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!

These Summer Storms pack quite the punch of all things dysfunction in a family setting. The story follows the Storm family as they navigate through grief, family secrets, and specific tasks set in motion by the passing of the patriarch.

I really enjoyed reading from Alice's POV but also getting a slice of perspective from the other Storm siblings. Each of them are dissimilar, but also undeniably affected by their flawed upbringing. Although I felt the story dragged at times, the characters felt authentic in navigating the surrounding chaos.

It wasn't all doom and gloom. I did appreciate the sibling banter and found myself laughing at parts. The romance was a nice addition amidst the emotional roller-coaster that is the Storm family. Overall, These Summer Storms was a hit for me!

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House, for providing me with this ARC. This is a voluntary review. All thoughts are my own.

Coming home for your father’s celebration of life is complicated enough, especially when he was richer than Croesus and still pulling strings from beyond the grave. What unfolds is a week-long, high-stakes adventure for an inheritance that reveals long-buried secrets, lies, and each character’s true hearts’ desires.
Light but layered, MacLean’s characters are human, sometimes downright diabolical, and the plot had me turning pages wanting more. A perfect beach read that’s both entertaining and engaging.

Listen. This book has great ratings and reviews, so take what I say with a grain of salt. I think maybe I should just stay away from any kind of romance by anyone other than Emily Henry or Katherine Center, because I just haven’t found any others that compare. It’s not that this book was bad - it wasn’t! It’s just not my genre.

This is the story of a very well-to-do family and the hoops they have to jump through to get the family inheritance.

There were parts that were sad, parts that were spicy, and parts that just ticked me all the way off.

But it was all just so predictable and meh for me. I didn’t care much about the family as they showed how little they cared for one another and how much they cared about themselves - poor little rich kids (and their mom who was even worse). Their dad was the worst of all!

I did like Claudia and Jack! I kept reading for them.

If you like romance, betrayal, and secrets, you will probably love this one.

A dead millionaire, family drama, and a light romance–These Summer Storms is a perfect escape! I like Sarah MacLean's historicals so I was excited to see what she’d do with a new genre. This novel is a family drama, but I’m happy to report that it had all the things I love about MacLean’s writing turned up to 11.

🌊 She jumped head first into the story. Personally, I’m a ‘get into the juicy middle’ sort of reader preferring to uncover secrets as the story moves along, and if that’s your jam, this one serves.

🌊 I really loved the way she used perspective. The majority is in the Alice’s point of view—the exiled black sheep daughter in a family of four. But each of her siblings get their own chapter at significant points in the story.

🌊 The island off the coast is a character in itself moving the reader through the stories most pivotal moments.

🌊 In addition to the family drama, there was a 🔥 romance thrown in because it’s Sarah MacLean, and she can’t help herself 😂

When Alice gets the call that her father died, she knows it’s finally time to see the family she hasn’t spoken to in 5 years. Not since her father exiled her. Even though he’s gone, Franklin Storm is still pulling the strings with what the family has dubbed the inheritance games. A letter for each family member and a week on Storm Island is all it takes to changes everyone, for better or worse.

This book is not at all what I was expecting. When I heard games, I imagined more challenges to complete or compete in and less mind games and manipulation from the grave.

What I liked:
-ample family drama. Who doesn’t love a rich family full of secrets?
-sibling dynamics. I really enjoyed watching the 4 siblings learn to better understand each other and come together even through all their fighting.
-romance. Of course there was some romance too and I was completely here for it.

What I didn’t like:
-the drama. I know I had this on my list of things I liked but dare I say there was too much drama? It just felt like a lot going on.
-the characters. No one was particularly likable

While this book didn’t work for me, I except a lot of people to love it. If you love messy family dramas, this is probably for you.

<u><b>These Summer Storms</b></u>
Sarah MacLean
Publication Date: July 8, 2025

ARC courtesy of Ballantine and NetGalley.

