Sneak Peek: Cruel Summer by Maisey Yates
Get ready for a summer unlike any other — a fresh start, a journey to self-discovery. Add this to your TBR and save when you need a reminder that it’s never too late to begin again.
I’m grateful to have received an advanced reader’s copy of Cruel Summer via NetGalley!
The Sneak Peek
Prepare yourself for an unexpected love triangle.
First, there’s Sam and Will. They’ve been together since they were teenagers. They’ve raised their children and with their last one off to college, they’re facing empty-nester status. Unfortunately, their visions for the future diverge.
Will says he loves her, but he’s unhappy with their life because it was essentially decided for him with their teenage pregnancy. On the other hand, Sam is overwhelmed, explaining the depth of her feelings, sharing how much she’s loved him. Will says he wants choices, but he basically strips Sam of hers.
This introduces us to Sam and Logan. It’s clear from the beginning that there’s something there — a truth, mutual respect within their relationship that I’m not sure even Sam understands. And it’s clear that she’s caught off balance from her interactions with Logan because he has no filter, he just is. It’s refreshing and eye-opening because it’s the opposite of the life she’s lived with Will for the past 20 years.
Sam has spent her life making decisions for everyone else, but what happens when she starts making her decisions for herself? No inputs from external parties, no opinions to validate her choices, a fearless acceptance to pursue what she wants. Rather she has the freedom to treat herself with kindness regardless of the outcome for those decisions. It’s a completely new way to view life — a reminder that a clean slate can come in small steps and it starts with being honest and open with yourself, taking other people out of the equation so you can focus on your needs, wants. Your truth.
When a summer break with new rules reshapes Sam’s life, what roads will she travel down?
What Victoria Loved
VICTORIA’S RATING: 3/5
I was immediately stunned. This is what happens when I read a synopsis before I add to TBR and not again before I read the book. But boy, was a hooked from that first sentence!
We view this rather traumatic experience from Sam’s perspective and we’re thrown into the depths of her introspection. The prose drifts into stream of consciousness, rambling thoughts as Sam navigates this new life stage and realizes that somewhere along the way she lost herself (or did she ever really know herself to begin with). It’s challenging as you’re forced to think about your choices and the life path you’re on as Sam contemplates hers.
Have you been living your life in a way that reflects your wants or what’s expected of you? Has it been shaped by someone else’s values? Driven by fear or motivated by passion?
And what happens when you find the person that supports you in that journey, that grabs hold of your hand to keep you steady when it feels like the floor beneath you is crumbling, then grabs a hammer and nails to help you put it all back together? And what if he wasn’t who you thought he would be?
I think Sam’s internal monologue was so realistic it became frustrating. It was repetitive as she cycles back to the same moments in time, the same arguments… but that’s what happens in real life, doesn’t it? We ruminate, we revisit, we baste the turkey of a belief with the same rationale over and over until it’s cooked and looks different from where we started… And as that evolution cooks, I guarantee you’ll get frustrated with Sam. Heck, I wanted to just take her shoulders and give her a good shake to open her eyes and accept the conclusions I saw from the opening paragraph.
But this is her journey. Every insecurity was surfaced, every issue or detail that Sam ignored or avoided in the past 20 years was examined— she left no stone unturned. And in the end, she prioritizes herself. Faces those fears, insecurities and accepts that she can’t continue to hide. And that’s all we could ask for.
It’s raw, it’s real. If you’re in need of a good frustrating scream, this might help you get it out.
Pre-order your copy of Cruel Summer (Amazon) and read with me!
Favorite Scene
“It’s not news to me that you’re a fantasy of mine, Samantha.”
- CRUEL SUMMER by Maisey Yates
Similar Reads & Recommendations
MARRIAGE IN CRISIS: Ever After Always (Bergman Brothers #3) by Chloe Liese (Amazon)
The Bergman Brothers are another family you’ll fall in love with the same way you fell for the Ryders. And while we are so used to the HEAs (or the route there), sometimes it’s not all unicorns and rainbows. This second-chance explores a marriage in turmoil, a journey back to love and gentle partnership.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 3/5
ROADTRIP: PS: I Hate You by Lauren Connolly (Amazon)
Transparently, I picked up this book because of the cover… I was not at all prepared for the emotional destruction that ensued, but when the story opens on a funeral, well that should have been warning enough. Through his will, Josh (the deceased) grants a second chance to Maddie (his sister) and Dom (his best friend), but there might be wounds too deep to repair. This is your warning that your heart will swell, your stomach will swoop, your inner traveler will twitch to book a trip, and your tear ducts will run dry. You’ll want to grab your loved ones and hold them tight.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 4.5/5
IT’S ALWAYS BEEN YOU: Powerless (Chestnut Springs #3) by Elsie Silver (Amazon)
Imagine spending your whole life pining for your best friend… only to watch her fall in love with someone else, only to see her in a wedding dress ready to walk down the aisle toward someone else. The characters in Powerless may not get as far along life as Cruel Summer, but it will remind you how it feels to open yourself to loving your favorite person.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5
BY THE AUTHOR: This is my first book by Maisey Yates, but I’m looking forward to reading more of her work!
Until the next chapter!
xo, Victoria
P.S. Craving more books featuring these sub-genres, tropes, and themes? Tap the links below.
