This was such a fun beach read. Mary Kay Andrews always has the quirkiest characters. This was a fun, suspenseful book. I always look forward to reading her books. Did not disappoint.

Summer doesn't feel like summer if it doesn't start with Mary Kay Andrews!! The Newcomer had me wanting to pull up my beach chair and umbrella in the Florida sun along with Letty and the other residents of the Murmuring Surf. This time the mystery surrounds a main character on the run with a preschooler in tow. Readers will enjoy putting together the puzzle pieces of Letty and her dead sister's secrets. As with her other novels, the story is also rich with local characters in a small, Florida coastal town that the reader will love. Fans of Mary Kay Andrew's are in for a treat and a beach read you can't put down. Thanks so much to #NetGalley for the opportunity to preview #TheNewcomer by Mary Kay Andrews!

At first I really enjoyed this book. I do not like romances that are chalk full of "gush" (yay this one was light on "gush") and having some crime drama in the mix certainly did not hurt. I really got into the first 50% of the book and then I realized I was only 50% in at 200 pages!

For a "beach read" this book was over 450 pages! A little to dense for my liking. Don't get me wrong I love me a big book, but not when it comes to light hearted beach reads. I think this book would have been a home run with a little editing/scaling back,

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin Press for allowing me receive this arc in exchange of an honest review.

I really enjoyed this one! The Newcomers is full of love, family, sketchy exes, secrets, murder, and a cast of quirky seniors. What else could you want? I really loved the story that Mary Kay Andrews developed around The Murmuring Surf and the mystery of what REALLY happened to Maya's mom. The characters were all so vastly different and really made this one special. Get your copy. I honestly expect The Newcomers to be a top "beach read" this year.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the opportunity to read The Newcomer in exchange for an honest review.

A Sister's Love Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free-A Quick Review
The Perfect Tool for mysteries is a hint, quote, warning, or note that is "If Something Happens to Me, XXXX Is The One Who Did It."

So when we have the dead sister, Tanya, on the floor, with the sister Letty, finding her...that type of warning about the ex, Evan, is ringing in her ears. It causes her to take Tanya's daughter, Maya, and run.

And run she did, right to the motel of an article she saw in Tanya's grab bag. The torn article was a sign and Letty believed in signs. She runs to this mom-and-pop motel in Florida.

The Murmuring Surf Motel has no vacancy but somehow the mom of the motel decides to clear out the old room that was now being used for storage. Letty is very thankful and she and Maya settle in trying to handle their pain and move on. What isn't a blessing is the son, Joe, as he is the police, someone on the run never wants around.

This is unique, fun, has heart, and a little romance. Everything a Beach Read Needs.

Title: The Newcomer
Author: Mary Kay Andrews
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
@stmartinspress
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

The Queen of beach reads, Mary Kay Andrews, is at in again with her new book The Newcomer. Part mystery, part contemporary and now I’m ready for summer!

“If anything bad happens to me . . . it’s Evan.”

Letty and her four year old niece, Maya are on the run after she found her sister Tanya dead on her NYC townhouse floor. Letty is certain she knows who did it: Tanya’s ex and Maya’s dad, Evan, a sleazy rich real estate investor.

Letty takes her sister’s packed “go bag” of cash, a diamond ring and a magazine article for a vintage sleepy mom-and-pop motel in Florida. The Murmuring Surf Motel is full of shuffleboarding, bingo playing regulars that dub Letty The Newcomer. Boy are some of these guests a hoot! I was LOL’ing frequently!

The Murmuring Surf Motel turns out to be the perfect place for her catch her breath and figure out her next move. There she meets and befriends the owner Ava and her children Isabelle and Joe. Joe just happens to be the local cop and might be suspicious of Letty. But his instincts tell him to follow his heart instead.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was my first Mary Kay Andrews book and it won’t be my last! I really enjoyed it! My only complaints is it felt a tad long at times, having not one but two mysteries and a side love story! At times as a reader I felt unsure of it’s genre identity- women’s fiction, contemporary, mystery, domestic suspense, comedy, romance... It was a little bit all over the place! But that’s just a personal preference.

