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.

CW: grief; toxic family relationships; minor physical violence (punching), reference to abortion, and brief mentions of sexual assault/sexual harassment in the workplace

These Summer Storms is the contemporary fiction debut for Sarah MacLean, one of my favorite historical romance authors. And what a debut it is! I laughed. I cried. I swooned. This is truly the perfect New England beach read, featuring a beautiful story about finding your way back home, and chock-full of secrets, family drama, grief, forgiveness, and yes, even romance. It immediately hooked me as I got wrapped up in this storm (pun intended!).

Even though this is a departure from the Regency England setting MacLean’s fans are used to, I still think historical romance fans will be happy. I could feel MacLean’s historical romance roots within the story through its compelling characters, the rich and complicated family relationships, and the inheritance game. Eagle-eyed fans will be sure to pick up on the Easter egg that connects this book to the broader MacLeaniverse. When I came across it, I was so excited as I had been waiting to see how MacLean would tie this to her historicals.

As a romance reader, I want to make it clear – this book is not a romance. But it does have romantic elements and a very satisfying secondary romantic plot line involving our main protagonist, Alice, and her one-night stand, oops, he’s actually your father’s fixer, Jack Dean. In many ways, Alice and Jack are classic MacLean romance leads — she’s a bit of a rebel and outsider, while he’s a bit of a scoundrel. If you like her historical romances, I’m sure you’ll love the romance in this with simmering sexual tension, sexy forearms, and (bad) sextant jokes. And yes, this book is open door with a very sexy sex scene.

But this story is really focused on the inheritance game and the Storm family drama. I found it an incredibly compelling and beautifully heartbreaking story filled with many secrets and messed-up family relationships, yet it also had a ton of heart. There is a lifetime’s worth of family dynamics to unpack as the Storms come together for the funeral – ahem, I mean “celebration” – of Franklin Storm, a Steve Jobs-like tech billionaire, after his sudden death in a gliding accident (rich people, man).

Alice is the black sheep of the family and our main protagonist. She serves as the perfect person to introduce us to the Storms. She’s an outsider who used to be an insider, as she was exiled from the family by her father five years ago for rebelling against him — the only person who had ever stood up to him. There is so much hurt and pain amongst all the Storm siblings, as they have lived in the shadow of their larger-than-life father, and all of them, except Alice, have always done his bidding.

The twists, turns, and layers of Storm family relationship dynamics are central to the story and what kept me truly engaged. Despite all the dysfunction, a clear family bond exists between the four siblings – Greta, Sam, Alice, and Emily – and watching them navigate and explore the “After” of their father’s death was one of my favorite parts. The relationship dynamics are fraught and nuanced, but I found that helped this story pack an emotional punch. I was full-on crying toward the end when the story reached its peak. As a storm (both literal and metaphorical) barrels through the private island, secrets come to life – many incredibly painful. While I correctly guessed some of the secrets, others felt like a shocking blow. And while past hurts are hard to heal from, These Summer Storms still finds a way to find the calm after the storm, hinting at a fractured family, renewed.

I’m always a fan of MacLean’s writing, and I loved how she chose to tell this story. While we spend the most time with Alice, as the book is primarily told in third-person point of view from her perspective, MacLean does allow us to get each Storm sibling’s perspective. I felt this added so much nuance to the characters and let you see how each one of them has been shaped differently by their father, his choices, and ultimately his death. When I started the book, I never would have expected to feel any sympathy for Sam as he’s a bit of an a-hole in that typical “only boy in the family way.” But by spending one chapter in his head, I could see him in a new light. The same goes for Greta, whom I personally think has the roughest hand of all the Storm siblings, having given up nearly everything in support of the family. And then you have sweet baby Emily, who is the true heart and soul of the family and the glue that helps keep them all together.

Going into These Summer Storms, I honestly wasn’t sure what I was going to think of this book. But I ended up loving it, and it may be one of my top books of the year! I truly haven’t had a book pack such an emotional wallop in a while, and this book did that with its beautiful exploration of grief and family. I think old fans of MacLean’s will still enjoy this, and I hope this brings her many new fans as well. These Summer Storms is unputdownable and the perfect beach read, so be sure to add it to your TBR immediately!

Thank you to Ballantine Books for the ARC! All thoughts, ideas, and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Sarah MacLean is one of my all time favorite romance authors. Her historical romance books are unmatched. I was confused by a contemporary but willing to trust the process.

This was not like her historicals at all. It was a fun new thing. And that was great to get.

This was part popcorn summer read - rich people behaving absolutely terribly and you get to hate them! A wacky will! Inheritance games!

And part emotionally weighted - grief, disappointment and devastation by cruel family, being the outsider of your family.

Sure there was a guy the FMC ends up with, but I truly didn’t care about that. The romance wasn’t the compelling part. Jack was just part of the mysterious puzzle of the inheritance games.

Did this go enough into eat the rich for me? No. Do I love a weird will and family drama? Yes.

There is a little nod to her historicals at the end, which was a treat.

The Storms were stormy and I’m glad I read this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine books for the advanced review copy.

These Summer Storms is out now.

I felt the same reading These Summer Storms as I did watching Succession - stressed and depressed. Rich people behaving badly doesn't seem to be for me. Though Alice had been living without her family's money for years and encouraged her siblings to consider the same, I would have appreciated more social commentary on billionaires. That said, I think most of the many, many people who love Succession will love this book.

Meh. As much as I typically enjoy rich people behaving badly I just was not in the mood for a story about billionaires. On the heels of the Bezos wedding it was just not hitting right. I enjoyed the forbidden love romance part though and think maybe had I read this at a different time I would have enjoyed it more.

These Summer Storms is a new release by Sarah Maclean. This is the first book that I've read by her and I did not realize that she is a known romance author. I really liked the setting of an island off the coast of Rhode Island. I also enjoyed reading about the tremendously wealthy family that encompasses the story. They had plenty of secrets to keep me engaged. I could have personally done without the romance storyline between two of the characters as it took me out of the rich people behaving badly trope that I was enjoying. I'm probably the exception to the norm for wanting it to have less romance, though. It was a fun read overall and would make for a great weekend getaway or beach book. Read and enjoy!

I am always a sucker for twisty family dramas [thank you V.C. Andrews] so this book grabbed me pretty quickly. While some beats were easy to figure out there were still some twists that I wasn't expecting. Each of the characters are well formed and you really feel like a fly on the wall watching everything unfold throughout the time spent on the island.

There's a reason this book is already popping up as a must-read for the summer despite it not being released yet. It's gripping, set on an island and has a bit of everything - drama, romance and intrigue.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the eARC copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I unfortunately did not like this one. The dialogue was a little cringe for me and the characters were over the top unlikeable without any true humor or wittiness to balance them out. The second half was stronger than the first half, but I didn’t love the ending (but it did give me a chuckle).Thank you for the ARC though!

Obsessed with this story! Love it so much! Alice was my fav character all along! This was my first book from the author and now I want to read all her backlog.