Novellas can be really hit or miss but I thought I would give this book of connected novellas a try because I thought they would be fun summer fling stories.

However, that was not at all what this was.
Each of these novellas take place over the course of 24 hours and for the most part they take place indoors and other than the mention of it being hot outside there really isn’t much summer happening on the page.

I get that each of these stories are all written by different authors but they are supposed to be interconnected because the 3 heroines are best friends but there isn’t any on page dialogue between them other than a few on page text messages to really tie it together. I was really really hoping there would be an epilogue or something at the very end of the book to tie the 3 stories together but that was not the case.

My overall rating for the book is 3 stars.

Here are my thoughts on each novella:

Night at the Museum by Lori Wilde
⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was the shortest of the 3 novellas. It was really fast paced and I enjoyed the first 5 chapters, however the sex scene was strange and really did not work for me at all and the last 3 chapters were so fast I got whiplash. I think this could have been much better if it was slowed down just a bit.

Lights out by Priscilla Oliveras
⭐️⭐️✨

This was my least favorite of the 3. I was so painfully bored for the majority of it that I almost didn’t finish it but I was worried that if I skipped ahead to the 3rd story I would risk missing something and be confused (however as I learned that was totally not the case, each of these can stand fully on their own)

Mind Games by Sarah Skilton
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

This was my favorite story and I’m usually not a huge fan of the 2nd chance romance trope but this one had great banter and was so much fun. My only issue and the reason I only gave it 4.5 stars was that I wished it was longer because these characters had great chemistry and were really interesting and I would have love to read more.

I received an ARC of this book from Kensington Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Summer in the City by Lori Wilde, Priscilla Oliveras, Susan Skilton 3.5 stars

A trio of stories featuring three best friends living in Manhattan, all of them have things to do before meeting for a girls-only weekend. However, fate intervenes when Manhattan is hit with a city wide blackout. Each author takes the blackout event and put each of the friends on the road to romance.

Each story was enjoyable, but for me the standout was "Lights Out" by Priscilla Oliveras. That was my favorite story of the three, To me this story bridges Ms. Oliveras two series, "Matched To Perfection" and "Keys To Love" and highlights the best of both.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for this ARC.

Summer in the City is a delightful collection of three contemporary romance novellas set during a blackout in New York City. Each novella is connected  by the three heroines who are friends and about to head out of the city for a weekend girls' trip until the blackout sidelines that and they are confronted with the opportunity for romance.

Night at the Museum is a fun story of art restorer, Ria, who's been seeing a very attractive man around the town, but hasn't worked up the courage to talk to him yet. Their paths cross at an event at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where she is showcasing a recent restoration. After a night of flirting, she offers him a tour of the restoration department, and while they're downstairs, the lights go out and the two decide to throw caution to the wind.

This story had a lot of heart - Ria is clearly a woman devoted to both the artwork she restores and the art of her job of restoring. Her connection to the painting she's showcasing is what draws in Vic and us as a reader. 

Lights Out  was probably my favourite of the three novellas, and is the romance between a theatre critic (Vanessa) who's out to review the most recent show by talented Broadway star, Mateo. Having known each other since high school, she has previously given him a scathing review on one of his shows, but when they find themselves stuck together in the middle of the blackout they're both forced to confront their feelings and misconceptions of one another.

This one was just plain fun from start to finish - there's a lot of tension that's pre-exisiting between the two characters, but there's also shared culture and love of theatre and the willingness to admit to being wrong and to reconcile their differences. It was also very hot. My favourite image from the story was when Mateo carried Vanessa on his back five blocks after she injured herself.

Mind Games was a close second favourite and possibly should have come out on top, but a few little aspects didn't work for me. It's the second-chance romance between Alison and Nick who had been college sweethearts until Alison discovers something that Nick's been working on that is deeply offensive to her. Years later, she turns up to a performance he's given, auditioning for the lead magician role at a hotel determined to ruin his performance.

I loved the magic elements in this story - Nick is a very sex magician - and the banter between both Nick and Alison was top notch. I found that the redemption storyline between the two of them didn't quite work for me as well as it should have. I think, had it been longer and the two had more time to go through the process, it might have been stronger. I know I'd read a full length story between these two.

Overall, the collection was cohesive, fun and engaging. I loved the setting, the characters and the premise. All the authors described the oppressive feeling of NYC in the summertime and made the city itself one of the very prominent characters. It was my first time reading each of these authors and I'm very interested in checking out other titles by each of them.

