This was a very interesting and fresh story that I truly enjoyed. The dialogue between the main characters is especially a strength of the book that stands out.

I enjoyed reading Cruel Summer. It was a poignant story of a woman dealing with an unusual situation with her husband but ended up finding a better life for herself.

This review contains some spoilers!

The first things that intrigued me about the book were the cover and the title (love me a good TSwift reference!). Overall I thought the book was well done and an enjoyable read. I did feel it was a bit redundant at times (Sam reminding herself that Logan had slept with other women multiple times, how Logan was Will’s friend and not hers - baby girl you went on vacation with this man and his daughter how many times over the last several years?). Sam’s development throughout the course of the book felt authentic in the sense that she felt trapped in her timeline of settling and marking all her milestones at such a young age which then made her second guess some of her thoughts and feelings as a now forty year old woman. I liked how the book evolved as a journey not only of physical road trips but adventures of self discovery as well. I was eating up the cliche “but I’ve been here all this time” trope. The spicy scenes were spiced enough for me and yes I too would love to stare into Logan’s beautiful blue eyes. Some grammatical errors here and there (I live in Chicago and we do not have Lake Erie anywhere nearby unless there’s something I don’t know about?) that I am sure will get fixed in post and prior to publication. I would recommend!

When I started reading I remember gasping when Wil asked Samantha for an open marriage! The audacity . Ended up loving how her and Logan travelled the country and falling in love. Self discovery is a tricky business but this was written really well! I could see this being a motion picture!

Sam’s husband Will asks for an open marriage after 20 years. Sam is upset about this, but agrees to keep her husband happy. They decide to spend the summer apart, with Sam hoping that after this time apart things will be fixed and back to normal. During this time Sam goes on a road trip with Logan, Will’s best friend. She starts to feel a connection with him and starts questioning everything she knows.

Sam has a lot of self growth throughout the book. She discovers who she is outside of motherhood and her marriage. I really loved watching her become her own person and figure out what she wants. I also loved the romance in this book. Their chemistry was insane. I highly recommend this book!

I read over 150 books a year, so honestly many of them don't stay with me long. This book will be an exception, it was hard to put it down at night! I related to the main character so much, and her story - while maybe not entirely - will be relatable to most women of middle age. The writing style was good, and characters were engaging.

Cruel Summer was a beautiful journey. The thing I love most about reading is when you find a book that transports you to new places, that teaches you things you’d have never thought about beforehand, and the stories that bring you to tears and heal you all the same. This book had all of that. Samantha’s struggles with grief, adulthood, shame, and complacency are extremely relatable and heartfelt. Maisey took her own experiences and created a new life from them. While I loved the romance in this story, I loved Samantha more. 5 stars all around.

Sure, the ending might have been predictable, but the journey to the happily ever after (HEA) was anything but simple. Our characters truly had to earn it, which is something I always appreciate in my romance reads.

We’re all deeply flawed at our core, and this story beautifully highlighted how some people can bring out the best in us, while others might not. The character development was top-notch, showing growth and resilience in the face of challenges.

This book told a compelling story, weaving together personal struggles and triumphs. It's a reminder that a predictable ending doesn't lessen the impact of the journey that gets us there.

Unfortunately I did not finish this book. I’m not sure why but I couldn’t get as into it as I thought I could. I’m sure I will try to pick it up again at some point but something about Samantha, Will and Logan irked me. Thank you, NetGalley for this opportunity. All opinions are my own.

Thank you for the ARC for this wonderful book! I really enjoyed the journey that the main character went on to find herself in the midst of her husband asking for an open marriage. Her self growth throughout the book was so fun to watch. I love that at the end she did realize she could choose herself but also choose having love at the same time.

Diving into a Maisey Yates book is like putting on your favorite cashmere sweater when you’re cold, it’s just so comforting and makes you feel good. This book is like her others in that you know you’ll get your HEA but not without heartache and growth. I loved Sam and Logan, they had crazy chemistry but also a friendship that was so sweet to watch happen.
Solid 4 star read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the opportunity to read this eARC!

Sam's husband of 20+ years shocks her when he asks for an open marriage. Knowing she can't comfortably share space with him while he's seeing other women, they settle on a summer break, promising to reunite in the fall.

Sam initially believes he will get his desire for other women out of his system and she'll spend the summer ignoring it, so they can move forward together. Instead, his best friend Logan asks her to embark on a series of road trips where she wrestles with self discovery and her feelings about her husband and about Logan.

While this is not typically the kind of story I read, I definitely enjoyed it. Yates did a great job of weaving a more complicated relationship dynamic than I've read in most romance novels. This book is certainly not for everyone, specifically those who are uncomfortable with open relationships.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for Cruel Summer. I enjoyed the transformation Sam has throughout the story. While the men in the story are central characters, this story is more of an exploration of her own growth and discovering who she is outside of motherhood. While this story is a small jump outside of my own personal reading preferences, I was drawn in regardless. Also, can we talk about that playlist at the end?!? Golden. Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC! Add this as a must read for 2025!

