This story follows Ray and Marlo who have an intense love hate relationship that has grown and developed since they were kids and I have to say, Summer Heat really lived up to its name. The sexual chemistry between these two is incredible and you can really feel it.

Summer Heat was a fast paced, engulfing read. It's packed full of angst, drama and sexual tension. There is great supporting cast that brings in the light humor to cut through the angst. This was quite a quick read and is just the first installment of a three part series for this couple and I have to say, the way things ended in this book, holy moly, bring on book 2.

A great read that I would happily recommend

I would rate this closer to 3.5. I though it was a cute read, but it will not go down as my favorite from this author.

I have been reading so many romances but struggled with this one. I didn't really connect to the characters and I really did hate how it left off on a total cliff-hanger. I typically enjoy books that end HEA or HFN so I struggled with this and therefore won't be reviewing it on the rest of my social media accounts. Was hoping to love this one but it was just okay for me. I definitely want to read more from Rachel Van Dyken though and can't wait to see what she writes next!

Can we have the next book? ...Like now.. Please?

This fast paced romance is so refreshing! The guy isn't some alpha. it was really nice to read a book where the main characters are genuinely nice but pent up in their last issues. They have made their mistakes which makes their relationship much more complicated than just banging their heads together. I was really caught up in this emotionally charged rollercoaster which Rachel Van Dyken wrote excellently. I really can't wait to read the next book of the cruel summer series. I

Thank you so much for allowing me to review this arc. If you haven't read it or thinking of reading it, pick it up!!!

Really disappointed with the cliffhanger of this book. I felt like it cut off midsentence. I loved where the story was going and the build up of the characters but I did not realize that it would be such an abrupt ending. I would only recommend to once the second book was out so people could have the satisfaction of continuing the story. I look forward to the second one. I felt like this was super short and could have been expanded on in a variety of ways. Hoping book two gives me the answers I'm hoping for.

Ray and Marlon will pull you in all directions. I feel this is RVD's best work to date.

So what happens when the one person from your past, you really wanted to forget about - all of a sudden shows up at the Summer camp you are the director at? Well for Marlon - it brings up a lot of anger and maybe some revenge.

Ray and Marlon had been friends since they were little kids. With his foster mom working for Ray's family, she was always a part of his life. Until High School, things changed. Ray was a popular girl. Dating the captain of the football team. The IT girl. While Marlon was the skinny nerdy kid who had a major crush on Ray. One night. He thought everything changed, until the next day... it seemed everything was back the way it was before.

So when Ray shows up as a camp counselor at the theater camp he's the director of years later. All he sees is red. And maybe making her life miserable.

I can't give too much away but know that this book is full of sexual tension and all kinds of yummy angst. Seriously I could not put the book down! It does end on a cliffhanger, so be aware. But luckily for us, we will get the next book fairly quick! Pick up this series! It's a MUST.

Ray and Marlo meet again in summer camp. They did not part on good term and they start on rocky ground. But the chemistry between them is explosive; they are both changed, more mature. The attraction slow escalates toward the end, explodes, and leaves with one big fat cliffhanger.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for Netgelly

Loved it! The push and pull between Ray and Marlo is sizzling. Crossed signals, fear, immaturity, unrequited love and unacknowledged chemistry...what a delicious combination! This first installment of the Cruel Summer series left me wanting more. I'm just glad that I can get the following 2 books and I don't have to wait for a conclusion.

Marlon is the boy who mows the lawn in Ray's house. Her 22 bedroom house.
Apparently, they hate each other, Even if they felt an attraction in high school, their different social status didn't let them be together more than a night. A night neither of them can forget about.
When Ray starts to work in Summer Heat Camp, she is quite surprised by the fact he is there, too. Actually, he is the director.
And he is decided to make her pay!
Short to read. But it ends in a cliffhanger. I like it. And, honestly, I am really curious about what will happen.

4.5 stars

Gah!! Holy cliffhanger!

Marlon and Ray grew up together... sorta. She lived in a huge house and came from money, while he was the one who mowed their lawns. High school can be a cruel place, especially when you come from the "wrong side of the tracks". And Marlon has held on to this hate for a very long time.

So imagine his surprise when Ray shows up to work at the summer camp he is leading. He is determined to see her fail, but there are undercurrents of attraction. And Marlo is starting to understand that maybe everything he saw wasn't the actual truth growing up.

Every time these two take a step closer to each other, they take a few steps back.

Buckle up as you navigate through summer camp, old grudges and old attraction.

Can't wait to see what comes next!

4 <b> One Summer at Drama Camp…. </b> Stars
You ever read a book and say why would I even read this? Because I can tell you I have never once read a summer romance at camp story but that’s not all this book is. This book is about struggle, overcoming insecurities, hatred, desire, sexual tension, comedy and an overall good and very quick read. The book is also pretty steamy and you really do root for Marlon and Ray. I think this is a really good rendition of a enemies to lovers. It ends with a cliff hanger that makes your blood boil and really want to punch Marlon in the whole face.

