I know this is an unpopular opinion but I didn't love this one. I saw @meagansbookclub recommend this one so I immediately went to Netgalley for the eARC. The Rhode Island setting immediately sucked me into the story. I'm a sucker for a book set in New England but especially RI. Unfortunately, the story didn't really hold my attention. It took me a while to read this one. I found myself skimming to just get the story moving along. I almost DNF'd it several times but kept going to see what all the hype was about it. I've seen some really great reviews though so maybe you'll enjoy it. Overall, the story was just too slow for me.

This was one of my most anticipated reads for this summer and while I really enjoyed it, I think I may have built the expectations a little too high after reading a few of the author’s historical romances.

The overall premise was intriguing and it’s a fantastic family drama, but I wish that the inheritance game had either been more complex or that premise had been left behind and it had just been a straightforward family drama. The romance between Allison and Jack was compelling, but also felt rushed at the end, at least for the conclusion that the author brought them to. However, like with all of MacLean‘s other work, the line level writing and humor were spot on.

Thank you to Annette Galli and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for this review; I also read about a third of it using the fantastic audiobook narrated by Julia Whelan.

This book struck the perfect balance between romance and family drama - such a fun and breezy summer read. I loved the private island backdrop, and it contrasted well to how the adult siblings navigate their messy dynamics.
After the family patriarch passes away, his adult children are summoned to their secluded island estate for the reading of the will. The twist? Each sibling is given a specific task, and if even one fails, no one inherits anything. And it’s billions!
Inheritance games energy. High stakes, lots of secrets, and messy dynamics—because people act wild when serious money is involved.
I do wish there had been a bit more action or a bigger payoff. The story felt like it was building toward a major twist or jaw-dropping reveal that never quite landed. There were a couple of “twists,” but they didn’t really shock or change my view of the story.
I was surprised by how much romance there was and enjoyed it! I went in expecting heaviest focus on the family tension, but the romantic storyline was front and center from chapter one.
All that said, this was a good summer read. If you're looking for something atmospheric and drama-filled before summer wraps up, definitely grab this one - the descriptive setting alone is worth it.
Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC for honest review!

A wealthy New England family will be forced to reckon with buried truths, old grudges, and new flames when they are forced to spend a week together following the sudden death of their father. Unlike the other Storm siblings who stayed behind, left in a constant struggle to win their mother’s love and their father’s approval, Alice left to forge her own path following a falling out. But when Jack Dean, her father’s second-in-command, calls them back to the family’s island for a week’s worth of games to ensure their inheritance, sparks fly, and secrets are unearthed.

Well, my friends, here we are again— me absolutely shell-shocked from a novel, completely ill-equipped to express just how much of a tour de force it is. But alas, this is a book review, so I will do my best to at least express to you why I feel this is a must-read. The first question that came to mind while reading it, and crying about a zillion times during, is why do some books hit so much harder than others?

I think that ultimately, a book that can transport you to a whole new world, allow you to feel the intense emotions strong connections can elicit, and make you feel seen and make you fall in love— fall in love with the characters, the story, the writing— are innately powerful. And this gorgeously written, emotionally evocative family drama has this innate power because the author is as good as she is.

“𝐼 𝓃𝑜𝓉𝒾𝒸𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊”
Let me start off by saying that although I loved every single second of the time I spent reading These Summer Storms, I found myself most enamored with the romantic love story at the center of it, and I need to specify that because ultimately, this is also the love story of a family. From the moment we meet both Jack and Alice, my interest was piqued. Their chemistry sparked from their first interaction on, and I found myself completely immersed in all the butterflies, the flirtation, the tension, and the banter that their dynamic and forced proximity brought about. They sparkled in every scene they shared and I simply could not get enough. If you like an open-door romance, but prefer a more tasteful intimate moment, without the overpowering graphic detail, MacLean more than has you covered.

“𝒯𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓌𝒽𝑜𝓁𝑒 𝒻𝒶𝓂𝒾𝓁𝓎 𝒾𝓈 𝓊𝓃𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔𝑒𝒹”
As much as this is a wonderful, swoon-worthy romance, it is even more so the story of a family, torn down and ravaged over years of turbulence, fighting, and clawing its way back to one another. As we learn more and more about each member of the Storm family, it’s difficult not to feel brokenhearted for just how divided this once inseparable family had become. And yet, they are a family. Messy, complex, broken. But a family nonetheless. And over the course of the book, as you learn about each of the members, their inner struggles, and family dynamic, you will feel a connection form to each - desperately hoping they reconnect with one another and come to some sort of peace within themselves to allow for a more positive future, sans their patriarch.

🎧 The audiobook is absolutely phenomenal, but of course it would be with Julia Whelan at the helm. She does a better male voice than most men tbh 😂🤣

This story and these characters absolutely took my breath away, and if I could have added pages, simply to remain in their world just a little bit longer, I would have. It is absolutely perfect and *the* book of summer - mark my words.

Read if you like:
▪️family dramas
▪️swoony love stories
▪️character-driven stories
▪️found family
▪️flawed characters
▪️coastal Rhode Island setting

“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.