𝙰𝚁𝙲 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠☀️

𝓒𝓻𝓾𝓮𝓵 𝓢𝓾𝓶𝓶𝓮𝓻 by @maiseyyates

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

🗓️ 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟮𝟰, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱

📄 320

𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕖𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕥:
💔Marriage in Trouble
🚘Road Trip
💕Self-Discovery
☀️Grief Journey

“𝘚𝘢𝘮 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘬𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨.”

When Sam’s husband of 22 years asks for an open marriage, Sam’s perfect world comes crashing down. Will and Sam agree to go no contact and spend the summer apart. When an unexpected offer of adventure presents itself, Sam soon finds herself riding in classic cars with top down… seeing new places with her husband’s best friend, Logan.

𝕄𝕪 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤:
Cruel Summer was a delightful read. A story of healing, self-discovery, and the beauty that can be discovered in the most unlikely places.

This one pulled me in from the start. Sam is such a relatable character, like many women, her husband and children became her identity over the years. Seeing her break out and truly live life for the first time was so rewarding. From riding a mechanical bull in a Honky Tonk in Texas to getting her first tattoo, Sam truly discovered who she was and what exactly she wanted out of life. This was a beautiful and emotional journey that was so well written. It was such an enjoyable read, I was cheering for Sam the entire way and read it in one day.

Logan, her husband’s best friend.. It sounds terrible but it is so tastefully written. The way he supported, listened, and cared for Sam truly showed his character and I loved him.

“𝒴𝑜𝓊’𝓇𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝓂𝓎 𝓁𝒾𝒻𝑒. 𝑀𝓎 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓁 𝓁𝒾𝒻𝑒.”

💋 @netgalley @htp_books @htp_hive

When Samantha’s husband of 22 years, Will, tells her during what was a romantic dinner, that he is not happy and wants her to consider an open marriage, she is shocked to say the least.

They agree to a 4 month separation so Will can explore his “options” and this break leads Samantha down a road she never saw coming.

Life can change in the blink of an eye….

✨ 3.5 Rounded to 4 Stars ✨

Sam Parkers world is turned upside down when her high school sweetheart and husband of 22 years sits her down and asks her for an open marriage. At 40 she is happy and comfortable with the life she has and doesn't understand what her husband could want outside of the life they built.

Luckily her megahot neighbor (who is also the husbands BEST FRIEND!!), asks Sam if she wants to accompany him on three roadtrips across the country to get out of town while her husband 'finds himself.'

This book had me tearing through the pages, tears were shed, and def some spice involved. This book is out in June <3

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin for the eARC ✨

Sam and Will have been together for about 30 years, married for over twenty. They grew up together, we each other’s first everything, they got pregnant early and got married right after. Ultimately graduating high school as a married couple. Whispers followed them throughout their town but they stayed together, raised 3 boys and now Will is asking Sam for an open marriage. Her world isn’t the picture-perfect vision she thought it was. Taking the summer apart to figure this out, Will goes on his own vacation and Sam sets off helping their mutual friend Logan as he delivers cars he has repaired around the country.

Logan and Becca had a perfect marriage, raising their daughter happily until Becca got sick and died way too young. Sam and Will kept including the two of them in their family vacations to keep a little bit of normal life for Chloe, as the 2 couples had done for years. Watching Sam and Will in their marriage was never ideal for Logan however, as he carried feelings for Sam since high school.

While this book features Sam and Will at the beginning, it quickly becomes a story about Sam and her travels on the roads of this new life. Figuring out who she is and what she wants, having only known a life with Will and their boys. Will she be true to herself or let socially pressures make her fight for her marriage and the way of life she has known for so long.

Some books take you on a journey, and then there are books that change you. Cruel Summer is one of those rare, emotionally charged stories that grips you from the very first page and refuses to let go. This book wasn’t just about romance; it was about rediscovery, resilience, and the power of choosing yourself.

