This was my first read from this author and let me just say, it was quick to capture my attention! I loved the storyline, I loved Alice and Jack. It was great!

Succession if Logan Roy secretly loved his children and made them battle it out for their inheritance on their private Newport, RI island.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for sending me this book!

These Summer Storms is the story of a family with quite the complex dynamic and drama. When their father and husband unexpectedly dies, this family is brought back together on the private island off the coast of Rhode Island. The reason the family is back together is to collect on their inheritance, but that requires playing the game left for them. This isn't a fun familr game, rather it is a game where everyone is out for themselves and will stop at nothing including lies, deceit and betrayal. While this game pushes them to their limits, it forces their hands. They must be honest with themselves and each other addressing traumas from their pasts. They also must figure out how they will function as a family unit going forward. This definitely falls into the romantic drama genre and gives you glimpses into the life of the "rich and famous", and the lengths they will go to keep secrets or unearth others to get what they want. The characters are complex and definitely give off the "love to hate" vibes at time, similar to how you may feel about characters in shows such as Yellowstone. They all have their demons and downfalls, but also have qualities that redeem them as the story continues.

If you love family dramas set among the privileged upper crusts of society, then you're going to dive into These Summer Storms and never want to resurface. This was full of secrets, scandal, luxurious islands, sibling rivalry, and inheritance games a'plenty!

Franklin Storm, the patriarch of the Storm family, and a billionaire tech genius to boot, was a force to all who knew him. Especially to his children. When he dies suddenly and unexpectedly, the whole family, including Alice, who has been estranged from them all for the last five years, are expected to appear on their private island off the coast of Rhode Island for a week. As it happens, they're not just there to attend the funeral, pay their respects and leave, but to participate in an inheritance game where, even in death, their father is still manipulating and pulling all the strings.

There to make sure the game runs smoothly is Jack Dean, Franklin's "fixer." His second in command at the company. However, as is the case with any dysfunctional family, the ripples of chaos are already there waiting for them. Lying under the surface. Finally ready to break through the tide and unveil all the dirty secrets. But while there's anger, betrayal, and grief pulling them under, there might be a chance of healing, too.

I'm excited for other readers to get their hands on this. It's a big divergence from MacLean's usual content, but I loved the contemporary setting and the lens-like focus on complicated familial relationships. There was a Succession-like sensibility to this, with all the siblings/children vying for their parents' love, estimation, and respect that made it both a suspenseful and an emotional read. Romance between Alice and Jack played a part, but it didn't overwhelm the plot. Only enhanced and complemented it, which I liked. In fact, if anything, I think this was more about the Storm family and the Storm children trying to work out who they were, and who they could be, when no longer pressed beneath their father's thumb.

Easily bingeable! The patriarch's presence looms large, like a storm converging on the beach's horizon line. A perfect choice for those who love books about grief, love, life choices, and messy families.

These Summer Storms, by Sarah MacLean, is a definite departure from her usual historical romance novels—but I certainly hope it is the beginning of many contemporary novels to come!!! I couldn't nit turn my digital pages fast enough!!! A very messy billionaire family spends the summer together on their ultra-luxe Rhode Island estate and, of course, all hell breaks loose. The Storm family is a storm unto themselves, and I am so here for it! Drama, betrayal, secrets, romance, love, hate, jealousy, resentment. These Summer Storms has it all! Download asap and dive in!! Highly recommend!!!!!

More Women's Fiction than Romance.

The incomparable Regency Romance Writer of "Helle's Belles" and Bareknuckle Bastards" ventures into contemporary fiction with this novel. Here it's less 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.

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

The thing is, Sarah MacLean has now proven that she can write anything, and as someone who's been a longtime fan of her historical romances, These Summer Storms was a glorious trip into a deliciously dark and dazzling contemporary world. A page-turner from beginning to end. This is the kind of book I NEED on my screen every Sunday night, like Succession or The White Lotus. It's made to be on the screen. Romantic, wild, hilarious, sharp, cutting, and so so good!

