Elin Hilderbrand meets Succession with a sprinkle of Knives Out. Sam reminded me of Jesse in The Righteous Gemstones.

The easiest 5 stars I have given a contemporary romance this year!!!

I don’t know what kind of black magic Sarah MacLean puts into her writing but I am officially addicted. If this is what I can expect from her other books then I need them on my physical TBR ASAP.

I received this book as an e-ARC (thank you, NetGalley 😉) but once I discovered that Julia Whelan was the narrator for the audiobook it was a no brainer to add the audio and read in tandem with the book. MacLean’s writing with Whelan’s narrating was absolute perfection. From the moment Jack walks up to Alice at the train station in the first chapter I was instantly hooked.

There are so many things I adored about this book that I’m not even sure where to start. I think what captured my attention from the very first page was the author’s gorgeous writing style. How is it possible that an author can make you feel multiple emotions at once? And various times throughout the book? There would be a scene that would have me either swooning or infuriated while also laughing at the exact same time. Which leads me to my next obsession with this book, the characters! I am completely obsessed with every single character in this book. Every single one of them was so multi-layered and well developed. Everyone went through their own personal growth and it was so entertaining to experience their different journeys. Well, everyone but Elizabeth and Sila that is. They still have some growing to do. The others however, it was impossible not to love and feel connected to every single one of them. They all had their own signature personalities that radiated throughout the story. And Jack… oh Jack. He has my whole entire heart. Every time that man would call Alice sweetheart I would instantly get butterflies.

I cannot recommend this book enough. Adding the audio is 💯 a MUST! Whelan’s robotic voice for anytime Sam had to use AI during his hours of silence had me rollin. Just trust me, add this to your dang TBR and thank me later.

Family drama, family secrets, gorgeous island, romance… what’s not to love? This book was a bit slow, but in a good way if that makes sense.

Thank you to NetGalley for this in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this read a lot more than I was originally expecting! I saw lots of people posting about it and I was so excited when I received an ARC for it! I tag teamed reading it and doing the audio & I highly recommend the audio!! I loved the mystery vibes, the throw ins of romance, and the twists! The ending was chefs kiss 😚 (also where can I find my own Jack??!)

These Summer Storms is the perfect summer read! I think this is a great book for people who has interest in a variety of genres!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this arc!

3.5 stars
I enjoyed this book! I liked the concept and was excited for something different than what I’ve been reading. It was more romance than I was expecting but I ended up enjoying that part of the story. I did enjoy the twists but was waiting for a bigger shock. I thought it was a little repetitive and slow at times but overall it was entertaining and a good beach read!

More lit fic than romance (the romance felt random and forced). I liked the setting but disliked every character in this book. No one was redeemable. If you love rich people being dramatic and awful, this is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC!

Rich people behaving badly ✅
Sibling rivalry ✅
Secluded island ✅

4 stars!! Perfect Labor Day weekend read.

Super fast paced, ridiculous family dynamics, outsiders… so good.

I'm not normally a big fan of romances but this was not a typical romances by any means and tended toward the more familial love in all of us, especially those with big families that often have more diverse personalities! I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of a family at odds and how the members resolved their problems and differences throughout the story! I've read one other book by this author and found it enjoyable also but this was more character evolved! I would highly recommend this to anyone, even those of us who tend to shy away from the standard romance novel!

I enjoyed this book but not as much as expected. With all the drama and will they/won't they make it, the payoff at the end was incredibly disappointing. I did enjoy the love stories in the book, but the father seemed like a monster, and the mother was even worse. The Storm siblings were not super likable, and going from what was to be a one night stand to lifelong love in a week was unrealistic, especially with as much arguing as they did.

I think the premise of this started out fun if you can overlook the legal aspects of the wife having to participate in this game to get money, which isn’t plausible. But the rest of the book felt completely disjointed. The character’s conversations just felt like everyone was talking in circles, motivations were very unclear for every single character. And a bizarre ending after that entire journey. Wasn’t for me

This was an intriguing read that kept me guessing. I think it's an easy beach read.
Thank you to netgalley for an advanced copy. My opinions are my own.