When I first read the premise, I wasn’t sure what to expect. An open marriage proposal? A long-term husband asking for something so devastating right on the brink of their long-awaited empty-nest chapter? It felt like the kind of emotional gut punch that would leave me unsettled. And it did. I felt everything for Sam—her heartbreak, her confusion, her unwillingness to accept what was happening but feeling powerless to stop it.

Those first few chapters were rough in the best way. I found myself tearing up because the emotions felt so real. I was worried about where the story would go, but the author skillfully took those broken pieces and reshaped them into something unexpectedly beautiful.

Samantha’s summer-long separation from Will was supposed to be a test—time apart to explore what they really wanted. But she had no idea that her real journey wasn’t about fixing her marriage; it was about finding herself.

Enter Logan Martin. The best friend. The gruff, emotionally complex, classic-car-restoring, road-trip-taking, incredibly frustrating yet deeply aware man who has always been in Sam’s life but never really in it. Logan wasn’t a typical love interest. He was complicated, flawed, and, at times, downright exasperating. But that’s what made him feel real.

Their road trip became so much more than just a means of travel—it was an emotional unraveling, a slow-burning build-up of everything unsaid, unseen, and unacknowledged. It was cathartic, messy, and, at times, breathtaking.

One of the most profound things about Cruel Summer is that, while it has romance, it’s not just about romance. It’s about identity. About how easy it is to lose yourself in being a wife, a mother, a caregiver—someone who puts everyone else’s needs before their own. Sam’s story resonated with me deeply.

How often do we, as women, allow ourselves to disappear into the roles we take on? How often do we silence our own desires, our own dreams, because they don’t fit into the neat, expected version of what life should be?

This book cracked that wide open. Sam’s transformation was messy and painful, but it was necessary. Watching her go from a woman who was scared of losing the only life she’d ever known to a woman who realized she deserved more? That was everything.

And then there’s Logan. Oh, Logan. If there was ever a man who understood quiet devotion, it was him. His relationship with Sam was never easy, but you could feel the depth of his feelings in every unspoken word, every long-held glance, every small act of care.

He challenged her, frustrated her, pushed her out of her comfort zone, but he saw her. And sometimes, being truly seen by someone is the most terrifying yet liberating thing in the world.

By the time I turned the last page, I was wrecked in the best way. This wasn’t just a book I read—it was a book I felt. It made me reflect on my own choices, my own sacrifices, and the version of myself I present to the world versus the one I truly am.

It’s rare for a book to make you sit back and think about your own life, but Cruel Summer did exactly that. It’s not just a love story—it’s a love letter to self-discovery, to healing, to understanding that choosing yourself isn’t selfish. It’s necessary.

If you love books that make you feel, that break you down and then build you back up again, Cruel Summer is a must-read. It’s beautifully written, emotionally raw, and incredibly powerful.

I really struggled with this book - I liked the premise but it felt to me like a classic telling instead of showing type of story.

Overall, I will have to say that this a fun book to read over the summer!

Sam’s comfortable life gets turned upside down when her husband asks for an open marriage. In her 40s, Sam must now go through a journey of self-discovery and reflection for the summer and who else to spend that with but her husband’s best friend…she must decide when the summer is over, is it her husband that she still wants…

☀️ single dad
☀️ summer roadtrip
☀️ self discovery

I want to thank NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book!

This book is expected to be released June 24, 2025

"I think we should see other people..."

"...I want to try having an open marriage."

Will has asked Samantha for something she never expected. They are empty-nesters ready to start a new chapter together, so she thought. This book is far from a romcom, but more of an emotional love story that includes self-discovery, reflection, and growth. There are jumps between past and present that add to the book’s depth.

I have to agree with some reviewers, this story started out so sad, I was a bit gutted for the Samantha. The first several chapters, I was in my emotions shedding both tears of sadness and anger. My empathy ran deep. With a start like that, I found myself questioning the author’s direction and had to step away from the book and I almost decided not to finish.

I'm glad I did.

