Samantha got pregnant and was married young to her high school sweetheart Will, but after their now adult children go off to college, he unexpectedly blindsides her at dinner in public by asking for an open marriage. They eventually agree to spend the summer apart and see how it goes before making a final decision on their marriage. Samantha ends up joining Will’s best friend and their family friend Logan on road trips across America as he restores classic cars and drives to deliver them to their new owners. Samantha discovers new aspects about herself she was not previously aware of and has a crazy cruel summer with many ups and downs that leads her to her final decision on if her marriage is worth fighting for or if it is best for her to start over on her own.

This was a cute summery second-chance type romance with a bit of a twist. The beginning of this book was so sad and I wasn’t sure where it was going from there initially but really ended up enjoying the story overall! It was fun to watch Samantha push out of her comfort zone into things she has never done before because she has been a wife and mother her entire adult life. I’ve never read a book with this kind of dynamic and found it to be unique, original, and refreshing that the main character is a bit older with more life experience and is learning how to live and be single again. There is a miscommunication/conflict twist at the end that truly had me ready to throw my kindle at the wall… but I am happy to report that I kept reading and it did resolve, so therefore I was happy with the ending overall! I did an immersive read with both audiobook and e-book combination and I think this really enhanced my experience – the narrator was excellent and I flew through this one pretty quickly! I would definitely recommend this one, especially if you enjoy romance and specifically are looking for a bit of a different less typical type of romance read! Thank you to NetGalley, Maisey Yates, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Harlequin Audio for the gifted ARC/ALC. This is a voluntary and honest review.

3.5 ⭐️ Thank you NetGalley for the audio version. This book really makes you think about your life choices and whether or not you are truly happy or just going along in life because it’s what’s familiar or expected of you.

I really enjoyed this story, and the narration made it an easy, engaging listen. At its core, this book is about rediscovering yourself after losing pieces of who you are to taking care of everyone else—balancing motherhood, marriage, and the demands of keeping a home.

While the cover might give off a fun, flirty vibe, the story itself digs into some heavier, very real themes: falling out of love with your spouse, facing an empty nest, and asking yourself, who am I when all of that is gone? It’s something many don’t consider until life brings it front and center. I loved that the heroine ultimately found her happily ever after—it made the journey all the more rewarding.

Cruel Summer was such an engaging and heartfelt read. The story follows a couple navigating the big shift of becoming empty nesters, and I really appreciated how Maisey Yates explored that transition. The emotions felt raw and real—the mix of love, uncertainty, and rediscovering yourself after your kids are grown hit close to home.
I’ll admit, I wasn’t a fan of the whole “see other people” aspect, but I understand the struggles the characters faced in figuring out what comes next in their relationship and in life. Although I'd really like to punch Will in the face!🤪
The backdrop of summer road trips and small-town vibes gave the book warmth and made it easy to get lost in the story.
Overall, a touching second-chance romance with lots of heart. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who likes stories about love, growth, and starting fresh in a new stage of life.

I highly recommend the audiobook. Narrator, Nancy Peterson did a great job bringing the story to life.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Audio for the ALC.

Samantha thinks she has the perfect life until one dinner out with her husband changes everything. He suggests they open their marriage, throwing her into complete shock after being together since high school. Not wanting to lose him, she reluctantly agrees to take a break for the summer: no living at home together, no speaking, and no kids around since they’re all away. What begins as a painful upheaval becomes an unexpected journey of self-discovery, as Samantha finally has the freedom to travel and explore who she is outside of her roles as wife and mother. With the help of her friend, she sets out on adventures that force her to confront her identity, her marriage, and her future.
I really loved the storyline and especially the character development.

Watching Samantha process the situation felt authentic and relatable, even if the premise itself was initially shocking. Once you get past that setup just like Samantha does—the direction of the book is somewhat predictable, but there are enough unexpected barriers along the way to keep things interesting. The narration was easy to listen to, which made it even more engaging.

Overall, Cruel Summer is a story about rediscovery and resilience, asking what happens when the life you thought was perfect suddenly shifts. I found myself intrigued the whole way through, eager to see how Samantha would redefine herself beyond her marriage and motherhood.

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

I’m a Swiftie, so the title is what drew me to the book! However, it’s much more than just a sweet summer romance. Unfortunately, I DNFed the book around the 20% mark because I wasn’t enjoying the plot. I think I struggle with stories that deal with marital struggles and separation. If you don't mind these types of topics than I would say that you should give the book a chance.

