These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean (July 8, 2025) Huge thanks to @prhaudio and @ballantinebooks for the #gifted advanced listening copy of this absolutely gorgeous, atmospheric, and emotionally charged novel. #prhaudioinfluencer
Years ago, Alice Storm was cast out of her family by her billionaire tech mogul father and the rest of her family followed suit. She’s made a warm life for herself without the trappings and safety net of her family. Now, she’s returning to their private Rhode Island estate for the first time in years to bury the man who exiled her.
But her father’s final act is far from peaceful. From beyond the grave, he’s orchestrated a twisted inheritance scheme: each of his children must complete a specific task to receive their share of the estate, and if any one of them fails, none of them get a cent. Enter Jack, her father’s impossibly composed corporate fixer, tasked with enforcing his final wishes. Jack is unreadable, infuriating…and impossible to ignore.
What follows is one emotionally loaded week filled with long-buried secrets, broken loyalties, power plays, and unexpected attraction. Alice isn’t sure whether Jack is a threat or something far more dangerous: someone she could actually trust.
This book is jaw-dropping. This was my first Sarah MacLean, and wow, what a way to be introduced to her work! Her prose is stunning. I highlighted what felt like half the book. This book is apparently her pivot from historical romance to contemporary fiction and it is emotionally rich, narratively sharp, and filled with the kind of aching tension and lush language that you just want to live in.
It has the introspective weight of literary fiction but still leans full-force into the romance. The spice? Gorgeous. The heartbreak? Gutting. The dialogue? Witty and sharp. And the Storm family? A dysfunctional, elite mess of a clan that you’ll love, hate, and obsess over.
This is one of those rare books that makes you care deeply about deeply flawed characters. Alice is strong, angry, and so heartbreakingly human. I didn’t want to let her go, and if this book has one beautiful flaw, it’s only that I wanted more time with these characters and the emotional fallout of that ending.
🎧 Audiobook Thoughts 🎧 Julia Whelan does it again. Do I need to say more? (13h 18 min)
⭐ Book: 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
🎧 Audio: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🔥 Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Book Smart Kate 