Sarah MacLean’s foray into contemporary fiction, <i>These Summer Storms</i>has gobs of family drama, intrigue and romance to make an entertaining beach or airplane read this summer. The writing is a step above the popular yearly bestsellers, and has enough twists to keep it interesting. Not predictable although the usual tropes are familiar. The ending did come quite abruptly.

Perfect for fans of J. Courtney Sullivan.

4.25⭐️ this is a summer MUST read!! This book comes out tomorrow (7/8) and wow, I am so mad for sitting on this arc! This story follows our main character Alice Storm, while she navigates the unexpected death of her estranged father (ultra billionaire) and a surprised inheritance game. This is the definition of MESSY rich entitled people…

The romance in this was SO GOOD! Mr. Jack mans is actually perfect, and I will not hear any arguments. The dynamic between Alice and Jack is unmatched, and MacLean did an incredible job making Jack both the savior and the villain (in certain situations).

Overall, this book was wildly entertaining, and I really could not put it down! The only qualm I had was that the ending felt a bit rushed, but I’m so incredibly proud of these fictional characters and their development throughout the story (don’t even get me started on Sam 😭)!!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for a copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review!

These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean

“It was a bad idea. But history was littered with women making bad decisions about men.”

After five blissfully quiet years away from the chaos of her wealthy, dysfunctional family, Alice Storm has no intention of stepping back into her family’s spotlight—or the drama. But when her billionaire father dies, she's forced to return to her family's secluded island for the funeral. Her plan? Get in and out as quickly as possible.

~But there’s a twist.~

Each sibling receives a letter from their late father, outlining a series of personal tasks they must complete in order to claim their inheritance. The catch? It’s all or nothing—every sibling must participate, or no one gets a dime. As old grudges resurface and secrets unravel, Alice is drawn into a high-stakes family reckoning she tried to leave behind.

A drama-filled, entertaining mystery with a swoon-worthy romantic twist!
I went in expecting a family-focused whodunit in the vein of Knives Out—and while the drama and mystery definitely delivered, the unexpected highlight was the romance. It added heart and charm to an already gripping story. A thoroughly fun and satisfying read! Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC 😊

So what CAN’T Sarah Maclean write? Apparently nothing. I gobbled this up and you will too, the perfect family tabloid sensational story of the summer. This is inheritance games gone feral, set in the world of the 1% of the 1% of the 1%. Franklin Storm, billionaire, tablet creator, genius extraordinaire is dead and his children have returned to the family Gilded Age mansion on Storm Island, to for better or worse, reconcile his death and their relationships with each other. This is eat the rich, high key family drama at its best (worst?), each family member playing a titular role in whether Franklin’s inheritance will be distributed amongst them.

A story about siblings, Alice Storm drives the novel, the only Storm to ever challenge her father and leave his purse strings for the past five years. When we meet her, she is boarding a train that will take her to her family home full of all the secrets money could possibly buy. Whom Alice doesn’t expect, is a mystery man sent to do her father’s bidding from beyond the grave, the starchy Jack Dean who always seems to be coming to the rescue for Alice.

This book was unputdownable. It played out like a family drama reality show, casting every character perfectly to a specific role in the Storm family. Elisabeth Storm runs the show, a WASPy matriarch to her four kids, eldest Greta (her mini me), privileged son Sam, Alice, and sweet chakra-balancing Emily. Truths, secrets, and lies are all exposed during the week the Storms have on their island leading up to the funeral, scratch that, CELEBRATION of Franklin Storm. From her experience as a romance writer, Maclean expertly navigates the forced proximity trope steering the reader from one family squall to another, unveiling the ugliest and most beautiful dynamics between them. In the midst of it all there’s Jack Dean. Fixer for Franklin sent to stand watch over Alice and the Storms.

