Alice Storm has been estranged from her family for 5 years, ever since her father, tech billionaire Franklin Storm, sent her away in anger (and kicked her off their private vacation island). She is the only one of her siblings to earn her own money and carve out her own life. But when Franklin dies, Alice has to go back to Storm Island and see her family and come to terms with her relationship with her parents and her siblings. Unfortunately, Alice can’t just pay her respects and leave, she is stuck on the island with her family for a week because Franklin has created a game of sorts and everyone has to play by his rules or no one gets their inheritance.

I had no idea what this one was about when I began but it absolutely sucked me in and kept me there, I could not put it down. I loved the characters, the story, and the romance hovering in the background. I personally am not a “rich people behaving badly fan” and so I really enjoyed that each of these characters has dimension and a pathology for most of their actions. The story has so many elements to it, grief, love, friendship and it’s just a great family drama that would be a wonderful read anywhere but if you can read it by the beach I definitely suggest it. Julia Whalen is the narrator, so really do I have to tell you how well done the audio is?

4.25 stars

Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley

I wish I loved this book! I’m obsessed with Succession so maybe my expectations were just too high. I loved the setting and the premise, but the characters just fell flat to me. Most of them were just too mean with no redeeming qualities. The inheritance game was boring and not fleshed out enough with totally unenforceable rules. The romance elements were great but it really seemed like she set out to write an enemies to lovers rom com then shoehorned in family drama and that’s just not her forte. No spoilers but the ending was so abrupt and just not realistic.

In These Summer Storms, Sarah MacLean successfully veers away from other more direct King Lear-influenced properties like Succession and Yellowstone, and presents a complex family drama with the door cracked open just enough for the light to slip though.
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“If King Lear died first, would that story still end in tragedy?” ...or so my thoughts went at 3am when I should be sleeping. In my defense, most entertainment properties that tell these power patriarch tales retain the structure and the tragedy. They are meant to be cautionary tales, but the focus for the finger wagging goes to the last jerk standing.

MacLean subverts this standard storyline in These Summer Storms by leading with the death of the tech titan patriarch. His influence then becomes a sort of echo or specter, not a flesh and blood king, and effectively limits the power he has over the characters. These are now adult children left with the ability to make different choices and no longer tragically fated to the bad decisions of the father.

This is a challenging time to tell a story about the heirs of the ultra-wealthy, given the current political and social climate in America. Part of the appeal of shows like Succession and White Lotus is seeing our beliefs about the darkness of billionaires confirmed and the catharsis of watching them punished for their avarice.

Perhaps MacLean’s background in Historical Romance makes her less interested in exploring truly irredeemable humans. If so, I appreciate that as I’m exhausted by the Hedge Fund Lears or Lear With Steers stories. The Storm heirs are messy, more than a little nutty, and self-destructive - but they are also sympathetic.

This tone is effectively set by not starting with the most powerful of the Storm family. Instead, we meet Alice, the estranged daughter as she rides the regular mortals train to Rhode Island following the death of her father. As much as These Summer Storms is about power and privilege, it’s also a meditation on the complex nature of grief and loss. Having recently gone through my own parental loss, reading Alice work through the knots tied by decades of familial decisions felt very real and occasionally heartbreaking.

Alice’s siblings also get a voice, with their own set of complications a good therapist, 20 years, and $20K might begin to fix. Still, Alice is the true main character of These Summer Storms and the conscience of this highly dysfunctional family.

There is a secondary romance here between Alice and Jack, a figure who provides an essential stabilizing presence in the madness. He’s steadfast, mostly silent-but-occasionally-violent, and above all else loyal – even when Alice doesn’t realize he’s prioritizing her best interests.

Jack, and a few of the other non-Storm partners, often feels like the only grown up in the room. Especially when it comes to the ice cold matriarch of the Storm clan – a woman who remains a total enigma to her children.

Avoiding spoilers, the conclusion of These Summer Storms is not perfectly tidy but is very satisfying. The love story between Jack and Alice is a happy one. Other characters may not fully get what they want, but they get what they need. Most important, unlike other properties with common roots, this does not end in Shakespearean tragedy and destruction. Any reader who has bleak tale fatigue right now will likely appreciate this upward journey, instead of a steep downward descent.
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Thank you Ballentine Books for the Advanced Reader Copy. Expected publication date July 8, 2025

WOW! If there is one genre I enjoy, is a dysfunctional family drama with several secrets!

