These Summer Storms, by Sarah MacLean, is full of drama, yet it pulled me right in, and I enjoyed it. It was a great vacation read for me.
I appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC ebook I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

WOW! This book was a rollercoaster of ups and downs. The family drama is TOP TIER, the love story is the most beautiful slow burn. Loved this book! Highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I gave it 3 stars but could have given 3 1/2.
I found it a little anticlimactic. It settled sweetly, but I was really looking for more of a twist. I didn't really connect with the protagonist. To be honest, I didn't really feel invested in any character. I wanted to connect with the oldest daughter but her sacrifices seemed unrealistic to me. The youngest daughter did have a twist but it was also anticlimactic.

These Summer Storms is everything I could ever want from a Sarah MacLean novel that isn't middle-of-the-road genre romance. The characters are so fully formed, the writing is exquisite, and the drama is **fraught**--in the best way!! This is going to be an epic summer read!

This is an amazing story. I can believe it’s the authors first published contemporary novel. (The writing still felt very MacLean, however). I think it’s still very much a romance for all it’s described as a family drama, and I devoured the whole book in a matter of hours. So good. Thanks to Ballentine for the ARC.

Unexpected, but I had a great time reading this book! From the synopsis I thought it would be an adult version of The Inheritance Games as each sibling had a task to complete to get the inheritance, but it was very different. This book focused more on the sibling and family dynamics and how they learned more about themselves while completing the humiliating/difficult tasks their father set for them.

The majority of the book is told in Alice's perspective, who is the daughter who was exiled from the family for several years and is now rejoining them. Throughout the book, each sibling had their own chapter from their POV that did a great job developing them as people and as more complex characters, and I really appreciated the inclusion.

I loved most of the book, and the fast-paced nature kept me very engaged. The romance storyline was fun and added a sweet plot-line in an otherwise dramatic book. There were a couple big reveals toward the end that I didn't really care about (it didn't seem to change a lot for me or for the characters) and I wish that the ending was a bit more satisfying and conclusive.

All in all, the reading experience was enjoyable and I wish that McLean had other books in this genre, but it seems like her whole backlog is historical romance, which is not my vibe. I'll keep an eye out for any contemporary fiction books she writes in the future though.

Thank you to NetGalley + Random House Ballantine for the ARC

If Knives Out and The Inheritance Games had a messy, drama-filled baby that Succession occasionally babysat, you’d get ‘These Summer Storms” by Sarah MacLean!

Alice Storm has spent years avoiding her ridiculously rich, dysfunctional family—until her father dies and pulls her back to their private island for one last game. The deal— Stay for a week, complete some impossible tasks, and win the inheritance. Simple, except her siblings are a mess, her mom loves drama, and her dad’s extremely good looking right-hand man, Jack , is keeping an eye on everything. The family chaos is nonstop, the writing keeps you hooked, and the romance keeps you all in!

This book flew by—I didn’t want to put it down. The mix of secrets, backstabbing, and slow-burn tension made it impossible to stop reading, and even when things slowed down, the characters kept it interesting. My only complaint? I wanted more from the ending—not sure what exactly, but I wasn’t ready for the story to be done! If you like rich people being messy, family drama, and a little romance along the way, this one’s worth picking up.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the early copy—this was a fun one!

This story reminded me so much of Succession! I absolutely LOVED the sibling banter. It was so quick witted and fun. I thought the Jack storyline was a little cheesy, but overall enjoyed this read! Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another good quick read from one of my favorites. Highly recommend this book. Another winner for sure.

Gawd, I wish this was a series! I would read about all the Storms and their family drama forever. This was so much fun and is going to be SUCH a perfect summer read! This might just top Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake, which has still remained my favorite MacLean novel over the years. But now that she’s writing contemporary, all bets are off!

ETA: Sorry, those were my thoughts immediately having finished the book at midnight last night, after being sick for a week and not feeling like reading anything, and I was a little excited.

The thing is, though, this book was really good. Like, if I'd never read a book by this author before, and this had been my first foray into her novels, I would believe that everything she's written before this must be pure gold. (Not to say that all her books aren't, in their own way.)

But this story was the perfect blend of summer, romance, drama, and weird (read: rich people) family dynamics. I always imagine that the wealthy live so far removed from the rest of us, and to some extent, they do. But they still have their own set of issues to contend with. Mo' money, mo' problems, am I right?

If I were to compare this novel to others, I'd have to say it's like if Sugar Daddy and The Inheritance Games had a baby. It's part ridiculous patriarch still playing his silly games from the grave, part affluent family at each other's throats, and part sweet-if-possibly-misguided romance. I think in one of my last updates before I fell ill, I likened it to Knives Out but without the murder aspect...though, I wouldn't put it past some of those family members. (I'm looking at you, Sila. o_O)

I do wish this were going to be a series, even if each book featured a different family member. I just want to see how everyone's doing down the road. If that family chat group holds up the test of time. If the Storms did indeed weather the storm in the end. (Har dee har har.)

I am a big fan of Sarah Maclean’s historical romance novels and she did not disappoint in bringing the conflict and the longing and the craft to her initiation into contemporary.
The main character, Alice, third child and black sheep, returns to her family’s private island to take her part in the deliciously toxic inheritance games required by her late billionaire father for her siblings and mother to inherit “their share.” Although this story centers around the seemingly trauma bonded siblings and how they simultaneously navigate camaraderie and old sibling rivalry wounds, the main character, Alice, unknowingly has a one night stand with her father’s second in command and now manager of said inheritance games. Chaos and drunk fueled pettiness ensues. A never ending thread of secrets are revealed. And while the main story here is about how Alice can move forward with a family that wrote her off years before, it’s also an incredibly romantic story of should be enemies. These Summer Storms was a hurricane grade 5 and I loved every single sentence of it.

