What a better beach read than a book set at the beach! This book has it all, humor, romance, suspense and sense of family. The Murmuring Surf is one of the last motels on the Gulf, developers are grabbing up the coast line for condos, it one of those places people come back year after year, tradition. Letty finds herself and her niece running away from a murder scene in New York to stay away from her niece's father the implied murderer an article leads her to the quaint motel Murmuring Surf to find a connection with her dead sister. With the characters of the snowbirds, motel owner and local cop and her adorable niece made this a very entertaining read!

I love MKA but unfortunately this one wasn’t my favorite. I liked the premise and the first 2/3 but the book was WAY too long and a huge part could have been condensed to make the story move along quicker and be more enjoyable to read. A massive editing could have been done to make this work. I found myself skimming huge portions just to find out what happened. I hope to love her next book as much as I have loved previous titles!

What an awesome book! I felt like I was on vacation while I was reading it! Letty and Maya's adventure at the Murmuring Surf was captivating. There was a little mystery and a little romance thrown in for the perfect balance. I will definitely be recommending this book as a summer read to my friends!

I love Mary Kay Andrews books & this one is just as amazing as the previous books!!!!!!!!! This author is the queen of southern fiction & in my opinion the best in the genre. She is one of my authors who I never read the sypnosis before getting the newest book!!!! I already know I'm going to love it i highly recommend this book to everyone

I am torn over how to feel about this one! On one hand, it brought a smile to my face at the end and I was invested into what was going to happen to Letty and Maya but...on the other hand, I felt like the book could not decide whether to be a dark mystery novel in which our heroine is dealing with the trauma of a murdered sister or a whimsical, beach read about an eccentric hotel community. My brain was confused.

As stated, it was easy to root for Letty and Maya as characters and hope they would stay safe. I wanted the best for them and was committed to their story. Also, their friendship with the The Murmuring Surf residents was precious in a lot of ways. I grew particularly attached to Ava, the hotel owner. She might have been my favorite character. That all said, I was not a fan of the mashup of styles in this book. It felt like too much and I think also impacted the pacing in this one because there were parts that I felt could have easily been summarized.

Also, I can see why Joe was still single at 38! Was that the point? He is semi-awkward and not in an endearing way. Poor thing. I cannot lie, I laughed a little at the romance between Joe and Letty just because of Joe. It was a little much. But you know what? Now that I think about it, maybe that awkwardness is endearing.

I feel about Joe kind of how I feel about this book - mixed emotions! All that aside, both actually brought a smile to my face and so despite all of these flaws, I think I have settled on the fact that this is ultimately a charming read. It is flawed, but charming.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Letty’s sister had always told her that if something ever happened to her that it would be at the hands of her ex, Evan, and that Letty should take her daughter, Maya, and run so that is what she did when she discovers her sister’s body one day. Letty flees with Maya to the Murmuring Surf Motel just outside St. Petersburg, Florida. In exchange for housing, she begins working at the inn and she and Maya slowly begin to adjust to their new life. The owner of the motel has a son, Joe, who is a police detective and a daughter who babysits Maya in the afternoons. Initially Joe is suspicious of Letty and discovers that Letty is wanted for questioning in regard to the death of her sister. As Joe’s attraction to Letty grows, he believes there is more to Letty’s story and rather than arresting her, becomes protective towards her. Meanwhile, Evan is on the hunt for Letty as he wants his daughter back.

My thoughts: I have read most of Mary Kay Andrew’s books and while they are not Pulitzer prize winners, I have enjoyed them as a relaxing read where I know I don’t have to concentrate too much (a bit of a palate cleanser between literary fiction tombs). I found her newest to be a disappointing outing in her repertoire and I’m not sure if I can really put my finger on why. I did enjoy the setting of the motel on the beach but found Letty’s and Joe’s characters to fall a bit flat and I didn’t really care what happened to either of them. By the end, I was just glad to finish it and be able to pick up a different book. If you haven’t read any of Mary Kay’s books, don’t let this review dissuade you as she has written some entertaining ones and would suggest Ladies’ Night or Sunset Beach.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lettie Carnahan is the newcomer at the Murmuring Surf motel on Treasure Island Florida. She is fugitive on the run with her four-year-old niece in tow. Her sister Tanya made her promise that if anything happened to her that she would take Maya and run. When the nightmare became reality, Lettie finds herself accused of murder and kidnapping. Everyone seems skeptical of the newcomer, especially the motel manager’s son Joe who happens to be the town's detective. Can she evade the law, protect her niece and clear her name?

