These Summer Storms, Sarah MacLean
These Summer Storms, Sarah MacLean
List: $26.00 | Sale: $18.20
Club: $13.00

These Summer Storms

Author: Sarah MacLean

Narrator: Julia Whelan

Unabridged: 13 hr 17 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 07/08/2025


Synopsis

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From author Sarah MacLean, a razor-sharp, wildly sexy novel about a wealthy New England family’s long-overdue reckoning . . . and the one week that threatens to tear them apart.

“Deliciously impossible to put down.”—Jodi Picoult

“Addictive.”—Ali Hazelwood

“A gripping inheritance drama, wrapped around a swoony summer romance.”—The New York Times Book Review

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: TIME, THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW, NPR, KIRKUS REVIEWS, LIBRARY JOURNAL

Alice Storm hasn’t been welcome at her family’s magnificent private island off the Rhode Island coast in five years—not since she was cast out and built her life beyond the Storm name, influence, and untold billions. But the shocking death of her larger-than-life father changes everything.

Alice plans to keep her head down, pay her final respects (such as they are), and leave the minute the funeral is over. Unfortunately, her father had other plans. The eccentric, manipulative patriarch left his family a final challenge—an inheritance game designed to upend their world. The rules are clear: spend one week on the island, complete their assigned tasks, and receive the inheritance.

But a whole week on Storm Island is no easy task for Alice. Every corner of the sprawling old house is bursting with chaos: Her older sister’s secret love affair. Her brother’s unyielding arrogance. Her younger sister’s constant analysis of the vibes. Her mother’s cold judgment. And all under the stern, watchful gaze of Jack Dean, her father’s intriguing and too-handsome second-in-command. It will be a miracle if Alice manages to escape unscathed.

A smart and tender story about the transformative power of grief, love, and family, this luscious novel explores past secrets, present truths, and futures forged in the wake of wild summer storms.

About Sarah Maclean

American born author, Sarah Maclean, has given true credence to the historical romance novel. She has been a leader in demonstrating the usefulness of the romance genre, as having a place of importance in gender and cultural studies. Maclean had wanted to be a writer since she was a teenager. She ultimately received a B.A. degree in American Studies from Smith College. Ironically, Maclean and her friends read many romance novels while at Smith.

MacLean moved to New York City as a literary publicist, but then decided to get her master's degree from Harvard University. After returning to NYC, she wrote her first book, The Season, a young adult novel for teens. After that, Maclean wrote her first romance novel, Nine Rules to Break When Romancing A Rake. The Regency historical book received the Romantic Times Magazine Seal of Excellence.

Maclean has been a romance novel review writer for The Washington Post, since 2014. In 2019, she hosted the RITA Awards. She also started a podcast called Fated Mates. She lives with her husband in Brooklyn, New York, and is a self-described feminist.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Nilufer on July 20, 2025

Oh my goodness, I have to tell you about this book I just finished - "These Summer Storms" by Sarah MacLean! You know how sometimes you start a book and suddenly it's 3 AM and you're thinking "just one more chapter"? That was me with this one! So MacLean, who usually writes historical romance, just m......more

Goodreads review by emilybookedup on June 30, 2025

4.5 rounded to 5 for GR! this fam drama was so much fun. it’s also fab on audio—narrated by Julia. read if you like: family drama, private island settings, rich people behaving badly / entitled, WE WERE LIARS, CONDITIONS OF WILL this book was equal parts romance and fam drama and was such a fun summe......more

2💫 a very poorly written adult version of the inheritance games, if you can even call it that. what games were they playing? remind me again? oh right, literally no games, just either do nothing or do a chore. hello?? i literally was so bored the entire time. there was absolutely nothing that enticed......more

Goodreads review by Meagan on June 23, 2025

Couldn’t have asked for a better summer family drama!! Narration was perfection due to Julia Whelan.......more

Goodreads review by Crystal's Bookish Life on July 10, 2025

I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this one, but as I'm a huge fan of Sarah MacLean, I still went into this with tentative excitement. I am sad to say I was pretty disappointed. This book felt so meandering with very little direction moving this forward in the middle section of the book. We spe......more


Quotes

“This twisty Succession-meets-Clue debut is deliciously impossible to put down.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult

“A gripping inheritance drama, wrapped around a swoony summer romance, that offers a nuanced portrait of a family grappling with secrets, privilege and grief.”The New York Times Book Review

“A fun beach read, perfectly positioned for summer; on one level, it’s a light read with rich-behaving-badly appeal. But it also goes deeper, into grief and emotional healing.”AP News

“Beach Bag Gold . . . a riveting escape for the season”Real Simple

“Simmering tensions, sibling rivalries, and undeniable attraction fuel McLean’s excellent foray into contemporary romance-slash-drama. This one’s a treat.”Elle

“A potent mix of family drama, mystery, romance, and you won’t be able to put it down this summer.”Town & Country

“If you ever wished Succession was sexier, you’re going to devour this.”Book Enthusiast

“Shocking twists, long-held secrets and romance.”People

“Longtime fans of MacLean’s historical novels will recognize her singular romance prowess in this tale of twisted family drama and unfortunate connections.”—The Washington Post

“Turns out that money and toxic families go together like peeled grapes and the finest Roquefort when MacLean combines them.”Los Angeles Times

“An addictive, engrossing story that combines generational drama, mystery, and the sizzling romance we’ve all come to expect from Sarah MacLean. It’s perfect for fans of Succession and Knives Out.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Ali Hazelwood

“Money, sex, and intrigue, all wrapped in a sumptuous coastal setting—These Summer Storms is a great read, unputdownable from beginning to end!”—Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author of The Soulmate Equation

“Poignant overtures of grief, deliciously complicated family dynamics, and forbidden love thread together in a perfect tapestry of mystery and romance.”—Ashley Poston, New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Year Slip

“From the first rumbles of thunder to the final torrential downpour, MacLean takes readers for a wild ride!”—Abby Jimenez, New York Times bestselling author of Just for the Summer

“In her contemporary fiction debut, a glamorous, scandalous picture of a messy family whose wealth has given them everything except for love.”Library Journal, starred review

“MacLean’s dedicated readers will recognize her strong characterization and her ability to spin a tight plot with enough surprises to keep the pages turning.”—Booklist, starred review

“MacLean’s first foray into contemporary family drama has notes of Succession along with the steamy romance she’s known for in her historical novels.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review