The opening scene of this story guaranteed that I was invested in knowing what was going to happen next. The story didn't disappoint. I really enjoyed the journey that Sam took over the summer. Her thought process was interesting and I liked seeing how she accepted her truths. I found her to be a strong character without being abrasive like some strong women are portrayed. It felt a bit like a coming of age story even though she is 40. I truly was surprised at the paths the story went but I love every minute. The dynamic with Logan was intriguing. I liked how their conversations helped Sam see everything from a different perspective. The book had some definite laugh out loud moments mixed in between some pretty deep thoughts. I liked it all. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I went into Cruel Summer expecting a slow burn summer read — what I didn’t anticipate was how sharp and captivating Maisey Yates’ storytelling would be, even when it felt like trying to drink from a firehose in the opening chapters. At first, the pacing felt overwhelming, sentences packed with information and emotion, but then I realized it was a reflection of the heroine’s reality — drowning in the shock of a suddenly imploded marriage. The style mirrors the state of mind, and that choice ends up working beautifully.

This is a book about rediscovering yourself when life takes an unexpected left turn. It shines when exploring the tensions between who you are, who you’ve been, and who you deserve to be. The characters aren’t fresh out of college or fumbling through early adulthood — and that felt like a gift. These are people in their forties grappling with questions about belonging, desire, and belonging to themselves first.

I loved how openly the story explores the weight of expectations — from society, from spouses, and from ourselves — and how liberating it can be to shed them. The scene where Samantha is in a dressing room choosing an outfit for herself, making a decision rooted in her own opinion, felt like a quiet revolution. The banter and sparks between her and Logan — from arguing over music to trading stories on long drives — captured that magical “you feel like summer” energy that’s hard to forget.

The second-chance romance here is layered and messy in a very adult, very real way. It doesn’t shy away from the blurred lines between loyalty and betrayal, or the fact that life doesn’t fit into neat binaries. And while some moments felt like they could have been tightened — instances where I found myself thinking, “I get it, can we move on?” — the depth of the inner monologues ultimately paid off. I came away knowing these characters like friends.

Logan is an absolute scene-stealer. The dynamic between him and Samantha felt reminiscent of some of my favorite book boyfriends — broody but nurturing, gruff but kind. The intimacy here crackles (and whew, the spice delivers), but it’s also grounded in trust and vulnerability, making those moments feel earned.

If I had a qualm, it’s that the ending felt a bit ambiguous, leaving questions about where these characters landed long term. But in a way, that suits the nature of this book — a story about finding belonging and beauty in the undefined spaces, about making peace with life being a work in progress.

In the end, Cruel Summer is a compelling, poignant exploration of second acts and second chances. Maisey Yates delivers a memorable summer read that celebrates resilience, reinvention, and rediscovering joy when the roadmap you’ve been following goes up in flames.
Thank you NetGalley for this arc, the opinions shared are honest!

Cruel Summer tore my heart out, and eventually healed it back even better than before. Samantha’s (Sam) and Logan’s journey to finally finding their heart’s desire is at times raw and painful, full of emotions, intense, and heartwarming as the characters have their known lives torn apart and slowly, carefully knitted together again. Perhaps differently than they would have expected, but richer, more real in the end.

One sentence changed Sam’s life forever. When the man she’d been with for more than two decades, had children with, had life experiences with, decides that their marriage isn’t enough for him… but he also isn’t ready to fully let her go. An open marriage. Cruel is the vital word for how Sam felt about Will’s decision for their partnership. Sam will embark on a summer journey of road trips and raw self-evaluations with Logan, mainly Will’s friend, but someone who has always been there in her life. Watching Logan bring out reality in Sam’s situation, his questions, his challenges as to what was really happening in her life, and between them was heartbreaking yet healing.

Self-discovery, healing, and loving yourself for yourself because you are “enough” just as you are, drives this story. There were moments when I cheered Sam on, and others where I cried ugly tears as the parallels between her life and mine came too close for comfort. This is a story that will make you feel, and perhaps question your own decisions. I loved every moment in this world, painful as some were. To see this couple get their happy ending after so much heartache was extremely satisfying. I’ll be reading this one again. If you love a well-written, emotional, realistic romance that will make you think and feel, then Cruel Summer by Maisey Yates is a perfect fit for you. If I could, 10 stars.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley, and I sincerely thank the author or publishing house for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

For the complexity of being a woman and how everyone expects you to be a certain way, I really applaud this book. Especially throwing in religion and how it shapes your life because it tells you something is wrong if you don’t get married, it intrigued me.