The Storm family is no exception! Alice Storm is the exiled daughter of a tech billionaire, Franklin Storm. She returns home to their private island for the first time in five years because her father has died. On the way to what she thinks will be a rough few days with family she hasn't seen in years she has a one night stand with the handsome stranger from her train. So it turns into a rough time indeed when it turns out the stranger, Jack, is actually her father's right hand, and is running the last "Storm Olympics" of quests for the family to complete for their inheritance.

Each family member has tasks that must be completed within a week while still on the island. All this forced proximity is going to cause some tension. Each sibling. Greta, Sam, Alice and Emily all have some resentment towards their now deceased controlling billionaire father Franklin. What ensues is a mixture of unresolved and unacknowledged grief, resentments, anger, and rebellion that pits the family members against each other while simultaneously bonding them in a mutual need for connection. It is a wild, imaginative ride with a few twists and turns.

I appreciate the fact there there was room for second chances among the siblings and also realizing that having a lot of money does not equal happiness.

This is a must read for the summer! Loved it!

✨ These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I went into this book completely blind, unsure of what to expect—especially coming off a spicy read—and wow… this story took me by surprise in the best way.

From the mystery and intrigue to the slow unfolding of an unexpected love story, These Summer Storms delivered so much depth. It beautifully explores the complicated bond of family—how connection can persist even when it feels lost—and the weight of grieving someone you had a difficult relationship with.

The beginning took a bit to hook me, but once it did, I couldn’t put it down. The emotional layers, the character growth, the tension—I loved it way more than I expected to. Sarah MacLean brings something fresh and raw to romance here, and I’m so glad I gave it a chance

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fast-paced, action packed, steamy, fun and kept me reading. I enjoyed this book and will continue to look for more books by this author.

Rating: 5 stars

Sarah MacLean’s These Summer Storms is an addictive, emotionally rich blend of family drama, slow-burn romance, and high-stakes inheritance games that had me hooked from the first page. Known for her historical romances, MacLean makes a bold and brilliant leap into contemporary fiction—and absolutely nails it.

At the heart of the story is Alice Storm, the black sheep of a powerful, ultra-wealthy family who’s long since cut ties with their toxic legacy. When her tech mogul father dies, Alice is reluctantly pulled back into the orbit of her estranged siblings on their private Rhode Island island estate. But instead of a traditional will, the Storm patriarch sets in motion a high-drama, Knives Out-style competition: each sibling must complete a personal task or forfeit their entire inheritance.

The setting is lush, the family dynamics deliciously messy, and the tension razor-sharp. Alice’s chemistry with her late father’s enigmatic right-hand man, Jack Dean, brings an irresistible romantic thread to the story—full of longing, wit, and slow-burn heat. But more than that, the novel dives deep into questions of identity, independence, grief, and how we untangle ourselves from the legacies we didn’t choose.

MacLean balances scandal and sentiment with remarkable skill. While a few of the plot twists arrive suddenly, the emotional payoff is well worth it. These Summer Storms delivers on every level: captivating characters, sharp dialogue, juicy secrets, and a story that’s both escapist and heartfelt.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 ⭐️, rounded to 5

I don’t usually read historical romance, so I hadn’t read Sarah MacLean before. But after finishing her contemporary romance debut, I’m rethinking that—her writing is fantastic, and the story pulled me in right from the start.

The novel is equal parts romance and family drama, both aspects beautifully balanced. One never overshadows the other—they work together seamlessly, each complementing the other.

There are a lot of moving parts here—messy family dynamics, complicated relationships, and old wounds—but the plot never feels convoluted or chaotic. The pacing is great, and it stays engaging all the way through.

Alice and Jack are definitely the heart of the book, but every character feels like they matter. They’re all flawed (some to the point that you’ll want to yell at them), but there’s growth—some big, some subtle—which makes them feel real.

The romantic tension between Alice and Jack is so good. They really balance each other out, but Jack isn’t some perfect “fix” for Alice. He’s got his own layers, and that complexity makes their relationship feel earned.

This is one of the rare books where I didn’t miss an epilogue. It ends exactly where it should, and anything more would have dulled the impact.

I’ll definitely be checking out more of Sarah MacLean’s books now—and I really hope this isn’t the last time she writes contemporary romance.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for the advanced copy of this book, offered in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

This book is the PERFECT summer read! So much drama and fun, I need all my friends to read immediately and let me know what they thought! This author never misses!

