⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I had the great opportunity to read this book as an ARC. I chose this book because of the cute cover thinking it would be a fun rom com and the hope that the author was a swiftie. Well, the author was a swiftie.
This was not a lighthearted rom com as I expected. This is a slightly heavy romance dealing with trauma and grief. The writer does a great job of building the connection between the love interests. Some enemies-to-lovers go straight from hate to attraction and leaves the reader wondering how they fell in love. This author almost does too good of a job of the connection between the leading lady and leading man.
In the end I was super excited when I realized the leading man and everything ended up how I wanted.

I enjoyed the story, but there were times where the introspection was a bit too much. I would have liked more dialog between the characters and less of Sam's thoughts. It got to be pretty repetitive.
I loved all of the Taylor Swift references!

Really cute love story. I liked the cover and the theme of this book. However, this was really close to Just for the Summer book. It was good but mirrored.

A book about breaking away from what's comfortable to discover the unknown that brings you joy and depth. Sam has been in a long-term marriage when her husband, Will, requests they explore other relationships. Hurt and a little lost, she reaches out to Logan, her husbands best friend. There's unexplored desire between them, but Logan needs Sam to make him her choice, not as a rebound, for comfort or any other reason, but for herself. It takes Sam a lot of pondering and courage to get out of her comfortable rut and reach for things that she truly wants.

This book delivered a lot of emotional depth, but in some ways, it was too much. However, as someone in a situation almost similar to Sam's, I could relate.

#netgalley #CruelSummer

Cruel Summer is an emotional road-trip romance about second chances, self-discovery, and the complexity of love. When Samantha’s husband suggests an open marriage, her world is turned upside down. A summer road trip with Logan—her husband’s aloof best friend—leads her to question everything she thought she wanted. Their chemistry is slow-burning, and as they journey across the country, Sam’s feelings grow in unexpected ways.

Maisey Yates skillfully balances romance and introspection, making Sam's journey relatable and heartfelt. This tender, thought-provoking read will have you rooting for her to choose the path to her true happiness.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press for the opportunity to receive the ARC.
Book publication date - June 24, 2025

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

Cruel Summer tells the tale of a 40 year old woman who's life is turned upside down as she and her husband go on a summer long separation to see if their marriage can work. She is blindsided, and decides to help her husband's best friend drive classic cars cross country in order to deal with her relationship and life after the summer ends.

And it was fine. Pretty predictable mid-life crisis story, and there were definitely some points that resonated with me. But it felt like total fantasy from start to finish. It's clear to me that this was just not the one for me. I did not feel like I had really anything in common with the main character except for our age range, and living in the PNW. So, while I appreciated the idea, the rest just wasn't for me.

The book did move quickly and was one you could sit down and read on a rainy Sunday in one sitting. And I liked it for that. The MMC was less annoying than the FMC so there is that.

Overall though, if you're an independent woman, this one probably isn't for you. It is exhausting reading about how the FMC thinks this obviously imperfect marriage was just so wonderful and how would she ever deal with being alone. Blech.

I thought this was going to be a fun fluff book and it was so much more. I couldn’t put it down and I loved the characters. I love that it delved into the human condition. Sure, love and life isn’t simple but I couldn’t put this down and I appreciated things Sam thought and had to go through.

I have already recommended to friends.

Samantha Parker always believed her relationship with her high school sweetheart was perfect. For the last twenty-two years they have had the perfect marriage, perfect family, perfect life - until he asks if she would consider an open marriage. The journey Sam takes during the summer off from her relationship makes her realize she hasn’t been herself (does she even know who that is?) and has always been a bit too selfless with everyone in her life. The concept is incredibly relatable and has you questioning your own life a bit. How often do we sit in relationships for comfort, knowing they may not actually be the right ones for us? How often do we find ourselves giving and giving and giving until we realize we have nothing left? This is a sweet story about finding yourself again, not realizing you lost yourself in the first place. This book provides you with lots of opportunity for introspection.
At times I did think it was a little repetitive, but I still loved it. Beautifully written.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book!

“I think we should see other people..." That one sentence unravels Samantha Parker's perfect life. She has a loving husband, three wonderful kids and a comfortable suburban lifestyle. But on the brink of their long-awaited empty-nest chapter, Will asks Samantha for something she never dreamed.”

Cruel Summer starts off with Sam and Will taking a summer off from their marriage - which is crushing for Sam. We follow her through the summer where she grows and learns so much about herself.

Heads up that this book is definitely not a cute romcom, but more of an emotional love story with growth and rediscovery.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

**Book Review: *Cruel Summer* by Maisey Yates**

Maisey Yates’s *Cruel Summer* dives into a whirlwind of summer romance, drama, and secrets that will have readers captivated from start to finish. Set against the dreamy backdrop of a coastal summer, Yates masterfully blends romance with themes of family, friendship, and betrayal, creating a story that is as emotionally charged as it is engaging.