As the author started to lay out the story, I found myself slowly being able to ease back into a spot of comfort and the entire book became something that I wasn't quite expecting. There were areas in this book that I found myself able to relate to and it was hard not to examine and reflect on my life choices, and the roads taken to get to where I am now.

This book was a deep dive into self-discovery. Samantha is forced to face decisions made in the past and make hard choices for her future. She is conflicted like mothers can be in putting herself first, before her husband and children. I think as a woman, for most women, there's an expectation for a mother put everyone else’s needs before their own often leading to losing oneself.

Then there's Logan. Her husband’s best friend and several cross-country road trips. Their chemistry is a slow burn that leads her to question everything she's wanted past and present. One would say, husband’s best friend?! Well, her husband DID ask for an open marriage after over 20 years of marriage. They (Logan and Samantha) challenge each other, which can be awkward at times. I often found Samantha's internal rants a bit annoying but quickly realized I too can relate. Over analysis much? Yes, I think we are all guilty of this at one point or another. I gave it some grace.

There are several life topics covered in this book that include:

1. Finding yourself again after you’ve allowed yourself to be lost in others, allowing yourself to be happy as you are. Pushing deeper, even if it means being out of your comfort zone.
2. Processing grief and its messiness. How grief evolves and never truly goes away, one learns to live next to it. Learning that the healing process isn't always linear and there will be days that are life shattering and days of happiness.
3. Second chances at living, taking adventures, developing friendship and loving.
4. Relationship love but learning to love oneself first.

Plus, there are Muscle Cars and a Music Playlist!

This was my first time reading a book by Maisey Yates, but it certainly won't be the last. Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a well written book filled with emotion and self-discovery. Samantha and Will were high school sweethearts who get pregnant before graduation. 22 years and 3 boys later, Will decides he wants an open marriage so he can see what else is out there that he didn't get to experience. Samantha is horrified and can't wrap her head around this idea. They agree to separate for 4 months and travel. Logan and Will are best friends. They vacationed together as families even after Logan lost his wife to cancer. He is appalled at Will's request and suggests that Samantha spend the summer delivering expensive cars that he has refurbished. As they travel, Logan helps Samantha realize that she deserves to be happy and to be treated well. She has always done what other people think she should instead of what she wants. Along the way, she and Logan become lovers, and she begins to think about what makes her happy. Really great book filled with emotion and growth. I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley, and this is my honest opinion.

this was cute and fun but doesn’t really seem like a book i’m going to remember a few years from now. i found sam quite annoying at times and dreaded her long inner monologue. i understand that this book is a lot about finding yourself later in life and as an individual but it just seemed to keep circling back to the same things. i did however really like logan and enjoyed his character and their backstory and he kind of saved this book for me.

UGGHHHH THIS BOOK

I really came into this book without a lot of anticipation, but omg it was so good! A 40 yr old with her husband's hot friend? THANK YOUUUU

Thank you also to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the arc!!

4.5/5

Wow. I honestly wasn’t expecting this. Especially since I basically judged a book by the cover (and praise for that). I loved this entire story. I found it hit a bit close to home in a way, since I too married my high school boyfriend at age 18(although under different circumstances and still very much in love), and imagining the pain she went through to start the story was a bit much. Like I really felt for her, shocked and deeply hurt emotions were felt. But as the story progressed and you (the reader) grew with Sam, it was such a treat. You’ll be so bought into her story and how she comes out on the other side. Be prepared the laugh, feel sad at a minimum, address the discomfort of grief and bad choices that other people make, and just enjoy a good ride.

The conflict, tension, and growth was so rewarding to walk through. So much introspection and inner-monologue, but also purposeful dialogue that helped drive the story well. The flashbacks also were a great addition as they gave greater clarification and context, but also rounded out your main characters. Overall, I felt this was really well executed. The only thing I wish I had was a Hulu series of this story to immediately dive into. Like this would seriously be such a great tv show. Binge worthy just like the book.