However, the writing left a lot to be desired. Sam is a very complex character and I didn’t find her inner thoughts interesting enough to care. However, I did find relatable the moments when she started questioning everything she had done and finding out she wasn’t doing it for herself but because she had been told that’s the way she was supposed to be. Plus how she went through the grief of losing her mom made me sad for her.

Another part that weirded me out a bit was her having attraction to Logan for a while before Will asked for an open marriage. The entire situation felt a bit messy but that’s okay. Sam and Logan were good for each other. I loved seeing them come together to what they ended up being. Just wish there was more of a depth to them. Things did get a bit spicy so I give it a 2 🌶️ out of 5.

Thank you NetGalley, Canary Street Press and Maisey Yates for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publication and Mauser Yates for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was ok for me. The storyline was interesting but also unappealing. A marriage in crisis is a hard sell for me but I was intrigued enough to read it.

The writing was fine but then felt like it was trying too hard in parts. So much of their conversations felt like regurgitated therapy that it didn’t feel realistic.

There were times I was cheering for Samantha and times I wanted to tell her to go home, be quiet for a minute and enjoy time by herself. There were times I was swooning over Logan and times he really was doing too much.

The religious shame and guilt was frustrating but I tried to remember it was the characters perspective, not the authors opinion but it felt repetitive.

I know this was an ARC, but I was surprised at the number of incorrect words, names, etc. Those issues are not impacting my rating but thought it should be mentioned.

This was such an interesting story. When I first read the description, I did not think it would be as reflective and profound as it was. I was expecting the typical romance story with some heartfelt moments and a good plot. I got more than I could have ever thought! To be frank, I did struggle to engage with the story, as it felt quite narrative at times. But overall, the writing style and story arc were good and made me feel a lot of feelings :( I was rooting for Sam the whole time, and could really see and feel her pain about her marriage. It made me think about a lot of patterns in my own life and how I could change my thinking to be more reflective and communicative. I definitely recommend this, but I think you need to be in a certain headspace to appreciate everything this book brings to the table.

Cruel Summer, by Maisey Yates, is a wonderful, beautiful, heartwarming, forced proximity, opposites attracts, during this life changing road trip romance. It’s about finding yourself after discovering that you allowed yourself to be what everyone less expected. It’s about falling in love with yourself and choosing yourself and your happiness because you do matter. It’s about how you can develop into the best version of yourself when you’re loved completely, as you are, and as you develop into the person you have always meant to be.

Sam’s comfortable life was turned upside down by one sentence from her husband of 22 years; he wanted them to have an open marriage. This led Samantha to ask that they separate for the summer. That allowed her to be on a journey of self-reflection, self-discovery and growth, as she worked through what she viewed what she wanted. Helping Logan, a friend, deliver classic cars around the country, Sam is challenged by what he called her status quo; changing the narrative to becoming an introspection of who they each truly are. Logan also discovers much about himself during their shared journeys. Not all is what it seems.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
#HarlequinTrade #NetGalley #CruelSummer

Thank you to NetGalley and Canary Street Press for providing the ARC.

Wow, this book is messy, and I don't just mean the weird love triangle occurring on page.

The author seemed kind of all over the place with the story beats here, and there were places where there was just too much information on the page and the story dragged, and others where it seemed that the plot would be developing in a certain way and it would go in a completely different way. It never felt like it settled into the right rhythm for the story that the author was trying to tell.

The story itself was also a little messy. A trial separation between a man who wants to open his relationship with his wife because he felt like he missed out on things due to getting married and having kids so young. Sam, the protagonist, although blindsided by this, goes along with it and spends the summer finding herself, in the arms of their family friend. While I don't necessarily hate this particular plot, it didn't feel as seamless as it could have been with the right execution.

Not the book for me, unfortunately.

This book had a really interesting premise which is what got me interested in reading it!

