Erica’s Pick of the Week: These Summer Storms

Sure, summer’s winding down, but there are still plenty of days left where soaring temps and high humidity call for one last bookish escape. And there’s no better choice than These Summer Storms, a contemporary family drama by acclaimed historical romance novelist Sarah MacLean. It checks all the beach read boxes: scandalous doings, gorgeous settings, characters you can’t get enough of, and a healthy dose of swoony, high-heat romance.  

Eccentric and demanding tech titan Franklin Storm has died. Now his estranged daughter, Alice, returns home to the family’s private island for what she assumes will be one last goodbye. Instead, she’s drawn into an inheritance game pitting her against her mother and siblings. Overseeing the game is her father’s second-in command, Jack – a brooding, no-nonsense fixer who has zero patience for family drama…but undeniable chemistry with Alice. 

Over the course of a week, Alice and her siblings struggle to fulfill their father’s tasks, even as the extent of their family’s dysfunction is exposed. In the end, Franklin Storm’s heirs must decide whether they’ll continue to play his game or forge their own path. 

In a lesser author’s hands, These Summer Storms would still be a delightful romp of a novel – but this is Sarah MacLean, and her longtime readers know what the rest of the world is now discovering: she elevates everything. 

Storm Island and its surroundings are vivid and lush. The characters are textured and complicated. There are no villains, even Franklin Storm himself. No one is a saint. Even Alice, who thought she had escaped and started fresh, must reckon with her past mistakes. The family dynamics of the Storm heirs – the jockeying for parental favor, the effortless, artful needling – are instantly familiar to anyone who grew up with siblings. 

While the novel focuses on Alice’s return to the family, her relationship with Jack is a highlight. Their banter is charming, their dialogue crackles. Best of all, their conflict is rooted not in their very messy circumstances, but in their own flaws and insecurities. The result is a rich, emotionally resonant romance nestled within an equally compelling family drama. 

Readers looking to savor the last days of the season should look no further than These Summer Storms.