An interesting listen. Didn’t mind the book, but the premise for the story line is apparently not my cup of tea.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
🌶️.5

Cruel Summer really got to me. If you’ve ever had to rebuild after heartbreak or felt like you lost yourself in a relationship, this book will hit you right in the feels. When Sam’s husband asks for an open marriage, she does the most unexpected thing and takes off on a cross country road trip with his best friend. What starts as an escape turns into a journey of healing, rediscovery, and love. The dynamic between Sam and Logan is full of quiet tension and a slow burn connection. Spice level is about a 1.5, not super steamy, but definitely romantic and full of chemistry. Sam’s growth throughout the story was so beautiful. She’s been putting herself last for so long, and l loved watching her finally start choosing herself. And Logan… he’s quiet, thoughtful, and hurting in his own way, but the way he shows up for her was just what they both needed. He reminded her that she’s worthy of love, and he did it without ever trying to fix her.

The audiobook narrated by Nancy Peterson, was great. Her voice matched the tone of the story so well and brought it all to life.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the ALC.

After a long awaited period of time, I finally read my first Maisey Yates novel 🩷

Listen… I understand the dynamics of a confusing marriage. Despite Will being honest with Sam, I do feel like what he did to their marriage was unnecessary. And with that being said, I’m so happy Sam got her summer. Logan swooped in and gave her a lifetime of memories within one summer and showed her how wonderful life could truly be. I loved Logan’s character. He is painful, gentle, patient, and so resilient. This read was exciting, hopeful, and gave me all the butterflies 🦋

Side bar: this was my first Maisey Yates read, and will absolutely not be my last. I love the world she creates, and I am so excited to enter the Maisey Yates universe.

Thank you so much to Maisey Yates, NetGalley, and Harlequin Audio for this copy of Cruel Summer 🩷

#maiseyyates #cruelsummer #netgalley #harlequinaudio #romancereader #bookstagram #arcreader

⭐ (Story) 5
⭐ (Narrator) 5
🌶️ 1.5
🥵 Spicy Chapters: 22, 23, 27
📚 Tropes/Themes: road trip, love triangle-ish, flashbacks, it's always been you, friends to lovers, finding yourself
👀 Single POV 3rd person
🎙️ Single narration ( Nancy Peterson)
⏰ Approx 10 hours
💔 Triggers: mentions of parental death, terminal illness, cheating-ish
🛍️ Available: Now

💬 God I freaking love Maisey Yates' writing. 😩This book was phenomenal, and I went feral for it. This sucked me in right away with the emotions around her husband's request for an open marriage, I think probably because I'm of a similar age as the MCS. It's not that I've experienced this, just that I have been married a long time and I feel like I would have a very similar reaction to what Sam had.

"Because they made their marriage such a safe place it couldn't support anything difficult" 🥺

There is so much emotion packed into this story, from the initial separation from her husband, to the long talks, experiences on their road trip, and just Sam and her journey of taking stock of her life and finding herself as a 40 yo empty nester. It's definitely more chick lit than romance and I 👏🏼 am 👏🏼 here👏🏼 for 👏🏼 it👏🏼

I will say, for me it was a little bit of a weird headspace to be in because I'm the same age as the MC's (which please, authors, I'm begging you there needs to be more books about 40+ yos), and to consider the life I've lived, my marriage and the choices I've made as well as to get kind of an up close and personal /raw view of someone else's (admittedly fictional) life. To consider the choices that they made, what they lived through. I'm sure people would enjoy this story on a surface level, but it was kind of introspective for me as well.

I also think the narrator did a fantastic job. She really helped bring to life the emotions that Sam was going through. I also didn't hate the voices she used for Logan and Will 😂🤪

The narrator overall was great! I enjoyed her performance. I just couldn't connect with the characters and the story was very slow paced.

When your husband asks for an open marriage, what do you do? If you’re Sam, you pack up, hop in a classic car with his best friend, and take a soul-searching road trip across the country.

This one’s got:
✨ Forced proximity
✨ Road-trip romance
✨ Friends-to-lovers (with complications)
✨ Midlife crisis, marital chaos, and emotional wreckage
✨ Slow burn
✨ Second chances

It’s messy, heartfelt, and quietly powerful. A perfect read if you love character-driven drama.

This one was a miss for me overall. The book opens with a conversation about an open marriage, which immediately felt off-putting, and while I appreciated the idea of a woman stepping into her own story after heartbreak, the execution didn’t quite hit the mark.

The pacing dragged in spots, and there were several moments that felt repetitive—almost like the story was being padded for length. There were also unexpectedly spicy scenes that didn’t feel essential to the plot and weren’t personally my preference.

