3.75 stars rounded up to 4

I enjoyed this book a lot! It’s not often that a romance novel involves characters in their 40s, which is a refreshing change of pace. I love a romance that involves a road trip and this did not disappoint. I liked how mature the MCs were and how the FMC learned so much about herself throughout the book. I wasn’t a huge fan of the third act breakup, but the conclusion of the book was still good!

The narration was well done in the story as well. I was engaged the whole time and enjoyed the narrator’s acting!

It was okay… I was expecting more and the storyline kind of stalled for me. Not bad, not great. I understand the dilemma and the struggle the MC is going through, but it felt a little too coddling for me.

4.5
I loved this book. It made me feel everything i wanted to feel from a romance book. If you like Abby Jimenez's Part of Your World series, you'll love this one!

A huge thank you to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for this ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

A provocative story of a woman finding her true self in her 40s. After being shocked that her husband wants an open marriage, Sam embarks on an even bigger journey: learning what makes her happy and leaving other opinions behind. I laughed, I cried, I had conversations with my own husband about some of the questions raised in the book. One of the best stories I’ve read this year.

Samantha’s husband of over 20 years comes to her with a proposal for an open marriage. Stunned, she suggests a trial separation for the summer. Samantha ends up road tripping with family friend Logan all summer for work and they develop a deep connection.

I was a little thrown off by the premise of the book and have to admit it was not my cup of tea. However, I really enjoyed the development of the FMC as she journeyed to find herself and explore what she wants out of life. The narration at times was a little monotone making it hard to stay engaged, but otherwise it was a fun summer read!

Thank you Net Galley, harlequin audio, and the author for this arc!

This is one of the best books I have read (well, listened to) in a long, long time - and I work in a library and have access to many books and get tons of recommendations. I loved the two main characters, Sam and Logan, and their journey. This is a romance, but not your typical trope driven one, although it is categorized as forced proximity; it is so much more than that. Both of the main characters were very real, relatable and well developed. The narration was wonderful and really made them come alive for me.

Dealing with one's history and emotional baggage is a theme in this book which I found much more interesting than just a typical trope driven rom-com style book. I can't recommend this highly enough. If I could, I would give this 10 stars. I am definitely going to take a look and try out more of Maisey Yates's back catolagoue.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for allowing me to listen and review this book! This book truly was an 4.5 out of 5 stars. The beginning was sad and put me in tears, wanting to fight Will! Then the trips were full of fun, excitement, romance and self discovery. I really loved that Samantha was able to figure out what she wanted in life herself since she has always done things for everyone else and forced to put her own needs last. The only things I didn’t like were the ideas put out about being pregnant young, in a smaller town and the stigma behind it. I actually went through this (not as young) but younger than people thought and while something’s are right others are not. That’s the only thing that made me cringe but I could look past that and loved the book as a whole!

Thanks to Maisey Yates, Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ALC
☆☆☆☆ .5
🌶️🌶️
Not gonna lie, the first reason I was attracted to this book was the name and the cover, just to be hit with an amazing story on the journey of rediscovery, self love and new adventures.

Samantha Parker's been married for 22 years to Will after they got pregnant at 18, and she believes to have the perfect life, but Will changes everything, when they out for dinner he asks Sam for an open marriage, feeling blind sided Sam is obligated to rethink her whole life, an who she is outside of being a wife, a mother and a daughter.

When Will's best friend Logan finds out about what's going on, he offers a temp job to Smantha to drive the cars he restores across the country with him through the summer.

Samantha's emotional journey take us thru her grief and self discovery, it's a very emotional story where she learns a 40 that its ok to put herself, her wants and her needs first, that life doesn't need to be perfect that she doesn't need to be perfect but what she needs is to be genuinely happy, to be her unique and passionate self.

Gotta say this is my first Maisey Yates book but certainly won't be the last.

Meanwhile i love the narration provided by Nancy Peterson she gave the exact voice and tone i gave Samantha in my head when i read this book the first time.

This book was a cute and fun summer time read. We follow Sam, who has been married and raising kids since she was a kid herself. Now that her kids are all out of the house, her husband comes to her with some less than ideal news, he wants to have an open marriage. Sam who has been with her husband for decades, feels like this is a punch to the gut. Was she not enough? Why does he want to sleep with other women? So they both agree to part ways for the summer, which will give them both time to really think about what they want. Sam ends up on the road trip of a lifetime that summer, just trying her best to escape her new dreaded reality.

This really is a journey about Sam finding herself, dropping expectations that society has on us, and a story of womenhood.

I think that this book was entertaining, however I do not expect that it will stick with me for long. I appreciated the conversations, but the last 25% of the book really took my rating down. I was not a fan of the way the third act conflict between characters happened. Overall, I still enjoyed it and would recommend for someone who wants a quick summer read.