I've been a fan of Sarah MacLean's books for years so of course I was excited to get my hands on her newest title. This was even more exciting since it's a departure from historical romance, and for the most part she knocked it out of the park. From the very beginning I loved our main character Alice; her voice was really clear and even though she's lived a life of extreme privilege I still enjoyed being in her POV. Stories about inherence in wealthy families are always interesting to me personally, and think Sarah really nailed the family dynamics and drama. This is a story about messy people being messy, but still being complex characters who are neither perfect nor flawed beyond redemption.

After the sudden death of her father, Alice Storm is forced to reunite with her wealthy family after five years of exile. Upon arrival at her family's private island the entire family is thrown into a game for their inheritance, a game they all have to play their respective roles in or no one is walking away with any money. It's one week of rich people shenanigans, and a reckoning with long held family secrets. I ate it up and can't wait for other readers to get their hands on this.

I'm really excited to share this book with other people when it comes out in July; my only qualms are the overabundance of parentheticals and the length. At times the little asides were hilarious and insightful, but also disrupted the flow of a scene or were overly explanatory. There were also a few scenes that went on for a touch too long, but neither of these issues are enough to deter me from recommending this book.

This was a really good family drama. I couldn't wait to see how it ended. Will definitely read more from this author.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Content Warning: manipulative parents

+ I’ve only read Sarah MacLean historical romances so I was excited to read a contemporary story from her! This one is filled with rich family drama. Franklin Storm is the richest tech baron (think Steve Jobs or the other tech barons out there) but for all his ambition, and wealth, his family is not perfect and he was part of making it that way. Now that he is gone they have one week to play out his last game for them, with his fixer/enforcer, Jack, there to make sure they comply or not inherit anything. It was interesting to see how money motivated or influence the people in the Storm family and some on the outside of it.

+ This is mostly a family drama, with the romance not being a focus, but it definitely adds to it all. The main person we follow in this book is Alice. Alice is the daughter who walked away from the Storm family wealth but she was exiled for it. We get POVs from all the siblings but I thought Alice was compelling because she was brave and didn’t want to play her father’s games. I like how we get to know each sibling and how they saw their dad, and what their dad and mom took away from them. The sibling relationships are great – tense at first but the more they remember and spend time together, I thought it was fun to see them interact.

+ The romance takes place in a span of one week, so it’s a bit insta-lust, but I enjoyed it because they had tension and a good spicy scene. Jack is stern, a Storm employee, and Alice is carefree but also smart.

~ I kind of wish we got more closure with their mom, Elisabeth Storm, but also I think she stayed true to her character. She is who she is, I just wish (personally) she apologized to her kids but that’s just me.

Final Thoughts:

I have always loved Sarah MacLean books and I’m happy to say I’m glad she is writing contemporary romance because she doesn’t miss a beat! The characters are interesting, the family drama was messy, the romance has good tension and heat and it took me two days to read this book – I didn’t want to put it down.

These Summer Storms certainly lives up to its title, delivering a tumultuous and gripping tale centered around a deeply dysfunctional family. At the heart of the “Storms” is a controlling father, surrounded by a web of family drama, secrets, and lies that keeps the tension simmering throughout. While the book unfolds as a slow burn, with a romance subplot adding some relief to the emotional chaos, it is undeniably captivating. This was my first experience reading Sara Maclean, and while the pacing may have been a bit too gradual for my personal taste, I found myself thoroughly engaged with the story. It's a compelling read that, despite its slower moments, offers an intricate look into family dynamics and the complexities of love.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC copy for my honest review.

These Summer Storms was a fantastic story. Reading it felt like being privy to juicy family gossip. I really enjoyed the last quarter of the book with multiple reveals. I also enjoyed just the little bit of romance that was part of the book. Overall it was fantastic, and I highly recommend this book!

When the queen of historical romances writes a contemporary novel you should read it, no questions asked. Alice escaped her billionaire father's control five years ago and lost the rest of her family in the process. After his death she returns to the family's private island in New England for a large dose of family dysfunction and actual inheritance games. Thankfully for Alice and for readers, her father's sexy second/fixer is there to run the show. This novel is Succession-light, the dysfunction not quite as unhinged, but with an excellent romance sub-plot.

