So confused at first by WHAT I was actually reading!

I love a good family drama set at the beach. But the opening of this book caught me a bit by surprise. I didn't realize that Sarah Maclean is a romance writer as the only book I've read of hers is an old Regency YA back in the 2010s.

To me, the DNA of this book is romance, even if there's an overlay of Succession on there. It's a little like what Emily Henry did with GGBL.

These Summer Storms takes place on a private island as the Storm family gathers after the death of their patriarch. There's a bit of Inheritance Games/Knives Out here as well, though this book has a MUCH lighter tone than Succession or Knives Out. I'd call it women's fiction but with a strong romance subplot.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review!

Unfortunately this was not a hit for me. The writing itself was good, but that was maybe the only positive for me. The characters were unlikable and the challenges left from the patriarch’s death made me roll my eyes. I know it’s predictable to not connect to billionaire families, but I found basically no redeeming characteristics. I liked Jack, didn’t believe the romance.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the eARC.

I fell head over heels in love with this book! With this story, Sarah made Succession a beach read with infinite heart. I loved all the siblings, and the romance that developed between Alice and Jack was everything (as was the spice!).

Alice Storm has not seen or spoken to her family in 5 years. When she receives a phone call that her tech billionaire father has died in a paragliding accident, she returns to the family's private island for his funeral. Alice's family is blindsided by the arrival of her father's right hand man, Jack, who delivers letters from their father. Alice's mother and siblings have to complete the tasks in their letters in order to receive their inheritance. Alice doesn't receive a letter, but her task is to stay on the island for 7 days. If anyone fails at their task, everyone forfeits.

This was a beautifully written story that had a plot that I really enjoyed as well as great character development. The dynamic between Alice and her siblings is complicated and nuanced and the way in which it developed over the course of the novel was integral to the plot. These Summer Storms is part family drama, part romance and part intrigue. Finding out the tasks assigned to each of the characters and whether or not they will complete them had me hooked until the last moment.

The story is set during Labor Day and the setting of Storm Island makes it a perfect summer read.

Review to post on Instagram @anythingnovelgoes on July 25.

What a great novel by Sarah MacLean! I could not put this down! Follow Alice and she continues to grow herself and standing her ground on what she believes in even if it at times causes issues with family, the people you love most! You can’t help but root for her!

"These Summer Storms" was such an easy, captivating read—I was hooked from page one. It's the kind of book you breeze through in a few sittings, preferably with your feet in the sand and a drink in hand. Full of family drama and the messiness of complicated relationships, the story pulls you right into Alice’s world as she returns home to grieve her father’s death and face the web of estranged relatives she left behind.

Alice is a totally likable main character—you can’t help but root for her as she tries to make sense of the chaos around her. Her dad? A real piece of work. You’ll love to hate him and occasionally hate that you love him. There's also a touch of spice that keeps things interesting, and Mclean’s vivid, emotional writing somehow makes even the more far-fetched moments feel totally believable. A perfect beach read with heart, heat, and just the right amount of stormy tension (we love a good pun lol).

In These Summer Storms, Sarah MacLean introduces readers to Alice Storm, who is reluctantly summoned to her family’s private island after the sudden death of her billionaire father. Estranged from her wealthy and complicated family, Alice has spent the last five years living a quiet life as an art teacher. But her father’s final act of control forces her, along with her three siblings and mother, to participate in a week-long challenge. The catch? They must all complete it—or no one inherits a cent.

This novel has everything: wealthy family drama, emotional tension, long-buried secrets, and a slow-burn, spicy romance. Amid the chaos and grief, the story explores how each family member chooses to cope and whether reconciliation is even possible.

It’s a great summer read—fun and dramatic, perfect for lounging by the pool. While the pacing lagged a bit in the middle and I wished for more development of Alice’s siblings, the book still delivered an entertaining escape.

A complementary copy was provided by publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book had a good premise and a strong start- I’m all for rich people behaving badly and a little inheritance game scenario but unfortunately it wasn’t for me in the end.
I actually enjoyed the writing of the book and I did really feel like I was *in* the story, but the pacing was a bit brutal for me and it started to feel like I was actually going to be reading about the day of the celebration for the same length of time that the celebration happened. It’s unfortunate because the bones were good but it could have perhaps done with several more rounds of edits and beefing up the characters.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a free copy in exchange for my review

This is the second book I’ve read recently that has a great “play on words” title (the other is The Summer We Ran).

This half plot-driven/half character-driven novel follows the Storm family after the patriarch billionaire, Franklin Storm, dies unexpectedly. His four adult children travel to their parents’ mansion off the coast of Rhode Island, just to discover that their father has pre-planned a game of sorts in order for them to receive their inheritance.

This book had me hooked from the get-go, although it is a slow burn. There’s a long history of lies, secrets, mistrust, resentments, and hurt surrounding the Storms. This story has suspense, romance, drama, complicated and dysfunctional family relationships, and loss. This is a “rich people behaving badly” plot with some pretty unlikable characters and a big dose of control and greed.

