Hello book lovers! A new day, a new review. I’ve seen a lot of people talking about this one so I knew it was time to share my review as well. Warning, this is an honest review đ
âď¸enemies to lovers
âď¸instant attraction
âď¸fake dating
âď¸just for the summer
âď¸set in new york
Summer in the City by Alex Aster
I’m not sure how to write this review, but I’ll try to express my feelings as best as I can. This is the first book I read by Alex Aster, and it was really good for most part. I really did have fun reading it. Elle and Parker’s story was epic. I loved the whole premise, it promised a lot and it kind of delivered.
What is it about?
Twenty-seven-year-old screenwriter Elle has the chance of a lifetime to write a big-budget movie set in New York City. The only problem? Sheâs had writerâs block for months, and her screenplay is due at the end of the summer.
In a desperate attempt at inspiration, Elle ends up back in the city she swore she would never return to, in an apartment she could never afford (floor-to-ceiling windows, skyline views, and a new coffee shop to haunt included). Itâs the perfect place to write her screenplayâŚuntil she realizes her new neighbor is tech âBillionaire Bachelorâ Parker Warren, her stairwell hookup from two years ago. Itâs been a lovers-to-enemies situation ever since.
When seeing him again turns into a full night of hate-fueled writing, Elle realizes her enemy/twisted muse might just be the key to finishing her screenplay… if she can stand being around her polar opposite. She writes anonymously, and heâs on the cover of every business magazine. He frequents fancy red carpeted events, and she doesnât like leaving her emotional support five block radius.
One summer. One wall apart. He needs to fake a buzzy relationship during his companyâs precarious acquisition. She needs to write a movie around a list of NYC locations. Both need a break from their unrelenting schedules, and a chance to rediscover the skyscraper glimmering, pizza crusted, sunlit charms of the city.
Summers always end, and so will this agreement. Itâs all pretend. Promise.
Until it isnât. (via Goodreads)
I was pretty hooked from chapter one and was so eager to see how this story would unfold, how they would fall in love and what would happen after.
In the beginning, I loved Elle and hated Parker. But ended up loving Parker and disliking Elle. She was real, honest, imperfect and was not afraid to be and show who she was. I felt her emotions towards Parker, and my heart hurt along with hers due to all the pain she had to experience in her life. Parker looked like such a conceited prick, but I was so down for this enemies-to-lovers.
Slowly, I started to see and love Parker just like Elle did. My heart warmed up to him a lot, and I could see their happy future because I was sure they’d be able to overcome the barriers they had.
I loved Elle most of the book, but the last couple of chapters changed my opinion of Elle by 180 degrees. I feel she was not nice towards Parker. She continued judging him so negatively and putting him in such a low place.
I understand that she had issues, but I really dislike that we didn’t see her acknowledging her issues and working through them. I would’ve loved to see some accountability from her, and my respect for her would have been maintained. The only moment that there was an acknowledgement of her issues was when Penelope told her, I absolutely loved Penelope for this.
Maybe my opinion is too serious for a fictional book. It’s just a fictional love story after all. But I’m a very character-driven person, I have to love characters to love the story, and here it was not the best. I feel like Elle and her issues could’ve been done a bit better.
Still, it was a fun book to read, and it really made me want to go to New York City in the summer and go to all those lovely places. I know a lot of people will love this book, as they should. Hopefully, mine is an unpopular opinion. I think I’d read another romance by Aster.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
love, Lin
