Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I'm sad to say, I did not enjoy this book. There was so much inner monologuing and introspection, it started to drag on and on in my opinion. Things she had reconciled with (or so I had thought) in the first half of the book were still being brought up in the last half of the book (mostly in her inner thoughts, mind you.) It was just too much. The characters go on multiple road trips throughout the United States and the most we got in terms of description, or even as a setting, was a sentence or two. Sometimes places they went to were exclusively off page. Given that that was a big part of what drew me to the book, it was a huge disappointment.

Wow what a story of reflecting on a life. I read the book summary and really thought about not reading it, but so happy I kept reading. What an amazing reflection of life, marriage, and love. Thank you for allowing me to read this.

Thank you for the arc. I loved that the FMC was older than your typical female lead and I loved her perspective on how she came into her life by trying to live up to others perspectives.

I had not heard of this author before but was drawn to the book title and cover. I am so glad I read it. It was well-paced with an interesting storyline and a likable lead. I will definitely keep up with this author now!

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC copy of Cruel Summer by Maisey Yates through NetGalley! Cruel Summer is a story about a woman in her 40s named Sam who is approached by her husband Will about potentially opening up their marriage. During a summer trial period apart, Will’s unruly and unpredictable best friend Logan invites Sam to join him on a few cross-country business trips. Sam didn’t anticipate the real journey was going to be one of self-discovery.

As far as my initial thoughts go, I loved it. I ended up reading the entire book in a day. Sam was very likeable. Her thoughts were entertaining, and I thought her inner monologue was relatable given the circumstances in which she finds herself. At first, it seemed like the writing was a bit disjointed, but as the story unfolds and Sam’s character grows, I realized it wasn’t the writing–it was Sam. Sam’s stilted perceptions and speech become much more fleshed out and confident as the book continues. I appreciated the style and tonal change as Sam becomes more confident in herself and starts to figure out what she wants out of life.

Will is.. Well, he’s a husband who asked his wife to consider an open marriage. He wasn’t painted as a villain, but he’s also not terribly likeable. I also didn’t much care for her friends Elysia and Whitney. But Logan…. LOGAN. Talk about someone who knows who he is and what he wants! That man did not back down from hard conversations and was the perfect man to push Sam out of her comfort zone. I loved the brief flashbacks we get throughout the book that show just how long and deeply Logan has cared about Sam. Big fan of his quiet pining and emotional intelligence. BIG fan. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone!

I have mixed feelings about this book while I am for the finding yourself and becoming free of caring of the expectations that people have of you is very important to any persons personal growth. I do have issue with the whole stepping out on the marriage.

While will is the first to ask for the open marriage I would have liked for her to truly find herself break things off and then go find Logan. Otherwise it didn’t hit too good for me.

Cruel Summer was a wonderful overall message to remember to live your life for you and not for anyone else. You deserve to make your own decisions without anyone else's input or approval. You deserve to find what and who make you happy. You deserve to allow yourself to not be okay all the time.

Will's sudden desire for an open marriage at the beginning, opened a floodgate. I do think with her children being older and motherhood becoming less of a hands on thing, as well as losing her own mother and navigating that grief, Sam was feeling extra lost during her journey throughout this book.

There was a lot of deep diving into explanations for Sam's feelings and realizations, which was completely reasonable, but at times it was too much. Us as readers weren't really given many opportunities to make our own assumptions to what was going on in her head because we were outrightly told every single detail.

Sam spent a lot of time thinking about the future which truly brings to light that we cannot focus on things beyond our control.

I did really enjoy this book and would recommend for anyone, most specifically women, feeling a little lost in middle adulthood.

I truly enjoyed reading this book. It contained a concept of marriage I don’t embrace.

Sam’s husband blindsides her with wanting to explore having an open marriage. Sam and Will married as teenagers due to pressure from their parents because of an unexpected pregnancy. Sam (FMC) thought that they had a good marriage. She devoted herself to being the supportive wife and good mother while sacrificing her desires in the process.

It was beautiful to be a part of Sam’s growth and the realization that she deserved better than she received within her marriage. I didn’t see the same growth from Will. In the end there is somewhat of a HEA story.

I enjoyed the author’s writing style and the pace of the story. I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an opportunity to provide feedback on this book.

A cute summer read but a bit repetitive and the characters were hard for me to connect too! I enjoyed the setting and the summer vibes it gave off and Samantha had a lot of potential but sadly I never fully got invested in this relationship.

