Author Alex Aster announced “Summer In The City” in the month of March this year, after her fantasy book “Skyshade” got a lot of love. This new summer romance has cleverly combined beloved tropes, such as forced proximity, fake dating, enemies-to- lovers, and billionaire romance without making them too cheesy. There are also elements of miscommunication there. “Summer In The City” has gotten a high rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, and a 3.83 on Goodreads.
Aster’s adult debut novel is a swoony, fast-paced novel set in the summer in which a twenty-seven-year-old anonymous screenwriter Elle has been given a chance to write a big-budget movie set in New York City. However, she’s had writer’s block for months and the screenplay is due at the end of the summer.
In a desperate attempt to find some inspiration, she ends up in the city she swore to never go back to, an apartment to house sit for her sister, and a new coffee shop she’ll spend most of her time in. Then she realizes that her neighbor is tech “Billionaire Bachelor” Parker Warren, her stairwell hookup from two years ago. When she sees him, she turns to hate-fueled writing and realizes her enemy/twisted muse might be the key to finishing the screenplay.
He needs to fake a relationship during his company’s precarious acquisition, while she hates to leave her comfort five block radius. They both need a break from their busy schedules, and she needs to write about different locations in New York. They come to an agreement to fake date until the summer is over.
My Review
I was incredibly surprised that I actually loved this book, as I normally find romance books that I hate. On the other hand, this was such a fast and amazing read. Definitely a five out of five stars read for me. I had only started reading “Summer In The City” because Aster is one of my favorite authors. I enjoy any book she writes. I loved the lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers trope so much, and actually enjoyed the fake dating trope immensely.
I might actually re-read this book, which I don’t normally do, because of how good it was. I would definitely recommend reading this summer gem of a book, and the cover-both the jacket and underneath the jacket-is extraordinary. I suggest if you want to have a copy with stained pages, you get it now. It would be so very worth it.
