4.5 stars
These Summer Storms
Sarah MacLean

imagine a warm summer’s night, sitting outside paired with a crisp glass of white wine with THIS as your next summer read!

The passing of the patriarch of a multi-billionaire family brings the siblings back together on their private island off Rhode Island. Prepared to receive a fortune each, the siblings must each fulfill a task left by their father

📍east coast island summer
📖 family drama, romance, mystery, wrapped up in rich people behaving badly!
❤️‍🩹 complicated relationships all around
🤫 secrets unraveling, truths forced out

I had so much fun enjoying this read! There’s a good mix of drama, romance, and mystery giving intrigue to the story as it unfolds. I’d love to read more from this author!

ARC Review: These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean
Pub Date: July 8th

Thank you Random House/Ballantine for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I absolutely love Sarah's historical romances and was super excited to see what she'd do outside of that genre. This is not a type of book I would typically pick up but knowing that I love Sarah's writing and seeing a few great reviews from trusted friends, I couldn't wait to read this one!! (full disclosure, I ended up doing this one via audio since Julia Whelan narrates it and I highly recommend that version).

And I really really enjoyed this! I loved all the drama and the challenging relationships and history that this family has. There's just something about other people's drama that is vastly entertaining to me. And there was just enough romance to keep my little romance loving heart happy.

Super excited to talk about this one with book club - I definitely didn't want to stop reading it and was invested in the story the whole time!

This book has made so many summer reading lists and I can see why. Alice is going home for the first time in 5 years. Not for the holiday weekend but for her father's funeral or celebration per her mother. The Storm family is rich as in owns a private island rich. Sam works for their father’s company and has a wife that hates him. Greta is their mother’s right hand.and Emily is the youngest and freest spirit. Converging on the family compound for one last gathering before they inherit. And their dad has one last game to make them play. Family drama, some romance, and a good backstory made this book fly. I loved it!!

These Summer Storms is the perfect book if you enjoy a family drama. There are a lot of love/hate moments with the characters, they are very complex. Alice was my favorite character throughout the story, she made a life for herself after being told to leave by her father. Alice returns to the island after her father passes. She learns she must stay for a week to participate in a game their father has them play for a possible inheritance. There was mystery, light romance and tons of drama. A great summer read.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House-Ballentine Books for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean was the perfect summer listen, made even better by Julia Whelan’s phenomenal narration. This story about a wealthy family grappling with the death of their patriarch and the tangled web of resentment, secrets, and unmet expectations he left behind was both engrossing and emotionally layered. I loved the complexity of the sibling dynamics—the way old wounds and long-standing rivalries resurface when faced with grief felt incredibly real. At times, the female MC frustrated me with her self-righteous streak, but those moments were balanced by flashes of vulnerability that made her deeply human. The father’s toxic influence looms over every page, and while his attempts at redemption felt weak, the heart of the story is about the living: a family learning to untangle themselves from the harm he caused. It’s not without its over-the-top, billionaire-family flourishes, but its core truths about love, loyalty, and identity will resonate. A messy, heartfelt, and beautifully written summer read—I was hooked from start to finish.

Thank you PRH audio and Random house for review copies!!!

I had heard this book was fantastic and I thought it started out really strong for me. I can see how it was an adult inheritance games type of a book. However, it started to drag for me a bit here and there. I thought the family drama was a little bit over the top and it just felt like a novel that should have been a little more grounded in reality at times.

I've read some of Sarah MacLean's historical romance series, so I was very excited when I saw she was releasing a contemporary title. First off, this book was excellently written. It was emotional and helped the reader really establish a connection with the characters. This book tells the story of a wealthy family and their estranged daughter/sibling returned home for her father's funeral. It tells the tale of greedy, miserable people, but also is a story of redemption and finding closure. I would suggest this title to fans of Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez.

These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean was the perfect read for the start of summer. I've really enjoyed everything that Sarah MacLean has previously written but she knocked it out of the park with These Summer Storms. The family plot line was engrossing and entertaining. Overall, the writing was fantastic and I enjoyed every single page. I cannot wait to recommend this book to everyone!

I really enjoyed this book and it was perfect for summer reading. It put a spin to death in the family and how a family comes together after. It kept me guessing at the secrets the family might have and it kept me engaged throughout the book. Definitely recommend!

More Women's Fiction than Romance.

This incomparable Regency Romance Writer ventures into contemporary fiction with this novel. It's of a story of two main characters, Alice and Jack. And more of a story of families and the secrets they keep.

What was missing for me? Physical description of Alice (only physical characteristic is her height and her tushy). Usually, the author provides a more physical facial description of her main character. Jack is more even handed with his forearms, height and shoulders. Also, wish there was more interaction between Sam and Elizabeth, especially if he is her favorite. Siblings interaction is what propels this story.

Tone is less HEA, more of a drama filled read. The puppeteer a.k.a. family patriarch manages to control beyond the grave. Didn't feel closure at the end but unsure if this was done purposefully or not.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.


#TheseSummerStorms #NetGalley

Alice Storm hasnt been to her family’s private island off the Rhode Island coast in five years—not since she was cast out. However, her father’s death has changed everything. Alice plans to only be on the island to pay her respects but her father had other plans. Franklin 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 will Alice be able to spend a whole week with her family?

