India, Aug. 7 -- Sometimes all you want is a book that feels like gossip. Summer in the City by Alex Aster is the kind of rainy day read that's hot, dramatic, occasionally stupid, and full of decisions you would never make in real life. At the centre of it all is Elle, a 27-year-old screenwriter with writer's block and a shot at the movie deal of her dreams. She is house-sitting a fancy Manhattan apartment (as one does) and panicking over her deadline. Enter Parker: former acquaintance, current nemesis, and unexpected muse. He's rich, hot, mysterious, and emotionally unavailable. You know the type. Their dynamic tries to encapsulate the steaming, hot tension of enemies-to-lovers but falls deliriously short. If you're not into the 'I'm quirky, broken and better than other girls' brand of heroine, Elle will test your patience. But Parker? Parker is so rich, he makes it your problem. At one point, he buys Elle her favourite pastry shop chain because he can. The rest is for you to read. Is the writing over the top? Absolutely. It's simile galore and the dialogue feels like it's the brainchild of a 16-year-old fanfiction writer. But none of that matters, because this isn't a book that makes you think; it's here to make you giggle at 1 am when you should be sleeping but are instead Googling, 'How to find love in 2025?' Chaotic and unserious, this is a guilty pleasure that's unhinged enough to make you feel something. But if a billionaire romance isn't a little ridiculous, then what's the point? Title: Summer in the City Author: Alex Aster Publisher: Bloomsbury Price: Rs.699...