These Summer Storms ★★☆☆☆

I misunderstood the premise and perhaps didn't know much about the author before I started reading this. I was intrigued by its Succession-like setup and by the interpersonal dynamics of the siblings throughout the book, but didn't realize that the Alice-Jack lust story was the centerpiece. It's just not my jam.

Edition Read

• Author: Sarah MacLean
• Date Published: 2025-07-08
• Pages: 400

Description

"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."-- Provided by Amazon

Source: Hardcover

Notable Highlights

Wealth had a way about it, an ease that was difficult to explain but impossible not to recognize, especially if you’d spent your life around it. Though it came in many forms, from confidence to carelessness, it pervaded a person’s worldview, was impossible to replicate, and incredibly difficult to hide. [loc. 2196]

“It’s always worth leaving when someone doesn’t want you to stay.” Her therapist would be really proud of that answer. [loc. 2412]