I love a messy family drama, and These Summer Storms delivers! A self-made billionaire dies, bringing Alice Storm—the one child who took a different path than her siblings—back to the family's private island. She’s met with a game designed by her late father as a way for all of them to work together to receive their inheritance.

I really enjoyed the setting of this one, New England summer estate, complete with a sailing excursion, it felt very on brand for this family but also makes this a fun summer read. There’s some steam and a LOT of great chemistry between Alice and Jack. While I haven’t read author Sarah MacLean’s earlier historical romance work, I could see the influence in some areas, which I enjoyed! Some plot elements were a bit predictable and characters were a bit generic in nature, but I still enjoyed this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read a copy of this. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am a devoted fan of Sarah MacLean's historical romances. I was nervous about her pivot to contemporary fiction, especially because this is not a romance novel, but I should've known better than to ever doubt Sarah. This book was phenomenal. Thanks to Ballantine and NetGalley for the complimentary eARC.

Alice Storm hasn't seen or spoken to a member of her family in five years. After she was exiled by her father, she was cut off and had to make her own way as an art teacher and freelance artist in Brooklyn. But when her tech billionaire father dies in an accident at the age of 70, Alice is summoned home to the family's private island off the coast of Rhode Island. She plans to attend the funeral and leave as soon as possible. But, as per usual with her father, nothing can be that simple. He has one more manipulation for them from beyond the grave: every member of the Storm family has a task to complete on the island in the week following his death for them to get their inheritance. And if one of them fails, they all lose out. So now Alice is trapped on this island with her toxic family who watched as her father threw her out and her father's "fixer," Jack Dean, who is weirdly familiar with Alice's life despite the fact that they've never met and seems to have his own incentive to play the game.

This novel has many of the hallmarks of a MacLean book, just moved from the 19th century into our modern world. While Sarah MacLean doesn't write in the ballrooms in her historical romances anymore, her characters in those books are either part of or brush up against the 1% so it makes sense that her contemporary fiction debut would do so as well. Alice is no longer part of that world, but she was raised in it. And as someone who has lived both in her father's orbit and out, she recognizes the dangers that come from that level of wealth.

The thing that stood out to me most about These Summer Storms was the detailed character work. Our primary narrator is Alice, in third person past tense, but we get one chapter from each of the Storm siblings' points of view. Those chapters take place after bombshell moments for each sibling so we slide from Alice's perspective into that of the person most impacted by the revelation. Sarah MacLean is not afraid of the messy and she's great at laying breadcrumbs that will payoff over time. We see it in her multi-book historical romance series and it happens here. She drops nuggets about these people across the book so when the truth comes out, it's both a shock and glaringly obvious because Sarah has told us everything we need to know about who these people are.

Ok, let's talk about the real reason anyone who follows me reads my reviews: the romance. Sarah is one of the most influential voices in romance today so if she was going to write outside the genre, we knew we'd still be represented in the book. You can take the author out of romance but you can't take the romance out of the author. Now, because I am a seasoned MacLean reader, the moment she put a gruff, domineering, super hot man with rolled up sleeves on page I knew to lock in because that was going to be our hero. But because this is not a romance novel, the relationship between our romantic leads is more complicated than in a typical MacLean historical– there are more variables at play. Alice has options outside of the usual HEA since we're in a different genre (don't worry we get the HEA. Romance readers, this is a safe space). I really enjoyed how the trajectory of the romance was not a straight line. There were many times when I actually didn't want Alice to pick him and I think that's the real difference between this type of commercial fiction with a romance subplot and a contemporary romance. Oh, and there are a couple of great intimate scenes including one with a desk that was HAWT.

Sarah MacLean is now on my list of "She Writes It, I Read It" authors with any genre. This book was outstanding and has made my best of the year list.

I’ll admit that when I first picked this one up, I was hesitant — so hesitant that I told a friend it was going to take a lot to make me enjoy a book about billionaires in a time when I really, truly, deeply do not like billionaires.

But if anyone can do it, it’s @sarahmaclean.

From the moment a mysterious man on the train threw a punch in the rain to protect the heroine, I was hooked. THE TENSION. THE LONGING.

Though I’ve always loved her historical novels, MacLean brings the same emotional nuance, wit, and insight to this contemporary setting. And the fact that it’s set in Rhode Island—where I grew up—made it all the more special.