Thanks to the information given about the book, I already knew how the story was going to start, Samantha thought she had a good marriage and was looking forward to the future, living alone with her husband in their empty nest. They had been married for years and you soon discover they "had to get married," she was pregnant before their high school graduation. Instead, her husband approaches her about an open marriage. Trying to keep her hubby happy, she proposes a summer separation, where they each move out of the family home and have no contact with each other.
At a loss of what to do, she is surprised when her husbands best friend suggests she travel across the country with him, delivering classic cars that he has restored. Apparently years ago, she had told him that she would love to join him sometime, so Logan is giving the opportunity to join him. You quickly learn that Logan has had a crush on Sam, and could never act on it, because she was with Will from high school on.
So there is no surprise when Logan and Sam end up in bed together.
Samantha is forced to look into her life, and make the decision if she wants to go back to marriage and her husband Will, be with Logan, or be alone.
There are very few surprises in this book, thanks to the book description, I knew what to expect, and every step Sam made was predictable. There are times, in the middle of a love scene or right before a moment, Sam would start "thinking" to herself and it would go on and on....just too much and I would lose the intense moment. Then the scene would go back to the moment and it was gone for me.
I did enjoy the story, I enjoyed the conflict Sam was going through, and it wasn't hard to turn against Will and fall for Logan. The ending was cute, summed it all up nicely.

When I first saw the concept of this book I was a little nervous because it seems a little messy. (Husband asks his wife of 20 plus years for an open marriage.. while they are separated she falls for his best friend!)

BUT I quickly realized I should always just have faith in Maisey! Her characters may be flawed but they always are able grow by the end of the book. I loved following Samatha's character arc, while yes, there was a romance- I think this was more about Samantha finding herself.

I great summer read! Definitely add it to your TBR if you're planning a road trip this summer!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Four-Star Review: Cruel Summer by Maisey Yates

Cruel Summer is a heartfelt and relatable story that captures the quiet unraveling of a life built on perfection, sacrifice, and people pleasing. Maisey Yates writes Samantha Parker with such care and realism that you feel like you’re reading about a close friend. Sam has spent her whole adult life trying to be the perfect wife, the perfect mom, and the perfect woman. When her husband suddenly asks for an open marriage, her entire identity is shaken. It’s a situation that feels heartbreakingly believable and all too familiar.

What really stands out is how deeply relatable Sam’s people-pleasing tendencies are. Her fear of disappointing others, her obsession with keeping everything “just right,” and her need to keep the peace even at the cost of herself—it’s something so many women will see themselves in. And yet, throughout the book, you see her slowly realize that wanting more doesn’t make her selfish. It makes her human.

Logan, her husband’s blunt and brooding best friend, is the perfect counterbalance. Their road trip across North America is filled with tension, humor, and moments of unexpected connection. You can’t help but root for Sam and Logan as they move from reluctant travel companions to something much more. Their relationship unfolds naturally, with just enough longing to keep you fully invested.

This is a quick, satisfying read that explores self-discovery, the courage it takes to walk away from what’s familiar, and the hope that something better might be waiting. With well-developed characters and a plot that feels both modern and real, Cruel Summer is a perfect pick for anyone who’s ever asked themselves, “Is this really all there is?”

So fun!
I'll admit, I read this book because I am a Swiftie and the title got me. Turns out, the author is also fairly local to me, too.
Loved the subtle references and added playlist, very nice touch.

The story:
Sam is floored when her husband of 20+ years asks for an open marriage. They're all each other has ever known and have built a family and life together. They agree to a summer apart- no rules, no contact.

I loved following Sam's journey of finding herself. The journey, which had a literal portion as she spent the summer road tripping with her husband's best friend, and a metaphorical portion as we saw her try new things, figure out who she was and make her own choices. Her character arc was tasteful, interesting, funny, and emotional.

I don't want to give too much away, although I'm sure you can see where this is going. However, while the romance portion may have been predictable,the story was lovely and worth following. It deals with heavy issues in a light but respectful way, without loosing the message or "beach-read" quality.

Another thing to highlight is how they handled Will (the husband). He could have easily been made a villain, but instead he was shown as a human, with flaws, who made mistakes and I appreciated the dimension there.

All in all, I loved it. Thank you!

Thank you Maisey Yates, Netgalley, Nancy Peterson and Harlequin Audio for the opportunity to listen to this ALC. I went into this and the first chapter had me questioning whether I was going to like this book at all but I am so so glad that I stuck it out. The premise of this book was so interesting and the character growth was wonderful. Nancy Peterson's narration was impeccable and brought every bit of the story to life brilliantly. This was a 4.5 star for me.