This book was so hard to put down! The characters, the family drama, the secrets that reveal themselves at just the right time, the just the right amount of spice. I ADORED this story! The way the recently departed manipulative father/husband gave his family of dysfunctional children challenges in order to receive their inheritance was both creative and diabolical. Even in death he was pushing his family’s buttons. Sarah did a wonderful job at weaving this tale. Such a great summer read!

Rich, inheritance family drama and romance? Yes, please!! This was my first Sarah MacLean book and it certainly won’t be my last. With summer coming to a close, this was the perfect book to end my summery reads!

This isn’t a romance book, but it has romantic elements. I would say it is more of a contemporary fiction. I liked the writing style and the plot had me engaged from beginning to end.

I found the inheritance part quite compelling. Although, most of the book is from Alice’s point of view, I enjoyed reading from each Storm perspective.

I liked Alice as a main character. I did get annoyed with her toward the end. Maybe I’m just greedy. I would easily complete her task for my share in a generous inheritance without complaining. Additionally, some parts were a little repetitive, but I didn’t mind it too much.

If you like to read about messy family drama and complex relationships, this is a pretty good one to pick up! I also think it would make a great miniseries on HBO.

I was really excited to read this book. It was a fun concept and I was intrigued. Unfortunately I did not connect with it like I hoped. I felt like it dragged on and was repetitive. Overall entertaining but could have been better! The ending did have some unexpected twists I did not see coming!

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine books for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The glaring comparison of the Storm family to the Kennedys and Franklin Storm to Steve Jobs aside, this unfolded exactly as I'd suspected given those famous trajectories. Part family drama, part rich people problems, sprinkled with a bit of muted Hunger Games, it kept the pages moving.

A contemporary fiction novel that dives into the lives of the uber-wealthy—and wildly dysfunctional—Storm family. After the death of their controlling patriarch, the siblings reunite at their opulent Storm Island estate, only to learn their inheritance depends on completing specific, individual tasks laid out in his will—essentially, one final game from beyond the grave.

While her siblings spent their lives vying for approval, the main character, Alice, broke the mold. After a major falling out with her father, she walked away from the family completely, choosing independence over their toxic expectations. Now, years later, she’s forced back into the fray—and into a web of old wounds and unfinished business.

I admired Alice for forging her own path. When she reconnects with Jack, there’s immediate chemistry (too insta-love IMO), but I warmed up to their relationship over time.

My biggest issue was with the storm metaphors. The endless references became exhausting. By the final chapters, it felt like the word “storm” appeared on every other page. The symbolism was already clear; it didn’t need to be hammered in.

I love a good, messy family drama full of secrets, but this one never surprised me or felt super special.

Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine for the ARC.

This book completely pulled me in. The story is both captivating and deeply unsettling—especially how the father managed to manipulate his family even after death. The inheritance game added a tense, almost sinister layer to an already dysfunctional family dynamic. I felt for Alice as she navigated all the buried secrets, resentment, and emotional landmines of returning home. The setting, Storm Island, was atmospheric and perfectly matched the turbulent emotions of the characters. It’s a beautifully written, chaotic, and emotional ride that explores grief, identity, and what it really means to break free from a toxic legacy. Messed up, but so good.

A nice read about a family full of secrets and a romance mixed in. Good summer read that explores all of the “storms” that can occur when the patriarch of the family suddenly dies.

I received a free eBook of These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars
With a private island setting, family drama, sibling rivalry, secrets and more, These Summer Storms was a great read over the summer.
The beginning was a bit rough to get through. It was extremely slow. Slow to the point where I was about to DNF. It was full of running sentences and over explanation of trains, but I pushed through, and I became deeply invested in the Storms story.