Samantha Parker thought she had it all: a loving husband, three great kids, and a comfortable life.

“I think we should see other people.”

With one sentence, Samantha Parker's picture-perfect suburban life shatters. Her husband, Will, has blindsided her just as they were about to begin their new, empty-nest chapter. Feeling lost and betrayed looking for clarity, Samantha embarks on an unforgettable road trip with an unexpected companion: her husband’s best friend, Logan. In her journey to find herself, she examines something she’s been holding back on for years… the desire she feels for Logan. Their cross-country journey becomes a slow-burning romance, challenging everything Samantha thought she knew about love, loyalty, and herself.

Maisey Yates tells a story that blends heartfelt introspection with a captivating emotional love story, making Cruel Summer a powerful read about finding your own happiness.

Audio: This is my first audiobook experience with Nancy Peterson as the narrator, and I have to say I enjoyed it! She fit the character perfectly, and the inner monologues (which can sometimes get cumbersome, but with this story were needed) flowed so well with her inflections. I do think that listening to this story made me enjoy it much more than I would have had I read it.

3.5⭐️ rounded down

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the #gifted ALC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Cruel Summer, was, in fact, a bummer.

I had such high hopes going into reading this one! I have always wanted to read a Maisey Yates book, and was so excited when I got approved for an ALC by Netgalley and Harlequin Audio (thank you for the advanced listening copy!).

The positives. The premise of this book was a breath of fresh air for me. An older FMC who is established in her family life and then has everything she’s ever thought about her and her husband’s relationship pulled out from under her. I loved seeing Sam grow and discover more about who she really is. I loved the road tripping and classic cars. The audiobook narrator was FANTASTIC. The first 30-40% of the book seemed really promising because of this stuff.

The negatives. This book was way too long and tedious. Sam’s internal monologues were so repetitive and it felt like she kept revisiting issues she already put to bed. But, on the flip-side, I wanted to see more from this book. I wanted more to her road trips and adventures than just her having a fling with her husband’s best friend (more on that in a moment) and her deciding to ride a bull, get a tattoo, and dance with a random guy at a restaurant.

Now, Logan. Logan, Logan, Logan. I really liked Logan as a character, and thought his background story was also quite interesting. I like how he didn’t automatically side with his best friend, and how he helped Sam through her healing journey and quest to truly find who she is at her core.

However, I really dislike how the author chose to write Logan and Sam’s relationship. I really wish that they both kind of always hated each other due to their misconceptions of each other because they never fully knew each other, and this summer really brought them together to fall deeply for each other and heal together. I wish they felt more conflicted about the fact that Sam was getting together with Sam’s husband’s long term best friend who has always been in the picture, including many family vacations and get togethers. It’s one thing for the characters to acknowledge they’ve always thought the other was attractive from a distance, but it’s a whole other thing to have almost kissed and emotionally cheated with each other in the past (especially for Sam to now be so outraged in the present when Will, her husband, asks for an open marriage). And I get it, that’s part of the point of the book, that Sam and Will’s marriage hasn’t been great in a while, even on her end; but I don’t think we needed this borderline-cheating storyline with her husband’s best friend for Sam to realize that.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the ALC! I went into this story blind after liking the cover and nod to Taylor with the title. What a great listen with a talented narrator about a mother, Samantha, who is done mothering and finds herself with a husband who wants to open their marriage. After deciding to take the summer apart, Sam and her husband go off to live the single life for the first time since they got together in high school. Sam is able to figure out who she is without the wife and mother titles and find happiness in herself.

Samantha Parker is approached by her husband Will Parker about the possibility of having an open marriage. Will does not want to proceed with it unless Samantha is okay with it. Samantha does not want an open marriage, but rather than allowing that response to be the final determination to not try an open marriage, Samantha proposes instead that they have a trial separation with no contact over the summer. Samantha ends up staying the summer with Will's best friend Logan, helping to deliver cars across the country.

Throughout, it seems like there was a thread of internal messaging that could be problematic. Ultimately some couples do pursue different arrangements, and provided that there is consent, communication, and appropriate boundaries, the type of relationship posed by Will could be viable. There seemed to be a lot of internalized judgment and shame on Samantha's part connected to her community and why she and Will got married in the first place, in addition to her judging both herself and Will for the current phase of their lives. It also seems like there is some level of blaming of the woman for how she looks/acts (the bar scene with the riding bull) and Logan being mad at Samantha for accepting rides but not anticipating that another man could expect something in return for paying for the riding bull rides. (Also, Logan bringing up the Hawaii trip and again igniting a shame/blame response for something they might have felt then but didn't act on). It seemed to teeter toward "it wouldn't have happened if you weren't wearing that/doing that," which is a very problematic message.