Book Review

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Thank you to @netgalley and @ballantinebooks for this ARC, out TODAY!

I really enjoyed this book! Family discord, losing a parent, wealth, betrayal, sibling rivalry, and more. A wealthy New England family with so many nods to one of my favorite states, Rhode Island! Family secrets that come to the surface when they are forced to spend one week together, on an island, each with a task, to earn their inheritance. Some will stay, some will want to go. Alice is the main character and my personal favorite!

Will they get what they think they deserve?

Four books because there is a love component that just seemed slightly hokey. And we all know how I feel about falling in love in a week!

#thestorms

2⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an advanced copy of These Summer Storms.

The four Storm siblings reunite for the first time in five years after the death of their father. They were always forced to play his games and do what he said. Now they have to do specific tasks for a week to get their inheritance.

This was really long and drawn out for no reason at all. There was a lot of fluff that could have been left out and made the story more interesting.

Sarah MacLean’s contemporary romance debut is not to be missed! There is never a dull moment, from the intense family dynamics to the steamy connection between Jack and Alice. Jack is swoon-worthy and I loved his scenes with Alice. Alice has serious family baggage and being summoned to her family island is her worst nightmare. While she is compelled to stay by familial bonds and regret, Alice soon learns that everyone in her family is hiding secrets.

Sarah MacLean builds such intricate family bonds and then teases them apart as the week on the island continues. I couldn’t put it down! These Summer Storms is a fantastic blend of romance, Knives Out, and family inheritance drama. I loved the romantic moments between Alice and Jack. I’ll definitely be re-reading this book to revisit this compelling family. This is the perfect summer read and I would highly recommend it to anyone!

Thank you to Sarah MacLean, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc.

<B>4.5 stars</b>
Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for this ARC. My opinions are my own.

Alice Storm hasn't had any contact with her family for five years, since she went public with some unsavoury company secrets and her father disowned her. Now her larger-than-life father, Franklin Storm, is dead, and she has to return to the family's private island off Rhode Island to pay her respects. She isn't planning on staying past the funeral, but it seems even in death, Franklin is determined to control his family.

He has left his widow and Alice's three siblings letters with specific instructions. They all have to stay on the island for a week, performing the various tasks and challenges, or neither of them will inherit anything at all. Alice doesn't get a letter and is quite happy not to inherit a cent, but is told in no uncertain terms that if she leaves before the week is over, neither of her siblings (or her mother) will inherit anything at all. Now, she has no choice but to stay on Storm Island with what remains of her deeply dysfunctional family, with the stern and worryingly attractive Jack Dean, her father's right-hand man (who she had a one-night stand with before she discovered who he really was).

It becomes very obvious that in the five years Alice has been cut off from her family, a lot of things have changed, but far too many things have seemingly stayed the same. Along with Alice, her mother Elizabeth, her brother Sam and her sisters Greta and Emily, there are also Sam's children, his greedy wife (who everyone hates) and Emily's wife (who seems to be everyone's favourite, and the only one who seems entirely unfazed by the terribly family dynamics playing out over the course of the week.

While Sarah Maclean usually writes historical romance (many of which I have really enjoyed in the past), this seems to be her debut in contemporary fiction. There is a strong romantic subplot in the novel, but while Alice and Jack and their developing relationship is a compelling story, the heft of the novel is about the four Storm siblings, their mother Elizabeth having a final reckoning, grieving their father and eventually revealing deeply buried secrets which will change everything for them going forward.

There are some pretty strong <i>Succession/i>< vibes to this story, and I'm sure Franklin Storm and Logan Roy would have gotten on like a house on fire (or tried to kill each other, it could go either way). Neither of the Storm siblings, nor their in-laws (with the exception of Sam's wife, she's odious), are as absolutely deplorable as the Roy siblings (or their spouses). I found Maclean's cast of characters very compelling, however, and while Alice has the main POV in the story, each of her siblings gets their own chapter, giving the reader more insight into each of them.

While there are twists and turns and several long-buried secrets coming to light in the novel, I'm not sure the point is for the reader to view this as a mystery. <i>Knives Out</i>, this ain't. Some of the reveals seem quite obvious, while others were fun surprises. This book may not work for everyone (just as her romances don't), but I really enjoyed Maclean's first foray into contemporary fiction and would love to read more from her in the future (although I really do want the fourth <I>Hell's Belles</i> novel at some point as well).