I was thrilled when I recieved this book as a ARC from the publisher. The storyline of a woman who has been a Mother and a wife since she was 18 and is now 40 and spends the summer to find herself adter her husband drops a bombshell on her seemed right up my alley.

I was not disappointed at all when I read the book and stick by my 5 star rating. The dialogue aline is thought provoking and memorable. The friends to lovers plot was done magnificently. Perfect blend of romance and chick-lit.

This book has some of my favorite tropes
❤️ Forced Proximity
❤️ Friends to Lovers
❤️ Vacation Romance
❤️ Second Chance Romance (kind of)

Samantha is 40, married with 3 children and her youngest has just left making them empty testers. Imstead of planning their future travels, her husband asks for an open marriage. He says he wants to have freedom to see other people. Samantha is devastated. She doesnt want to to lose her marriage so agrees to spend the summer separated and not in communication so her husband can have his exploits without her being exposed to further heartache.

Just when all hope seems lost her husbands best friend , Logan , a widower of 10 years asks her to be his travel companion on a summer long adventure driving across country to deliver vintage cars he restores. She has gotten a weird vibe off of Logan for the last few years they went of family vacation together but she agrees to go.

Logan has lived the life that Samantha's husband envied and wanted to obtain.

Will Samantha figure out her next steps with her marriage? Well she finds New ❤️ love? I highly recommend reading 📚 to find out!

When I first started this book, I was pulled into the plot as it was set up to be really interesting and unique. However, the main character didn't interest me and I started to loose interest at the book went on. I'm sure some people will love this book, but it just wasn't for me

This book was EVERYTHING!!! Saying I LOVED it, does not even do it justice! I don't even know where to begin. This book is 5 stars, without a doubt! I cried through at least the first 6% of this book, and then many more times throughout...this may sound like a bad thing, but it's NOT! This book spoke to me on SO MANY levels! It might have something to do with the fact that she is around the same age as me and is also a people pleaser to her own detriment but ya know! Someone in another review had mentioned that this was not your typical rom-com, which I agree it was not at all, it was such a nice change of pace! But that it was also very thought-provoking, which I couldn't think of a better way to describe it. Seeing the FMC Samantha have her own self-actualization made such a huge impact on me. Talking about this made me think of the hierarchy of needs, starting with our basic needs of food, water, shelter, safety, then moving up to our psychological needs like intimate relationships, self esteem and a sense of accomplishment, and finally to self actualization where you achieve your full potential. I mention this because Sam (and me) spent so much of her adult life focusing on everyone else's basic needs while also providing an environment for them to thrive in the higher needs. The only thing is that she forgot about herself. But this Cruel Summer could change everything for her!
When Sam's husband Will asked her for an open marriage, I wanted to punch him in the face! Instead of working through their problems, his first reaction is to have an open marriage, I mean screw you buddy!
And last but certainly not least, the spice in this book was so sweet and perfect!
Moral of the story is READ THIS BOOK...YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT! Be prepared with your tissues but don't worry, it will be WORTH IT! This was my first Maisey Yates book, but it will not be my last! Bravo Maisey!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!*

Will, Samantha’s husband of 22 years, announced he thought they should have an open marriage. Will was the only boy she ever kissed or dated, and she was pregnant then married at 18. She was devastated, but when he said he was not happy she agreed to live apart for the summer. Logan was Will’s best friend. He restored cars then delivered them to the owners. He asked Samantha to be his relief driver. Samantha had not traveled much and the thought of seeing the countryside was intriguing. Logan and his daughter, Chloe, had taken several trips with Samantha’s family and it sounded fun. Logan’s wife died of cancer, and she always admired Logan’s love for his wife and how he cared for Chloe growing up. This is a wonderful book about love and loss. Samantha begins to be honest with herself and realizes that she was always a people pleaser. She had never done things just for herself. Logan and Samantha's trips across the country were filled with soul searching, exciting attractions, and humor. Great book with a lot of important life issues.

I am a big Maisey Yates fan. I love her Four Corners Ranch series so much, so getting to read this book was a win! While I did enjoy the writing, because Maisey is amazing, I can't fully get on with the main elephant in the room. There was so much growth and self discovery, that part was so excellent, but the fact that they were still married was not ideal for me. I do think this book was written so well and I can't wait to see what else Maisey writes next.

Thank you netgalley for an arc of Cruel Summer by Maisey Yates

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the free e-arc.

Cruel Summer is an emotionally poignant romance that delves deeply into themes of trauma and grief, offering a story that resonates with weight and authenticity. Maisey excels at crafting a genuine and compelling connection between the two love interests, making their journey feel both natural and deeply earned. She also developed such a rich and layered bond between the leading lady and leading man that it almost feels too vivid, as though their connection leaps off the page with an intensity that stays with you long after the final chapter.

I love this story. The ability to find yourself when you didn’t even know you were lost. I rated it four stars for some of the repetitiveness, but I couldn’t put it down. The character building made this book so much more interesting. If you’re looking for an emotional road trip this is the book for you.