At its core, this is a story about an estranged sister returning to a family island for her father’s funeral, only to find so much more: old tensions, new beginnings, and a romance that took me by surprise. It’s full of characters you love, love to hate, and ultimately deeply empathize with. Beach vibes. Sibling banter. Family secrets. Plus, I’m a sucker for a hero named Jack, and this Jack is a top tier Jack.

Sharp, romantic, a little bit wild, and full of feelings. Welcome to a new—but still familiar—era of MacLean!

(Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.)

Sarah MacLean is one of my favorite historical romance authors. I can always count on her for strong female characters and rakes with a heart of gold. I jumped at a chance to read her first contemporary women’s fiction novel. Alice Storm is the estranged daughter of a genius billionaire. When she gets word that her father has unexpectedly passed away she returns to her family’s private island off the coast of Newport, RI. It has been five years since her father banished her from there, so returning home brings up all kinds of emotions.

As they prepare for a celebration of his life the family learns that they have been left an inheritance game to complete. If Alice, her two sisters, brother and mother inherit anything it will depend on everyone completing the challenges during a week stay on the island. Jack Dean, her father’s fixer, is there to make sure the challenges are met and honored. I love that so much of the story is told through the dialogue. There are hurt feelings between the siblings and secrets that slowly get revealed. While the story is told through Alice’s POV there is time to understand each of her family members. And of course there is extra time for her and Jack to get to know each other.

This is appropriately labeled as women’s fiction and includes a lot of family drama. Some I could anticipate and others that were surprising. I did enjoy the romance between Jack and Alice. The whole novel takes place in only a week so I was happily surprised to get both open and closed door scenes.

I hope MacLean doesn’t give up on writing historical romances but if she wants to continue in contemporary writing I will be there to read it.

This was a fun family drama with delightful social commentary. A great summer read!

Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I devoured this book in just two days—it was that good. Sarah MacLean delivers a gripping, twist-filled family drama set against the backdrop of a secluded island, where secrets are buried deep and emotions run high.

When a powerful billionaire unexpectedly dies, his four estranged children are summoned back home for the reading of his will. But there’s a catch: before any of them can inherit a dime, they must each complete a personal task left behind by their father—a man whose legacy is tangled in wealth, control, and secrets.

The tension between the siblings is so deliciously chaotic—snarky banter, unresolved trauma, and long-buried resentments keep the pages flying. But it’s Alice, one of the sisters, who truly stole the show for me. After being cast out by her family, she carved her own path, far from the billionaire lifestyle. But when she’s forced to return, old wounds reopen and the truth begins to unravel in ways no one expects.

This story had everything I love: emotional twists, messy family dynamics, and a heroine with strength and vulnerability. And just when I thought I had it all figured out—boom, the ending floored me (in the best way).

If you love complex families, island settings, and slow-revealed secrets, this one’s for you. Add it to your summer reading list ASAP!

As an obnoxiously proud New Englander, I knew this was for me right off the bat.

I have loved Sarah MacLean from the first time I read her historical romance’s and I was beside myself when I found out she would be moving into the contemporary space, also! These Summer Storms is such a GORGEOUS deep, thoughtful book with perfectly messy characters that will stay in your head for WEEKS after you finish. Sarah MacLean knows exactly how to write a family drama that keeps you gripped right up until the end. I will read literally anything she writes about the Storm family.

Loved this book from Sarah MacLean! I have read many of her historical romances over the years so I was definitely curious about her trying adult fiction.
Alice Storm has been estranged from her super wealthy family for 5 years at the start of the story. Her billionaire tech father dies suddenly and Alice heads back to the family's private island compound in Rhode Island to attend the funeral and reunite with her siblings and mother. During the journey home, Alice runs into a handsome stranger and has a one-night stand. She finds out a day later that he is her father's fixer. He's arrived on the island in order to moderate a final game setup by her father in order to pit his family against each other to gain their inheritance. Instead of having a funeral, her icy mother is planning a "celebration". All of the siblings have multiple issues stemming from their treatment over the years by their parents. I was there for the crazy plot and the family dynamics but MacLean uses her character-building gifts to really pull you into each character's thoughts and struggles. I hope she writes more about this family. I couldn't put the book down.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for my honest review.