This is has all the vibes and the feels that u would expect with a title like that. It is well written and the story line does make sense. characters could be developed a little more, but I also understand this is not meant to be a work of literacy perfection.

Cruel Summer by Maisey Yates

The last thing Sam expected at the beginning of their date night was her husband’s request for an open marriage. With their kids all in college and not coming home for the summer, they agree to spend the summer apart, free to do as they please. Sam is devastated. Her husband's handsome best friend, Logan, invites her to help him deliver refurbished classic cars to his customers around the U.S. and Canada.

This is my fourth Maisey Yates romance, and I cried more reading it than any other, mainly in the first two chapters. This novel is friends-to-lovers, forced proximity, small town, and has several cool road trips. I appreciated that the passionate main characters are around 40.

Some recurring themes are dealing with grief; people-pleasing vs. living your own life; and you only have one life to follow your dreams, big and small. There may be zip lining!

This book came at just the right time for me, as I needed the reminder to live my life now, to the fullest. Maybe you need a reminder, too.

Isn't this the same author who writes cowboy romances?! This book is so fun and I would suggest it to all the college girlie's who think they are heartbroken and need to learn how amazing they are

Sadly, I did not care for this book. I did know the premise of the story, but definitely didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I could. I do enjoy this author. Her book Happy After All was one of my all-time favorites! But this one not so much. May appeal to some readers, she is a very good writer, but just not my type of story. Thank you for the chance to read it though.!

This a must for your summer TBR list! I ignored chores, kids, and even a workout or two while I devoured this novel! The main character gets into her head a little too much for me but I also think that was part of the point. That’s what we do as women, isn’t it? When Sam and her husband decide to separate for the summer, she starts to question her tactic of always making life easy for everyone around her, denying the hard things, and moving past the shame that has followed her for years. This is a delicious rom com story that takes place over FOUR crosroad trips one summer and I was here for all of it! I loved the backdrop of the small towns, kitschy hotels, and bars as these friends traveled and wish I had a road trip in my future! Read it, you won’t be sorry.

This book was about second chances. Samantha has been dealt a difficult hand! I loved the road trip aspect although at some points it was repetitive. Over all Samantha story was great, I loved the flashbacks.

Samantha's husband wants to see other people, Samantha asks for a summer break, she travels across the country. will she go home or start over?

This is different from what I am used to reading but I still very much enjoyed it.
The learning of "finding" one's self again was interesting indeed.
My heart hurt for the protagonist Samantha. I can't imagine being in her shoes.
I did however find myself rooting for her.
I also enjoyed in getting to know her. She became a friend by the end of the book. I really hated to say goodbye.
The journey was great! I got to "visit " a lots of places with Logan and Samantha. Some of them I've been and some were pure delight.
My first by this author and I didn't think I'd like it as well as I did. Wow!
5 stars from me for a grand adventure! I highly recommend!
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

Cruel Summer by Maisey Yates is a heartfelt exploration of rediscovery, heartbreak, and self-love. Samantha Parker always thought her marriage was perfect—until her husband suggested an open relationship. This summer of reflection helps Sam realize how much of herself she’s given away and sparks her journey to rediscover who she truly is.

The story feels incredibly relatable, making you reflect on your own life—how often do we stay in relationships out of comfort or give too much of ourselves until there’s nothing left? While some parts felt a bit repetitive, the writing is beautiful, and the playlist at the end was a lovely touch.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Cruel Summer.

Today, I want to share my review of Cruel Summer by Maisey Yates. This raw and emotional story follows Samantha, a 40-year-old mother of three who has been married to her high school sweetheart, Will, for 22 years. When Will suggests an open marriage, Samantha’s world is turned upside down. They agree to spend four months apart to “test” the arrangement, leading Sami to join Will’s best friend, Logan, on three classic car delivery road trips. What unfolds is a journey of personal growth, self-discovery, and unexpected romance. If you love stories of empowerment, emotional depth, and coming of age later in life—reminiscent of Eat, Pray, Love—Cruel Summer is a must-read.

Cruel Summer by Maisey Yates Book Review
***Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing a complimentary copy of this book for my review.

I was lucky to get an ARC through NetGalley. I really really enjoyed the first 3/4 of this book. That part I would give 4⭐️! The slow burn was so fun to read. But unfortunately I couldn’t connect to the ending. I am still very glad I read it to end out my year of reading!