These Summer Storms

A Novel

De: Sarah MacLean

Narrado por: Julia Whelan

From New York Times bestselling 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

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.

©2025 Sarah MacLean (P)2025 Random House Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“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

excellent book

this is the first book that I have read by this author and it is excellent. it's a love story but also has a very interesting plot.

Anything read by Julia whelan I love

I love the narrator and the story kept me interested too, not the best book I’ve listened to this summer but it’s a easy and fun listen

Loved all but the end

I KNOW these people!! Best dialog in years. And I loved that it made me laugh out loud, and gasp with shock at unexpected twists. BUT I knew what the argument between Mike and Lizzy meant and from that moment on, the magic faded. And much as I enjoy rom-coms and bodice-rippers, all of these true-true once in a lifetime love stories were too much. Maybe just my dismay that I will never know that. And my decades of therapy that have let me understand why my childhood meant I had to build adamantine walls around my heart in order to survive, and those walls repelled any and every man who might have been moved to be a Tony or a Jack. So this story, which was so hilariously, horribly true about people rarely accurately described in fiction ended up a Disney princess story. Will make a great movie!! Sarah MacLean deserves every success.

Great book!

The Story was suspenseful and exciting. Characters were great. Good narration and attention to detail.

Can a family reconcile after an inheritance game?

What an epic journey. This is a fantastic contemporary fiction from one of my favorite Regency Era writers. I was immediately hooked into the story. There’s drama, lies, twists, turns, sibling shenanigans and so much more. There is also a romance subplot that has you rooting hard for Alice. I really intrigued by the mystery of what was going to happen. What each person had to do to in the inheritance game. Were they going to be able to complete their tasks? Will they fail? I was absolutely hooked for this book.

Loved it!!

Great story and as always Julia Whelan delivers a stellar performance as narrator!! Heartfelt storyline that had great twists and turns, a terrific love story and life lessons with witty banter.

As always Julia Whalen is my hero

Interesting story and best narrator on the planet. It does not get better than that for me! Thank you Sarah and Julia!

Julia Whelan made it a 4

Julia Whelan made it a 4! That story was okay, but she’s the best!!!! I felt at times that things were getting a little dull or dragging on, but overall it was worth the listen

Engaging and relatable family dynamics

This book exceeded my expectations. The storyline was new and surprising yet engaging within family dynamics, and challenges among siblings.

Sarah MacLean at her finest

I love Sarah’s historicals; they are witty, sexy, well-crafted stories with great characters. I’ll admit to being nervous about this book because I don’t read a ton of contemporaries, but I shouldn’t have been concerned. Sarah’s fingerprints are allllll over this, and the things that I love about her books are here, and then some! I loved reading about the Storm family, and was sad when it ended because I just wanted more. Will continue to pre-order anything she writes, and can’t wait for whatever comes next.

Hat tip to the magnificently talented Julia Whelan, as well. As always, the narration was perfection.