From the first chapter, I was completely hooked and did not want to stop reading.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5) / 5 stars
🌶️ / 5 spice level

It’s a story about a complicated family who’s forced to play an inheritance game after their father dies. The book spans the week of that game, but also has a good balance of telling the stories of what led each family member to where they are now. There’s so much depth to each character and I kept wanting to uncover more layers of each of them. I think my favorite part of the book is the rawness of truth coming out within a broken family. Knowing that nothing will ever completely be fixed, but sitting in that brokenness together. There’s also a love story woven into the main plot, which I was such a sucker for.

I highly recommend reading this book! I think there’s a great mix of mystery, romance, hard truths and real emotions.

Alice Storm has been estranged from her family for 5 years, but is returning to the Storm’s private island for her father’s funeral. During her time away, Alice has built a life for herself beyond the Storm name, influence, and untold billions. She only plans to stay for a few days, but her father’s influence (even beyond the grave) proves too strong for any Storm to avoid, as he thrusts Alice, her siblings, and her mother into an inheritance game that will test each of them in personal and life-altering ways. The Storm mansion is already bustling with chaos, but looming over each member of the household is Jack Dean, the second-in-command of Storm Inc., who has been tasked with overseeing Storm Olympics.

Told primarily from Alice’s point of view, this is a novel with a romantic subplot that is the perfect summer escape! I have been a fan of MacLean’s historical romance books for years, and I love this entrance into a contemporary world that examines grief, family, loyalty, and love. These Summer Storms is overflowing with family drama and complicated histories, and I loved the myriad of emotions each character faces as they come to terms with the passing of their larger-than-life patriarch. While I read the e-arc, I have to assume the audio will also be incredible as it is narrated by Julia Whelan!

Thank you, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book!

Thanks, Netgalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC!

Imagine that your dad dies and you make it back to the family compound, only to discover that your dad left a task for everyone to accomplish to get the family inheritance. Do you think you could tough it out on the island?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! These Summer Storms is a riveting family drama that hooked me in immediately. We meet Alice, who was ousted by her dad, the head of Storm Inside. Alice makes it back to the Storm family's Island for the death of her dad, only to discover an inheritance game that her family has to participate in to get the inheritance. This game forces the family to confront painful truths and unearths deep family secrets. But will the Storm family be able to finish their tasks?

This was a fast-paced book that makes you want to keep reading. The family dynamics were so entertaining that you just had to keep reading to see what happens to them. There was great banter and I really enjoyed some of the comedic relief. The characters and plotlines felt really flushed out and I enjoyed learning their stories. This was a great summer read! The small bits of romance thrown in there were a nice touch as well!

I knocked a star off because I felt like it felt repetitive at times. I didn't really care for the chapters that were from the other siblings' point of view. Overall, MacLean did a wonderful job with this book!

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Format: Audio/E-book

4.5🌟 - I really liked it!

Talk about a summer family drama! This had everything I was craving in a book: rich people problems, New England summer vibes, complex family dynamics, secrets and lies, a friendly competition (Inheritance Games!), and romance of course!

Rich people behaving badly is one of my favorite tropes to read in the summer! I loved the changing POV's of the siblings and the romance between Jack and Alice.

Julia Whelan is the narrator which enhanced the experience exponentially. I would love to see this one adapted into a show!

Overall a juicy summer read to binge by the pool!

They say there are three kinds of stories, A Stranger Comes To Town, The Prodigal Child Returns, and Characters Go On A Quest. These Summer Storms manages to be all three stories, and is masterfully done with all the skills MacLean has honed as an experienced author to balance story and reveals and character growth over the course of a week. This is a perfect summer book, a gossipy look into the lives of the superrich, a complex family drama full of secrets and reveals, and a romance full of chemistry and emotions where the partners make sacrifices to choose each other, with a love declaration that made me sigh.

Alice Storm is the exiled daughter of a tech billionaire, 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. Oops.

Those used to MacLean's historical romances will find familiar ground here, with a protective hero and a couple that really shouldn't suit due to Circumstances, but who are drawn together immediately. These two are keeping an eye on each other, always aware. If MacLean's core story with her romance novels is "She rescues him right back" we get that. There's also an easter egg for longtime MacLean readers of a desk that belonged to a woman who owned a casino and whose daughter who ran a newspaper. While Jack and Alice try to remember all the reasons they shouldn't be together, and build trust and truth between them, this is also a family drama and a bit of a mystery as well.