The novel follows a cast of characters who each bring their own baggage and aspirations to the story, with tangled relationships and unexpected connections that unravel over the course of one intense summer. Yates’s strength lies in her ability to craft flawed, layered characters who are deeply relatable, making their choices – good and bad – all the more impactful. The story is rich with emotional tension, and the stakes feel high as the characters confront their pasts, face painful truths, and make decisions that could change their futures forever.

Yates’s prose is vivid and immersive, painting a clear picture of the coastal setting that feels almost like another character in the novel. The atmosphere is charged with a blend of nostalgia and yearning, as the characters seek both escape and redemption in the familiar yet ever-changing summer landscape. For fans of romance and drama, *Cruel Summer* delivers with plenty of twists, heartfelt moments, and steamy encounters that keep the pages turning.

While the novel brings an undeniable sense of escapism, Yates does not shy away from addressing deeper themes. Issues of forgiveness, self-discovery, and resilience are woven into the characters’ journeys, making *Cruel Summer* a layered read that resonates well beyond the surface-level plot. It’s a story of love, loss, and the ways in which we find ourselves in the most unexpected places – and people.

For fans of emotional, character-driven romance with a touch of suspense, *Cruel Summer* offers a rich and satisfying escape into the complexities of summer love and second chances.

A story of a woman learning to define herself outside of her relationship- with help from her husband’s hot widower bestie. I found this premise pretty promising, definitely intriguing where I wanted to see how things came together and where the relationship ended up by the conclusion of the summer. While I think most of us who subscribe to the idea of monogamy would be devastated if our partner presented the idea of an open marriage to us, this book was almost the perfect way to play out what could happen without ever having to tread such waters. It was also a great exploration of the norms placed on us by society and how shame is a powerful motivator, for better or worse.

While I was captivated enough to keep reading, I was left wanting more in the way of background with Will and more time developing Logan and Sam’s tension until they had no choice but to act.

One thing of note is that this is HEAVY on introspection and inner strife about what is good and what is bad, what rules we have to follow as part of a society and especially the norms in a small, conservative town. Honestly I’m not sure I like Sam; I found her annoying and a bit ridiculous at times. I overthink but she takes it to new places. Like the amount of dialogue pushing the plot forward was missing and was replaced by Sam’s thoughts for long, long periods of time, and it was often repetitive where you could skip over it. The dialogue wasn’t witty, didn’t rise to the level of banter that I’ve enjoyed in other books; rather it was choppy and disjointed. It kind of felt more realistic because Sam didn’t have a 10/10 comeback or retort or couldn’t express her feelings when pressed by Logan, but also completely unrealistic in that it was phrased somewhat formally.

I wanted to love this book. I thought the concept was FASCINATING. I thought the first 3ish chapters were clever and hilarious. But when the best friend was introduced and she supposedly hated him and then we went through that whole love/hate you lost me. It was such a slog and honestly pretty taboo. I could have gotten behind it if the build would have been stronger, I honestly like predictability in RomComs but it was just so much emotion and drama.

This was the first book I have read by Maisey Yates and it was so good. 4.5 stars

Sam’s husband of 22 years wants to take the summer off from their marriage. She was a mother and wife at 18 and can’t imagine a life without Will.

We follow her through the summer where she grows and learns so much about herself. Most of the time along the side of Logan. Her husband’s best friend; a man who has been in love with her for years. Steamy, yes please.

This book really made me reflect and think about my own life. Beautifully written with a HEA.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this would be more lighthearted. The book opens with Will, Sam’s husband, asking for an open marriage. Ultimately crushing Sam’s heart. All these years she thought they’d been happy only to find out Will had only been playing a role. Sam ends up taking the summer road trip she dreamed of doing with her husband with his best friend. And things get all sorts of messy.

If you like emotionally deep love stories this ones for you. I think it was just too sad for me. Sam’s heartbreak in the beginning was soul crushing, and painful to read. Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Relatable and enjoyable. The story had a good writing style, and I found it mostly entertaining. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Maisey Yates’ Cruel Summer is a gripping and emotional contemporary romance that delves into the complexities of love, betrayal, and the lingering scars of the past. Set against a backdrop of sun-soaked landscapes and simmering tensions, the story follows a young woman returning to her hometown, where unresolved feelings and old rivalries come rushing back.

Yates’ writing is both evocative and engaging, with rich descriptions that transport readers into the heart of the story. The characters are well-developed, particularly the protagonist, whose journey of self-discovery and healing is both relatable and compelling. The romantic tension is palpable, creating a dynamic interplay between passion and conflict.

The pacing is expertly crafted, blending moments of introspection with heart-pounding drama. Themes of forgiveness, redemption, and the complexities of relationships are woven throughout, providing depth to the narrative and inviting readers to reflect on their own experiences.

Overall, Cruel Summer is a powerful and emotional read that will resonate with fans of contemporary romance. Yates masterfully balances heat and heart, making this book a must-read for anyone looking for a story that captures the essence of summer love and the complexities of the human heart.