I’ve loved @sarahmaclean’s historical romances since I first read her rules of scoundrels series (seriously if you haven’t read this series do it - I still remember audibly gasping at the reveal at the end of book three) so I was excited to read her latest book and it of course didn’t disappoint! The perfect balance of family dynamics (Sarah’s witty banter is my favorite), a fun challenge and of course a bit of romance it is the perfect summer read. My only wish was a few more chapters since I wanted to know more about the Storms after that week! Also, if you are an audiobook fan - Julia Whelan narrates the book and the first chapter is available on the @fatedmatespod.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

Thanks @netgalley for the advanced copy; the book is now available!

#netgalley #netgalleyreads #bookrecs #bookreview #bookstagram #novelsandneedlework

These summer storms was such a fun story about a family grappling with the death of their father and attempting to reconcile past harms that he caused. Sometimes the female MC really bothered me and she seemed slightly selfish and self rightous, and other times I felt so much pity for her. I just couldn't believe that her family was so cruel and selfish so much of the time. And everyone is being so quick to blame each other in the family, when the entirety of the blame falls entirely on the dad. He sucked. He didn't really make up for his crappy behaviour and actions that he continutally did his whole life.

Thanks to Netgalley, Ballantine Books, and to Sarah MacLean for this advance edition in exchange for an honest review!

I can easily see why everyone is loving this one because this complicated family drama is the perfect book to escape in to! I loved getting to know each of the Storms siblings as they gathered together after their father passed away and went through his crazy last wishes to unlock their inheritance. While you get to know Alice the most throughout the book as the storyline focuses more on her and Jack who worked for her father, her sister Greta's story broke my heart with what she had to do and I think I shed the most tears while reading as her story arc concluded in the perfect way.

This might be the perfect summer read. Family Drama. Billionaires. Forbidden relationships. Mystery. Death. And a game. The head of the family dies bringing his wife and kids together for what they think is a celebration of his life. I loved the twists and the not knowing. Little hints dropped here and there for what is to come, but you second guess yourself. I was wrong more times than I was right.

Three open door scenes ... one is more explicit than the others (the last one).

Thank you Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this fabulous book!

Just finished These Summer Storms and I have to say—it was absolutely amazing. From the first page, I was pulled in by the vivid writing and rich storytelling. The characters are so well developed; I felt like I knew them personally and was invested in every twist and turn they faced. The plot is full of surprises and never lets up, keeping me turning pages long into the night. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a gripping and beautifully written summer read. You won’t be disappointed!

#thankyounetgalley
#ARC

I just loved this family drama, up until the last 10% or so. I found the ending rather chaotic and unsatisfying, and I wasn’t particularly interested in the love/sex scenes (though others may certainly be). Overall, though, I enjoyed this book very much, and would recommend it to summertime readers.

Well, holy smokes.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this astonishing book. I try to go in fairly blind to the plot, just so I have no expectations and this one blew them all out of the water.

First of all, I love Alice. Just love her to pieces, and it's pretty much impossible not to. My heart went out to her, dealing with the absolutely crushing family drama and expectations, and the fact that she kept being let down time and time again.

There were times I wanted to reach through the pages and punch several of the family members square in the face (they know who they are) and times I wanted to hold them and show them the kindness they'd never been shown.

All in all, this was stellar. And I cannot wait to talk all of my friends into reading it (although there is no doubt that they will be thanking me once they do).

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an advanced copy of this book.

I wasn't sure what to expect from These Summer Storms. I am a fan of Sarah MacLean's historical romance novels, so I was interested to see where she would go with a more serious, contemporary premise. Well, she did not disappoint me in any way.

I really appreciated the complexity of the sibling relationships with each other and the complications they each experienced due to their perceived positions within the family. No one can truly assume to know what is going on in someone else's life, and when added pressure due to family expectations and a lifetime of imposed competition is introduced, anything is possible.

I loved how the characters learned more about themselves and each other while coming to terms with the death of their father, with whom they all had a very complex relationship. While I concede that some aspects of the story are out of the realm of possibility for most people - unless there are more billionaire families out there than I know about - many aspects of family relationships and expectations are universal.

Side note: Julia Whelan's audiobook interpretation is excellent.

a very poorly written adult version of the inheritance games, if you can even call it that. what games were they playing? remind me again? oh right, literally no games, just either do nothing or do a chore. hello??

i literally was so bored the entire time. there was absolutely nothing that enticed me to pick this one up other than the fact that i have dnf too many books recently and couldn’t get myself to dnf another. i should have tho because with the way this ended? what was the point? we completely lacked a plot. there was literally nothing going on and nothing moving the story forward because the main characters “chore” was to do absolutely nothing. the characters were so annoying and childish, and their “growth” was so choppy. the book ends and again, what was accomplished? what was learned??? i was sooo excited for this one because it was marketed so well and it ended up being a big pile of trash.

I know and love Sarah Maclean from her historical romance, but this book proves she’s a force in any genre. Everything about this book was spot on perfect - the writing, the plot, the characters, the twists. Normally I want to fly through a book I’m loving, but this one deserves to be savored.

Alice is the best kind of protagonist - even when she frustrates you, you’re still rooting for her, flaws and all, because that makes her real and relatable. Her siblings were obnoxious and mean and funny and nice and all the complicated things human beings should be. And Jack Dean. What can I even say about this intriguing, frustrating, imperfect, but sweet love interest? So well crafted, all of them.

And the island itself is a character. I loved it and wanted to explore, I felt trapped by it, I felt haunted by it - everything alive felt was so perfectly evoked for the reader to experience it too. I cannot praise this book enough. It’s magic.