A Westing Game for grown-ups! Even though many of the secrets and mysteries are told and not revealed, I still found myself not wanting to put this one down.

I have only recently discovered Sarah MacLean, but have read her entire catalog. Her first foray into contemporary doe NOT disappoint. I hope there is a sequel on the horizon. Run, do not walk, to read this fantastic book!

Knives Out and The Inheritance Games meets Elin Hilderbrand.

After the death of their controlling, demanding billionaire father (and founder of tech giant Storm Inc.), the four Storm siblings return to their family's private island in New England for his funeral. There's Alice, the public school teacher and artist, who's estranged from the family after a scandal. Sam, the arrogant and entitled only son. Greta, the loyal, obedient oldest daughter with a not-so-secret forbidden romance. And Emily, the youngest daughter, a crystal shop-owning free spirit.

Expecting significant inheritances, the siblings soon learn that their father planned an inheritance game with humiliating and heartbreaking tasks they must complete before receiving their payout. Overseeing the games is their father's handsome, stern second-in-command, Jack Dean.

These Summer Storms is full of family drama, mystery, shocking secrets and romance in an idyllic Rhode Island setting. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

allice storm retunes to her family's private island after being away for years, she is there only for her father's funeral., but in order to claim her inheritance she must stay a week with her estranged siblings.

Summer on an island, family drama, inheritance, and a little bit of romance… sign me up!
I enjoyed the story and the drama of the Storm Family. I don’t want to give too much away of the plot because I didn’t know much going on, but I definitely recommend this book if you’re a fan of contemporary fiction with a dash of romance. It is the perfect summer read to toss in your tote bag.

Five stars, no notes! Absolutely loved Sarah MacLean's first non-historical novel. It's Succession meets romance novel meets locked door Agatha Christie mystery. I am always down for rich people problems, and the Storms have plenty to go around. After their father dies unexpectedly, four siblings, their mother, and their dad's fixer are all forced to spend the week on the family's private island, playing a game for their inheritance. This all leads to secrets being revealed, hard truths faced, and a romance brewing between Alice (the estranged daughter) and Jack (the fixer). The resolution of the games is not entirely shocking, but it's all about the journey, and this journey is a lot of fun! Big thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC!

Sarah MacLean’s These Summer Storms is a juicy mix of family drama, romance, and suspense. Best known for her historical romances, MacLean proves she can nail contemporary fiction too with this gripping story of power, betrayal, and redemption.

Alice Storm is forced back to her wealthy family's private island after her father’s death, only to find herself caught in his final game: she and her estranged siblings must complete personal challenges to claim their inheritance. As if that wasn’t complicated enough, Alice’s one-night stand from her train ride turns out to be Jack Dean, her father’s right-hand man, now making sure they all play by the rules.

Sarah delivers complex family dynamics, sizzling romance, and just the right amount of tension. The book is packed with high-stakes drama, secrets, and emotional moments, making it a must-read for fans of Succession and Yellowstone.

Fast, fun, and completely addictive, These Summer Storms is perfect for anyone who loves messy family sagas and steamy romance.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this e-Arc.

✨THESE SUMMER STORMS by Sarah MacLean ✨

Y’all—this is the kind of book that refuses to be put down, that makes your heart race even after you’ve turned the last page, and that reminds you how lucky you are to get to curl up on the couch and devour a book in one sitting. Sarah MacLean’s mind is a magical place.

Following the shocking death of her billionaire father, Alice Storm returns to her family home for the first time after a years-long estrangement. Much family drama ensues as the four siblings and their mother play their parts in a game that Franklin Storm still seems to have complete control over, even from beyond the grave. Alice’s patience is tested at every turn, especially by the man her father sent to preside over the week-long inheritance game.

There is absolutely nothing better than a plot twist you never could’ve seen coming—and this book has like eight of them!!!!!!! Sarah MacLean can craft conflict like nobody’s business!!!

