every day and finally tell the kids her biggest “truth.”
I am a sucker for contemporary novels that involve super rich people. They almost feel like fantasy- as I can’t imagine myself ever owning a private island, hosting parties with former Presidents and world leaders, or having the chance/expectation of inheriting billions of dollars- and are like candy to me. Give me all the fancy houses and helicopters and out of touch heirs and heiresses!

*The Meh*
I can’t pinpoint anything that I thought was truly “bad” in this book, and even if I could, I hate to shine too much light on negatives when I myself would not have the talent nor the confidence to write and publish anything for public consumption… However, I do think it would have been nice to get interstitial chapters from Elisabeth and Jack’s POV. Both characters clearly had complex feelings about their relationship with Franklin, and the chapters from the sibling’s POV helped make those characters feel more multi-dimensional and inspired more empathy.
There were also some pretty big revelations that were uncovered towards the end of the book that could have been foreshadowed a bit better for a stronger impact. Especially with topics like **SPOILERS** abortion, infidelity resulting in one of the children, and terminal illness- it would have been great to see stronger hints of these and the effects they had on the characters woven throughout the story. They kind of felt like they were dropped in our laps and abandoned after a few pages.
Jack and Alice’s relationship was a little more insta-lovey for me than I generally care for, and the strangers to lovers timeline was SO accelerated… especially given that Alice was freshly ghosted by her ex-fiance while navigating the sudden death of her father (even if they were estranged). Some of this is totally personal, as I tend to inject more “reality” into fictional relationships and timelines than I should. I also felt that the *ahem* intimate scenes read more “sweeping historical romance” than contemporary romance, and I could have done with fewer uses of the word “pleasure.” I also didn’t love that he knew so much about her AND WHO SHE WAS at the beginning, it just felt a little creepy. Also, I would have been fine without the “Grade A Stock” comparison that popped up a few times in reference to Alice.
**
Overall, this book sucked me in and spit me back out wanting more of the Storm family. I found myself thinking about what is next for these characters and how they will navigate life post-Franklin, but I appreciated that Sarah MacLean avoided the use of an epilogue to tidy everything up (at least in the ARC…).
If you are an Elin Hilderbrand/beach read/romance with a bit of intrigue fan, I think you’ll love this one! This is a great book to throw in a beach bag to read on vacation and was a strong entry for Sara MacLean into the world of contemporary romance. I will definitely keep eyes peeled for future releases into the genre from Sarah MacLean and may have to pick up the fully published version of These Summer Storms to see if anything is different. Many thanks to Sarah MacLean, NetGalley, and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for providing an advanced release copy of this book!

Sarah MacLean delivers sharp, addictive storytelling with her signature wit and heat, and Jack Dean? Let’s just say he makes the storm clouds worth weathering. A compulsively readable mix of family drama, romance, and secrets that refuse to stay buried.

I'm a longtime fan of Sarah MacLean's romance novels and was excited to see her foray into contemporary fiction. This book does not disappoint! It has intrigue and drama, crazy family dynamics, a gorgeous setting, a fantastic protagonist, some yummy romance (though the book itself is not a Romance) and I flew through it. There is a large cast of characters and every one is richly drawn. MacLean's ability to describe the house and the island so clearly and, well, descriptively, puts the reader right in the room with this family. While I hope MacLean keeps writing historical romances as well, I also will not be at all disappointed if she continues her journey in contemporary fiction.

Wow, this book is unbelievably amazing. I couldn't put it down. I was gasping out loud thru the countless twists and turns of this family dynamic and then adding in the fabulous romantic element that Sarah Maclean always always always hits a home run with. I highly recommend this book. I might also pre-start a petition for Reese Witherspoon,Oprah, or Jenna Bush to add it to their book club, book of the month. I know I'll be recommending it to my book club.

In the footsteps of Succession and Yellowstone in the genre of family dramas, These Summer Storms follows Alice Storm back into the fold of her ultra wealthy family. Her father has passed and she is expected at his celebration. What she doesn't expect is the entrance of Jack Dean. He brings with him shocking but typical last wishes from her father. Alice and her siblings are once again controlled, this time after their father's death and they have to decide if the money is worth it.

I enjoyed the revelations of each sibling and their struggles. Their mother is God awful which makes for some entertaining interactions. I wanted more backstory with each sibling. More POV's.

Overall I enjoyed the journey that Alice goes through and the resolution was fitting.

I recommend MacLean's venture into contemporary fiction.

