This book was bleak, dark and depressing. A lot of unhappy rich people arguing. I got tired of the fighting.
Thank you to Ballantine for the copy of this book. Opinions are my own.

this started off strong! lots of family dynamics and different perspectives but by 58% I had grown bored of the family and their "distressing" life as billionaires.
* I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review*

4.5* "New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean’s first foray into contemporary fiction, with a sharp, sexy novel about a wealthy New England family's long-overdue reckoning with hidden desires, destructive secrets…and one week that threatens to tear them apart."
Absolutely a top summer read!! Full of family drama that sucked me in, so I couldn't put this one down until the last page. A massive Gothic manor sits on a private Island in Rhode Island, belonging to the Storm billionaire. When he passes away, the family comes back together to pay their final respect or more less to see what they will inherit. Surprisingly, their father had another idea. They must all participate in an inheritance challenge in order to get their billions. This dysfunctional bunch's relationships are humorous and chaotic. With all of them fighting their own demons and desires, they become destructive without trying. I enjoyed the dramatic effect as the author brings the island to life. I really wanted to be a part of this crew, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
With the siblings all together, you can see why the father would challenge them to work for the good of the money. Then there is Jack, his right hand man, that must see the tasks carried out to completion. The book is based around Alice, who left home to get away from it all and now returns only for the funeral and plans to leave immediately. Her father has created a storm that has nothing to do with the weather elements that she must comply with. She has a rough start when her and Jack build tension between them until it becomes a romantic story. It doesn't offer any surprise twists, but it does keep you in suspense to see how this plays out.
If you love family drama, especially the extremely wealthy and dysfunctional, this may be your summer read. I just finished the We are Liars series, after reading the book and could see them as adults playing this one out.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for this incredible ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Sarah MacLean does it again. Her historical romances have always been must-buys for me, and this contemporary book really defies genre. It's fiction rooted in a family drama, but there's also a very strong romance throughline. Some really devastatingly romantic moments. And there's a family island house as well, so it's got beachy vibes too. Succession on the beach.

After being exiled from her family, Alice returns to Storm Island after the sudden and tragic death of her father. It's on the island that she has to figure out if she can or even wants to reconcile with her mother and three siblings. She also has to decide if she can trust the man she can't stop thinking about who also happen to be her father's second in command. So much sexy intrigue. I stayed up all night for this one, and it was worth it. I loved this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the free digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re looking for toxic family vibes and a fast burn romance, look no further.

Billionaire tech legend Franklin Storm has died at 70. His family has come home to Storm Island to gnaw each other to bits mourn together. Sort of. Everyone had a complicated relationship with Franklin and his billions of dollars.

And Franklin may be gone, but his mind games continue. Jack, his right hand man and “fixer”, is there to issue some stipulations to the family’s inheritance. Alice, the daughter who was exiled five years ago, is unsurprised. Franklin wouldn’t relinquish his control of them just because he died.

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, some awkward conversations, some boiled over resentment.

And we also have a delightful romance in the midst of all this hullabaloo. Jack, so stern and serious. Alice, so guarded yet hopeful. Together they’re exploring what might be if they let themselves.

I always love MacLean’s historical romances, so I had high hopes for her first contemporary novel. It worked for me. I enjoyed the hell out of it. She did use a lot of parentheses which I thought was an odd stylistic choice, but it kind off worked. I used an example in one of the quotes slides. I also can’t wait for a reread via audiobook which I’ve preordered and is narrated by Julia Whelan. 🙌🏻

Highly recommended for lovers of toxicity (think The Favorites), summering in the monied New England way, men with meaningful tattoos and the women who want them.

I was given an eARC via #netgalley and @ballantinebooks. All thoughts are mine alone.

#contemporaryromance #contemporaryfiction #thesesummerstorms #sarahmaclean #bookrecs #bookreview #bookstagram

I received an advanced copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

I’ve read a couple of Sarah MacLean’s historical romances, so I was excited to give this one a try. I LOVE a book about rich people messiness, and this delivers!

Alice is the estranged Storm sibling, and on the death of her billionaire father, returns home for the first time in five years. There, she learns that for the family to inherit, they’ve all been given tasks for the week. Tensions boil over and secrets are spilled, and romance sneaks up on Alice as she learns more about her family.

