From #1New York Times bestselling author Alex Aster comes her adult debut novel Summer in the City—a swoony, fast-paced rom-com set in New York City in which a screenwriter and a sexy tech CEO go from lovers to enemies and back to lovers again…
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? She’s had writer’s 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). It’s the perfect place to write her screenplay…until she realizes her new neighbor is tech “Billionaire Bachelor” Parker Warren, her stairwell hookup from two years ago. It’s 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 he’s on the cover of every business magazine. He frequents fancy red carpeted events, and she doesn’t like leaving her emotional support five block radius.
One summer. One wall apart. He needs to fake a buzzy relationship during his company’s 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. It’s all pretend. Promise.
Until it isn’t.
“Best-selling YA author Aster makes her adult fiction debut with a superbly crafted, splendidly entertaining romance that deftly delivers all the snappy repartee and crackling sexual chemistry of Nora Ephron at her cinematic rom-com best while also offering readers a beautifully crafted love letter to the many joys of New York City.” Copyright 2025 Booklist Reviews.” — Booklist
“Bestselling Aster makes her adult debut with a rom-com featuring a lovers-to-enemies-back-to-lovers trope. It follows a screenwriter who likes to be private and a news-making tech CEO during their swoony summer in NYC. — Library Journal
Order now to receive the stunning DELUXE LIMITED EDITION—only available on the first printing while supplies last! This collector’s hardcover features gorgeous sprayed edges with stenciled artwork, illustrated color endpapers, and special design features on the case.
Elle is a screenwriter in the grip of severe writer’s block, tasked with crafting a romance film while grappling with lingering trauma from her past. She writes under a pseudonym, thus avoiding all the Hollywood hoopla. She returns to New York to housesit her sister’s upscale apartment—her globe-trotting, pregnant sister who seems to have it all together. Their father is absent, and the memory of their late mother continues to cast a long shadow over Elle’s (often unhealthy) worldview. The studio gives her a tight timeline to finish the script, and she’s hoping living in New York City for the summer will help. They have already pulled permits to film in various locations throughout the city, so Elle needs to keep those in mind while she crafts the script.
Enter Parker Warren: tech billionaire, and—surprise—Elle’s new neighbor. He also happens to be the man behind her chaotic stairwell hookup from two years ago, which she had chalked up to a one-night stand with a bodyguard. Turns out, he wasn’t a bodyguard, but rather a billionaire entrepreneur. Now he wants Elle to pose as his girlfriend for the summer. Why? Because she’s one of the few people who couldn’t care less about his money or influence—and in return, she’d gain access to high-end locations for her screenplay. He won’t have to worry about taking a gold digger to the social events he needs to attend, so it seems like a win-win.
There’s one more twist: Elle wrote her most successful script after their infamous encounter. Whether she likes it or not, Parker has become her secret muse. Around him, she starts to feel alive again—jogging at dawn, making new friends, even braving karaoke nights, and most importantly, she is writing again. But opening her heart to him would mean betraying everything she thinks her late mother stood for. Can she let herself risk real happiness—not just for a summer, but for something more lasting?
The city becomes another character with this vivid, heartfelt portrayal of New York, and that always appeals to me. The chapters capturing the city’s energy and charm were outstanding. I appreciated the emotional arcs, especially Elle’s journey toward self-acceptance and the subtle reveal of her hidden identity. The happy ending is a given, and while I am not usually a fan of the billionaire boyfriend, Aster did a terrific job with it here. Turns out, I didn’t mind a bit. This is a cinematic romcom, and I can only hope a movie will follow.
5/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
SUMMER IN THE CITY by Alex Aster. William Morrow (March 25, 2025). ISBN: 978-0063411661. 304p.
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