Errors I noticed in my copy:

Page 21 - “That’s she hadn’t realizeD she missed . . .” The “d” was missing from the word realize.

Page 214 - “ago” is duplicated

Page 253 - “realized” should be “realize”

Page 306 - Jack takes off his sunglasses and says wave to Larry and then several paragraphs later, removes his sunglasses again to look at her.

Sarah’s writing is so beautiful and I loved the constant storm theme throughout this book. The battle between siblings and family secrets were so juicy, not to mention the chemistry between Alice and Jack - which was off the charts. The RI Island setting made it all the more fun to read and was I was completely transported into the story. I could picture everything the author described as though I was there, which is a testament to her writing. This was a fun one and a beautiful statement on the importance of family and being true to yourself.

Captivating and vividly summertime.

Classic coastal New England, sunglasses, sailboats, and giant awkward family gatherings full of drama. Gin and tonics, heirloom desks in opulent home offices, and skeletons rudely falling out of closets in front of company. ‘These Summer Storms’ is full of dysfunctional family dynamics amid glamourous first world chaos. Every character is duplicitous. Each has secrets they keep from others and lies they tell themselves, and they all communicate in a hilarious shorthand only families with a lifetime of exclusive shared experiences can develop. Mix the privilege-induced world views of billionaires and their offspring with the threat of the loss of their inheritance, and the author gives us an astutely satirical commentary on loyalty, self awareness, and how the 1% of the 1% handle inconvenient situations from the convenience of their private islands.

I can’t wait to read this again from my beach chair in July so I can match this book's vibes.

I am a huge Sarah MacLean fan so I was very intrigued and excited that she wrote These Summer Storms. It's a departure from what she usually writes so I was curious.

I am ecstatic to report that I loved this! I devoured it in one go. The plot was exciting and had plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing. Plus a messy and complicated family dynamic add a lot of juicy drama. The characters are entertaining and kept me engaged. I was also pleasantly surprised by the romance here.

While reading this I got vibes of The Perfect Couple tv show from Netflix. It's an ultra-wealthy world, lush landscape of Rhode Island, and plenty of drama. I was definitely glued to this.

Would highly recommend!

In "These Summer Storms," Sarah Maclean masterfully explores the complexities of familial struggles following the loss of a patriarch. The novel delves into the lives of the surviving family members, each grappling with their grief and the emotional chasm left behind. Maclean's poignant storytelling captures the rawness of their pain while highlighting their individual journeys toward reconnection. Through moments of tension and vulnerability, the characters learn to navigate their relationships, discovering strength in vulnerability. The evocative prose beautifully conveys the bittersweet nature of healing, making this a compelling read about love, loss, and the enduring bonds of family..

I've been a Sarah MacLean superfan for close to a decade, so I was very excited when I heard about this book. Overall, I thought it was a great read with a lot of interesting (if not particularly likeable) characters. The family drama is the main focus of the book, with a side of romance. Alice and Jack's scenes were my favorite, and I wanted more. That said, the romance felt a little misplaced for a contemporary book because their feelings went 0-100 very quickly (I'm more used to seeing this in historical romance and romantasy). That's not necessarily a complaint because I get it (Jack is HOT).

I know this was a contemporary, but I pictured them in 1950s clothes a lot, especially Jack, Elisabeth, Tony, and Greta. It was probably because of a combination of the New England setting, the wealth factor, the old house, and the train/boat travel (ignoring the helicopter). I enjoyed how the little mysteries and family secrets unfolded throughout the book, although I did think the slow march toward the reveals was confusing/frustrating sometimes. Also, the writing had a lot of parentheticals, em dashes, and sections of dialogue without tags or action beats, which interrupted the flow for me.

I wanted more resolution at the end. Maybe a jump forward in time so we could find out how everyone is doing. I'd be especially interested in Sam, not because I liked his character, but because I liked where his character might be going.

Takeaway: This is a fantastic book that readers will love. I don't know if I was the target reader because I wanted less family drama and more romance. But for readers who love a good family drama, this book is perfect!

This is NOT a pure romance, the family relationship is the primary focus. I really enjoyed it but the family dynamics were very intense so I had to pause every once in a while to take a step back. Great writing as always with witty banter and a fabulous story. The twists improve the story; it was a really good read but maybe a few the trigger warnings should be at the beginning for people who have similar family dynamics.

I love family dramas. but I wasn't familiar with this author. This one had me hooked from the first page.

I know I am going to come back on here to NetGalley and revise this with a more nuanced review soon, BUT I just finished These Summer Storms and I couldn't wait to give my immediate impression.

This book hooked me from the first page and never let up. I stayed up much of the night and this morning to finish it, even though I had lots of things I SHOULD be doing instead. Sarah MacLean has always been an engaging romance writer, and she really knows how to keep story tension flowing, but I wasn't sure what to expect from her first non-romance novel (there is romance, but it is the B plot). She knocked it out of the park.

So many themes and thoughts fly across these pages: wealth vs. happiness, parental love vs. manipulation, sibling rivalry vs. sibling solidarity. So much to think about, all wrapped up in a story that keeps twisting and turning to the final chapters. So, so good!

I loved this book. I'm a mood reader and this book made me want to seek out more books like this! I really liked the mix of a romantic elements mixed with the with the tension and suspense of all of the family secrets coming out.