I just adored the guests of the Murmuring Surf that Lettie finds herself surrounded by. I was able to picture the long-term guests in detail. Some.of them reminded of my own realities. Mary Kay Andrews created the perfect blend of heartwarming and heart-pounding. I loved the imagery and definitely want to stay somewhere like the Mumering Surf. I also loved how strong Lettie's character was and how she did whatever was necessary to take care of her niece, protect and provide for her. The Newcomer is a great summer read.

Thank you, NetGalley, for my ARC

As a huge fan of Mary Kay Andrews, I was very happy to see a new book by her, The Newcomer. Mary Kay Andrews writes books that draw me and keep me interested until the very last page, and this one did not disappoint. In this story, we meet Letty from New York City as she is arriving in Florida on the run with her four-year-old niece, Maya. In Florida, she meets a whole crew of kooky, wacky, and fun characters, locals to the motel, one of which becomes her love interest. These two have crazy chemistry and I loved the romance aspect of this book. The story is billed as a mystery and it is a bit, but not a big one. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was so sad when I read the last sentence, I am anxiously awaiting MKA's next book!

4 1/2 stars....

There was so much to love about this book. The character development was top notch. Ms. Andrews described these characters in so much detail, that I felt as if I knew them. I loved Letty and Joe's slow burn romance. The residents at the motel were such a great cast of characters. Then there is Maya. What a little cutie!!

In addition to fabulous characters, The Newcomer had an inventive and creative plot. It did boast a few surprises along the way. However, for the most part, this was just a well-written novel that I found enjoyable and easy to relate to. It's an easy read that's just perfect for a beach vacation.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

I am fairly new reader of Andrew's work. I was eager to this read "The Newcomer" but unfortunately, everything about the book was flat for me. From start to finish, I was hoping I would connect to either the storyline or one of the characters. Nether happened. I also don't really feel as if this is a Summer read. It just didn't give me that summer vibe like some other books due. While this one wasn't a hit with me, I am still going to give her other work a read.

Reading The Newcomer reminded me of eating one of those colossal entrees served at the Cheesecake Factory.

- Wow, this looks great!

- Mmm, this is really good.

- Geez, it seems like I’ve barely put a dent in this.

- Oh man, I’m running out of steam.

- Seriously, who needs this much of a good thing?!

Hopefully you get my point, regardless of if you’ve had your own trough, I mean plate, of Crusted Chicken Romano or not.

This the first book I’ve read by Mary Kay Andrews, which makes me - you guessed it! - a MKA newcomer. From what I understand, it’s a little different than most of her other books primarily due to a slightly darker tone and subject matter. A woman, with her 4-year-old niece, is hiding out in Florida from her sister’s baby daddy after he kills her and is looking for said 4-year-old.

I did enjoy the light and snappy writing style, but in case it’s not yet clear, this book is just too long. The mystery and romance aren’t entirely original either, and the characters are somehow simultaneously cliched and unbelievable. The Florida motel setting is great though, and something about it gave me southern Schitt’s Creek vibes.

Would I read a Mary Kay Andrews book again? Absolutely. I’d just want it to be a smaller portion.

Letty and her sister, Tanya, had a rough childhood and many decisions are made from that trauma. The story begins with Letty finding her sister murdered and based on Tanya’s instructions, she took Maya and left town to hide.

I loved Murmuring Surf motel in Treasure Island, FL and all of the retirees that live there at various times each year. There is such a wide variety of personalities with some that are friendly, some that are a little kooky, and a couple that are downright cranky.

