Bloomsbury snaps up YA fantasy author Alex Aster’s 'joyful' debut adult romance

Bloomsbury General has snapped up YA fantasy author Alex Aster’s debut adult romance.

Publishing director Darcy Nicholson bought UK and Commonwealth rights, including audio, to Summer in the City and one untitled novel from Peggy Boulos Smith at Writers House. Jodi Reamer of Writers House sold US rights to May Chen at Morrow in a "significant deal".

"Publishing in March 2025, Summer in the City is a joyful, sexy romance set over one hot summer in New York," the synopsis says. "Elle is back in the city to write a screenplay but she has writer’s block and the neighbour from hell, Parker. To the world, Parker Warren is the ‘Billionaire Bachelor’, to Elle, he’s the guy she hooked up with in a stairwell two years ago and it’s been lovers-to-enemies ever since. But he needs to fake a stable relationship during his company’s precarious acquisition, she needs to visit a list of romantic New York locations for her movie. An arrangement is made. It’s all pretend, until it isn’t…" 

Nicholson said: "We acquired this on a partial. Such was the strength of Aster’s writing and the clarity of our vision for where we could take her publishing in the UK and our territories. Summer in the City is a masterclass in modern romance writing and I can’t wait for fans to get their hands on it next year. It’s a real privilege to welcome Alex Aster to the ever-expanding Bloomsbury General stable."