The sibling dynamics ring true, painfully so at times. Alice was completely shut out, and is shoved back in through this period of forced proximity. Her exile is recast as rejection, anyone who has gone low-contact with someone, or walked away from a friendship will recognize the second guessing and reconsidering that hums along in the background of her brain. Roles and priorities are explored, threads and hints are dropped or subtly planted throughout, and picked up and woven into the story. The tasks each child is assigned seems arbitrary or cruel, but by the end we see how it brings each character back to the basics of what they need. Proof of love. Proof of capabilities. Proof of family ties, tested and frayed, but still extant.

Thank you to Ballantine books and Netgalley for the arc.

What. A. Whirlwind. I don’t think I would have survived that week on Storm Island. The true MVP of the story is Greta. She had to go through the absolute worst trials, even more than just that week. This story was the perfect depiction of family strife and tension, with enough stress to keep me on edge throughout the book. I absolutely loved Jack's role throughout the story, as well as his relationship with Alice. I wish they had a chance to go deeper into Jack’s history and relationship with their Dad. This book is a great summer read, and the ending was *chef's kiss*.

I am completely obsessed with this book and audiobook!! This book was a blend of family drama, secrets, romance and a bit of mystery. The title has such a play on words for this story too! The Storm family are returning to their childhood home on their own Private Island off the coast of Rhode Island. Their dad has unfortunately passed away and they are awaiting their inheritance information. However, the dad has other plans and created an Inheritance Game for them for the week in the form of letters he wrote each of his children of things they must do to get their inheritance.

This is one of those books that has so many secrets to untangle, you just can’t put it down!

Sarah MacLean is known for her historical romances, so this book is a completely new genre, but don’t worry! There’s a romance subplot! The family drama aspect of this book completely grabbed me, as did the scenery in this book!

I really enjoyed that although the story is told from Alice’s point of view, we do get chapters of her siblings, and this really helps humanize and on some levels helps redeem them.

I have not read many summer family dramas, but I really enjoyed this one!

Alice Storm, the exiled black sheep of the famed Storm tech family, returns to the family’s compound off the coast of Rhode Island after the death of her father, reuniting with her mother and three siblings. They learn that receiving their father’s inheritance relies on the group cooperating with that patriarch’s final game of manipulation. Alice doesn’t care about receiving her portion as she has established her life, but is willing to play along at the bequest of her siblings. Over the next week secrets and loyalties unravel.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from a Sarah MacLean contemporary novel and I found it thoroughly wonderful. I read the book in one sitting on a Sunday evening. I was immediately transported into the world and loved all the histories and descriptions. The vibes are kind of Succession meets Knives Out. As Sarah is the author, there is of course a romance (with a HEA) with the mysterious Jack Dean. The book is also an excellent study in the different ways people grieve, especially when the deceased was not a great person. I believe this will be a one-off but I would happily read another book in this world. I already have my signed copy preordered.

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

Oh my goodness, I truly loved this whole entire book so much! It was the perfect blend of family drama, sibling dynamics, witty banter, spicy romance. It had everything, expertly interwoven into a fun, twisty narrative. A great summer read. Just absolutely loved it! Wouldn’t change a thing.

(Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley!)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars)

*These Summer Storms* is a beautifully written exploration of what happens when the past and present collide, forcing you to confront truths you'd rather leave buried. Sarah McLean crafts characters who feel fully human. The main character, Alice who is returning to a place filled with memory and tension, is complex and refreshingly honest in her internal struggles. Her emotional journey feels authentic, not forced, and her interactions with others, especially a certain quietly compelling figure from her past, are layered with unspoken history. The supporting cast is equally strong, especially the intergenerational relationships that ground the story in both pain and possibility. McLean doesn’t rush the emotional arcs. Instead, she lets her characters earn their growth, and that patience pays off. The setting and storms mirror the emotional upheaval just enough to deepen the atmosphere without turning into a metaphor overload. This one’s for readers who appreciate slow-burn emotional journeys, unresolved tension, and characters who feel like they’ve lived a real, messy life before you ever meet them on the page.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

strong contender for favorite summer release!!! I started this book on a bachelorette and then proceeded to tell half the girls there that they needed to pick this up the second it comes out. despite LOVING her YA regency novel when I was in high school, this is my first Sarah MacLean novel and if I've learned anything, it's that I need to read her backlist asap. there is nothing I love more than a rich new england family drama so it's no surprise to me that this hooked me so immediately. Alice's journey in rejoining her family and working through her relationship with her father was so poignant, her romance with Jack was the perfect subplot, and the interactions with the Storm siblings had me actually laughing out loud. I cannot wait to grab a copy for my shelves!!