Part of me was wondering how a romance that was worth writing home about would even come out of this story. But I was so silly to even worry about that. And honestly, it was about more than the romance. Although, that was great and I only wish we had a bit more tension and conflict in the midst there. Like you get everything you want from the writing, but you also can feel and imagine the nuance and what’s happening between the lines. Super easy to romanticize and imagine what was blossoming before your very eyes.

This book is perfect for a mixed up and messy sort of romance. Imagine: a perfect life and marriage is suddenly broken up and separated by an absurd request by a husband in a midlife crisis. Now the FMC, Sam, needs to deal with the fallout, how she feels, and face the consequences of her own independent actions. Whatever they may be. Learning to grow and change in your 40s when she never had a chance to do that as a kid is well…uncomfortable and full of truths one would rather ignore. Especially, when it’s all tangled with grief and years of repressed feelings and emotions. Am I painting an appealing or, at least, an intriguing picture here?

Sam, you were insanely innocent and naive as a 40-year-old, but great with the articulate comebacks.

Logan, yes please.

Will, you big idiot. lol.

THANK YOU, Maisey Yates, Harlewuin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for this ARC. I am so happy that this cover and book description caught my attention. Because this was truly a difficult book to put down for me.

“Life is a series of surprises. More often than not, kind of terrible ones.”

“Um. Well, Logan, I used to like surprises, but after the last one, I’m on the fence.”

“‘…What separates me from them?’ He didn’t say anything for a minute. ‘Whether or not you do anything about it, I guess.’”

“‘…You want your grief to be less sharp, but you don’t want to forget the person that you loved. And sometimes it feels like pain is the tribute.’”

Goodreads review is live.
Instagram review to be posted by 4/12.

4 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and Maisey Yate for providing me this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts! This is a heartfelt story about heartbreak, rediscovery and self love, as well as reminding its reader to live life to the fullest potential for themselves. I will admit that Samantha's inner monologues were a bit too detailed at times but I still enjoyed the book regardless!

Honestly this book was slightly out of my wheelhouse but I thought it was great.

The main character Samantha is 40 years old and after living a life where she had kids and got married before graduating highschool, her world is changed when her husband asks her for an open marriage. In an effort to try to keep her husband happy they agree to go no contact for the summer. She has no intentions of taking advantage of the deal she and her husband agreed on… until his best friend invites her on a road trip.

This book is a little closer to womens fiction and less contemporary Romance but it was really fun. I love to watch people grow and change as people and its really nice to read about it happening after you've already lived a very full life.

If you want a beautiful story about changing and growth this is definitely the book for you.

Cruel summer is an incredibly raw, heartwarming story about becoming yourself even when it’s hard.

When Sam’s life is cracked open by her husband, Will, asking for an open marriage, she has to grapple with what she really wants out of her life. His best friend, Logan, decides to invite her on some jobs with him- driving across the country in classic cars for the whole summer. Not only do they get to see so much of the United States, but the self-discovery Sam goes through in one summer just felt so real. I could relate to everything she was going through, and reading through her journey was incredibly cathartic. The way she sifted through her grief, her people pleasing, and her codependency was so moving to me. She grew so much in four months, at a time in her life when many people are expected to stay the same. I loved her character so much, and Logan, who I really did not see coming.

I also felt the depiction of the road trip was so well done. I felt like Maisey Yates had genuinely been to the places the characters were in, from joshua trees in California and bull riding in Amarillo to the historic streets of Boston, I felt transported every time Logan and Sam found themselves in a new town.

If you’ve ever felt lost in your life, or had to navigate through something difficult, Cruel Summer will definitely hit home for you. And if not and you just want to read a book about Sam navigating the United States on a road trip with a bit of a friends-to-lovers then I cannot recommend this book enough.