This family dynamic is so fun! We’ve got the eldest daughter, who is the eldest daughteriest. The slacker son who had a shotgun wedding. Alice, the artist, who “betrayed the family”. And Emily, the baby, who does tarot readings and sells crystals. And the mom is probably the worst of them all.

This is a perfect summer beach read if you like drama and mess and families coming together.

Thanks to Ballantine for the ARC!

a complete mess with siblings. it will keep you interested to see how it plays out.
imagine being stuck with your siblings after your father passed away. then all of sudden you are forced to deal with drama and family messiness.

thank you, Random House, and Netgalley for the arc.

It's a story of love, family, secrets, and drama. A well written book.
I was so grateful to be an ARC reader for this book.
Thank you Sarah MacLean, Net Galley and Ballantine Books for the arc. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

4.5 stars

It's been a while since I've picked up a MacLean book, the last few I read by her have not been my favorite. But when I saw she had written a contemporary novel, I knew I had to give it a chance. And I'm so glad I did! This book had everything - wealth, sibling grievances, estrangement, drama, romance, etc. All four Storm children were so very different than it each other and it was interesting to see the unique ways their father had shaped them due to his money and subsequent need to control EVERYTHING. They are all messed up but in different ways. So glad I requested this, it was a great read and made me very glad I was not born into the 1%.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House | Ballantine for gifting me a digital ARC of this contemporary family drama by Sarah MacLean. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Alice has been estranged from her family but returns to their private island off Rhode Island after the sudden death of her father. Unlike her, the rest of the Storm siblings - Greta, Sam, and Emily - had stayed and revolved their lives around their father, vying for attention, approval, and billions of dollars. Alice just wants to survive the funeral and go back to her life in Brooklyn. But her father had other plans. Always one to make his children compete against each other, he has one final game for them from the grave - and all that money is on the line.

I have never read Sarah MacLean's historical fiction novels, but I really enjoyed this contemporary one! I'm always up for some messy family drama and the Storm family had that in spades! Plus, it's a look into the uber-rich family lifestyle with all the luxuries and issues that go along with that. But all families, regardless of wealth, deal with similar issues, just not quite in the way that the patriarch of this family dealt with them. There's a lot of emotions between these siblings as they deal with their grief and moving forward that felt real, and the ending was perfect.

This was such an intriguing read, heard great things about it so I went into it with some expectations and I am not disappointed!
Alice comes back to her family reunion after her father died only to find out that he has set a game the family must solve to get their inheritance.
I could say it’s like The Conditions of Will meets Great Big Beautiful Life but add The Inheritance Games to the mix, I liked the family’s dynamics and the dialogues between the siblings and their mother.
Alice’s and Jack’s story was so immaculate and unlike some of the romantic novels, I loved the little lush of the romcom vibes that were added to the book which made it so much more fun to read, the friendships and how everything turned out, especially with the siblings relationship with each other, it didn’t quite feel like closure, but a good ending to what they had alright.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange of a honest review.

A tech billionaire (a la Steve Jobs) dies suddenly and his wife and children receive news days later tbat he has one last set of challenges for them to overcome before the estate is divided up. This story follows Alice, the only one of his children to stand up to him and the one who has been exiled for the five years since.

What a whopper of a story - grief, family secrets, siblings who were always in competition and still struggle to connect as adults, romance, making difficult choices (sometimes the wrong ones).

You can really see MacLean's romance chops come out in Alice's blossoming romance, Emily's relationship to Claudia, and Greta's occasional moments with Tony. This book also marks a different style and genre for the author, and I have to say I did really enjoy it!

I did not always like most of the members of this family, including Alice (in fact I didn't like several of them for most of the book).

One thing I think MacLean captured really well is the waves of grief you feel for a parent you've fought with and lost - anger, heartbreak, remembering the good things, rueful frustration, resentment that they didn't have the courage to apologize - and all the ways you still see them in the world, in your family members, and yourself after they're gone.

A couple criticisms: I think we went will-they-or-won't-they one too many times with Alice and Jack, and also I could have read 100 more pages developing the two of them and their relationship before the climax of the story. That last part may just be my bias as a fan of MacLean's work in the historical romance genre.

