I’m always worried when an author moves to a new genre. I should have trusted Sarah because she knows hot to write a story.
This book is about familial relationships & the secrets that are woven in the dna of blood relation. All of them have been manipulated by Franklin and now they are stuck on an island for a week.
Families are complicated and messy without a competition for money. This one is a doozy.

Sarah is a professional driver on a new course.

Need a reading slump buster? This is the book for you!
I've been in a slump in the sense that l've had trouble focusing on reading lately-buying/ selling/moving has consumed my brain. The books I have read have been fantastic, but I've gotten through them so slowly. That is, until These Summer Storms! I tore through this one in 48 hours via a combination of kindle and audio (because, @justjuliawhelan narrates the audio) and could NOT stop reading. The mix of family drama, rich people behaving badly, and a little bit of romance hooked me from the first chapter. The characters were interesting (and frequently unlikable) and the plot was full of family secrets and plenty of drama surrounding an inheritance game after the death of the Storm siblings' billionaire father. This is an unputdownable summer read perfect for your beach bag or vacation!

I always love a good family drama with lots of twists and people behaving badly. This did not disappoint!

I honestly don’t know why I waited so long to pick this one up — it completely hooked me. The story follows Alice, who walked away from her billionaire family five years ago after being disowned by her controlling father. Now, after his passing, she’s called back home with one condition: the will requires her to stay for a full week at the estate. She has no interest in being there — not after her family turned their backs on her — but things begin to shift.

As the week unfolds, Alice starts reconnecting with her siblings in unexpected and heartwarming ways. Old wounds resurface, secrets unravel, and everything she thought she knew about her family begins to change.

Then there’s Jack — her late father’s right-hand man — who complicates everything. Thrown into close proximity, the two share a connection neither of them expected. Jack understands the weight of privilege and expectations, and while Alice has worked hard to make it on her own, their bond deepens day by day. She’s hesitant to trust him — or any man, for that matter — but something about Jack feels different.

This book had everything I love in a family drama: tension, healing, romance, and that addictive “rich people with problems” energy. Alice’s journey felt honest and empowering, and I was rooting for her every step of the way.


Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine books for this free advanced copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I loved it. The romance was so nice with all the fighting and how sad the little rich kids were. I loved Emily, she was a calming force. The brother made me laugh so many times at how he acted. The very end where the did gave them so little was so ick.

While a tad meandering at times, These Summer Storms was still very enjoyable and a great read for the summer. It hit the spot of being dramatic, tense, and scandalous the way a good beach read does!

“These Summer Storms” is a DRAMA-filled contemporary fiction about an estranged daughter returning home upon the death of her tech-billionaire father. She is returning to the lion’s den where her mother and siblings are ready to tear each other apart for sport. Everyone is ready to grab their piece of the inheritance, but there’s a catch - their father left them tasks to complete in order to get their share, and they have to do it together, or no one gets anything. Can they make it through the week together unscathed?

This book was drama from the beginning! The writing was very well done. I thought all the characters were very fleshed out, as if they were real people. The story is mainly told from Alice’s perspective, but her siblings’ each have a POV chapter sporadically placed throughout which really added to their depth.

I wanted to grab my popcorn so badly at all their interactions with each other, which were constantly oscillating between warm, neutral, and barbed with ice. It gave “Knives Out” vibes that were so mesmerizing, it was hard to put down.

I loved the idea of the inheritance tasks; you really got a feel for just how manipulative and controlling their father really was. The character interactions were SO entertaining, almost like watching a reality TV show.

While half of this book was focused on the family interactions, there was also a heavy dose of romance as the MC develops feelings for the executor of her father’s inheritance games. I think I liked this aspect of the book least, but it was not bad. The ending was beautiful, realistic perfection.

Thank you to Ballantine Books, Random House Publishing, and NetGalley for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Love of a story of rich people behaving badly. Amazing. Enthralling. Captivating. I was pulled in from the first page. Felt a bit ambiguous at the end and anticlimatic. Expected more of a family renunion than we got.

These Summer Storms follows the complex billionaire family and all the trials that they must work through. Life isn't always easy just because you have everything you could ever want at your finger tips. Loved the characters, secrets and reflection of this great "summer" read. Pick this one up it doesn't disappoint.

Thank you to the publisher for this advanced reader copy via Net Galley.