Some niche things I love about this book:
🦣 Amherst College. Roll mammos baby
☕️ Dunkin’ Donuts coffee
🚆 Trains!!!!
⛈️ Big, dramatic thunderstorms
🌿 Greenhouses
🏰 Castle towers

I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this! Out on July 8 ✨

The Storm family is your typical all American billionaire family: dysfunctional, cruel and full of secrets. Greta is the oldest, an obedient servant to her mother, the ice queen, Elisabeth. Sam is the only boy and constantly underperforming his families expectations. Emily is the youngest, the sweetest, the “spiritual” one, and Alice is their black sheep. She has been cast out from the family but her father’s death brings her back into the fold for his final inheritance game. Will the family “win” their inheritance despite family secrets being revealed? Will they all remain awful or learn to be better to each other? The drama in this story is turned all the way up, and the feuding siblings dialogue sparkles with flame. They shoot to kill in this family, and take no prisoners. However, as certain revelations come to light the reader wonders if they can now forge a different sort of family out of the ruins of the toxic mess their manipulative Father created. His inheritance hangs in the balance, and the ending does not disappoint.

I loved the setting: a rocky and treacherous island in Narragansett bay, Rhode Island. I want to visit this island!
The romantic hero, Jack, is very much a Maclean hero— strong, protective, punches someone out, has never felt a feeling before meeting Alice. Yet, it feels like a romance novel wrapped in a dysfunctional family drama, both really do have equal billing in the story and I enjoyed the family parts even more than the romance.

It’s not a historical novel but Maclean does get around modern technology by cleverly making cell reception on the island very spotty. And the fact that the entire story, minus the first couple chapters and some flashbacks, is set during a week on the secluded island also lends itself to a feeling of being outside of time.

The way Maclean writes feels so purposive, I had a great time devouring this story. If you like the feel of a historical romance setting, romance authors like Sarah Maclean, dysfunctional families who are nasty to each other, or rich people behaving badly near the beach, then you will like this.

Alice, the outlier of the powerful Storm clan, returns to her childhood island home only for her father’s funeral-but staying detached proves impossible. As secrets surface and old rivalries ignite, the story weaves together emotional depth with simmering tension. A great read for fans of dysfunctional family dramas with a smart, self-aware main character!
Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of this novel!

Sarah MacLean is one of my favorite historical romance writers. I have always loved her strong, smart, and brave female characters and the males who love them. So when I heard that she’s wrote a contemporary book I was excited. This book didn’t disappoint, it grabbed me from the first chapter. Even though all the characters in the book were very stereotypical to a rich family drama, I cared for all of them. The main storyteller is the sister who is exiled by her father and comes back to the family island for his funeral. Then you have the spoiled and lazy son who assumes he’s taking over the family company, the uptight sister who just wants to please the mom, and the eccentric baby sister who’s just sweet and loved by everyone, and of course the strict mom who drinks too much and doesn’t show love. Yet, somehow I wanted happiness for all of them. I was invested in their stories. My favorite part of the story was the slow burn romance, filled with sexual tension, between the main sister and the father’s “fixer”. With out spoilers, the ending left me a little disappointed. I guess I wanted a little bit more for the characters.

This family drama with a heavy does of romance was absolutely written during the peak of Succession's popularity (and I say that with love as I adore anything comped to Succession.) The intimate cast really allowed the character work to shine, and the endlessly messy family dynamics were where this book shone. I found myself wanting a tiny bit more from the ending, which felt more like the end of a romance novel (which I know this is that too) than the epic family saga we're introduced to at the outset. Still, this is the perfect summer read, and I'm certain we'll have tons of customers who adore this one.

“These Summer Storms” is a dazzling intersection of the family drama in “Succession,” and the coastal elegance and intrigue of “The Perfect Couple.” Alice, the estranged middle child, arrives home to Storm island in the wake of her father’s unexpected death. An expected guest arrives with the announcement that the remaining family must complete an inheritance game of sorts in order to inherit their portion. This is complex, because they ALL must complete their tasks in order for anyone in the family to inherit. Alice is hanging on by a thread, and she not even sure she can make it through a week with her family. Romance, secrets, and surging family dynamics all come together to make the perfect beach read this season!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I loved this story. Alice had not seen her family in 5 years as her father had kicked her out of their home harshly. She was coming home a her father had died. She meets a man on the train and stays with him that night, then she goes home. Alice and Jack had great chemistry and I was rooting for them to get together. Her father had made a game out of his death and all of her siblings had something they had to do. Her only job was staying on the island for a month, which was torture for her. Her siblings and mother were mostly cold to her, but gradually warmed up. The surprise was the inheritance that was revealed at the end of the story and it was a shock and surprise to all.