I really enjoyed NA read. Childhood friends, teenage enemies, misunderstandings, mistakes and reconnection. You get a bit of everything in this one. I am definitely intrigued & with that cliffhanger will be grabbing book 2 ASAP.

I thought this book was great! I'm a long time fan of Rachel's writing, and this sucked me in time and time again. I would definitely recommend this one to others!

I'm a fan of this authors work. Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes.
Can't wait for more in this series.

I love this authors work. Have for a while now. This book stood out though. It deals with more time that the characters have had interactions and I love the prebuilt history they share. Very good book.

This is the first book in the Cruel Summer series. It’s a super quick easy read, with an enemies to lovers trope set in the summer camp world. I haven’t read a book set in a summer camp, let alone one that based solely on drama and theatre. There is a cliffhanger, so be prepared.

Marlon and Ray have known each other for a few years. Marlon used to mow Ray’s parent’s lawn. She was always the spoiled princess in his eyes, and he was always the nerd in her eyes. They reunite 4 years later at a summer camp and sparks were flying! He really HATES her for some stuff in the past and now he’s the boss. Marlon is pretty set on revenge. She kind of gives it back to him, mainly to prove herself. They had sexual tension you could cut with a knife. It’s mostly told in the summer camp world, but does give some flashbacks to their past throughout the book. The side characters were all interesting and provided a lot of comic relief to their scenes.

I enjoyed Summer Heat, and look forward to the next books in the series.

* ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I cannot believe it took me this long to read this book.
Absolutely loved Summer Heat.

Loved the flow of the book. I loved how easy and quick this book was to read. Granted it did end on a rather abrupt cliffhanger which, by the way, I need the second book stat!

I enjoy Rachel’s books, however for some reason I could not get into this one as easily as the others. I think it had more to do with the storyline than the depth of the characters and chemistry between them though.

Ray and Marlon were pretty much mortal enemies in the beginning. Her social status and his lack thereof was just one thing that separated them growing up. Marlon lived in a guest house at Ray's family's home and was their maid, so he also had to work on the grounds. Marlon always thought that Ray was a stuck up bitch and Ray always disliked Ray and made fun of him. Ray after getting drunk on night in high school and her parents leaving her home alone again snuck into Marlons room and they had sex. She was mean to him afterwards and he had been using that pint up anger to get in shape.Fast forward 5 years after high school and Ray gets a last minute opportunity to teach at a prestigious camp for the arts. Marlons stepmother gave Ray a bag to deliver to him, she was shocked to learn he would be there, little did she know Marlon was going to be her boss at the camp. She was caught off guard by how much he had changed. He had vowed to make her time there hell, but there is something about her that makes him want her like he had always wanted her. He ends up making a pack to try and screw her over the way she did him all those years ago...I dont know if this book wasn't a full book but I feel like there should have been more to the story. It was a great read, but I dont like how it ended without any further explanation or details.

Ray and Marlo have known each other since they were children. He was the maid’s foster son, and she was the spoiled daughter of very rich people. They used to be friends until Ray decided that she could not be associated with Marlo anymore. From there everything changed until one drunken night altered their feelings for each other but once they sobered up and went back to reality they went back to square one only with a lot more hatred for each other. Now they are adults, and they meet once again, only to realize that they still want each other, no matter how much they also hate each other.

Despite the length of this book, it was really well-structured, I never felt that the story lacked complexity because of its length, it also wasn’t too fast paced nor it was an instant-love kind of book. Since it ends on a cliffhanger, a fantastic one might I add, we didn’t get to see the resolution, which is why the author was able to structure a good book, but still, keeping it short.

This story hooked me from the first few chapters, the plot, the characters, and the dialogue were really well written and I couldn’t stop reading. Both Marlo and Ray are such interesting characters. Marlo is a nerd with the body of a jock, though he doesn’t brag about it, he is sensitive but masculine, and he isn’t afraid to show his emotions through his art. Ray grew up in a very wealthy household but throughout the book we see that her live wasn’t great either, which really gives depth to her character. The fact that not once in the book does she act entitled made me really like her a lot. Also, she is the perfect balance of feisty and shy. Even though her being rude and bratty with Marlo is the main reason they now hate each other the narrative explains the character growth that Ray has during college, which saves the reader a lot of frustration. The side characters and the dialogue were just perfect. The side characters were hilarious and the dialogue was witty and funny. Where the book takes place was also great, I’ve never read a book that takes place in an acting camp, and it is really fun to read about.

My only complaints would be that the e-arc had some grammar mistakes, though not a lot of them, and they didn’t hinder my reading experience and that I would’ve wished that it was a full-length novel rather than three small ones. Besides that, I really enjoyed this book.

Overall it was a really enjoyable read that I would totally recommend!