Summer in the City is an anthology featuring writers Lori Wilde, Priscilla Oliveras and Sarah Skilton. I was interested in the book because it had a title by Lori Wilde who I adore. Her novella is titled Night at the Museum and it featured art restorer Ria Preston and Victor Albright an up-and-coming wall street advisor. The two of them have their eyes on each other prior to the blackout night and their story is fun, fast paced read. Though a novella we still get to know Rita as the self-doubter that she is and Vic who’s circumstances in life has caused him to pursue making money and a name for himself. We get to see them let the fireworks take over and then backtrack to work out the fall in love thing after. Lights Out is the first time that I am reading Priscilla Oliveras and overall, this novella was cute and quirky. In this story Vanessa Ríos and Mateo Garza were rivals in their youth and they certainly have no love lost for each other now, or do they? When the blackout strands them together these two get a chance to get to know each other way better than they thought they would have ever wanted to and it’s a beautiful thing. Novella number three Mind games was a bit different from the other two stories as the characters Nick and Alison actually had a past romance. This little gem is a possibility at love revisited story and I quite liked it because it starts out with a little devious plan on our heroine’s part which has us anticipating and then the blackout comes out of nowhere and the whole thing gets a twist. I give it 4 stars because I felt that Lights out didn’t capture me as much as the other novellas, but otherwise a really fun Rom Con read.
This review was given on the ARC copy received from the Publisher via Netgalley in return for my honest opinion.

In this fun and flirty anthology, three romance writers each contribute a novella about a different couple in New York City on the night of a blackout. The leading ladies in each story are best friends.

The first story by Lori Wilde focuses on an art restorer named Ria and a businessman named Victor. They’ve spotted each other all over the city for months but finally meet when a painting she is restoring is displayed at a ritzy party at the Met. This story was cute but not particularly memorable. It’s short so it moved quickly, as expected, but I think more internal monologue could have slowed some of that down and made me feel more connected to the characters. Art restoration is really intriguing so I was interested in Ria’s perspective but Vic was just a guy in a suit.

The second story, by Priscilla Oliveras, is about a writer named Vanessa who is the top theater reviewer for a New York magazine. There’s a ton of info-dumping at the beginning to set up a prior relationship between Vanessa and the hero, an actor/writer/performer named Mateo. He’s definitely inspired by Lin Manuel Miranda—there are subtle references to Hamilton lyrics and explicit references to the show by name. Mateo and Vanessa were musical theater rivals in high school (they played opposite each other in “In the Heights,” of course) and Vanessa wrote a less-than-stellar review of Mateo’s last show, so a lot is riding on tonight’s success. This story is sweet and fun and I enjoyed the banter between Vanessa and Mateo a lot.

The final story, by Sarah Skilton, is, I think, definitely the best of the bunch! In this one, Alison seeks revenge against Nick, her college bf who betrayed her and is now a magician. The writing is strong and the flashbacks provide depth to the characters' connection, which is difficult to do in a novella. I enjoyed all of the descriptions of the magic act (a quick google taught me that Skilton's husband is a magician) and I really felt how much Nick cared for Alison. There was tenderness in this story that I wasn't expecting and it really made the book for me!

Welp, I finally found it...a FANTASTIC novella compilation!

I am NOT generally a fan of novellas OR compilations. Are usually find Novelas too short to really get into the characters and compilations can often be a bit jarring as you move between offers and they are personal writing style. But SUMMER IN THE CITY made me a believer. AMEN!!!

Each story was well-written with interesting stories and exceptional back stories. I was so impressed. This is no slapdash novella trio. Each writer brought their own voice to their story, but these three novellas still blended together seamlessly.

Here is how I felt about each story included in this book.

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM by Lori Wilde
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this look at passion for art, the drive to succeed in business, and a sexy connection that has been simmering for months. My only nitpick was that the author explained the male lead's cologne THREE times in detail in a short novella.

- - - - - - -

LIGHTS OUT by Priscilla Oliveras
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The chemistry between these two leads was OFF. THE. CHARTS. Interestingly, I don't seem to connect as well with this author's full-length books, but LOVED this novella. This was a fun look at family traditions and passion for musical theater.

- - - - - - -

MIND GAMES by Sarah Skilton
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This author made a professional Magician hotter than hell. This is a magic trick in and of itself! 😉 I loved this second chance at love story. It had such sweet beginnings that we got flashbacks of and a wonderfully sweet (and sexy) ending. This was my favorite of the collection with a sassy and smart female lead and a wonderful and lovable male lead. There was A LOT of great banter and chemistry in this story.

Overall this was a great collection of stories by authors who blended their styles seamlessly and gave three wickedly hot and well written stories to heat up your Kindle.

Summer in the City is an anthology of three girlfriends on the night the lights went out in NYC. Each woman’s story is written by a different author, Lori Wilde, Priscilla Oliveras, and Sarah Skilton. The three had planned a girls getaway weekend but the blackout changes that as all three are stuck at different places. This means the stories are only loosely connected. All three women already know each of the men that they are with when the power goes out. There is romance and comedy and finally power back on in these novellas.

Sarah Skilton is the new author for me to read with Mind Games This is one reason I am attracted to anthologies is so that I can read new author’s works. I enjoyed this story of “enemies to Lovers” but found the revenge aspect a little over the top. Still it gave an inside look at this writer’s style and wit.