The highlight for me was the narrator. This was my first time hearing her, and she truly brought the characters to life with warmth and clarity. Her performance kept me engaged when the storyline wasn’t quite doing the job.

A coming-of-age-within-a-marriage premise that had potential, but ultimately just didn’t work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the audiobook ARC of Cruel Summer by Maisey Yates in exchange for my honest review.

This book really touched my heart in such a personal way. If you’ve ever had to rebuild yourself after heartbreak, this story will hit home. Maisey Yates writes with such emotional honesty that I truly felt like I was right there with the main character, navigating the highs and lows alongside her. Watching her grow and gain the confidence to finally put herself first made me feel so proud.

The audiobook narration by Nancy Peterson was phenomenal . She brought so much warmth and feeling to the story. Such a good vibe and a perfect match for the tone of the book.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the advanced listener copy!

I gave this book 3.5 stars! This book was a rollercoaster of emotions.

I enjoyed the premise and setting of this book. The roadtripping in vintage cars was a nice touch.

The very beginning of this book was VERY engaging with Will asking to see other people and immediately made me hate him😂 I loved seeing that backfire on him. I hated how he remained calm and respectful, while asking something so disrespectful, and how that made Sam question her reaction to the question. Her friends reinforcing the idea that he was respectful about it and praising him for asking instead of lying/ cheating made me irrationally angry and sad for Sam. I am appreciative of Logan for being the only person to reassure Sam that her reactions/feelings were valid.

Sam was slightly annoying with her inability to process her emotions, though I did like how realistic that was for what she went through during her young adult years. I appreciated Logan caring about her and understanding her, while also helping her process her emotions.

I lost interest in this book during the roadtripping, it started to feel like it was dragging a little and the ending started to seem like it was going to be very predictable. The twist at the end with Logan was necessary to add something more to the story but so wrong and pretty out of character for him. It made me not want to root for him anymore. Overall I enjoyed this book and the real and raw emotions that were shown, but it was a little too repetitive and frustrating to read again.

The narrator was great!

Thank you for the ARC!!!

I absolutely loved this book. I was drawn in from the very first chapter. The book felt to me like a coming-of-"middle"-age story. It was poignant and funny. I, like Sam, found myself changing my mind on what I thought should happen. My opinions evolved with Sam throughout the story, and I felt that this growth was what made this book so good. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves romantic comedies, but also those who crave a little more with their romance. I also thought there was just the right level of spice. As I listened to this book on audio, I would say the narrator did a fantastic job, and I enjoyed listening.

Not what I was expecting in the best ways. A true introspection of a mid-life and I was there for every word. I loved the story, the discoveries, the freedom. A great read!

Cruel Summer is exactly that or it sure starts off that way. for Samantha Parker. She thinks she has the perfect life with her husband Will and their three boys. The youngest getting ready to go to college. Will is a realtor and Sam is a writer. She has always dreamt of writing a book, but just never knew of what it would be about and who had the time. Just as she thought she might be getting that time alone with her husband he throws her for the surprise of her life.

He asks for a different kind of marriage. He tries to explain it to her but there is no explaining it and she wants no part of it. After leaving angry and no idea what to think or what to do. She calls a meeting with her two best friends.

Coming back to talk to Will Sam proposes to him they take the summer and not live in their home and go about their own business and not speak to each other. After the summer is over then they will come back together and talk.

Sam takes this time and not only takes this time for herself, but she takes it to get to know who she is and what she really wants in her life from this point on. That's when the door bell rang.

Logan Martin was Will's best friend from high school and he was Chloe's dad. He restored classic cars and then sold them around the United States. Sam always wanted to go on these cross country drives with him and then write a story about him.

Logan and Chloe had lost their wife and mom to cancer quite a few years ago, and Logan and Chloe started coming with Will and Sam and their family on family vacations. Plus, Sam stepped in and took great care of Chloe after school for Logan when he couldn't be there. So, when she answered the door she was surprised to see him standing there. When she told Logan that Will wasn't there and wouldn't be there for the summer Logan told her he was there for her. not that piece of crap.

So I will let you read what happens next... but I will tell you that this is a well written fantastic romance and happy ending lovely book! I truly enjoyed every minute of it. I loved the narrator Nancy Peterson she has such a smooth voice and it was so fitting for this beautiful book.

Well done Maisey Yates

Thank you NetGalley for the early read

Sam and Will have been together since high school. Sam got pregnant and she and Will ended up getting married at a young age.