I absolutely LOVED this book. Alice Storm returns to her family’s island off the coast of Rhode Island after her tech mogul billionaire father suddenly dies. She hasn’t seen her family in years after a falling out with her father, and upon his death he sets up a week of inheritance games in an idyllic setting. This is FILLED with succession level drama and family secrets, but also has a great romance subplot. There were a lot of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming, and I couldn’t put it down.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read, "These Summer Storms", by Sarah MacLean! I thought this was incredible and I will be thinking about the "Storm" family for days to come! I love contemporary with multiple siblings--this was my TROPE!

I've been looking for something to fill the Elin Hilderbrand void ever since she announced her retirement and I picked up These Summer Storms hearing it was about rich people and family drama and thinking it would scratch that itch - what I got was totally different but equally as good! TSS is more of Succession and dramatic vibes than the beachy summer vibes than the cover illustrates, but this book drew me in from page 1 and kept me hooked until the very last page!

I hope MacLean keeps writing contemporary novels in the future as she has a new fan in me!

4 stars

I have been a huge fan of Sarah MacLean's historical romances for years now, so picking up her first ever contemporary novel was an absolute no-brainer. As with every MacLean book, her banter is top-notch and her ability to drill down to the emotional core of the book is on full display. What surprised me about this novel is how evocatively she painted the windswept, tempest-tossed setting of Storm Island; I could almost smell the salt air and hear the waves crashing on the shoreline at points.

It's certainly an addictive read; it's hard to look away from the rich people drama of the Storm inheritance games, the romantic complications that develop, and the pent-up emotion brought about by the Storm patriarch's death. My thing - and I have this issue with quite a few of Sarah book's - is that the length of the book does cause some conflicts and plot points to become far too drawn out and repetitive. Despite this, I still thoroughly enjoyed These Summer Storms and I feel like it would be a great addition to anyone's beach read collection this summer!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

If you like reading about family dynamics, especially as it pertains to the ultra-wealthy, you've found your next read. This was set on the family's private island during the summer so the setting makes for a fantastic beach read. I enjoyed so much the character arcs and storylines-- this is the kind of family drama that I just don't want to put down. I had this novel in both an eARC as well as an audiocopy, and Julia Whelen could read me a grocery list and I'd be happy-- that certainly added to my enjoyment of this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first time reading this author and this was an interesting family story. Alice is our FMC who's father has just passed away. She was estranged from the family for the last five years because she stood up to her father's company. Her father is world famous - think Steve Jobs or Bill Gates for the industry he was involved in. The family gathers for his "celebration" and the father is still the puppet master over everyone's life as they hear the terms of the trust regarding their inheritance. So, it's a week with Alice, her siblings, Sam, Greta and Emily, their mother Elisabeth and Jack, her Dad's right hand man. 4 1/2 stars.

Rich families behaving badly can be fun and entertaining or it can't be a complete flop, in my opinion. In the case of These Summer Storms, it works because I didn't loathe the characters and I appreciated the growth they displayed by the end. Franklin and Elisabeth were honestly made for each other. While I enjoyed the chemistry between Alice and Jack, it felt like instant love and I thought there would be more to their story than there actually was. I was disappointed with the inheritance reveal but the wrap up with the siblings was nice. It was a quick read and would make a fun beach read.

This is such a wonderful contemporary with a generous touch of romance. The Rhode Island setting was perfect for a summer read. The writing style was absolutely gripping and mesmerizing. The story begins with Alice Storm reluctantly visiting her family’s private island after her billionaire father (who kicked her out of the family) passes away. There, she finds that her father gave each family member a task to complete in order to receive their portion of the inheritance. If one person fails to complete their task, the inheritance is forfeited for everyone.

I really liked the setup of this “game” and the mystery aspect to it had me fully hooked in. I also enjoyed the dysfunctional rich family dynamics (seriously, it’s messy), drama, and secrets that were dispersed throughout the story. It slightly reminded me of both the Inheritance Games series and Succession, but with adult characters and without all the puzzles.

I actually loved Alice’s character! Her family annoyed me at first because I was upset for her and how unfairly she was treated as the “black sheep”. The theme of grief and complex relationships with her parents were explored in such an interesting way.