Fun, sexy summer read! Enjoyed reading about the dysfunctional Storms and how they are forced to reckon with their pasts and their family as they convene upon an island after their billionaire father Franklin has unexpectedly passed at 70. Alice is the central character who is estranged from the family after a scandal 5 years ago. She now has to face her family and what she perceives as their betrayals.

Great for the summer at the beach!

Thank you Ballantine and Net Galley for the ARC!

When something is pitched as a sexier version of "Succession," count me in! These Summer Storms puts the fun in family dysfunction. I appreciated the moody coastal atmosphere, complex relationship dynamics, and sultry romance between Alice and Jack. With twists and turns around every corner, I had to know how it would end. A worthy read!

4.5/5⭐️ 1.5/5🌶️ 0.5/5😢

I absolutely ate this book up! I went into this blind hoping for moody summer vibes and boy did it deliver.

If you enjoyed the mix of rich people-family drama and romance in a Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry, you need to pick this up ASAP!

what to expect:
→ coastal Rhode Island setting ⛵️
→ inheritance games ♟️💸
→ billionaire secrets & intrigue🤫
→ dysfunctional family drama 🎭
→ one-night-stand to loathe to lovers🔥
→ dry humor & great banter 🤭

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

This was a fun summer read! I loved the romance between Jack and Alice, as well as each sibling grappling with the relationship with their father who recently passed. This is perfect for anyone who like messy family dynamics.

Sometimes a book comes along that just knocks the air right out of you. That is this book. Five stormy stars for this story of family, grief, love, and the people who help shape our lives. Sarah MacLean weaves an unforgettable story.

Alice Storm has been kicked out of the family. Five years ago, she made some decisions that were not welcome to her father Franklin. She left and didn’t look back.

Now, the death of her father has brought her back to the family island for his funeral. She will have to face her Mother, her siblings, and her past.

There is no way that I am going to give ANYTHING away in this review. There are so many twists and turns that you will have whiplash by the end. This story made me laugh, cry, and feel angry in so many different ways. I loved every page.

I also really grew to love Alice’s siblings Greta, Sam, and Emily. I’m one of four siblings, and I really related on some level with each one.

Let’s talk about Jack. Better yet - let’s not. He was the best part of this story for me, and once I get started talking about him, I will spill all of the details. Let’s just say that I have never read a character quite like him - that’s a compliment.

This book is just simply wonderful! Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read this incredible book. It is out on Tuesday. Pick it up. It is sure to be one of your summer favorites!

My perfect summer read! A dysfunctional family in an inheritance game with drama, intrigue, and ROMANCE that had me kicking and giggling. The romance wasn’t the main plot but had everything I LOVE in a romance within a setting of a New England summer. The touch on grief and complicated family dynamics, even with genuine humor thrown in. The characters felt so real and sometimes, delusional.

The Storms are a dysfunctional family that I couldn’t get away from and was even sad to say goodbye to! I love Sarah’s writing. I couldn’t get over the details. I have always loved her historical romances and adored this just as much for a contemporary. The audio narration from Julia Whelan? Do both reading and listening if you can because the storytelling was delightful. This book gave me We Were Liars but as adults and not as devastating. It also gave me Succession!

I was immediately drawn into this story by Alice's sincere difficulties with both grieving her father's death and the five years she has been without her family. The dynamics of this family are absolutely messy in all the best ways, and her interactions with Jack Dean are complicated from the start. As everyone plays Franklin's game, there are the undercurrents of him laughing at them from beyond the grave the whole time - yet, by the end of the book you could see some of his love for his children, too. I found the ending satisfying without completely wrapping a tight bow around the entire proceedings.

I really enjoyed this up until the ending! It was so unsatisfying. The entire premise of the book folded in on itself in what was supposed to be a charming way but truly was not. This wasn't what I expected but still a great beach read!

These Summer Storms comes out next week on July 8, 2025 and you can purchase HERE.

He kissed her. Or maybe she kissed him. Later, she wouldn't be able to decide, because she wanted to kiss him so much in that moment, on that beach, where she'd spent the majority of her childhood imagining kissing someone, she couldn't remember what was truth and what was fantasy.
Whatever the truth, Jack made it feel like fantasy, slanting his kiss over hers like the pirate who'd dived into the sea, leaving his ship behind, to follow her to shore. Except he'd been furious then. She'd seen it in his controlled, perfect motions.
This wasn't controlled. It wasn't furious. But it was perfect.