While Samantha's treatment of her wants and needs seems to end on a better note overall (including the self-judgment), I think the way in which some of the book is conveyed could read as internalized judgment or implicit validation of some problematic messages. It may have been helpful to employ sensitivity readers, given the subtext to several of the scenes and the overall need for these characters to communicate, set boundaries, and seek treatment for the relationship and other harms that they had gone through at the outset of their marriage. Therapy would have been a huge benefit to everyone involved.

hanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for this advanced listening copy!

Sam lives in a small Oregon town and has her whole life, happily married with grown kids. Then, her husband of 20 years proposes trialing an open marriage, much to her heartbreak. She ends up spending her summer trying new things during road trips across the country with her husbands handsome and mysterious best friend…

I liked that the FMC was in the middle act of life and that Yates explored what love means in middle age. I also enjoyed the mechanism of the road trips to encourage Sam’s growth.

I found the romance to be a little 0-60 in terms of growth, but they did have good chemistry.

Overall, a fun summer read.

10/10 for the narrator, too!

Title: Cruel Summer
Author: Maisey Yates
Media Type: Audio
Narrator: Nancy Peterson

This was a great summer read that was filled with lots of character growth. It was refreshing to read about an FMC who showed strength in a real life setting. The tropes used went together so effortlessly. Rediscovering yourself, empty nesting while having a summer romance was well delivered. I felt that the pacing of the book flowed very well.

This read is a heartfelt emotional themed book with lots of character growth. I did feel that the forced proximity trope was not quite fitting as the FMC did choose to go on the road trips.

As for the narration, I thought that Nancy Peterson has a lovely voice however I was left feeling like I needed a little more animation to portray the feelings in the story.

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Audio and Maisey Yates for the opportunity to listed to Cruel Summer. I will be posting a review on Goodreads (TriciaReads), TikTok (triciareadds) and Amazon (TriciaReads).

⭐️⭐️⭐️
A good book. I enjoyed it but didn't love it.
I would recommend to others who are looking for a rediscovering trope.

This book honestly surprised me. From the beginning I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about it. The idea of an open marriage wasn’t it for me. I kept thinking back to how I would react and what I would do, but I had to stop thinking that because Sam and Will’s relationship is nothing like my own. Once I did that, I was able to see the story and understand her actions and thoughts. Her frustration with Will was so real and her confusion as well. I can’t imagine thinking your life is this perfect things, only for your husband to say he isn’t happen and wants an open marriage. However, I loved that over the course of the book, we got a glimpse of her marriage before this and it wasn’t so perfect as she thought it was. There were all these little moments where her husband did or said something and it made me question him. And then Logan would be right there to say what she needed to hear or to help her in some way that was more meaningful.

I loved the love in this book. It warmed my heart. Logan was a gem. I loved the way their relationship played out too. I did wish they hadn’t jumped into things when they did, because I liked the slow burn of it all. I loved that he kept his distance and didn’t want to be someone she used to get back at her husband. I also loved that he was upset that Will would even ask for an open marriage.

One thing I wish was different was the timing of things and the love confession. I wish they had held out for longer on having Logan and Sam get together. I felt like the loved the angst and the tension so much. Especially because one of Sam’s big things in the beginning was that she was still married and she didn’t want to “cheat” on her husband, even though they agreed to this arrangement. I just felt like it would have been so good to just have that angst continue for a bit longer. I also didn’t like that she said she loved Logan. I don’t know. It felt weird, especially considering just two months ago she thought she was in this happy marriage. And especially before she went and talked to her husband. I felt like it could have been better if she said she was falling in love with him. But she was just so loud and proud about it. It made me hesitant. And I hated his reasons for not saying it back. Made no sense to me that he couldn’t be all in with her because he’s always held a part of himself back with women… but it was literally because of Sam. It felt like a cheap way to break them up. But I did like that Sam ended the marriage on her own terms. I also wish they didn’t talk about religion so much, but I guess it was a core part of how Sam was raised. But I wish there had been some acknowledgement of her not following any of that anymore, but it seemed like she tried to have those core values even when she didn’t want to. All because it was what she was “supposed to do”. I wish she could have been able to be like “so what” about all that stuff like the shame of getting pregnant and then having to get married right away. I wish she could have had a moment to be like who cares, it’s so in the past, but she seemed to still hold some of those beliefs, even until the end.