*Thank you @netgalley @randomhouse @ballantinebooks for this advanced reader cooy. This book hits shelves on July 8!

This book has a lot going on it. Upon the death of an extremely wealthy, very controlling father the Storm family gathers at their private island estate to plan a Celebration of Life and for the reading of the will. As expected each beneficiary must perform specific tasks in order for any of them to inherit. The four siblings have not bonded and find themselves at cross purposes. I thought the book was interesting and predictable but that it went on and on and on and I was ready for it to end long before it did. The story has lots of twists and turns. An estranged daughter, a lazy son, long kept secrets coming to light, etc and a handsome second in command overseeing all the contests. Their mother is not warm and loving and the children do not know how to express love.

I wish to thank Net Galley and Ballantine Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed this advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks netgalley and Ballantine books for the arc copy. I loved this one! It is a great summer read. It is hard to classify the genre as there was mystery/suspense, family drama, and romance all bundle up in one and all done so well. It was mainly told from Alice's perspective but I liked how she peppered in a chapter from each of her siblings point of view. It gave such great insight into what their mindset and priorities were that made them more relatable and not so unlikeable. Definitely read this as soon as it comes out. I couldn't put it down.

This is the first book that I have read by this author, and I look forward to catching up on her back catalogue as well as future books.
I love a good family saga with drama, romance, and some form of reconciliation and this has all three! We have an estranged daughter returning home for Dad’s funeral or, as her mother phrases it, celebration of life. The intrigue starts immediately – who is the gentleman from the train? Why is she estranged? What will she face upon arrival? These questions and more are answered with a very satisfying ending.

⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

📖Title: These Summer Storms
✍️Author: Sarah MacLean
📅Pub Date: July 8, 2025

🥰Thank you @randomhouse @ballantinebooks for the INCREDIBLE PACKAGE #gifted

🌞🏖️I read this on the first day of summer and truly think this will be the beach read of summer 2025!

The romance felt like Emily Henry and the drama felt like Liane Moriarty 🙌🙌

📖I can't even put my finger on exactly why this book was so INSANELY READABLE, but it just flew by. Over 13 hours on audio and once I hit play, I don't think I stopped except to sleep 😂

🌞⛈️THESE SUMMER STORMS is about the Storm siblings following the death of their billionaire dad. The siblings are brought together for an inheritance games of sorts, but nothing about it is normal! Everyone has secrets and they're all about to be revealed 👀

📖I have five siblings and LOVE family drama, specifically sibling drama more than anything (in books, not real life, we all love each other) and the drama here was 🙌🙌🙌

💞I also feel like this was one of the best romances I've read in a long time! My favorite romance books are always the ones that are a genre blend of romance and something else and this was the perfect mix of romance and drama! 🤝 Enemies to lovers but not in a cheesy or fake way (trust me) and even a little insta-love (which I usually hate, but this worked for me)! There were a couple spicier scenes, but at the end of chapters, so easily skipped if you'd like!

Talk about a dysfunctional family! The Storms kept me turning pages trying to figure out what shoe was going to drop next! Unexpected loss is not easy for any family, but when that loss includes messy, complicated, relationships, the outcome is generally, not pretty. The Storks have to wade through some big waves to come to grips with the inheritance that may or may not be theirs. The steamy, unexpected romance elevates the storyline and kept me engrossed!

These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean is a spicy, smart blend of family drama, mystery, and contemporary romance—the perfect beach‑read with bite. If you love family drama and multiple points of view, you'll love this. I think it's the best book to pack for the beach.

I enjoyed this book! I was drawn in when I saw that it was described as Succession / Knives Out vibe. And i can totally see that for this book! The family dynamics are sooo messy, but end up just the way you want. I recommend this book to others!

this is so so so good. the banter. the twists. the build ups. the dynamics. i couldn't put this down.

This book was so good. I really had trouble putting it down. It gave me the feels of an adult version of the Hawthorne Legacy. Alice was a protagonist that you really felt for and rooted for. I loved all the twist and turns. It is a great read for the summer.

A perfect little summer read! This was enjoyable from start to finish - I absolutely adored the setting, the characters and MacLean's writing style.

If you like dysfunctional family drama, this book is most definitely for you. I loved it so much. The drama, the chaos, the backstabbing. Alice Storm is having a terrible week, having been summoned back to the family island where she’d been exiled from for the past five years, after the sudden death of her wealthy famous father. And of course, her father is pulling inheritance games strings from beyond the grave, setting tasks for Alice’s mother and siblings in order for them to inherit anything. We get a handsome stranger in the form of Jack, just to mess with Alice’s mind even more. I was so intrigued by the relationship between Alice and all her siblings and slowly uncovering what it was that she did all those years ago to deserve her father’s disdain. Seriously, a very entertaining read.