This was a quick, fun summer read!

Ray seemed like your typical rich girl who wanted nothing more than to be part of the in crowd. After spending a night with the boy who mowed her family’s lawn for years, she heartlessly shuts him out and allows her “friends” to shame him.

Years later, she runs into Marlon again at Hollywood’s most exclusive summer camp, and it’s clear he hasn’t forgotten that night either...or how she treated him after. Now is his chance for payback, but time had changed both of them. While Ray may seem like the spoiled princess he thought he once knew, it’s clear to see she harboring a lot of pain too. But will this change his plans to make her suffer the way she had made hurt him before?

I really enjoyed this book, but at times it felt a bit rushed. Ray and Marlon’s interactions had their emotions flip flopping so quickly, it sometimes didn’t come across as realistic, but I do realize this is fiction. I also love cliffhangers and I already knew this book was part of a series, but it did end a bit abruptly. Either way, I’m excited to see where the story goes and already can’t wait to read the next book.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2911964442

*I received an Arc in exchange for an honest review.*
I typically adore Rachel Van Dyken’s books. 2nd chance romance is usually good for me too.
But both of these characters felt a little flat. I could not find a way to connect to any of them and the story felt more like YA than new adult. I also hate a book that ends right in the middle of a story with no preparation.
Unfortunately, this one was not for me but I will continue to read her other books.

Sweet and short summery read. Quite enjoyed it especially that it was short but I would give it a 3 star

This book was ok, but it felt rushed and the story ended just when the good stuff started to happen.

If you are in the mood for a quick summer read without deep storylines or emotions, this is the book for you. Marlon and Ray have always had a contentious relationship full of distrust and betrayal. When they both show up as counselors at summer camp, all the hurt from four years ago in high school boils to the top. This is book one in a three book series.

Summer Heat is the first in a series of three books by Rachel Van Dyken. Marlon and Ray have known each other since they were six years old. They were best friends and did everything together until they didn’t. She was the foster son of her nanny/housekeeper. He calmed her spoiled princess. They both have a passion for drama. When one gets a scholarship for school, the other is riddled in anger and disappointment. Both feel they were most deserving. They go their separate ways and meet again at a drama camp for spoiled rich high schoolers. What started as as way to serve just desserts led to revelations.

Ray and Marlon were both trying to find their way. Their history is revealed, their feelings are unpacked, and their futures are at stake. These characters were well-written! While I prefer to have a resolution to a story completed in one book, this book’s ending is much like life... waiting to see what happens in the next book is kind of like the natural progression of relationships—-we don’t go from first meet to happily ever ever in the span of one story. Life has many chapters and volumes.

I have read the rest of this series to find out the ending. It must be read in order—Summer Heat, Summer Seduction, and Summer Nights. .

RVD, why are you doing this to me?!? A Cliffhanger!!! I don't think she had ever been so cruel. She does make it up with this delicious read, though. She is the Ultimate Momma when it comes to knowing how to bring two characters together to get the most sexual tension and chemistry possible from any situation she writes them in. It's no different with these frenemies, Marlon and Ray. It sizzles off then in this summer "must read". Let's just hope we don't have to wait too long at this cliff 'cause I need the next book, like ASAP.

*** I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.**

This book was hot. I really loved it and def need to pick up where it left off in book 2. 4 solid stars.

I had to download the books in the series immediately because I wanna read what happens next.
Will post my full review on my blog pages when I’m finished reading.

A very good read! I do hope that there is more about Ray's history in the 2nd book! A great way to leave the story with the cliff hanger. Looking forward to the second book!

It’s a cruel, cruel summer🔥❣️

Ray gets into summer camp at the last minute as a replacement teacher for the campers. When she arrives she learns that the one person who has always been her arch enemy is at the camp as well. Not recognising him straight away, Ray learns she is teaching dance choreography which isn’t her strongest suit. When she later learns that Marlo is the camp director for the summer, she knows she’s in for a summer of hell.

Marlo is the camp director and immediately recognises the girl who broke his heart, even though he’s still attracted to her. He knows she a spoiled princess but as events start unfolding he learns he might’ve been to harsh in his judgement of her. Any attraction she has for him though, is put through it’s paces, when she learns he has something else in mind for her😢

A great story I picked up via Netgalley that I will definitely continue to read when the final two books in this series come out. The story was fast paced and holds all sorts of drama one would expect, looking forward to the rest of Ray and Marlo😁

I really enjoyed this book! Thank you for letting me read this!! I'll be telling some of my friends about it so they can read it as well!

***Got an ARC for an honest review***
This was a quick read featuring my favorite trope: enemies to lovers. I enjoyed the camp setting and I really liked the heroine who was very well-written, vulnerable, and heart-breaking in her loneliness.
The problem to me personally was the hero. While he improved in the second half I was disturbed by him in the first part. I just couldn't get over how this supposedly adult man was obsessed with a girl who treated him badly in high school and then abused their imbalance of power to take his anger out on her. And his plan for ultimate revenge was beyond creepy, not to mention horribly misogynistic, whether he gave it up before going through with it or not. He eventually thawed towards her and had some genuinely sweet scenes, but I couldn't get fully on board with him and kept thinking that Ray deserved so much better. Not to mention he constantly smirks, like literally on every second page. I wanted to wipe that stupid smirk off his stupid imaginary face I actually growled at the page.
All this plus the fact that there was a major cliffhanger at the end which wasn't mentioned in the description (I am a romance reader! You can't just spring a lack of HEA on me without warning!) made me subtract two stars.