Fast forward, they are now in their 40s and empty nesters. Sam thought that since they rarely fought that they were in a happy marriage until Will brought up the idea of having an open marriage. Sam, dumbfounded and in denial, did not understand why he could feel such a way. She did not agree with his proposal of an open marriage so she decided that they should separate until the end of summer and see how they feel after.

Tropes: Second chance, Roadtrip, small town, death, slow burn

Sam and Will have been married so long that Will proposing an open marriage felt like a betrayal as if I felt like what Sam would feel. Logan, Will's best friend, felt that Will was stupid for such a proposal.

Sam's new found freedom felt so relatable. The road trip with Logan and her figuring out who she is and who she wants to be even though technically she is still married seems to be a very confusing feeling. Sam is a people pleaser and this summer trip she was able to figure out what she really wanted. It felt like she was freeing herself from the shackles and melted all of her insecurities away.

The ending was so messy! Logan is messy. Now, I understand why the title of the book is "Cruel Summer."

The narrator had a really calming voice and it went perfectly with the book.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Audio for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a really interesting book, though I don’t think it will be for everyone — it leans more toward women’s fiction than straight-up romance. It still has Maisey’s signature way of writing that I always love, with heartfelt moments and layered characters. I really enjoyed Sam’s “coming-of-age again” story. It’s always nice to read a book that affirms you can start over, no matter where you are in life. I was provided an audiobook ARC of Cruel Summer by Maisey Yates in exchange for an honest review, and I really appreciated the narrator bringing the emotions to life so beautifully.

This book packed in the feels for me. Its about starting over and finding yourself. Samantha thought her life was just where she wanted it and she was happy never rocked the boat never started fights she was happy. Until her husband says hes not and her whole world gets turned upside down. She has to figure out if she is able to start over keep trying and doing what makes him happy or does she start her own journey.

This story just worked for me and made me feel all the feels and its a question we ask ourselves. Are we happy or are we to busy making everyone around us happy?

Thank you NetGalley for this Audio-Arc in exchange for my honest thoughts.

3.5/5

An interesting take on a midlife crisis type story line. I think it was a bit too “easy” as far as the resolution that happened.

A wonderful story about taking what life throws at you, turning it around, and starting your life over when you least expect to. The tale is masterfully woven and then narration is excellent.

I really enjoyed this romance novel about a husband who asks his wife for an open marriage. It’s an interesting read about long time friends, relationships, love, and families. I enjoyed the road trip scenes and the friendship the female main character has with her long time friends.

Nancy Peterson did an excellent job narrating this novel. I’ve enjoyed her narrations of Viola Shipman’s and Nancy Thayer’s books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance reader audiobook.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Four-Star story about marriage , love, heartbreak, death, and friendship. The narration was wonderful and great listen. Perfect for readers who enjoy stories about emotional resilience, realistic romance, and the quiet strength that comes after a broken heart.
Thanks to NetGalley for the early audible arc!

Cruel Summer is an emotional and surprisingly fun journey about identity, second chances, and discovering who you really are when everything you thought you knew begins to break apart. Sam has been married for nearly 22 years when her husband drops the bombshell that he wants an open marriage. In a bold move, she decides to cut off contact for the summer and ends up on a spontaneous road trip with her husband’s best friend, Logan to help him with car deliveries. What follows is a slow-burn connection wrapped in grief, healing, and a lot of forced proximity.

One thing I really appreciated was that the main characters are older (both in their 40s) and bringing a maturity and life experience that felt refreshing. That said, as someone in my late 20s, I occasionally found it hard to fully relate. Still, Sam’s journey of self-discovery hit close to home. Watching her prioritize herself, really for the first time ever, was moving and empowering. As someone who’s also been the caretaker and never truly lived alone, some of her reflections felt deeply personal and were very easy to relate to and understand.

The road trip aspect was a major highlight for me! The unique twist of delivering vintage cars along the way added structure and reason to naturally progress the plot while simultaneously forcing Sam and Logan into close quarters.

Logan was a breath of fresh air in an over saturated genre of men who act like they’re 17 when they’re supposed to be grown men. The way grief was explored through his character was handled with grace and gave him a lot depth and layers to his character as well.

Also, shoutout to the author for clearly being a fellow Swiftie (the Florida lyric reference made me giggle).

I throughly enjoyed Yates’s writing as well. I felt that her plot was well thought out and executed successfully to create a very touching and compelling read about really learning to get to know yourself and start really living for YOU.

The audiobook was *chef’s kiss*!!!! The narrator captured Sam’s voice perfectly, making the emotional aspect’s really hit home.

Overall, Cruel Summer is a heartfelt, grown-up story of transformation with just the right amount of tension, tenderness, and Taylor Swift vibes. I’ll definitely be keeping Maisey Yates on my radar.