Thank you @netgalley and to the publisher @stmartinspress for honoring my request to read and review this eARC. It’s out TODAY May 4th! #netgalley #thenewcomer

I have been reading Mary Kay Andrews since she was known as Kathy Hogan Trocheck, and this is another winner for her. I love her small town fiction and in particular when there is a small old fashioned beach motel involved. No one quite does secondary characters quite like Ms. Andrews. For that matter, all her characters are fleshed out well and one of the reasons I love listening to her books is how it plays like a movie. Letty and her niece Maya are running away from NewYork and land in the small beach town of Treasure Island and to the small old motel The Murmuring Surf Motel where they are taken in by Ava, who owns the motel, her family of Isabelle and Joe, and all the winter snowbirds who come every year. Mysteries ensue, as Joe falls for Letty and Letty tries to stay under the radar.

Kathryn McInerney does a great job not only reading the story, but giving each of the characters a distinctive enough voice to be an enjoyable listen. I highly recommend either reading or listening to this wonderful story.

Letty Carnahan discovers her sister Tanya murdered, and Letty knows she has no choice but to grab Tanya's 4-year-old daughter Maya, & the go-bag Tanya kept hidden in her closet and run and not look back. Tanya had been in a bitter custody battle with her ex Evan, and warned Letty that if anything happened to her it would be because of Evan. Inside the go-bag is a lot of cash & an ad for The Murmuring Surf Motel in Treasure Island, Florida. Because it must have meant something to Tanya, they head there, and Letty discovers not only a refuge for herself and Maya, but a link to Tanya;s past that Letty knew nothing about. Meanwhile, the owner's son Joe happens to be a cop, and since Letty is running from Evan and possible the law then she has a lot to lose if he starts digging at her past.
I am a huge fan of this author and this new book did not disappoint. This had everything you could want in a beach read - a bit of a mystery (who really killed Tanya), a little love story (Letty and Joe),a lot of good laughs (you can thank the regulars at The Murmuring Surf Motel for this), great storyline, and the perfect beach setting. This is one book that you can not leave off your beach reads list.

It is not quite beach time in Illinois, but this is a wonderful beach read. The setting of Florida, the beaches, the quaint hotels are all perfect. I love that Mary Kay Andrews wrote a book that is a fun beach read but it also has suspense, mystery, and romance.

The sweetness and uniqueness of the residents of The Surf had me laughing and enjoying life. I liked the quirks, the fun they had, and most of all I loved how they all came together when things got tough. Letty was not instantly liked but she very quickly became part of their mismatched family. Little Maya was instantly taken into their family, she was protected and loved. Her rough life in New York was kept a secret but they knew that her past gave her nightmares and instinctively knew that she needed them all to gather around her and make her life as full of love as possible. Joe… oh Joe. He knew something was off with Letty and Maya but he also realized that there had to be more to the story. He took the time to get to know them, learn their secrets, and trust them. In that time, he opened his heart and took a risk on Letty.

I will always recommend Mary Kay Andrews. She is a must-read author. With each book I find a beautiful setting, an amazing story, and wonderful characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this novel.
This novel by Mary Kay Andrews transports you to Florida and I definitely wish to be right there now 🙂 However this novel is predictable and the mystery is not a mystery at all. Having said that there is really something charming about all the characters of Murmuring Surf. Could have been a little shorter novel but I did enjoy reading this breezy read.

Another great MKA book. This is a great story line with characters who may make you laugh, cry, and want to take someone out. This is one of those that I wanted to keep reading. You may find a surprise or two as your reading, which always makes it interesting. I love Letty, Maya, Ava. They are my favorites, but I really like some of the others too. Of course, I really disliked some of them, all helping to make for a great story. I loved this story and I think you will too. I received this book from Net Galley, but my opinion is my own.