Cruel Summer by Maisey Yates
Format: Audio
Rating: 4 ☆

Thank you Harlequin Audio and Netgalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Cruel Summer by Maisey Yates is a refreshingly honest and emotionally grounded story about love, regret and the challenges of long-term commitment. It takes a brave and thoughtful look at what happens long after the honeymoon phase ends—especially for couples who started their journey young, with marriage and children at just 18.

What stood out to me most was how real it all felt. Yates doesn’t romanticize or gloss over the tough parts of marriage—especially the kind that’s built under pressure and over time. Instead, she dives deep into the emotional fatigue, miscommunication and unspoken resentment that can build up after years together. And yet, there's still so much tenderness, longing and hope for our FMC. That balance is hard to pull off and Yates does it beautifully.

The characters felt fully developed, with flaws and frustrations that made them feel human and relatable. The emotional journey was messy at times but that made the moments of connection even more impactful. It’s a story about rediscovering love, not just falling into it—and that perspective felt both rare and meaningful when compared to the typical romance novel "blue print".

I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 only because I couldn’t always relate or connect with the FMC and the struggles she goes through but overall, this was a deeply satisfying read that has stayed with me since I finished it.

If you’re looking for a story that digs into the emotional reality of long-term relationships—especially ones that start early and face real-life challenges—Cruel Summer is definitely worth picking up.

Summer vacations are times to treasure, but when plans go awry, is it cruelty or opportunity? Samantha's convinced that not only her summer but everything she's taken for granted for the last twenty plus years is ruined when her husband says he wants to try an open marriage. Her immediate answer to everything is NO. No, she does not want an open marriage, no, she does not want to talk about it with a good family friend, and no, she does not want to spend time driving across the country with him as an assistant. But like the marriage she thought was unshakeable, her “no”s begin to crumble, and she finds herself in the passenger seat, helping deliver newly refurbished antique cars with her rotten husband's best friend, Logan. En route, Sam sees sites she never thought to see and gradually begins to experience profound revelations about herself. She also gets to know a different Logan than the man she thought she knew. I don't love the title, but I did enjoy the book very much, even though I found Sam's character at the beginning a bit overly naive.

Cruel summer by Maisey Yates was the perfect summer book I didn’t know I needed to read. It explores the life of Sam, a woman that has been married to her husband for 22 years, her high school sweetheart and the only love she’s ever known. When her husband suggested a change in their marriage, Sam embarked on a journey of self discovery and possibly of a change that she didn’t know she needed. This book was such a powerful and very well executed story about a women struggling to accept that the life she is living is not as perfect as she thought it was and needs to learn how to give in to a new adventure. I really enjoyed the concept of this novel and about a woman trying to consider the new path she wants to take and find her true identity in the process. As a woman there are so many components that makes us who we are and what defines us as a mother, a wife and an individual. I really felt a deep connection to the FMC and her struggles with individuality and her need to always please others in spite of herself. I loved the character development that we see throughout the story and the importance of being true to oneself and enjoy life to the fullest. I highly recommend this book I really enjoyed this book and will definitely continue to read from this author.


Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the advance audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I was thinking it was going to be a cute rom com and it was so much more. I really couldn’t put the book down I enjoyed it so much. It was such an emotional story with lots of growth.

3.8⭐️ Almost 4!
This was such a cute and fun summer romance! And it has a great message to be yourself and do what makes you happy.

Samantha Parker’s marriage is on the rocks after her husband Will asks for an open marriage. They agree to spend the summer separated to figure out what they want. Sam had the intention of going back to him but when Wills best friend and Sam’s childhood crush, Logan, asks her to join him for the summer on a roadtrip for his work, things begin to change.
Throughout the summer, Sam is faced with a lot of truths and realizations. She does a lot of reflecting and soul searching to figure out who she is and what she truly wants.

In the end she will have to make a decision to stay in her past life where she was comfortable and somewhat happy. Or change her future towards the unknown for something possibly greater.

If you love:
💕 Road trip vibes
💕 Friends to Lovers
💕 Husbands Best Friend
💕 Forced Proximity &
💕 Self discovery

Then you will love this book! I listened to the Audiobook version.

The narrator did an amazing job! She perfected the personality of each character and her voice was nice to listen to.

This was a wonderful book about love and life, and I absolutely loved it!

I was hooked on the story of Sam from the first moments in the Texas Roadhouse, and I really enjoyed watching her character arc play out. Will + Logan were perfect foils for each other, + I really think Sam made the right choice at the end of the summer!

The narrator was wonderful and the audiobook was so easy to listen to.

Thank you to the author and Harlequin Audio for my advance audio copy!