<b>Judging a book by its cover:</b> The cover of this book is clearly not that of a traditional romance novel. We see the four Storm siblings walking along a beach, in an image a lot more like a photograph, there is no clinch cover, or even cutesy cartoony people showing our romance protagonists. Alice and Jack aren't the main feature here; Alice and her siblings, on the other hand, are.

Sarah MacLean is one of my absolute favorite historical romance writers, but I didn't quite know what to expect with her first contemporary. Fortunately, it was even better than I dared to let myself hope.

Alice Storm, second-youngest daughter of world-changing inventor and billionaire Franklin Storm, is estranged from her family, living a normal life as an artist and an elementary school teacher. Sure, being from such a famous family hangs over her head, but she does her best to ignore it. Until her father dies in a tragic hang-gliding accident and Alice is forced to return to the family compound on a private island off the coast of Rhode Island. There, she and her siblings and her mother are pulled into a final game created by Franklin - fulfill his conditions or no one gets their inheritance. Meanwhile, Alice is pulled towards Jack Dean, the managing director of her father's company - and executor of his will - even though she would rather not be.

This book is one part romance, one part family drama, with enough of both to keep it in balance. It has some of the hallmarks of histrom, things like wealthy and tempestuous families, a grand old house, and ruinous secrets, but all of those things elevate the contemporary setting instead of holding it back. Alice is an engaging narrator, and the chapters from the POVs of her siblings give them each some depth. And from the very first chapter, there's crackling tension between Alice and Jack. This was a book I didn't want to put down, partially because I wanted to see how Franklin's inheritance game turned out and partially because it was just so engaging, in the way that good gossip can be.

A departure for MacLean but also maybe one of my favorites of hers.

5/5

I love summer reads and this was amazing! Family, friends and love. I highly recommend this book!! Soo good

These Summer Storms,” a contemporary fiction by Sarah MacLean, was among my most looked-forward-to books of 2025. When I found out Julia Whelan was narrating, I knew I had to listen along. MacLean delivered the perfect beach read filled with family, new beginnings and loss.

Unlike her siblings, who seek their wealthy father’s approval, Alice Storm has distanced herself from her family and built her own life, rejecting his demands. But now he is dead and Alice has been summoned to the family’s private island off the Rhode Island coast. She boards a train, forgetting that it’s Labor Day weekend and ends up sharing her row with a handsome, quiet man. The tale that unfolds hooked me from the start.

The story has a side romance wrapped in family drama and character growth, as the Storm patriarch attempts to control them all from beyond the grave. They are each tasked with completing something in a Knives-Out kind of competition. Alice doesn’t receive a letter, and her siblings are shaken by the demands laid out before them. All must complete the task or all forfeit their inheritance.

We get twists and turns as each goes about completing their task. Some must sacrifice everything, others must swallow their pride and get their hands dirty. As they work through the weekend, Alice must face her estranged siblings and mother as she deals with the attraction she is feeling for her father’s right-hand man, Jack.

We get all the drama and see the darker side of a wealthy family who seem to have everything. I loved how MacLean peeled back their layers.

The story has all the elements for the perfect beach read from We Were Liars vibes to The Inheritance Games. Julie Whelan offered a wonderful narration, giving voice to each of these characters and capturing their emotions and the tone of the story as it unfolded. While I read along, her voice transported me and I highly recommend listening.

Family drama and secrets with a dash of romance = 4.5 ⭐️s

When I heard that Sarah MacLean was writing a contemporary family drama set off the Rhode Island coast my first thought was — yes please! What could possibly make for a better summer read? Well, she did not disappoint.

The setting is strong and dynamic. MacLean‘s Rhode Island roots shine in her descriptions and in making the reader feel like they’re walking on Storm Island with the characters, weathering the metaphorical and literal S/storms.

While not a full-blown MacLean romance, there were enough familiar qualities here to satisfy her regular readers while delighting newcomers. Central protagonist, Alice Storm, has all the hallmarks of the prototypical MacLean FMC. She knows who she is, takes no crap, and tries her best even when it’s hard. And her family certainly hasn’t made things easy over the years. So she’s made a found one with BFF Gabi and a small few she can count on. Though Alice has been estranged from her bio fam for a while, her father‘s sudden death brings her back to the fold. Manipulated into remaining on the island to take part in a kind of inheritance game, family secrets and dysfunction bubble over in fascinating ways.