When you have been reading romantic fiction for over 40 years, you have seen almost all of the plot possibilities. The Newcomer features one of my favorites-feisty heroine in distress who falls for a lawman of some kind. That said, I consider it a testament to Ms. Andrews writing skills that I read this with anticipation for every page, plot twist, and quirky character.
When Letty goes on the lam with her niece Maya after her sister, Tanya, is murdered by her boyfriend, she ends up in Florida at a place her sister apparently had some fond connection to....more on that later.
Of course, the first person she meets is hunky lawman Joe DeCurtis. Joe is the son of the Murmuring Surf' s owner Ava, who takes pity on Letty and gives her a place to stay in the sold out motel. Of, course it's almost the size of a storage shed and full of crud that has been there for many years, smells and is tiny, but it's a place in her budget.
Letty spends her time clearing out the room, getting to know Ava and the cranky residents of the Surf, and finding herself increasingly attracted to Joe. Joe figures out pretty quickly that something isn't on the up and up but reserves the right to wait and see.
When it turns out that Tanya's connection to the Surf is actually a bad one on sooo many levels, Letty is conflicted. She and Maya are happy and relatively safe so she also decides to wait and see.
I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. The characters are great, the romance goes from tentative to hot, the bad guys do their bad thing and cause problems for everyone, and yet it all works out in the end of course! If only Ms. Andrews could have snuck in a secret baby.....

I have always been a fan of Mary Kay Andrews books, and The Newcomer did not disappoint. This is a quick beach read that offers a little bit of everything, murder, mystery, thriller and romance. I was immediately drawn to the characters and the story line. The book opens with meeting the main character Letty as she is fleeing New York city with her niece after her sisters murder. Letty is a main suspect in the killing of her sister, but it is evident that the father of her niece should be the main suspect. We follow Letty to Florida as she tries to put the puzzle pieces together of what happened and what her sister was really involved in and with who she was involved with.

Throughout the book we meet so many different characters and their importance to the story. MKA does a wonderful job of weaving all the stories together and how each person affects the next. It reminds me of six degrees of separation.
I highly recommend this book, especially if you are looking for a book to escape reality. You will get lost in the story and the characters.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Wonderful Beach Read!

Scarlett "Letty" Carnahan discovers her sister Tanya dead, when she goes to pick up her 4 year old niece Maya for a visit. Tanya had warned Letty that if anything happened to her, that she should grab Maya, her stash of cash and jewels, and run because her murderer would be Evan Wingfield, crooked Real Estate Entrepreneur, and Maya's father. Letty takes off and finds a magazine in Tanya's bag featuring a hotel called the Murmuring Surf in Florida, and thinks that Tanya wants her to go there for safety. Ava DeCurtis is the owner, and welcomes them to the hotel. I enjoyed the grumpy retirees who came yearly to the hotel, and how Letty, and Maya won them over, as The Newcomers. Joe DeCurtis is a Police Detective, and suspicious of Letty, and discovers her secret early in the story, that Evan is accusing her of the murder of Tanya, and kidnapping his daughter. Secrets are revealed regarding who Tanya really was, as well a several plot twist. A plan is devised to entrap Evan for the murder of Tanya, so Letty, and Maya will be free to live their life. I enjoyed the slow building of the romance between Letty, and Joe, and Letty's caution of getting involved, while raising her niece who has been exposed to emotional abuse. I found that to very realistic. The really enjoyed the twist and turns and the surprise ending to the story.

Letty Carnahan found her sister, Tanya dead in her New York Townhouse. Letty knows who did it - Tanya's ex, Evan. Her sister had previously told Letty, that if anything should ever happen to her that Even was responsible and she wanted Letty to take Maya, her four-year-old daughter and run.

And run she does, all the way to Florida and the Murmuring Surf Motel. There is a no vacancy sign, but Letty agrees to clean up the room they are using as storage and she and Maya move in, much to the disappointment of the Motel's regulars who tell Letty that no children are allowed - not at the Motel and not in the pool when they are swimming laps.

Hoping to stay under the radar and stay safe, things are complicated when Letty and the Motel owner’s son, Joe begin to feel an attraction. Will Letting and Maya be safe at the Motel? What will happen when people see the news programs and announcements about Tanya's murder and May being missing?