With that said, I think the audience for this book is incredibly niche - we have Sam who is in her early 40's - had children incredibly young and now her youngest has left for college and her and her husband are now empty nesters. However, her husband realizes he's not sure if this life they have is all he wants since they were married before they graduated high school and had children right away. He wants an open marriage for the summer and Sam is crushed.

Enter Logan, their long time friend, who they have been raising their kids with, has been a widow for over a decade, and extremely good looking. He wasn't happy to hear that Will, Sam's husband, wanted to open their marriage. He considers Sam more of a friend to him so they spend time together over the summer so Sam can write and clear her head.

I won't say much more but it gets...messy. I'm not a big fan of the married friends turned lovers trope come to find out after I read this. I still liked the characters and I liked Sam's journey to finding herself because she was very much a people pleaser.

Thanks NetGalley for the advance copy so I could read and review it!

Couldn't put this one down...maybe it's because I'm the same age as this mama and I'm also married and the what-ifs...but I simply devoured this one.

After 22 years of marriage, Will tells Samantha that he thinks they "should see other people" - Samantha feels blindsides but not knowing what else to do, suggests they separate just for the summer with zero contact. She finds herself on a self-discovery journey with a longtime friend of the family and she has to decide what her future holds!

Immediately, I had to know what she decides so the pages kept turning! There's some real growth and internal review that happens along the way and it felt like this could be a real story/journey. There is tension and emotion, it is flawed and human, and I ate it up.

4.5⭐

When I first started this book, I was really pulled in, the setup was interesting and felt like it was going to be something unique. The setting and summer vibes were great, and I thought Samantha had a lot of potential as a character. But as the story went on, I started to lose interest. The plot got a bit repetitive, and I had a hard time connecting with the characters, especially the main one. I’m sure some readers will really enjoy this, but it just wasn’t for me. Thanks for the early read!

I skimmed the book and it was okay but I wouldn’t say I necessarily read it.it just wasn’t the book for me and not relatable for me in my season in life. A bit disappointed because I thought it was going to be a cute summer romance but it was also very heavy

1⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advanced copy of Cruel Summer.

Sam has a great life with her husband and there three kids. Then her husband tells her that they should try having an open marriage. She thinks this has to be a phase so she decides to try a summer long separation with no contact. She needs to find herself again and she is sure her husband will come to his senses.

The plot was not my favorite and I felt like it really drug on. I also wish the characters would have done the experiences instead of just talking about it. This one was not for me.

My fault this is not my favorite tropes at all. I really should have researched this book more but the cover is what sold this book. I'm not a fan of cheating even if it is consensual.

This is not the book that you go blind for. You have to have the idea of the story and read the blurb. I went blind for this and at first, I did not like where it was going. The concept of open marriage was off-putting for me, however, the story was enticing. I continue to read it, as well as the blurb so I know what to expect.

The beginning was definitely overly descriptive that it took too long to get to its main point of the story. It was a bit of a drag because it was word-vomit. I also tried to be understanding to both characters, be as open-minded as I can be. Fortunately, Logans character was such an eye-opener to the relationship dynamics of Sam and Will.

Sam’s character was difficult to connect with, it was a different energy from what I usally go for. However, there is something with these characters that is quite enticing. They do not come off as annoying, or frustrating. They have this kind of appeal to readers that makes you want to get to know more and continue to read the story.

The tandem of Sam and Logan, I don’t get the gist of why Sam continues to be distant with Logan. She always refers to him as a friend of Will and never considered one of her friends. This is where I felt bad to Logan because he considered Sam as a friend. There was something off with their connection. However, Logan’s character sprinkled something to uplift everything in the book.

Overall, the book was giving an Abby Jimenez and soul-searching vibes. However, it is not for everybody as the dynamics of the characters are not everybody’s cup of tea. It can be a dealbreaker to readers. It was somewhat a slow-burn, so patience is a must for this book. It got better towards the end. If you’re feeling adventurous just like Sam and Logan, you can definitely try to read this book.

I didn't expect to like this one as much as I did, although there were parts I had issues with. It was contradictory in places, it seemed like in parts it was kind of preachy Christian fiction and then the f bomb gets dropped a couple times. The book started out one way and my heart broke for Sam. And yet both she and Logan grew as people, I felt. Her husband did not.

It was a great story of self-discovery and growth. I was very happy with the ending. I had kind of guessed part of the plot early on but it didn't come across as the same old tired trope. It was a pleasant read, a perfect beach read.