When Will came back and said she was right and the other women didn’t matter because he missed her conversations and the life they made together, I wanted to slap him. I’m so happy that Sam asked for a divorce after that. She knew all along what they had was special, and she didn’t need to go to someone else to prove that. Will asking for that separation made her realize that maybe everything wasn’t so perfect, but if he hadn’t asked, she would have stayed married to him and toughened it out. I truly believe nothing would have happened between her and Logan if Will hadn’t asked to have an open marriage. She respected those marriage vows so much and she thought of other peoples opinions so much. When Will first brought up the open marriage, I truly believed him and felt for him. But once he came back saying he missed her, it just felt like he did it all to sleep with a few women and then come back to his wife. I grew to resent Will. And I think it was because Sam was starting to resent him too. In the beginning he seemed so nice and level headed, because that’s how she saw him, and slowly throughout the story, his perfect persona was ruined for her and it was ruined for us. The way this man never held a door open for her, and never helped her carry things… I’m sorry how did she not notice that. I think she was more focused on trying not to notice how Logan did do all those things for her, things her husband should have been doing. It was interesting to add that Logan had pined for her since they were in high school. I thought that was sweet. I liked that it wasn’t obvious and that he respected his friend enough to stay away, but the second he heard that his friend was asking for an open marriage he was like fuck that this woman is perfect and deserves better.

Overall, I had a lot of fun. It was frustrating, and funny, and heartbreaking, and heartwarming all at the same time. It truly surprised me. Thank you to Harlequin Audio for an advanced listening copy!!

Cruel Summer
By: Maisey Yates

- “enemies” to lovers
- forced proximity
- FMC & her husband take a summer break from their marriage
- road trips in classic cars
- self discovery

Samantha “Sam” and Will were high school sweethearts that had their first son at 17. After sending both their sons off to college at 40, Will suddenly asks if their marriage can be an open marriage so that he can experience parts of life they never had. For Sam, nothing about that sounds appealing and causes her to question everything because she thought they were completely happy. But after realizing her husband felt this way, she offers that they take a summer break from their marriage with the plan of traveling and giving zero thought to what her husband was doing so that they could simply get back together at the end of the 3 months. But when Will’s best friend Logan—a handsome widower whom Sam had also known since high school—asks her to help him with his job of taking beautiful classic cars to a buyers all over the country, she can’t help but take him up on his offer. But when all the time with Logan makes Sam realize he’s so much more than she had ever realized, she begins to question whether she has been happy with Will after all.

This book was extremely original and had me wondering how it would end up from the very beginning! I gave it 3 stars because I felt that Sam was being way too accommodating to Will’s requests. But I enjoyed the character development and how the author brought all the details together!

The narrator was great and added personality to the characters!

Content/trigger warnings: grief, loss of a parent and spouse, teenage pregnancy, separation, dating outside the marriage

Thank you to NetGalley & the author for access to this ARC in return for my honest review!

I want to thank netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audio.

At first I was very turned off on this book with the question about the open marriage. But Sam turned her life around and found herself over the summer.
More happen in her life during that summer that she couldn’t have imagined and she found herself.

This was such an eye opening book and I really enjoyed it.

Samantha Parker was ready to be an empty nester, not an existentially spiraling, emotionally bankrupt nester. Twenty-two years of what she thought was a stable, loving marriage, until her husband Will, aka King of Audacity, orders a steak and side of "I think we should see other people" at a Texas Roadhouse. Sir, the yeasty perfection of those honey-buttered rolls hasn’t even been baptized in that near-holy cinnamon spread yet. You’re out here detonating a marriage before the carbs hit the bloodstream?? UNFORGIVABLE.

And instead of burning his khakis on the lawn like a normal reaction, Sam proposes a summerlong separation with zero contact. Because she’s a peacemaker and thinks maybe he just needs time to be an idiot before he comes crawling back with a Taylor Swift playlist and flowers from Trader Joe’s. Spoiler alert: this man is not crawling anywhere except into someone else’s DMs.

Enter Logan. Will’s best friend. Grumpy. Broody. The human equivalent of a vintage leather jacket. They’ve never exactly vibed, but he offers her a job helping him road-trip across the country delivering classic cars. And look, Sam may be devastated, but she’s not dumb. Logan’s driving a cherry-red Chevelle and offering her escape in the form of cross-country solitude and emotionally tense silences. SOLD.