I know Maclean says this isn’t a romance, but you cannot help but be swept up in the emotional tug between Jack and Alice. Their connection is as palpable as the weather on Storm Island and I LIVED for their moments together on page. So romance readers rejoice because 1) there is on page HOT sex, and 2) the books ends with an HEA if more familial than couple-y. Yet the story is not all roses; there’s the snarkiest of humor, cutting remarks, and hurt people hurting each other because emotions are for the weak. The story also lends itself to an air of mystery—who will pull the plug on the entire inheritance game? Who won’t be able to finish their tasks? Why must they all play this game? I can say that if Sarah Maclean’s writing it, I’ll read it and I hope readers connect to her historicals through their enjoyment of These Summer Storms. I received an early copy from Ballantine. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Steam: 🪭🪭
Chance I’ll be discussing this book for awhile: 💯

While this one took me longer than most books to get into, the ending was worth it. The first 60% ish of the book was just slow for me and I kept putting it down. I loved any parts that were Alice and Jack, but struggled to stay focused when it strayed from their storyline. Now, when the action and actions/ motives were revealed later in the book, I couldn’t put it down.

This is a great beach/ summer read. It’s gives Succession vibes with a side of Hunger (inheritance) games. The focus was more on the family with a side of romance.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and. Sarah MacLean for the ARC. All opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

Review posted to StoryGraph and Goodreads on 7/7/25. Review will be posted to Amazon on release date.

Alice Storm hasn’t been home in five years but when she receives a call letting her know that her tech billionaire father has died unexpectedly she makes the trip home. Upon arrival she’s launched into familiar dynamics and an inheritance game launched by her father from beyond the grave. Can Alice stay and see what her father’s last wishes are for her?

I love messy rich people and this book delivered through and through. The Storm family is utterly delightful filled with a failing upward son, a carbon copy of their matriarch, a free spirited baby, and a widow who is the ultimate lady who lunches. I loved Alice and her bravery throughout the novel. She had done the work and recognized what the dynamics of her family had done in her past and were doing currently. Jack is such a MacLean hero. Even when we aren’t getting a Romance book from Sarah MacLean, there is steam, tension, and a hero who is absolutely devoted to his heroine. This was a fun read and I can’t wait to see what else Sarah MacLean does outside and inside of the romance genre.

I didn't actually realize this was a romance until I started reading it! Romance isn't a category I'm knowledgeable about, so I'm not the best person to review this, but I did find it fast-paced and I loved the unique setting on a wealthy family's private island.

This book was so good -so far it’s in my top books of 2025. Sarah MacLean went out of her way to tell everybody that this was not her typical romance novel. I think she did that because she is so well known for her fantastic historical romances. But regardless of genre she is an auto-buy author for so many of us. In her latest book- These Summer Storms, which is shelved does contemporary fiction, we focus on the billionaire storm family coming to grips with their father‘s death. Alice is our main protagonist and yes, she does have a romantic sub plot, which I thought was fantastic, but the family dynamic was what really drove this novel. I was completely engrossed and continue to be impressed by Sarah MacLean’s books!

Thank you to Ballentine and Netgalley for the ARC and exchange for an honest review.

Exiled daughter Alice returns to her family's island (yes, island) after the unexpected death of her father and media tycoon, Franklin Storm. Upon arrival, Alice reunites with the siblings she hasn't seen in five years: Greta (the oldest, always at her mom's side), Sam (only son, perpetual disappointment), and Emily (the youngest and resident wildflower child). She also reunites with her mother, Elisabeth (always in control, never a hair out of place).
In addition to her family, the mysterious Jack Dean (very hot) arrives to lay out the ground rules that everyone needs to follow in order to receive their inheritance.
I've been a fan of MacLean's historical romance books for a long time and was so impressed with her transition to the contemporary space. Contemporary romance is, in general, Not My Thing and she really nailed it with this one. The relationships between siblings unwinds through the story as the family deals with long hidden secrets and truths they wouldn't admit until now. Coinciding with the family's story, there's Jack. So steady and capable, Jack is there and understands Alice like no one in her family. I was curious if MacLean would be able to pull off their romance while intertwined with the other elements of the story and it felt absolutely balanced, not letting one overtake the other.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballatine Books for the eARC. These Summer Storms releases tomorrow, July 8!