This story was well worth reading and I highly recommend. I got this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

Thank you so much for the advanced copy -- I really enjoyed it! Such a fun setting, entertaining plot, and fun characters and secrets throughout. Congrats to you on the genre shift, too!

Here's my review:

"If you’re looking for a quick, gripping summer romance with a twist of deceit and mystery, look no further! I read "These Summer Storms" in just two days, and it was such a fun start to my summer romance era—fittingly, during a very stormy June here in New England (ha!).

A huge thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy. I’d definitely recommend this to romance readers, especially those who enjoy high-brow characters, sibling rivalry, family secrets, and the kind of slow-burn tension you’d find in shows like Succession or The White Lotus.

Overall, as a reader of various genres, I enjoyed it. The beginning dragged just a bit, and the ending felt a little rushed—but honestly, isn’t that how it goes with most books you can’t put down? I loved the tempo at which the "secrets" were revealed and it kept me turning the pages as quickly as possible. I’d happily read a sequel."

This is a departure for Sarah ‘MacLean and I loved it! This was truly Succession with a MacLean twist. I loved all the Storm siblings and their growth over the course of the book. Already recommending it to friends!

These Summer Storms is a gripping story of family drama and secrets, intense in a way that kept me turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next.
Alice comes back to the Storm Island for the funeral (or celebration) of her father, and learns that in order to inherit, she has to stay on the island for a week.
Franklin Storm is diabolical for dictating that the only way his kids would inherit would be if they completed the tasks assigned to them - overseen by Jack, his second-in-command, and fixer.
The attraction brewing between Alice and Jack is undeniable, while stakes feel high and it's a less than ideal situation. Add to that, secrets at every turn, unsettled relationships among the siblings, and a mother who has her own demons to deal with: a page-turner for sure.
This was such a great read, I enjoyed every moment of it - the family secrets, the siblings and their different personalities and stories, the romance(s).
Sarah MacLean tells a compelling story here, balancing contemporary fiction with romance beautifully. Her writing is rich and evocative, and hits the perfect tone for the Storm family tale.
Perfect for a summer read!

These Summer Storms, by Sarah Maclean, has all the ingredients for a compulsive summer read: complicated family dynamics, an inheritance game, coastal island setting, social commentary on wealth, and a compelling romance subplot. The plot centers on Alice, a teacher/artist, who returns to her family's Rhode Island compound following her billionaire tech father's abrupt death. Alice has been estranged from her parents and siblings for several years earning family pariah status. She chooses to return for her father (Storm)'s celebration of life. Upon arriving, the family is informed that Storm has engineered one final competition for Alice, her mother, and siblings to obtain their inheritance. As they make decisions regarding Storm's final demands, Alice and her family explore what it looks like to come to terms with their choices, personal agency, and how they want to define their family dynamic moving forward. Alice also navigates an unexpected relationship with a mysterious, challenging stranger, who becomes integral to the family's quest.

These Summer Storms is tight, propulsive, dishy, and fun! It's a great beach/vacation read that's hard to put down.

Reader note: Does include open-door romance.

Thanks to Net Galley and Ballantine Books for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

RATING: 2/5 STARS

I think Sarah MacLean's writing and I just aren't a match. The premise was really interesting but I couldn't connect with the characters.

Rich people behaving badly is one of my favorite troupes and Summer Storms did not disappoint. Alice walked away from the money and the control but returns 5 years later for her father’s funeral (celebration her mom insists!) The family has to play games and follow rules for the whole week to get their inheritance and if not done nobody wins. Alice keeps reminding her siblings it is not worth it. Will they even get anything in the end or is this another one of the Storm’s miserable tricks. This was funnier and more touching than I thought it would be. I really enjoyed the character development and reveals in this novel.