I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of romance in this, since this is author’s first contemporary as a historical romance author. I wasn’t sure how to feel about Jack at the beginning but I began to love his slow and intense chemistry with Alice. The banter was entertaining and I loved their conversations. They had an exciting enemies to lovers dynamic, considering his ambiguous role in the entire game because he’s not a Storm. He’s broody, mysterious, calm, and I wanted to know more about his backstory. His character development over time had me swooning because I was constantly giggling and smiling at the moments between them.

The sibling dynamics in this were complex and messy. They are all rich, entitled, and don’t know anything beyond the power of the family name. I love how the author delved into this because some of it also felt realistic, considering the age gaps. I especially loved the comedic relief that they brought because I found myself laughing at a couple of scenes with them.

Emily is my favorite because she and Claudia were so sweet. I loved her relationship with Alice. I also related to Greta’s role as an eldest daughter even though she was quite frustrating at times. And Sam….still not sure how to feel about him though a part of me understood his decisions after his upbringing. I liked how each sibling got their own chapter too because you realize that their imperfect qualities makes them very human. It was natural for me to form a love-hate relationship towards the Storms. I only wish we got the mom’s POV too.

The book wraps up just enough to keep you satisfied but wanting more from the Storm family. I grew so attached to them and could not put this down. I still have some lingering questions about the reveals and wanted more from Alice and Jack as well. Other than that, this was the perfect summer read and I would highly recommend it if you’re looking to get into a contemporary.

What an epic journey. This is a fantastic contemporary fiction from one of my favorite Regency Era writers. I was immediately hooked into the story. There’s drama, lies, twists, turns, sibling shenanigans and so much more. There is also a romance subplot that has you rooting hard for Alice. I really intrigued by the mystery of what was going to happen. What each person had to do to in the inheritance game. Were they going to be able to complete their tasks? Will they fail? I was absolutely hooked for this book.

These Summer Storms is Sarah MacLean’s first contemporary fiction (having previously written many NYT best selling historical fiction romance novels) and she made the crossover look easy. I absolutely loved this book. The story follows a mega-wealthy New England family as they gather at their family beach compound for a week after a tragic event. Romance, buried family secrets, family drama, and a slight suspense element - this book has it all. It's like an Elin Hilderbrand novel meets Succession, with a mix of an adult version of We are Liars. The book has a perfect pace - never drops into cliche or overworked storylines, drama or tropes. This will be a year end favorite for sure. Did not want book to end. And I want a sequel and a series. Thank you Random House Publishing and Net Gallery for this advance reader copy in exchange for my own and honest review. Book released on 7/8/25.

The only thing that could bring Alice Storm back to her family's island is the death of her father. Having been estranged for 5 years, it's the first time she's been back since the fight with her father that sent her packing. Alice finds that not much has changed in the time she's been away, and yet she feels more separated from the family than ever before. Growing up with a genius tech magnate for a father wasn't always easy, regardless of seemingly having all the available opportunities, Alice always felt her father's affection was more transactional than loving, always wrapped up in some kind of game. Well, he left one more for them to play: if any of them want to inherit they'll have to do what he sets out for them for the week they're together on the island. If one fails, they all fail. It seems easy enough, until long-held secrets are forced into the open.

I loved how this is Sarah MacLean's contemporary debut and yet she still infuses so much history into the story. It's unavoidable really because everything around us has some kind of history and none more so than affluent family with plenty of secrets they're keeping from one another.

Having said that, I appreciated that the true secrets were the ones I didn't see coming. Almost like Sarah MacLean did a feint by pushing us toward one revelation, but the real kickers were almost out of nowhere yet still on theme.

Of course I enjoyed the near forbidden attraction between Alice and Jack, but where the book really popped and shined was whenever the Storm children would get together. You could feel the pacing surge forward as they bantered the way only siblings do when there's so much shared...History! Seeing each of them maybe not making "peace" with their father or his death, but begin to heal with each other - despite the secrets and the history - was the best part of the book and sets it aside from MacLean's more traditional historical romances.

What I think I appreciated the most was how well Sarah MacLean stuck the landing in terms of the ending. You know, oftentimes the build up of the story overshadows how everything ties together in the end potentially leaving things a bit unsatisfied. Not here. All the revelations and the ruminations, the grief and family dynamic I think Sarah McLean pulled off remarkably well.

Overall, it's a fabulous departure from what we've seen from Sarah MacLean in the past, but still filled with the wonderful writing and characters that makes her an auto-read for so many. I cannot wait for more!