I tore through this so quickly that I didn't even break to take notes! I think that's probably a testament to MacLean's storytelling and pacing, both of which were masterful and made this book virtually unputdownable. Part family drama, part romance, part mystery, this story has everything you're looking for in a gripping summer read--I guarantee I will read this one again in just a few short months when the sun is shining and I can comfortably park my butt outside with a cocktail. 5/5 - fantastic! Many thanks to NetGalley & Random House/Ballantine Books for providing a copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is Sarah MacLean’s first contemporary fiction novel, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The plot was so unique, and I really couldn’t put the novel down. The family dynamic is the center of this and it’s just so dysfunctional and compelling.

This one’s for you if you enjoy:
*** Family DRAMA
*** well developed characters
*** great chemistry
*** Secrets and lies

Sarah MacLean has a wonderful way of writing character depth. There were so many layers to each member of the family, I coudn’t wait to see what would surface next. I especially loved that each of the siblings got a chapter POV; I thought this added to the story so well.

I thought the amount of romance between Alice and Jack for this particular novel was perfect. The scenes we got were filled with chemistry and tension.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC of this novel; all opinions are my own.

This book reminded me of the Westing Game that I read in grade school but with more adult content and twists and turns. Alice has to return to her family property and complete a series of tasks to get her inheritance from her father following his death. The problem? Alice has not seen her family in years thanks to a large falling out. What could go wrong? Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for a copy of this book for an honest review.

I am a big fan of Sarah MacLean's historical romances, so I was excited to learn about this title which was branching out into different genre territory. These Summer Storms sees the Storm family reunite at their Rhode Island family home after the sudden death of the family patriarch and billionaire founder of Storm Industries. This book has majorr Succession vibes: an extremely dysfunctional, richer than sin family; inheritance games; rich people behaving badly, but with MacLean's signature sexy twist. This book follows Alice, the black sheep child, as she returns to the family compound for the first time in years after a major falling out with her father. She navigates the minefield that is her family and a major uber-rich society event all while feeling a growing attraction to her late father's fixer. It's a dishy and delicious read. I'll follow Sarah MacLean anywhere.

Alice Storm travels by train home to a private island off the coast of Rhode Island from NYC where she lives in Brooklyn after the unexpected death of her tech billionaire dad. She has been estranged from the family for a few years and this will be the first time she is seeing anyone. This story is not a simple reading of the will and funeral - I don't want to give away too much of the plot, because it deserves to be read to be fully appreciated - it has the best plot twist right at the start which hooked me and made me stay up late one night until I got to the reveal (no regrets over lost sleep!!) .

These Summer Storms has all kinds of family drama including a secret that will keep you up reading late into the night to solve! There is an inheritance game where each of the family members have to do a specific task in order to receive it and there is a lot of bickering about whose task is the most arduous.

The drama, the laugh-out-loud worthy moments, the mystery, the romance - all of the plot points just WORK! It was a book I wanted to savor and I forcibly had to restrain myself from devouring it in one sitting. While this book is a departure from the historical romances Sarah Maclean usually writes, her artistry remains unmatched in world building - these characters are flawed and full of genuine emotions. I love forward to future books about the other Storm siblings!

My heartfelt thanks to Sarah Maclean, Random House, and Netgalley for letting me read this ARC - I have already preordered it!

This is the perfect summer beach read!!! Succession with slightly more functional people. I loved everything about it. Alice and Jacks chemistry was fire. I loved the family dynamics and even though I did see some of the twists a mile away it didn’t matter. I couldn’t wait to see them played ou.t.

Wow! What a book. As my toddler would say, these characters were "torrible," but it made for an engaging read!

After their eccentric billionaire father dies, four siblings are forced to compete for their inheritance. They each have complex relationships with their family. I liked that the POV rotates through the siblings. The siblings are toxic, but grow throughout the story. I loved how their relationships evolved!

This is my first book by Sara MacLean, but won't be my last. Dynamic writing and interesting plot.

Minus a star because the ending felt rushed and I wish there was an epilogue. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own!