Lori Wilde and Priscilla Oliveras gave the reader enjoyable stories too, making us wish for better days in NYC. These are novellas so everything moves quickly keeping the focus the time of the power blackouts. The feeling is more of a happily right now which is a biggie for two of these couples who has not been fans of each other.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley, Lori Wilde; Priscilla Oliveras; Sarah Skilton and Kensington Books for ARC of Summer in the City. This is my personal review.
Three novellas take place during a blackout night in NYC. Three friends Ryan, Vanessa and Alison have a fun weekend planned but a blackout changes those plans.
Each one has an experience they never expected. This is a fun quick read- one for sure to grab and spend a day at the beach with it.

I like how all 3 books interact with the 3 friends. I like how the 3 friends had something happened in the romance department all during the same day with unsuspecting events. I loved how the stories weave together. It is a great book.

A huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my e-Arc. This anthology was what I needed as summer paves the way into cold days and nights. I absolutely loved meeting these friends and watching them find love in different ways. The book tells the stories of three friends who plan to get together for the weekend. Their plans are derailed by a blackout in Manhattan. This book is a delight and a must-read!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.
I loved that I was able to read different authors work. I recommend this book as all the stories were interesting.

I don't usually read short stories and I'm not sure why but this book gave me all the feels!! I loved how each story was interconnected and that there were little references in each one to the friend group between Ria, Vanessa, and Alison. In each story the main couple ends up trapped together during a black out and spend the night addressing their feelings for one another. Each story happens in a separate location with unique circumstances and yet they fit together perfectly!

Ria & Vic's story was all about long looks and missed opportunities as the two pined for each other from a distance until they were forced together overnight. Their flirtatious dance was so fun to read and when their dark moment came I was on the edge of my seat which made the happily ever after that much sweeter.

Vanessa & Mateo's story was a sweet enemies to lovers story with heavy second chance romance vibes. Their antagonistic banter was so fun to read especially when one of them did something really sweet for the other. I wanted their story to keep going and hope the author gives us some future novellas or revisits them in a future book! This story gave me definite Lin Manuel Miranda / Hamilton vibes and made me wish theaters were open in the city!

Alison and Nick's story was also an enemies to lovers / second chance romance where one of them literally sets out to sabotage the other. Although they haven't seen each other in 5 years, their chemistry jumps off the page with their constant one-upmanship and ends up in a steamy and sweet happily ever after.

I'm looking forward to reading more from each of these authors!

I picked up this set of novellas because I had recently read a Priscilla Oliveras book and loved it. I hadn’t read anything by either of the two authors, so I am glad I got a chance to read these! I loved how the stories were connected - simultaneous instead of consecutive. I also could totally see how the three heroines would easily be best friends. Being short there’s lots of 0-60 which is to be expected, but I really loved each of of these stories and it has definitely inspires me to pick up books by these other authors as well!

This is a good beach read, particularly as the stories are slightly shorter and can so be read quickly.

Night at the Museum was a bit harder for me to get into. The characters felt flat and I couldn't feel the chemistry between them until the very end.

Lights Out and Mind Games were much better, with intriguing characters with joint pasts that fueled their current conflicts and reserves. Both stories were appealing, and the passion between the protagonists was palpable. That made the resolution to the stories very satisfying.

Three novellas take readers through a blackout night in NYC full of romance, relationships past, and hopeful futures. Readers will become invested in each storyline and root for each couples' success.

**I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Three cute short stories about 3 best friends and what happens to each one of them during a NYC blackout. If you are looking for cute short reads you will enjoy this book.

I generally enjoy novellas and anthologies and this one had a great connecting story of a NYC blackout. Forced proximity and darkness? Yes, please, sign me up. Even though I recognized these authors names, I had never read their work before. I will say each had their own style, and some worked better for me than others, but that's mostly personal preference. If you've read and liked these authors before, you won't regret this one. Even though they were all different in writing style, the stories felt complementary. Also, I truly loved the connection across all three of having artistic/creative heroines.

This is a collection of 3 short stories, connected to each other by the fact that they're happening to 3 best friends and that all the action happens during a NYC blackout (not a spoiler!).

I picked this up for the Priscilla Oliveras contribution, and I ended up enjoying it, but not loving it overall. I took a lot of breaks when reading this, even reading whole other books in the middle of a short story. The pacing was a bit slow for me given these were short stories.

This book made me excited for summer!! I'm a big fan of books by Priscilla Oliveras and Lori Wilde. These three interconnected novellas were so much fun to read. Basically, the stories are about three friends who plan to get together for the weekend. Their plans are derailed by a black out in Manhattan. Instead of their planned weekend, they all have separate romantic fun on their own. These stories were written well and fun to read. Very enjoyable and I highly recommend. I was given this ARC for an honest review.

A reader can never go wrong with anything by Lori Wild and I will be checking out the other authors who are new to me as well. I liked this book.