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Cruel Summer  By  cover art

Cruel Summer

By: Wesley Southard
Narrated by: Sarah Nessel
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Publisher's Summary

Melissa Braun is a broken woman. Only wanting what’s best for her family, she’s willing to do whatever it takes to mend her fractured relationship with her abusive boyfriend. In a last ditch effort, she hopes the sun and sand of a much-needed Florida vacation will bring them and her son closer together. 

Patrick Braun is a demoralized kid. Quiet and sullen, he only wants his mother to see her boyfriend’s torment as it cripples everything he loves. After years of silence, he refuses to stand by and let the abuse continue to tear them apart.

Hoyt Rainey is a vile man. Unable to keep his hands to himself, he finally takes his anger one step too far. Only this time he finds himself on the receiving end of his own punishment. Down and down he goes, plunging deeper into the dark blue abyss of the sea. 

Melissa and Patrick finally believe they are safe, the trouble now behind them for good. They are wrong. 

Gods never really stay dead - they only lie in wait. And when a beast as old as time discovers Hoyt...he, too, won’t stay gone for long.

The nights grow darker, the water flows colder, and the cruelty of summer lives on.

©2021 Wesley Southard (P)2021 Fireside Horror

What listeners say about Cruel Summer

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Recommend

An abusive man who finally got what he deserved but he is still alive. He is waiting to go after them and take his revenge. This is a good book to read but there is very detailed parts of the abuse this man did to the woman and son. The narrator did a great job in feeling how the characters emotions where while listening to it.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Mythos and Madness

I haven't read much horror involving Greek mythology, but I really enjoyed this story. Great character development and build up of tension.

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Amazing story

Great story with a Greek twist. Highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. Have fun.

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The whole ocean is your enemy

Island vacation gone very wrong. Good unique story with some pretty terrifying scenes. If you have a fear of drowning then this one with get under your skin.
I did not connect with the characters so it was hard to be empathetic with them but the story was strong enough to keep it interesting

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Perfect Summer Read

Looking for the perfect summer vacation book? CRUEL SUMMER by Wesley Southard is it. A mother and her boyfriend take her son on a family vacation. The relationship has been struggling recently and this vacation will help mend relationships, that is the plan anyway. Not everything goes as planned but the love between mother and son cannot be defeated. Sarah Nessel gives a fine narration to help make this a top summer horror audiobook that I will revisit in summers to come.

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Cruel Summer is phenomenal!

I really enjoyed this title! Wesley weaves a fantastic tale that never lets up and Sarah Nessel’s performance is immaculate. She has a crisp and clear voice for each character and you don’t want to stop listening! The characters are vibrant and full of life and Sarah has an excellent ability to make them whole with her voice. Highly recommended I couldn’t stop listening and I’ll listen to it again in the future. Definitely a great summer horror listen.

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  • Missgotty
  • 02-26-23
Listener received this title free

Classic horror

Single mother Melissa is hoping to build a 'proper' family with her teenage son Patrick and boyfriend Hoyt. The only problem is that Hoyt is very abusive, both physically and mentally towards her and her son. On one fateful day, Melissa and Patrick have had enough of the abuse and strike back at Hoyt resulting in his death. But something in the water didn't allow him to die completely, and now he wants to take revenge.

A decent horror story, but I couldn't relate to any of the characters. Melissa showed really bad decision making for most of her life, whether she had good intentions or not, which I found very annoying. However, I do know someone like her IRL so the character is credible. Hoyt's character on the other hand was totally believable.

The book is written in a classic old horror movie style, although I wish more of the God mythology was incorporated in the book.

I was given this book for free of my own choosing and voluntarily left this review.