inevitablyreading 's review for:

These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean

4.5

emotional mysterious medium-paced

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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Tropes: Inheritance game, slow burn

Spice Level: 🔥🔥

These Summer Storms gives me Succession vibes wrapped in a slow romance and set on a storm-lashed private island. Alice Storm hasn’t been welcome in her family’s world in years—until her billionaire father dies and pulls her back home with one final challenge: survive a week on Storm Island with her estranged family to claim any part of the inheritance. Expect sibling feuds, layered grief, buried secrets, and a one-night hookup with Jack Dean, her father’s right-hand man, who also happens to become the inheritance game’s enforcer.

The setting is dark grey, moody, and atmospheric. The banter is fun, and the sibling bickering is perfect. There is so much drama packed into this book, and the romance between Alice and Jack simmers so slowly—it’s chef’s kiss slow burn.  The constant sibling rivalry and their mother's expections added to the unhinged family drama.

The last act does get a little busy as multiple threads try to wrap up at once, and the last chapter was🤯. 

If you’re craving a blend of family drama, moody New England coastal vibes, slow-burn romance, and a rich-person plot with heart and edge, These Summer Storms is a must-have summer read.