Letty begins to work at the motel helping Ava and they schedule a wonderful plan to take care of Maya - sometimes she plays in the office, Isabella spends time with her, making arrangements as needed each day for Maya’s care. Ave comes to depend on Letty with her marketing ideas, computer assistance, keeping the motel running daily and for events.

All the while, Letty has several secrets and as time goes by, she begins to share part of the details with Ava, Joe and Isabella. There were secret texts and calls to New York as Letty continues to hide and keep Maya safe.

Isabella’s high school friend was a great help with some technology that really moved the story along and gave a heightened intensity to the story.

Maya was such a cutie and hilarious with her comments, fluttering her lashes, and more.

There were times I wasn’t quite sure who to trust or not – Joe? Sammi and others in New York? Vicki the FBI agent? More and more criminal activities come to light and things heat up, leaving me to wonder what would happen next.

I didn’t really feel a strong connection between Letty and Joe so there’s not much romance in the story. It still had an ending that had the criminals handled and a great future for Letty and Maya.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this new work.

I was provided a free copy of this book by @netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
In this one Letty is on the run with her four year old niece after finding her sister dead! What a way to start a book!
The storyline of this one was pretty interesting, and had a few twists I didn't see coming. I'd say it's a little more serious than some of Mary Kay Andrews' other books, but still a fun Southern book!
I took away from two stars for some editing/style aspects of the story. It definitely could have been shorter with some stuff not as drawn out. The big relationship although obvious also seemed very unexpected. There was not enough progress from "I don't like you" to "let's make out"! 😂 Another small issue I found was when a character kept being referred to by their name in one sentence, and then their job title the next. Like, "Susie walked across the room. The FBI agent picked up the phone." But Susie (name changed to not spoil anything) and the FBI agent are the same person. It kept making me think there were more people in the scene.
None of that is a big deal, and can be overlooked for the rest of the storyline. I thought it was a good story overall and it kept my attention!
This book comes out next Tuesday (May 4th), so add it to your TBR if it sounds like something you'd be interested in!
#TheNewcomer #NetGalley

3.5 stars

Mary Kay Andrews writes compulsively readable stories, and this is another one. The book opens with heroine Letty and her 4 year old niece Maya on the run after the murder of their sister/mom. Letty had been warned by her sister to take Maya and disappear if anything happened to her.

They wind up in a small Florida coastal town at a throwback seniors resort motel. They soon settle into the small family/community while waiting for the other shoe to drop. Ava, the motel owner, soon becomes a surrogate mother to Letty, and her son Joe, a local police detective, is torn -- he is attracted to Letty but knows she is a fugitive.

The plot is pretty improbable, but it's an easy book to keep reading since Andrews makes you care about the characters. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

rounded to 4.5 stars

As anyone who knows me knows, I absolutely LOVE Mary Kay Andrews and have faithfully read every book she's ever written since the early 90s! MKA never fails to write the perfect summer/beach read and The Newcomer is no exception. This is the perfect blend of mystery, murder, secrets, family drama, and a little romance, all set in a perfect southern summer setting.

Letty is on the run with her murdered sister Tanya's 4 year old daughter Maya and Tanya's "go-bag" full of money. Tanya warned her sister weeks ago that she was afraid her ex Evan was going to kill her and if anything happened to her, Letty needed to run with Maya as far as she could go because Even wouldn't stop until he found them.

The two end up in Florida at a motel called the Murmuring Surf, which Letty picks because she finds an old magazine article in Tanya's things with an ad of the motel circled and wonders why it was important to her sister. When she arrives, she's befriended by the motel owner, Ava, who lets her stay there even though there's no vacancy (letting her clean out a unit that's full of junk). She even gives Letty a job although not all the retirees and snowbirds who've been staying at the Murmuring Surf for decades are thrilled to have the newcomers around, especially a kid amongst the old retirees! Not to mention Ava's son Joe is a cop and pretty suspicious about Letty showing up out of the blue and knows there's more to her than what she's telling--it's not long though before his attraction for Letty overcomes anything else.

