A review by bookloverbri
Cruel Summer by Maisey Yates

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Cruel Summer follows Sam, a 40 year old woman, whose life is turned upside down when her teenage sweetheart and husband asks for an open marriage after 22 years of marriage!

When her husbands best friend Logan asks her to drive a classic car across the country she takes the opportunity to get out of her comfort zone. I am a sucker for Taylor Swift so I was intrigued by the premise of the book and the title. When I got into the book though,  I had a difficult time. I did not enjoy how god and essentially what boiled down to purity culture always seemed to seep into everything she thought and did.

The book felt reparative as she examined her life and I wish she would just get to the point. She was a very frustrating character for me. 

I have not read any of Yates other works so I cannot say how this novel compares to them. This one was not my cup of tea. 

The audiobook narrator did a wonderful job with each character and it did keep me engaged which for me is an ESSENTIAL part of an audiobook for me. 

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ALC in exchange for an honest review!