Summer in the City: The instant Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller and your newest enemies-to-lovers obsession! Hardcover – March 25, 2025

I probably read a book (sometimes more) a week and this is my favorite one of the last two years. I never leave book reviews, but I had to for this one! I just can’t begin to describe how much I smiled at my phone as I read this and just fell in love with the characters. I’m not sure if I just related to Elle or what the deal was but I’ll recommend this a hundred times over!

4.50 ⭐️I've officially found my next comfort romance read! Summer in the City by Alex Aster was such a fun and special romance read! As a huge lover of rom-com movies and books, this book was everything!In Summer in the City, we follow Elle, an anonymous screenwriter who has an amazing career opportunity to write a big-budget movie script set in New York City, a city she actually hates! To fight back against her writer’s block and find some inspiration, she finds herself back in the city.Once upon a time, Elle had a hot encounter with the gorgeous tech billionaire, Parker, in the city and it was delicious moment until he ruined it by making some poor assumptions about her. After the encounter, Elle truly despised the man and when I say despised, I mean she despised him to the point where she essentially started obsessing over him.When Elle returns to the city, she finds out that her neighbor is none other than the gorgeous Parker, and ooo the temptation! One thing leads to another, and they both agree to fake-date each other, but only for the summer—and the story blooms from there! Oh, and a certain gorgeous man may or may not become her muse to help with her writer’s block!The romance and tension in this book were perfect! I adored Parker, and I can’t wait for everyone to read how charming he is, along with how much he cares for Elle, even if she doesn’t want to admit it to herself! I was blushing and giggling nonstop while reading the book! I finished this book in one day and will definitely be re-reading it soon!I loved seeing Elle’s journey from initially hating New York City to eventually falling in love with it! I related to parts of her, including her fear of doing the opposite of the lessons her mother taught her growing up. With time, she is able to identify and challenge those fears to not allow her past define her future!I can’t wait for everyone to read it when it’s published this month! Thank you so much to William Morrow and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC!

I really wanted to love this book especially because the cover is appealing but this story went in a rollercoaster so many times that it just got annoying. Some authors nowadays think woman that are mentally unstable is so adorable and that men have to basically do everything and anything possible to show how much they love them. When the FMC was not being extremely insecure the romance part was actually cute but then it would go back to oh yeh I'm a feminist with trauma and punishes him over and over for loving her! I really thought and wanted this book to be great!

One of the best books I’ve ever read. It was such a comforting summer read. It has everything — NYC, ambition, romance, lust, friendship, drama, luxury. Emotional but not cheesy, motivating without trying too hard. I loved every second of it and didn’t want it to end.Alex Aster really did something with this one. 10/10

This book starts with a meet cute at a fancy NYC nightclub. Elle thinks Parker is a bouncer, he accuses her of being a gold digger, and things go downhill fast. Years later, Elle’s back in New York, staying at her sister’s penthouse while it’s being renovated. And who’s her new neighbor? Parker, of course. Who doesn’t remember her at all. He needs a fake girlfriend for some business events, and she needs inspiration to finish her screenplay. So, they strike a deal.There’s a lot I really enjoyed. The New York setting was one of my favorite parts. It felt like a love letter to the city with pizza spots, cute neighborhood strolls, and all the NYC charm. Elle and Parker had great chemistry, the banter was fun, and the romance kept me hooked.But there were a couple things that didn’t totally work for me. I listened to most of this on audio, and the narration felt flat and monotone. When I switched to the physical book, I realized the writing itself was a little choppy. The short, clipped sentence style just didn’t flow well for me. And I’m not a fan of third-act breakups, so having more than one? Not my thing. It dragged on too long and made the resolution feel drawn out instead of satisfying.Even with those issues, I still had a good time reading this. It’s a solid 4 stars from me and a fun read for anyone who loves a city romance with a splash of forced proximity.᪥ NYC Setting᪥ Fake Dating᪥ Billionaire x Screenplay Writer᪥ Close Proximity᪥ Single POV

Summer in the City was a refreshing and fun romance—just what I needed after a heavier read. The story kept me smiling, and I really enjoyed the character dynamics. Parker completely stole the show for me—definitely the perfect book boyfriend! If you’re looking for a light, feel-good escape, this is a great pick.

Ok this was a fun cute romance for the summertime!!Pros:- character development and background story of FMC was great, loved her personality and quirkiness- plot was cute (fake dating, but actually not quite fake at the same time)- quick and easy read, loved reading about the loveCons:- not literary genius writing and maybe toooo fast paced at times like some things were underdeveloped within the storyline.- MMC pissed me off sometimes like we know you have money bro, chill out, and catch a hint she don’t want it- wish the usual romance “break up & get back together” made more sense ?Overall really fun for the summer and makes me want to fall in love in NYC. :)***review on booktok coming soon @rayelsreading

One of the best summer reads I’ve ever read. I usually read one summer book during summer, I read this one I read in 2 weeks. Incredible.