Growing up in the shadow of Ray and her rich kid friends, Marlon only ever wanted to escape his circumstances and make something of himself. Until Ray derailed that for him, too. Four years later, Ray isn't the popular kid anymore, and her money isn't going to get her special treatment at Summer Heat, Camp to the Stars... especially if Marlon has anything to say about it...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Summer Heat was the intriguing introduction to the three part Cruel Summer series. Marlon and Ray were once nemeses, by position and then by behavior. And now that they are older and wiser, they have left their pasts behind them... or have they?

Ray is a rich girl who never wants for anything in life... except for a real friendship or parents who actually cared for her. I really liked Ray's deeply wounded soul and I hope for great things for her character development throughout this series.

Marlo grew up as the kid of the "help" to Ray's family. Making ends meet by mowing lawns and working hard, his life couldn't have been any more opposite than the girl he loved to loathe. Marlo seems like a good guy who has moved on with his life and is working hard to create success for himself. But when Ray shows up at camp, all of his dedication may be threatened by the long held grudge that he holds against her.

I enjoyed this story, although it took quite a long time to get to the "good stuff," there was a steamy scene at the end and also a fantastic cliffhanger! I liked Marlo and Ray's dynamic and I would love to see where this story will go with the next two installments, Summer Seduction and then Summer Nights.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest and unbiased review.

This was one hot summer read.
I couldn't put it down until I finished it. The characters and plot was so well written. Highly recommend.

Easy summer reading !
If you're looking for easy breezy, it's too hot for deep storylines, super hot plots then this is the book for you.
Short and sweet, the chemistry between these characters is great !
Thanks to netgalley for the ARC #netgalley #summerhea

Very good romance about the unrequited love and the stupidity of young people

I liked this book a lot. Though there was a lot of angst and both the H and the h were full of the angst. It seems they had feelings for each other ever since they were young when Marlon was the foster kid of her maid and the skinny kid who mowed the lawn. While Ray was the popular rich girl with the good looking boyfriend who was a jerk and treated Marlon like crap. Ray would stare out her window at him while he mowed the lawn and he would refer to her as “Spoiled Princess”.

Though there was that one night when they both had too much to drink and spent the night in her room. But the next day she was back to acting like she didn’t know him. She got the Drama scholarship he wanted and he had to work to get to college.

Fast forward 4 years and Marlon is the director of the hottest summer Drama camp in the country and Ray is working there as well. He is determined to get revenge and make her life miserable. But he starts to see that things may not be exactly as he had always thought. Ray, on the other hand, doesn’t even recognize Marlo at first. He is no longer the lanky kid she remembers but a hot gorgeous guy with killer abs and he can sometimes even be nice when he tries.

Though just when things get really good and you start to wonder what really happened back when they were kids and what will happen next? There is a huge cliffhanger. The next books are only available on iBooks right now, but I gotta find out.

Holy moly this is sooo good!!!! Ray a rich girl with the perfect life. So it seems. Marlo the boy his own parents didn’t want but was adopted by a loving family!!! Marlo and Ray started out as friends but when high school reputations and wanting to have friends no matter what kind you got they grew apart. But both wanting each other but hating each other all the same. Then having one drunken night in the mix. So when they are in college and Marlo is director and the camp Ray is working at can they get over the hate? Or will revenge win? Book given to me by author on netgalley.

I really liked this one. I was disappointed in it having a cliffhanger and now I have to buy the next book. I still would though because its a really interesting book. I loved it.

So, this is kind of a hard thing for me to do. I don't really like Apple as a company and this book has been published for their iBooks section first. Exclusively. Meaning, us die-hard fans couldn't get our hands on Summer Heat or the others books in the Cruel Summer series. I remember how upset I was over that. It's either Google or Apple these days. Talk about communism. Anyway... That's not the topic here. I'm glad that these days, all Rachel van Dyken books are available on all platforms. So when Summer Heat was up for grabs on NetGalley I one-clicked without giving it a second thought.

And now the second hard part: Since this was originally a story publishes for Apple, I couldn't get the same vibe I usually do when reading Rachel van Dyken's books. And that's not fair to her nor her story, I know that. But I think some of her readers can relate. At first, this didn't feel like her writing at all, then I wondered if the idea for the story had been developed by her only or was a meeting with Apple involved? I was going paranoid, seriously. And then I decided to turn my brain off and just enjoy the story. Because even though I struggled with the first chapter - I had to get into the story first - I loved the idea and how it's a camp story, but not a young adult camp story, but new adult. And there's so much heat and sexyness involved. And second chances, which I usually hate, but of course it's Rachel van Dyken's talent that makes me change my mind about that. Gosh, I love that woman so much.

There's also some Hollywood glitter involved here, talking about dancing and acting and achieving dreams. I liked that very much, to see that characters actually have to work hard in order to get something, making the reader believe in themselves, too. Good job on that!

Back to my fear about working with Apple - you know, the moment I realised this was a typical Rachel book was when there was her humor written on the pages. It's quite unique and something every of her readers is looking forward to when starting a book by her. She's just so funny and I often wonder if these scenes just pop into her head or if she has to plot it out. It's a talent, really. I think that's when my doubts finally started disappearing fully - when I recognized her writing, her sense of humor, just her in every one of the pages of the story, her special mark.

I'm not even talking about the story, I realise. Well, I'm sorry. I think the blurb gives everything away and all I can say is you better read this book! Especially if you're looking for a quick summer read and might be interested in reading a series. I can't wait to devour book two and three, also if it will probably take me some time to finally get them off my to-be-read pile. There's definitely more tears than usual, but I believed Ray for her crying and I believed Marlon to be the perfect guy, as Rachel van Dyken creates them every single day.