These Summer Storms is an intense story of a complex family dynasty who reunite to commemorate their father's death. This is Sarah MacLean's first published work of contemporary fiction. MacLean brings a rich cast of characters to life, and the reader learns the struggles that this family has faced despite their immense wealth. Full disclosure: I'm a huge Sarah MacLean fan and have read all of her Romance novels, and am an avid listener to her podcast. That being said, These Summer Storms exceeded all of my expectations.
Alice Storm, the narrator, finds herself back in her wealthy family's Rhode Island mansion following the unexpected death of her father, Franklin Storm. Franklin was a tech billionaire whose success and wealth have created an alternate world for his family. Growing up under the microscope of fame and wealth with parents who were cold and distant has created siblings who criticize and compete with each other to an extreme. Alice is returning to her family after an extended estrangement . Her father exiled her five years prior to his death after she goes to the press as a whistle blower for the Storm company, and none of her family members dare to defy him and keep ties with her. As Alice arrives for the funeral, she meets an intriguing stranger who becomes a central figure in the story. When the family reunites, they soon learn that Franklin has planned a game for them as (one of) his final wishes. He requires each and all family members to accomplish a task in order for all of the family members to receive their inheritance. This game pushes each of the family members to their limits, but also brings them closer together as they are able to be honest with each other and acknowledge (some of) their flaws. Huge secrets are revealed as the family spends time together, they host a huge celebration of life for Franklin, and each of them confronts the past and reality of their complex relationships with their father.
This book has it all - drama, suspense, romance, and intrigue. Once I started reading it, I couldn't stop and I read it in one day. It will be the perfect summer read of 2025. Everyone is curious about the real lives of the tech billionaires of today's world and their families, and this story shows us the difficulties and struggles they face.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for this advance reader's copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

If you’re a fan of Sarah MacLean’s other novels, you’ll find “These Summer Storms” to be a modern-day take on her classic formula. What MacLean does so well is pay homage to the romance genre — she puts the romance on the page. Some of the styling in this book feels unique in comparison to her other works though. I thought we were going to have multiple points of views or set the stage for future books when we would diverge from our protagonist’s POV to a chapter from a sibling’s perspective. That didn’t end up being the case and it felt a little jarring to visit a perspective and then not pick it back up, but it didn’t detract for the overall story. Ultimately, I think this is the perfect summer read — a little romance, a little mystery, and a lot of drama all set against a deliciously summery backdrop. Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books - Random House for this ARC. #TheseSummerStorms #NetGalley

These Summer Storms is a captivating romance novel that beautifully combines wit, passion, and depth. The story follows two protagonists who are brought together by fate and find themselves navigating the turbulent waters of love and personal growth. MacLean’s writing is both evocative and engaging, drawing you into the lives of her characters. I particularly loved how the story explores themes of redemption and second chances, making the characters' journeys feel relatable and heartfelt. The chemistry between the leads is electric, and their interactions are filled with witty banter and emotional intensity. The setting of the novel adds an extra layer of charm, with vivid descriptions of summer storms and the lush landscapes that serve as the backdrop for the unfolding romance. MacLean’s ability to create a sense of place is truly remarkable, making you feel like you’re right there with the characters, experiencing the same highs and lows.

Generous thank you to the publisher on Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair review!

When I heard Sarah MacLean was writing her first adult contemporary, I was out of my mind with excitement. I'm a huge fan of her podcast Fated Mates and how she draws parallels between what is affecting us in society and what affects us in romance. 'These Summer Storms' is a big departure from her past work, but is written with her signature with, humor and depth, with such obvious love for the setting it's placed in. I loved how wealth, pride and love are tied up into complicated knots for all the characters, and how painful it is for them to be forced to pick it apart in the midst of their grief. Most of it is paced well, though in my opinion there were certain plot points that came in a little too late in the story to feel their full impact, but overall I really loved it and am so excited to hear Sarah talk more about her process for it!

I really wanted to like this book, and I think it will likely do well, since it has all the elements of a great beach read - summer setting on the New England coast, family drama, romance - but the biggest problem for me was that the characters felt very one-dimensional. When you have a story about the ultra-rich, I think it's more important than ever to make them fully human and really give them emotional depth, but I didn't feel like MacLean achieved that. I found it hard to connect with any of them, which made me less invested in the story. I think it will go over well with a lot of readers, but I really need stronger characters, which I felt this book was lacking.

3.5⭐️

This was more of a family drama than a romance, but overall I enjoyed it. The romance was sweet and there was a side romance that I was almost as invested in with one of the FMC Alice’s sisters. The family drama was a little predictable, but at the end they did seem to grow and come together.

My biggest issues were 1) Alice had one of the easiest tasks of anyone and I had a hard time feeling bad for her and 2) Books following billionaires are hit or miss. Especially with everything going on, it’s hard to care too much about a bunch of billionaires that got their money from tech.