This book surprised the hell out of me. The setup screams “forbidden fluff,” but it’s actually an emotional excavation with engine grease and a little religious trauma. Sam is painfully relatable, the kind of woman who’s been so deep in caretaking mode for two decades that she forgot how to want things for herself. Her whole identity has been “mom, wife, people-pleaser, stay-small-so-no-one-talks” and now? She’s in a two-seater with a man who sees right through her and absolutely will not let her hide.

And Logan. Logan. Sir, do you have to be that emotionally competent?? Do you have to tell her she’s allowed to want more? Do you have to see her so clearly that I CRIED AT A SCENE INVOLVING A SWIMSUIT??? My brain said “this is a romance” but my heart said “this is emotional whiplash with horsepower and grief.”

Yes, the pacing slows a bit in the middle. Yes, Sam’s inner monologue is basically a one-woman live performance of “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” on repeat. But there’s something quietly devastating about watching a woman realize her life has been a collection of compromises, and then, for once, decide not to bend.

Also, I don’t know what Maisey Yates is putting in her characters’ trauma arcs, but I felt that religious guilt. The flashbacks to Sam’s teen pregnancy and forced marriage? OOF. That storyline hit like communion wine laced with panic.

This isn’t just a “should I leave my husband” book. It’s a “what happens when you’ve lived for everyone else and suddenly there’s silence” book. And the silence? Might have Logan’s voice in it. And that voice might say things like “You deserve to be chosen, not tolerated.” Sir.

The last twist with Logan felt like someone hit the emergency brake for drama. But overall, this is a grown-up, messy, character-first romance that made me yell at fictional men, cry about lost time, and immediately text a few of my friends “YOU HAVE TO READ THIS.” 3.5 stars.

Huge thanks to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for the audiobook. Y’all handed me emotional demolition in a Chevelle and I listened to every mile. Nancy Peterson’s narration nails the emotional tightrope walk this book demands. She delivers Sam’s unraveling with warmth, restraint, and just the right edge of panic, like someone holding it together with dry shampoo and denial.

When I first started listening to this audiobook, I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did. The premise just felt so sad and angsty to me (I went in blind simply because of the title referencing a Taylor Swift song and the beautiful cover)! But I continued listening and very quickly found myself relating to Sam— as a mom who gives all of herself to others, especially her family and forgets to actually care for herself. To the point that it almost felt like a cautionary tale! The flashbacks were especially effective in depicting this aspect of Sam's life.

Of course, the relationship that develops between Sam and Logan through forced proximity (but also the one they've had pretty much their entire lives before this 'cruel' summer) eventually makes up for the sadness that started the entire journey. This was an emotional book sometimes scratching at very raw emotions, but ultimately leaves you feeling hopeful and like things happen for a reason. Also, the pinning was absolutely delicious! Probably an entire star for that aspect alone!

Cruel Summer by Maisey Yates hooked me from the very first page and didn’t let go until the end. The characters were layered and relatable, and the emotional depth kept me invested throughout. I loved the way Yates wove together romance, tension, and heartfelt moments, making the story both engaging and memorable. The pacing was perfect, and the small-town setting felt so vivid it was like stepping right into the book.

A big thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review. I truly enjoyed every page and would recommend it to anyone who loves a captivating, well-written romance with heart.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

I almost DNF’d after the second chapter. The open marriage concept felt forced on Sam (also my name, which made it hit closer to home), and I wasn’t sure where the story was going.

I’m glad I stuck with it because I ended up immediately shipping her and Logan. Her husband came across as selfish, and while Logan wasn’t exactly a great friend to Will, I still liked him more for her. The story could be a little corny at times, but it was cute nonetheless.

There was a bit too much stream of consciousness for Sam, and her thoughts got repetitive at times.

The narrator was great! Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the audiobook ARC.

Cruel Summer is a heartfelt, emotionally rich romance about midlife reinvention, autonomy, and the messy beauty of rediscovering yourself. Sam’s journey is both raw and redemptive; her experiences echo the quiet awakenings many women face when asked to choose between selfhood and caretaking. Logan brings warmth and complexity, and the road-trip framework gives the story a refreshingly kinetic energy.

If you enjoy emotionally grounded romance with lifelike messiness and soul-baring growth—not just between two people, but within oneself—you’ll likely find this tale captivating and unforgettable.