This was such an enjoyable read, as all MKA's books are! The characters were just fantastic, and I was utterly charmed by little Maya! The secrets and lies that were exposed as Letty looked for answers into what happened to Tanya kept the story suspenseful without making it too dark, too heavy, or too deep for a summer read. There was just the right amount of mystery and suspense to keep you flipping pages while still making you feel like you were sitting by the beach or pool, especially thanks to the gorgeous setting MKA describes this time! I did feel like the romance in this one was a little rushed between Letty and Joe just because it was instant instalove when one minute it seemed like Joe really disliked her but since it was love at first sight for my hubby and me when I was 16 (almost 3 decades ago, wow), who am I to say anything about insta-anything! I did LOVE the ending though, swoon!

Once again, the queen of the beach reads has done it again, so do yourself a favor and pick this one up for summertime reading! It releases on May 4, 2021!

Thank you NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for the DRC. All opinions are my own.

I love when things just go well for everyone. This book has enough romance, enough whodunit, and enough beach scenery to be just what I needed to read on my weekend at the lake. I hope you love Letty, Maya, Joe, and the cast of regulars at Murmuring Surf just as much as I did. I may just try to find this place!

A totally enjoyable beach read with a little bit of everything – mystery, romance and humor all wrapped into one. I enjoyed the eclectic cast of characters and multiple storylines that were layered in making for a fast, excellent read! Definitely recommend for the upcoming summer season – I was ready to make my own trip to the beach and the Murmuring Surf by the end of the book.

Mary Kay Andrews has perfected the "beach read." Her novels are always the perfect blend of beach settings mixed with a bit of romance and mystery. The Newcomer is no exception.

Lettie Carnahan is a fugitive on the run with her four-year-old niece in tow. Her sister had made her promise that if anything happened to her that she would take Maya and run. When the nightmare became reality, Lettie finds herself accused of murder and kidnapping. A mysterious, old, magazine clipping found in her sister's belonging has her headed towards the Murmuring Surf motel on Treasure Island, Florida. Can she evade the law, protect her niece and clear her name?

I read this in just a couple of days as I never wanted to put it down. I have a soft spot for novels with elderly people and I just adored the guests of the Murmuring Surf that Lettie finds herself surrounded by. This book was a perfect blend of heartwarming and heart-pounding. I felt that the relationship between Joe and Lettie was a bit forced. There didn't seem to be a true build-up and I felt that Joe was a bit aggressive especially considering the circumstances surrounding Lettie and Maya. Otherwise, I still enjoyed Joe's character and I was happy to see how it all worked out. I loved the imagery and definitely want to stay somewhere like the Mumering Surf. I also loved how strong Lettie's character was and how she did whatever was necessary to take care of her niece, protect and provide for her. The Newcomer is a great summer read.

Another WINNER from this author!! Letty, Joe, Isabelle, and Ava are people I wish I had in my life...not to mention the loyal NYC friends who come to the rescue in their own way. The one night’s sleep I lost was worth it because I just HAD to find out what was going to happen. The story moves along at a good pace with new characters entering as story progresses. Thanks to #NetGalley and #TheNewcomer for this advanced digital copy.

“TᕼE ᑎEᗯᑕOᗰEᖇ” ᗷY ᗰᗩᖇY KᗩY ᗩᑎᗪᖇEᗯᔕ
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
ARC from Netgalley: Release Date: 05/04/2021
Book 74 in 2021

Something I enjoy about Mary Kay Andrew’s books is there is always a little mystery and romance built into the contemporary storyline.
When Letty finds her sister murdered she takes her four year old niece Maya and leaves New York to a small Resort town in Florida. She ends up at the Murmuring Surf Motel where she is introduced to Ava the owner, her daughter Isabelle (high school
Senior), and son Joe (town cop.) Ava takes her and Maya in as an extended resident in exchange for Letty becoming the new assistant manager and referee between the oldies that reside at the Motel for months at a time. Ava finds herself feeling like family to these strangers, but can’t shake the nervous feeling that her sisters murderer will find her and Maya. Letty suspects Maya’s father is the one that murdered Tanya, but she doesn’t have proof. She ends up finding out her sister had many secrets and some of her secrets were connected to the Murmuring Surf.