Cruel Summer had me hooked right from the start. Samantha’s life, turned upside down by her husband’s unexpected request for an open marriage, felt real and raw. I loved watching her navigate the complexities of self-discovery while also facing her growing attraction to Logan. Their journey across the country was full of tension and self-reflection, and Logan’s prickly demeanor only added to the chemistry between them. I wasn’t sure how Sam would choose in the end, but the emotional depth and uncertainty of her journey really resonated with me. It’s a story about love, change, and finding yourself, even when everything feels uncertain.

WOW. Cruel Summer is a beautiful story of the complexity and uncertainty of life.

Sam has her life turned upside down by her husband after 20 years of marriage and spends the summer finding herself. Her cross country road trip and the adventures along the way make this a perfect summer read. This book felt like so much more than a love story, it was a new take on the "Eat, Pray, Love" phenomenon about putting yourself first as a woman after marriage and kids.

The pining, the yearning, the slow burn, it all was so deliciously written. Maisey Yates takes what you think about finding love and alters your perspective in a unique way that has you turning page after page until its 1am and you have to put it down.

Spoilers!*

Sam (Samantha iykyk) and Logan have the kind of love that feels inevitable. At first you are not sure what to expect from their time together, but the more Sam discovers and works on herself and her past, the more you realize they were building their connection for years. I do believe that you can't help who you love and the characters in this book all go about it in the right way.

The nostalgia of the classic car road trip around the U.S. added a romantic lens to the way that Logan and Sam fell for each other. I loved this book, I loved the characters, their kids, Sam's friends, and I love that we got the HEA in the end, at least for Sam and Logan. :)

I remember the first time I heard the expression - swingers. Candidly I imagine folks that like going out, drinking, and dancing. Yep. Naive that was me. Then I found out I actually know some who are “swingers.” My next thought was yuck. Never could look at them again the same way.
Well in CRUEL SUMMER Sam gets an earful from her husband Will of twenty-two years and sons later. He is looking for something more. Needs to feel free to try new things. After all he is saying he feels stunted by the fact that the two of them got married really young, after Sam wound up pregnant. Then had three boys, a home and business. Pretty much a successful shall we say normal life. And now all of a sudden Sam is ferreting out the truth. Will wants more. Oh he still loves her and his family. Nope, not asking or thinking of divorce. Just wants room to play on the side. Again the image of swinger?
You know the old expression, having your cake and eating it too. Is this what that really meant.
Maisie Yates writes about relationships. Always incorporating current issues that sometimes have an effect on people’s lives that stay hidden, until they don’t. In CRUEL SUMMER, the floodgates are officially in the open position. As in open marriage. I know I have your attention.
It turns out that Sam and Will have a more complicated relationship and marriage. Both take off in different directions during their decided summer apart vacation. There are definitely more than just miles between these two married folk. As Sam says in the start of her vacation, which involves miles and weeks on the road, he’s in Oregon and I’m on my road trip. Learn not to make waves, the lesson firmly taught by her mother. Sam was going to have to learn how to make waves in her search for her new life.
CRUEL SUMMER is a tough look at what would you do if. The blow back is caustic, but Maisie Yates deals out an alternative hand to folding. Poker is a game of risks. Sam’s life for now has all her cards on the table. Being on the road with Logan gives her a chance to take a deep breath before playing her next card. Maisie Yates alternates going down memory lane with travel on the open road with Logan. Perhaps making new memories or just taking a break before facing her new future.
Once again this talented author bats one out of the park. Always expect the unexpected with Maisie Yates and perhaps that is why she is at the top of my must-read authors. Try CRUEL SUMMER and she will definitely be on your list.

This book was wonderfully written seeing the change that Sam went through from the beginning of the book to the end was remarkable. I wasn’t sure how it was going to go when I first started but I was pleasantly surprised by how this book made me feel. It really made me think about my life as it stands right now. That was my favorite part of the book. I really wish i could go back and read this book for the first time again I loved it that much.

This book was not what I was expecting! The beginning was so sad I was curious what direction is was going to take. I was expecting romcom and what I received was so much more! This was a thought provoking story and I enjoyed seeing how it ended for Sam. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.