Sarah MacLean is well-known for her historical romances, so I was very excited to read her first piece of contemporary fiction, These Summer Storms. It takes plenty of inspiration from the TV show Succession, men like Rupert Murdoch – and even William Randolph Hearst – and the Rhode Island Gilded Age set, but the ultra-wealthy and toxic family we’re introduced to within the pages of the novel is its own beast.

The Storm family comprises recently deceased patriarch Franklin, his ghastly wife Elisabeth, and their four children: dutiful and tormented Greta, entitled mantoddler Sam, everybody-loves-her hippie Emily and our heroine, independent Alice, whom Franklin had banished from the family. Franklin was a tech billionaire and died suddenly, so the family gathers on the private Storm Island for his funeral (according to Elisabeth, it’s not a funeral, but a celebration) and the reading of his will. Five years previously, Alice worked in the family business, and was Franklin’s chosen successor, but when a scandal was hidden, Alice blew the whistle on the cover-up, and Franklin was so furious he torched not only Alice’s job, but also cut her off from the family. After Franklin’s sudden death, Alice catches the train from NYC to Rhode Island, and on her way she meets a stranger who helps her navigate the waiting press (these people are rich and famous) and the two of them share a night together. Alice dips out early and makes her own way to the island for a reconciliation (of sorts) with her family.

The stranger turns out to be Jack Dean, who was, of course, her father’s right-hand man and who is heading to Storm Island to oversee the terms of Franklin’s will. All the Storms stand to inherit, but only if everyone meets certain specific conditions. I won’t list them here, but the key one is that Alice has to stay on the island for the next five days or nobody gets anything – and as Alice has no interest in the family money, her first thought is to leave. The others therefore have to complete their own tasks while also making sure she stays on the island. The terms are idiosyncratic, manipulative, and controlling, leaving readers in no doubt as to what kind of a father Franklin was and the noxious effect this had on his children.

The characterisation is deft, with the siblings all having been indoctrinated to different degrees about the value of family and the exceptionalism of the Storm name, but also about their own failings and inadequacies. Greta and Sam have borne the brunt of their parent’s toxicity, Alice has suffered her estrangement, and Emily is (relatively and apparently) unscathed.

I love how Sarah MacLean incorporates so much detail to flesh out both characters and setting. The book is worth a slow read; pay attention to the clothes they wear, their perfumes, the minute details about the layout of the island. The pace is engaging – the opening scene, seen through Alice’s eyes as she gets on the train, is detailed and particular, as is the rainstorm when she arrives in Rhode Island, and we feel each step of Alice’s decision to spend the night with a stranger. Everything speeds up once Alice arrives and Jack’s role is revealed. The events take place over the five days after Franklin’s death, so the narrative is busy and dramatic as we follow not just Alice (and Jack) but all the Storms reckoning with their relationship with Franklin.

Alice is one smart cookie. Even though she’s prickly and hurt, she’s built an imperfect life for herself in NYC. I hated that her siblings shut her out of the family; their motivations are hard to justify, so there’s forgiveness necessary from Alice.

Jack is a delight. He’s a typical MacLean hero – handsome, steadfast, gruff and competent, who has a difficult backstory, the ability to work very hard, and is looking for an equal life partner – surely it’s Alice? These Summer Storms is not being marketed as a romance (Amazon categorises it as Contemporary Womens Fiction), even though it definitely has one, as we see stolen moments and rising tension between Alice and Jack. Attraction is easy, but trust feels impossible when Jack was so close to Franklin.

These kinds of uber-wealthy people are so outside of my experience I found some of their actions unbelievable. Discussions about how much money is enough to live a good life are intriguing, and only Emily and Alice have escaped the traps of extreme wealth. I also struggled with a mother having so little maternal interest in her children or her grandchildren. With plenty of dirty linen and pain laid bare, there is redemption all around and a satisfying ending for these four siblings, who were able to reconnect to their childhood experiences.

These Summer Storms is not all toxic family drama and there are plenty of light and funny moments, maybe not laugh-out-loud, but enough to release the tension of their situation and their sudden and complicated grief.

It’s interesting, clever, fast paced, and layered with a side of delicious romance, and is definitely going on to my keeper shelf.