This is the first book I have read by Sarah McLean and I was really looking forward to it, based on reviews that I have seen for her previous books. Sadly though, this was a disappointment for me.

After the sudden death of their father, Greta, Sam, Alice and Emily travel to their family home where their cold and emotionally detached mother, Elizabeth, still lives. Also present is Jack Dean, their late father’s right hand man. All of the characters are fairly one dimensional and I found it difficult to feel empathy for these dull, whiny billionaires, who contribute exactly nothing to society.

The pacing was all over the place and there didn’t really seem to be any direction to the plot or any moral point to the story. The romance was cringe. I was waiting for some dark and sordid secrets to be revealed, but there really was very little substance to it.

Sorry to say it’s not for me but hopefully Sarah’s long-term readers will enjoy this much more than I did.

2 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

This was more of a family drama than a romance, and attempted a multi POV however it was mostly Alice and then the others got one chapter each which was a bit disjointed.
A ridiculously wealthy family are forced to spend a week together after the sudden death of the family patriarch and father Franklin Storm. Alice is estranged from the family a number of years after whistleblowing, and it follows the family dynamics dealing with everything.
I mostly enjoyed this, it was an interesting set up and premise and the island felt atmospheric and claustrophobic. I would have liked to know the family a bit better as I was disconnected from them and found it hard to care too much about their chores and goals.

3.75 ⭐Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC.

Unfortunately this book didn’t work for me. I wasn’t sure was this a romance or a thriller, and neither fronts delivered. All the characters were very unlikable and I wish we dived deeper into the family history and each siblings history, but I just felt detached and not caring the whole time. Ending was a let down.

These summer storms
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌩 contemporary fiction
🌩 family drama
🌩 inheritance games
🌩 "one night stand" with complicated aftermath

This one was my first time reading anything by this author but what do you mean that this is her debut writing contemporary fiction? It was so well done and entertaining. These summer storms was a great summer read: the setting? amazing, the plot? well crafted, the family drama? On point.

My favorite thing about this book were the characters, no question. So well rounded and intense, I felt like I ended up knowing all of them and their motivations perfectly. I appreciate the attempt of a multiple POV, but I would have liked more of it, not just one chapter per sibling, with the exception of Alice which as the clear protagonist had the majority of the story told from her perspective. I just founded all so interesting and with such strong personalities and fears and desires, that I would've read twice the amount of pages of this book, to give every single one of them more time to shine.

The second thing that I loved the most was the romance subplot. I just could tell that this author is used to write historical romances cause there was just a vibe that I cannot fully explain but I could feel. The MMC was kinda like a dark modern Mr. Darcyish and the interactions with the FMC were pure fire: it gave forbidden romance, one night stand with messy aftermath and forced proximity. It was passionate and yeah, it really felt right out of a historical romance novel, 10/10, no notes.

My only little "but" with the story were that I founded some of the plot twists a bit predictable and lacking of some more intensity and drama in their delivery. However, overall, they were still quite entertaining.

So yes, I do recommend this book, specially for this summer time. It was well crafted, engaging and really fun to read. It definitely matched my expectations.

Sarah MacLean does contemporary - and more to the point, contemporary with family drama and burgeoning romance against a lush backdrop? Yep, sign me up.
It felt like a bit of a slow start as Alice Storm travels back to the family home following the sudden death of her father, but that journey is an increasingly tense buildup to her arrival on the island, where she must deal with far more than the expected annoying sibling behaviour and difficult mother. The defined time period and a location that is luxurious yet oddly claustrophobic add to the tension, and as the week goes on, layers of secrets are revealed in a way that absolutely pulled me into the plot and made me wonder what on earth was coming next. I really enjoyed how the sibling relationships are teased out, with their different perceptions of their own and each other’s roles, and empathised with Alice’s indecision over whether to stay or go. She has to weather storms (Storms) emotional and meteorological, alive and dead (because her father very much has a hold over the entire family despite his demise), and also her unwilling attraction to the slightly mysterious Jack. There are some truly evocative descriptions, plenty of humour, complex characters that elicit all the emotions and a romance that is genuinely worth rooting for. Everything ratchets up to an entertaining and very satisfying conclusion - and the author manages to throw in a delightful little Easter egg that harks back to one of her historical series. This is a summer read that is well worth getting lost in.

oooh this was one tasty read. this is a book you over read. to the point you realise you need to go live life a little, ha! but yes, i started this book and just kept nipping back to keep reading right until the end.
this story gives us Alice Storm who has managed to flee the family of dysfunction long ago. she would never go back, shed never put herself in that household again. that is until the choice is taken from her when he father dies. but this is her father, so she wont just be going back for a funeral than quickly fleeing out the back door. no, no, this man will of course of done his own thing and so hes created an inheritances challenge which all kids have to stay and completed to get their inheritance.
so back in Rhode Island she goes and things are set to be made harder because shes being watched. and those eyes are from a Mr Jack Dean her dads second in command and right hand man. this man is stern and cold looking but somehow still good looking and magnetic. and when he in Alice have there interactions we all go swooooooooooon.
once home the family dynamics start to show or degrade away again. the secrets and hidden selves comes up to the surface. but these are the times to move on, the time to find themselves and in doing so they might find they find out much more about each other than they first thought or assumed.
the storm family had me fully invested in their story. i wanted to know their past,present and futures both together and apart. and i kind of fell in love with this family. i really cared what happened to them and for them. their personalities were described beautifully. i felt there feelings and could hear those thoughts.
this book was divine. just the kind of book i love to read. and when done like this its a joyous moments when im smiling through it at my own privilege of finding such a book.

More than a little bereft to have finished this book. It's an absolute joy! "Succession" but for people who have to like the characters and the mention of sexy forearms within the first few chapters.
Alice is returning to her childhood home after the unexpected death of her billionaire, tech pioneer father, Franklin. She has been estranged from him and the rest of the family for the last 5 years. Add in the further complication of Franklin's fixer, Jack (him of the sexy forearms) and you've got yourself this luscious tale of a family who have never been allowed to simply be together without the complications of money and societal expectations. The frustration in their communication felt realistic to anyone who hasn't felt their best self in their core family setting. I loved the exploration of what it means to love someone and how inherent it is (even when you don't always like them), especially when you share a long history.
The only slight criticism I feel I should mention is that the "storm" metaphors can come across as a little heavy handed. I'm not mad about it though, the rest of the book is that good!

Such a great novel that includes mystery and family dynamics. Perfect for the beach or book club. I highly enjoyed this one!