I agree with the other reviews who have pointed out that this book was too long. I believe it could have benefitted with some editing. I feel that a good 100 pages could be eliminated without changing or affecting the story. Although, I enjoyed this book, I did not love it. I kept picking up other books while reading this book. The synopsis was interesting - a woman takes her niece and runs after finding her sister dead. She hides out at a motel while being looked for. Sounds like the premise of a movie as well.

Plausibility is one thing. I did have to suspend some disbelief while reading this book. Another issue I had was feeling detached from the characters. I did not really feel invested in Letty and Maya's plight. I feel ambivalent about the romance mainly due to not feeling connected to the characters and not feeling really any longing or attraction between the characters.

Enjoyed it but it did not leave a lasting impression. I think this would work nicely as a beach read.

Others are enjoying this more than I did, and I encourage you to read their reviews at well.

I received a copy of this book from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com

Letty Carnahan is on the run with her four-year-old niece Maya. Her sister has been murdered, her sister’s ex is hot on her trail and Letty has to get out of town. The only thing she has to go on is a photo of a motel in Florida she finds in her sisters "go bag". When she arrives, she finds an old motel, a pack of retirees and a police detective who seems to hang around more than he should. Will this quirky bunch accept Letty and Maya even when they find out her secret?
I absolutely loved this novel by Mary Kay Andrews. It had a murder mystery, hidden pasts, family secrets and a hint of romance. The main characters were so well written that I was drawn into the story by the second page. I did appreciate how the story focused on keeping Maya safe at all costs, and how Letty puts her life on hold, which made the story believable. The supporting characters that were staying at the motel were so humorous that you could not help but smile at their shenanigans. This was a five star plus read for me. Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Mary Kay Andrews and Netgalley for a copy of the book to read and review in exchange for my honest opinion.

THE NEWCOMER is a great page-turner of a beach read. Letty escapes with her niece from NYC after discovering her sister has been killed. Letty and Maya are on the run, desperate to figure out what has happened and hoping to build a new and safe life for themselves. they head south and end up at a seaside motel where they begin to make friends and sort out the details of their tragedy. this is a fun book that I’d recommend adding to your beach bag this summer! 4/5⭐️—I liked it!

I posted a review of this book on Instagram on release day.

In THE NEWCOMER, Mary Kay Andrews shares the story of Letty, a woman on the run for all the best reasons. Before her sister Tanya's murder, she begged Letty to keep her four-year old daughter Maya safe. Abandoning her life in New York City, Letty flees with the child to a small beachfront motel in Florida. There, Letty learns terrible truths about her sister that put Letty and the girl in jeopardy in a place where Letty has begun to settle in and relax. Breathless in parts, laugh out loud funny in others, this story is Andrews at her best, tugging the heartstrings while making it beat harder. I received an advance reader copy of this novel from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my unbiased review.

This is a Contemporary/Chick-Lit/Suspense/Women's Fiction. This is a very slow moving story. I have to say it took me a little bit to get into this book, but once I was pulled into this book I could not put it down. I love to say I really love the mixed of different types of characters in this book. I really fall in love with the little girl, Maya's character. She was just so cute. I love the setting in this book. I have to say the romance was not really anything, so I would say do not pick this book up looking for a romance. I think this is more of a Women's Fiction with a lot of suspense. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (St. Martin's Press) or author (Mary Kay Andrews) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

4.5 stars! I loved this storyline and how this book was a mix of mystery and romance. It kept me on my toes and I was hooked right from the start. I thought the author did a great job with the character development but I did find that the romance part needed a bit more of a build-up, it was a little too out-of-nowhere for my taste. I switched from book to audiobook and I think I actually preferred the audiobook. The narration was great. It was an escape read and I was rooting for that happy ending. Overall, very enjoyable! I highly recommend checking this one out. It’s the perfect beach / summer read!

Thank you to the publisher and @netgalley for providing a free advanced copy of this book & audiobook in exchange for an honest review.