“Rich people behaving badly” is not generally my thing, in terms of book plots, but I was intrigued enough by These Summer Storms to decide to give it a try. If you enjoy family dramas or the aforementioned rich people behaving badly, then definitely check out this book.

The book opens with Alice Storm taking the train from NYC to Rhode Island, after her billionaire father dies suddenly. She hasn’t seen or spoken to her family for five years, after being cast out over something she did, but now she’s heading to the family’s private island off the RI coast for his “celebration.” She wants to leave as soon as possible afterwards. But it turns out that her father’s will includes an inheritance game of sorts and it requires each of the four Storm siblings to do something particular and to stay on the island for a whole week. Or else. Over the course of the book, we get most of the characters’ back stories and secrets.

It started off great, but then lost a bit of steam in the middle (to the point where I wasn’t sure I wanted to keep going). But other reviewers mentioned that it picked up a lot in the second half so I decided to push on and I’m glad I did. By the end of the book, I was feeling a lot more sympathetic to all the characters.

I was privileged to have a hardcover, courtesy of Book Sparks, an ebook courtesy of NetGalley and an audiobook, courtesy of PRH Audio, and I actually wound up using all three at various points. The audiobook was narrated by the great Julia Whelan, so you know you will get a great listening experience if you choose that method. Thank you to Ballantine Books, and all of the above for the opportunity to read and listen to an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book will without a doubt be one of my top reads of the year. I love stories that involve rich people problems and dysfunctional families. This book kept me engaged the entire time. 10/10 recommend!

LOVED this book. The family dynamics - will different in each situation - hit home to many. An enjoyable read and will recommend on a regular basis

I had a good time reading this one!! I mean… what’s not to love about rich people behaving badly, family drama, secrets that are forced to come out in the middle of a storm while trapped on an island, and a little romance?!.

This is one of those books where I felt like you shouldn’t like any of the characters and yet I can’t help but root for them. I wanted them to reconnect with each other and make the right decisions even if they were difficult. Each family member is messy and flawed, but that was so refreshing to see in a book!! There are themes of grief, healing, setting boundaries, and self-discovery. And the little love story woven throughout it all was a sweet reminder that you can find love even in the most difficult times.

I’m giving it 4.5⭐️s for now, buuuuuut I could up my rating to a 5 after sitting on it for a bit!

I picked this book because I wanted to see if I wanted to purchase it for my BOTM and thank you for saving me the trouble. This book wasn't for me. With the blurb I was expecting something completely different and this was a little bit of a let down.

Clearly I am the outlier here because all
I’ve seen on this book are five star reviews. I just thought it was ok. I couldn’t fully invest in any of the characters and it all seemed a little unbelievable.

3.75⭐

I didn't know I could hate a character who was already dead so much until I read this book.

Dramatic, heartfelt, and hard to stop reading is a great description of These Summer Storms! A story about family, grief, and unexpected romance When Alice Storm’s powerful father dies, she returns to the family’s private island after being away for five years.

Alice wanted it to be quick—a funeral and then leave. But her father left a strange inheritance game: the family must stay on the island for one week and complete assigned tasks to earn their inheritance.

Inside the old island house, family drama heats up. Secrets spill, feelings surface, and Alice even begins to care about Jack, even though she’s angry with him at first. As the stormy week goes on, Alice faces old pain, family lies, and the chance to heal or fall apart. The book covers serious themes like grief and forgiveness with witty drama and romance.

If you like stories about complicated relationships, big family conflicts, and slow-burning romance, it’s a pretty fun but deep page-turner. I am recommending this book to my friends.

#NetGalley #SarahMacLean #TheseSummerStorms

While this book started off slow it definitely picked up quickly! I love reading about rich people and family drama and this one delivered on all fronts! I loved Alice and her inner dialogue on how to handle everything and I even fell in love with Jack. All the siblings and even the mom added some very much needed drama to this book! Again, while this started off a little slow, I was quickly drawn in and found it hard to put down!

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ah yes, another book that makes me glad I'm not a super-rich person. They really are never happy! In this case, Alice, who has been cast out by her family after exposing a scandal, travels back to their summer estate for her father's funeral. A mysterious stranger and an inheritance game means she's in for way more than she bargained for. Lots of great characters and fun twists. Perfect summer read!