The Storms are an obscenely wealthy family. In fact, at the start, this was an aspect of the book that made me uncomfortable. I really don’t want to read about the one percent right now (not even to escape), but it becomes clearer as the story progresses that the discomfort is a feature not a bug. Because MacLean grounds the book through Alice’s perspective, and she is an MC who has become an outsider to this circus of wealth, the scenario is more bearable. It doesn’t make the obnoxious characters any less so, but that framing adds a buffer that makes me see less red at the parts where the rich are gonna rich.

I genuinely enjoyed that the story addressed finding a way back to family, reevaluating how you fit into the dynamic and being okay if that fit wasn’t what you expected. A great thing about Alice is that she has herself pretty well figured out, even if everything around her is tempest-tossed. She is often the calm at the center of this storm of Storms.

If you come to MacLean through romance, you won’t be disappointed! Jack Dean is a more than worthy Sarah MacLean hero. He’s a little bit mysterious, a little bit gruff, but also all in when it comes to Alice. Not to mention those arms and that ink! And that library scene! ::heart-flutters:: So that’s awesome and definitely scratches the romance itch if, like me, you’re eagerly awaiting the story of a certain duchess. 😊🥰

All the secondaries are well-drawn and compelling. Those you can love, you will. And those you are supposed to loathe, you will loathe, MacLean makes sure of that! But she also fleshes even those characters out enough to make them more than one-note. This is especially true of a character who isn’t even alive in the book, but whose lack of presence still casts a long shadow. The death of the larger than life Storm patriarch jumpstarts the plot and I came out of this read as conflicted about Alice’s father as she was. On the one hand, I’m sorry she didn’t get a chance to reconcile with him
or at least have a conversation; however on the other, his manipulation and self-centeredness would likely have made him a hard character to get to know and care for had he been alive on page. So, I think maybe I feel as I should when it comes to him. Perhaps this is what MacLean intends.

Overall, this is an excellent summer read with the right balance of heart, humor, family drama, and romance. In the end, even when you’re backed into a corner and feel like someone else is pulling your strings, you can still make a choice and it is your choice. I appreciate how MacLean portrayed the idea that you can have agency even when other forces, be they family or circumstance, try to manipulate you towards a specific end. It’s a heartening thought.

I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of These Summer Storms. All opinions expressed are my own.

Usually a writer of historical romance, Sarah MacLean comes in with a strong family drama, set in present day Rhode Island. This novel was like Succession, with the tech-billionaire patriarch, Franklin Storm, dying by misadventure, and then having his children compete for their inheritance. Messy and heartfelt and with a romance thrown in, of course, These Summer Storms will have you wishing for more.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for this digital e-arc.*

I’m nothing if not a sucker for complicated family stories - and These Summer Storms delivers that in spades. It follows the four Storm siblings as they come together to grieve the loss of their tech billionaire father after his unexpected death. When the siblings arrive for the funeral, they discover that their controlling father isn’t going to make things easy on them even in death, as he’s created a sort of inheritance game seemingly designed to humiliate them. As the week progresses, the siblings find themselves reckoning with the aftermath of their family’s many long-hidden secrets.

I know every book about wealthy families gets compared to Succession these days, but the cadence, intensity, and family dynamics of this book really did scream Succession in the best way. It was intense, messy, and compelling - it started out a bit slow, but once it picked up it was hard to put down! This is one of those books that keeps building up slowly until everything comes to a head with a plethora of dramatic reveals and explosive moments. It had the perfect mix of characters you’ll love to hate and those you’ll find endlessly endearing, and of course there was no shortage of rich people behaving badly. I loved witnessing the personal growth of each sibling as the book unfolded, and by the end I couldn’t help but root for them all. 

This book has gotten a lot of buzz, with some calling it one of the best books of the summer. Although I enjoyed it overall, I don’t know that it quite reached those heights for me. The beginning felt repetitive at times, and as an avid romance reader I wasn’t totally sold on the romance subplot. Even still, this book was a great read overall and I’d heartily recommend it to anyone. With flawed but well-developed characters, lots of slow burn drama, complicated family dynamics galore, and even a bit of romance, there’s something for everyone in this book! 

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I got it because I enjoyed Sarah MacLean's historical romances, and honestly I'm not a big family drama girl. Yet, the writing translates and I was totally into this book very quickly. Coming from a romance author, I'm not surprised or at all disappointed by the romance sub-plot, and loved the characters together. This had it all - billionaire family with the requisite dysfunctional heirs, secrets discovered, love found. Highly enjoyed this!