3.5 stars for me.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions expressed are mine and freely given.

The premise for this story had me very intrigued. It had elements of that forced proximity and friends to lovers that I enjoy, while also dealing with more adult (mid-life) themes such as marriage in crisis and major life changes. The first chapter or 2 kept me engaged and wondering how everything would pan out, but I found the writing style difficult to follow. The story is told in third person, which made it feel somewhat muddled and even rambling at times. I found it difficult to connect or enjoy any of the main characters. There were a few times before 40% of the book I actually considered DNF'ing, however I'll admit I was curious enough with the outcome to continue to find out what would eventually happen, so I finished it. I would say this book has an audience, but it feels like it would be a pretty niche group that would connect the best with the story. For your information: there are a few open-door intimacy scenes included in this book, the first feels beneficial to the development of the story and characters, and the remaining scenes have fewer explicit details. I'm glad I stuck it out and finished the story, but unfortunately it isn't one I would readily recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this e-book before release and to share my honest opinion.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️

So, I’m going to start off with saying that I loved the premise of this book. The idea of the couple being married for 22 years and their kids are grown and out of the house and now the husband wants an open marriage. I think the idea had real potential. The follow through and writing could’ve been so much better.

Normally, I love Maisey Yates books. This one was a near miss for me. I am not a fan of the insta-love trope and that is exactly what this was. It is termed a forced proximity and yes that is technically what it was. However, it was of her own choosing. She choose to go on the road trips with her husbands best friend because she had nothing else to do while her husband went and sowed his wild oats in Hawaii.

The whole following the church and her upbringing was a negative for me also. I feel like we were being force fed her beliefs and upbringing. If they were discussed as a flashback, that would be one thing. But it continued to come up over and over again even though she is no longer a minor; she is a 40 year old woman. Also, at one point the MMC told her that he wouldn’t have sex with her until she was sure that she wasn’t going to go back to her husband and then 5 pagesish later he was taking her to bed. Have him stick to his guns and hit us with the slow burn that comes in at the end. Finally, I felt like a lot of the FMC’s inner dialogue was very repetitive. She kept telling herself the same things over and over. This book could’ve been 100 pages less if some editing had taken place.

I did like the fact that the FMC developed and grew throughout the course of the book. It was nice to see that growth and it was nice to see the best friend support her and help her develop. I also enjoyed how the book started out. Like I said at the beginning, the premise of the book was a great idea. I was drawn in when the FMC’s husband sat her down and told her he wanted an open marriage. I was like, “Oh shit!” However, from that point on, it kinda died for me.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to ARC read this book in return for an honest review.

Review posted to GoodReads on 6/19/25
Review will posted to Amazon on 6/24/25
Review will not be posted to IG due to low star rating

*read this via ARC from NetGalley*

This story starts off with a heartbreaking line of “I think we should see other people…” from Will. Sam feels absolutely blindsided and doesn’t understand how after 22 years of marriage and 3 kids they can just explore other options. They decide to take the summer off of their marriage and the rest of the book is really about self discovery and second chances.

I think that someone could absolutely love and devour this book, just felt a little too slow in my opinion. But the story was still beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. If you love a good emotional love story that’s not a romcom, I recommend giving this one a try!

Thank you so much for allowing me to read this one early, can't wait to check out her other books!

🤍 Book Review – Cruel Summer by Maisey Yates 🤍

Cruel Summer is an emotional, heartfelt story about rediscovery, healing, and unexpected love. I really enjoyed reading about Samantha, a woman in her forties who is suddenly faced with the shock of her husband asking for an open marriage. Instead of falling apart, Sam takes a road trip with Logan, her husband’s best friend, and begins a journey of self discovery.
I loved that this wasn’t just a romance, but also a powerful story about finding your voice and choosing happiness. Sam’s emotional growth felt real, and the connection between her and Logan slowly builds in a believable way. Their chemistry wasn’t instant fireworks, but it grew with time and shared experiences.
The ending felt satisfying and empowering. Sam finally puts herself first, and it was refreshing to see a character embrace a new chapter with courage and clarity. A lovely, emotional read about second chances and true love.
Very grateful to the publisher for my copy through NetGalley, opinions are my own