These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean is everything I want in a juicy summer read! It’s dramatic, emotional, and undeniably addictive. I love messy family dynamics with a side of romance, and was completely hooked from the start. Alice is such a compelling lead character. She’s tough, wounded, and determined not to fall back into the toxic patterns of her ultra wealthy family. The family tension is so well done with every sibling having their own secrets, and it all unfolds in the juiciest and most satisfying way. And the slow burn with Jack Dean was so damn good! Give me broody vibes and emotional tension and I’m sold. If you’re into rich people behaving badly, complicated sibling dynamics, and a little second chance romance tossed in, These Summer Storms should be at the top of your TBR!

This just wasn't the book for me, it's a reader issue not the book. I know many readers who will absolutely love this story and will enjoy it. So I will still recommend it even though it wasn't for me.

I really disliked all the characters in this, which definitely made it difficult to fall in love with the story. A family of billionaires basically playing a game for their father’s inheritance. I found the characters to be flat, one dimensional and whiny. I did not feel the emotions and found myself struggling to feel like the interactions were realistic. The descriptions in this book were incredibly well done though - I could picture the house on the water and beautiful location this story took place. I never considered this a dnf, I just struggled to enjoy the characters and their stories.

Thank you NetGalley for my advanced reader copy

"These Summer Storms" is FANTASTIC and a near perfect summer read. I can't stop recommending it! It's compelling from the jump and had me hooked. The holds list for this title at libraries is likely long, but this is one that's worth buying if you don't want to wait.

I absolutely ate this book up! This got me out of my summer reading slump. It had family drama, rich people problems, mystery, a swoony love interest and a dash of romance! I was constantly surprised by the turns it took. I liked having a POV from the siblings mixed in. I was satisfied with both the pacing and conclusion of the story. I am going to look into MacLean's backlist for sure! Definitely recommend this for a summer read!

🌊Book Review🌊
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My thoughts- thank you so much @netgalley and @ballantinebooks for the advanced copy of These Summer Storms. Lit Fic isn’t my usual genre, but I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the book everyone has been talking about! I alternated between an ebook and audiobook because I just couldn’t put this one down, thank you @juliawheelan and @prhaudio for the audio arc as well. This book is juicy and dramatic and all around just wonderful. I cannot recommend this one enough, it’ll make you laugh and cry and fall in love with the whole Storm Family! Definitely the book of the summer! 🥰
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Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
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Summary- Alice Storm hasn’t been welcome at her family’s magnificent private island off the Rhode Island coast in five years—not since she was cast out and built her life beyond the Storm name, influence, and untold billions. But the shocking death of her larger-than-life father changes everything.

Alice plans to keep her head down, pay her final respects (such as they are), and leave the minute the funeral is over. Unfortunately, her father had other plans. The eccentric, manipulative patriarch left his family a final challenge—an inheritance game designed to upend their world. The rules are clear: spend one week on the island, complete their assigned tasks, and receive the inheritance.

But a whole week on Storm Island is no easy task for Alice. Every corner of the sprawling old house is bursting with chaos: Her older sister’s secret love affair. Her brother’s unyielding arrogance. Her younger sister’s constant analysis of the vibes. Her mother’s cold judgment. And all under the stern, watchful gaze of Jack Dean, her father’s intriguing and too-handsome second-in-command. It will be a miracle if Alice manages to escape unscathed.
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QOTD- have you ever been through a nasty storm ? We lived through hurricane sandy, my uncle lost his home during the storm. We’ve also had a few nasty thunderstorms that took our electricity for a few days.

This is one of those books that is all-consuming until you finish. I couldn’t put it down. Brilliant plot, incredible characters, 10/10

I really enjoyed this sexy thriller about a super wealthy family trying to deal with the death of their patriarch. So well done and enjoyable—perfect summer read. The characters were complex, and my sympathies kept shifting as I read. I was unsure about moving this to the top of my TBR pile, but I am so glad I did. Definitely time well spent!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Romantic, adventurous, and full of heart, this historical romance delivers passion and intrigue with every page. Sarah MacLean crafts complex characters and a slow-burning love story set against a rich backdrop. Perfect for fans of strong heroines and swoon-worthy moments.

This story was not what I was expecting! It was really good. So many twists and turns.
My heart hurt for how dysfunctional this family was but it really did make the story so good 🤣 I wanted to punch all of them at some point though.
The ending was not what I was expecting at all!


Thank you NetGalley and Sarah Maclean for the ARC!