I was lucky enough to read an ARC of this book. Boy, what a page turner! This book takes you on a very unpredictable, suspenseful journey of Letty Carnahan and her 4 year old niece, Maya. I've always enjoyed books by Mary Kay Andrew's, and, just like the others, this one did not disappoint! I highly recommend this book!

Look! I don’t know where I got the idea that Mary Kay Andrews was an author of romance books but, she’s NOT! I just finished The Newcomer and that is not just a romance book. It is about murder, love gone wrong, swindling old folks, robbery, kidnapping and the list goes on. This was my first novel by Ms. Andrews and it won’t be my last. This was a fabulous book. I’ll certainly be looking for more of her work in the future. 

Everything was just right. I’m not kidding. Just enough romance, enough crime, enough of the old folks butting in and complaining. I never felt overwhelmed by any one aspect of the book. You know how sometimes you want to say “just get on with it”? I never felt that. I didn’t feel like I didn’t want to continue. I kind of felt like things would work out but then I wasn’t totally positive about that either. I guess what I’m trying to say is this was a well crafted story from beginning to end. 

If you are a fan of Mary Kay Andrews, you will want to make sure you get your hands on a copy of this book. If your like me and haven’t read her books, this one will be a great place to start! 

I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher and #Netgalley for a fair and honest review. Thank you!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews.

I'm a big MKA fan and she is on of my favorite beach reads authors. I like that her books are more than a fun romance, there is usually a little bit of mystery thrown in with a fun cast of characters.

Letty's sister always said, if something happens to me, it's Evan. Take Maya and run. Promise me.
So when Letty finds her sister Tanya, dead she takes 4 year old Maya and leaves NYC with and ends up in at a in a Florida beach town at the Murmuring Surf Motel. But people are out looking for Letty and who can she trust as she tries to solve her sisters murder? Letty offers to help out at the motel in exchange for a place to stay.

The snowbirds who stay at the motel are some of my favorite characters. This is a fun, women's fiction with a bit of a mystery and a side of romance!

I know this book has had a lot of great reviews but I just could not get into it. It fell flat for me.

My first novel by this author, but regrettably it was a miss for me.

I really love the cute cover and thought the premise of a little romance and a little mystery would be a fun little page-turner (like the synopsis promises), BUT I found it slow, and there really wasn't much a mystery.

Predictable and long (at 448 pages), I really wanted to get invested in the characters, but again, I wasn't engaged and dreaded picking up the book. Would have DNF'd it, but I almost always will finish an ARC.

I've heard wonderful things about the author, and will definitely give another title a try. I'll check my library and see which ones appeal to me!

Everyone is different, so this may be your next favorite. It just wasn't mine.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Letty is single, 33, an ex-aspiring actress... she leaves NY with her 4yr old niece, Maya, in tow.. on the run... her sister, & Maya’s mother, murdered. Letty finds solace at a beachside motel in a touristy Florida town. Joe, a cop, and son of the motel owner, has some suspicions about the newcomer. Full of mystery, suspense, and a bit of romance... The Newcomer is the perfect read for this upcoming summer breezy nights.
Publication Date: May 3, 2021

Secrets, secrets, and more secrets. How many did Tanya have, and who killed her?

Tanya told her sister Letty if something happened to her to take her child and run and to not forget the stash of cash. Tanya didn't want Evan to take their daughter.

When Letty found Tanya dead, she did exactly what her sister told her to do, but now she is on the run and is a suspect in her sister's murder.

Letty drove to The Murmuring Surf Motel and made it her home, but would she be able to hide in this welcoming place forever?

Evan had hired a detective and was determined to find Letty and have her put in jail and take his daughter with him.

Unknown to Evan, Tanya had hired an attorney to make her will. The attorney was looking for Letty so she could give her the inheritance her sister left her.

Letty doesn't want to be found by either the detective or the attorney because she knows neither will turn out well. Her sister couldn't have any inheritance or could she?

Letty learns to love being at The Murmuring Surf Motel even with all the grumpy snow birds because her landlady Ava was the best. Her son Joe wasn't bad to look at either.

THE NEWCOMER was a delightful and at times comical read even though there was a murder and some unsavory characters.

If you enjoy being at the beach, finding new friends and a new home, seeing a character blossom, and seeing how things turn out for characters, this book will be for you.

Totally enjoyable….terrific, heartwarming story line and great characters.

You won't want to stop reading and will be cheering for Letty. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Perfect beach read! Loved the plot and the characters. Lettie was such a great aunt. Could not put the book down!

I was very disappointed to not love this book. I usually love MKA! However, I could not get into this story. I suspect it is because it starts a bit abruptly, without really understanding all the motivations of the characters. I hold hope that the next MKA will be a win for me though!

Thanks to publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

“Promise me. If something happens to me, promise me you’ll take Maya and run…”

After discovering Tanya’s brutally murdered body, Letty Carnahan recalls the chilling words from her sister and vows to bring justice to the person responsible. That person, Letty knows is non other than Evan Wingfield, a rich and powerful man and Tanya’s former live-in partner.

Panic stricken, Letty quickly packs up Maya, the go-bag that Tanya left for her and heads out to the motel that Tanya had a brochure of — The Murmuring Surf Motel.

The Murmuring Surf Motel isn’t the most welcoming, and surely the sinister vibe leaves Letty wondering how the motel is involved with Tanya’s death. Something worth investigating.

The Newcomer is a very entertaining novel. It is a mystery/thriller with a smattering of romance. With fun, quirky and mysterious characters set in the retiree mecca of Florida, it is the complete package for a perfect “beach read.” The plot is well executed with enough twists and turns that will keep the reader engaged until the end. A solid five stars.

I received a digital ARC from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

This was just FUN! I usually prefer my stories much darker, but for some reason, an accident maybe?, I requested this one. SO glad I did! Letty's sister dies, leaves a daughter and cryptic clues, including an article about The Murmuring Surf hotel. Letty runs with Mya to that Florida location and of course danger and mystery follow. I absolutely loved Letty, Mya AND Joe! He seemed like a guy I would totally be into! All of the weird characters at the hotel were a hoot, also! I think I will go back and read some others from this author. She has a million to choose from!
Thank you to #NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Mary Kay Andrews for this mood-lifter of a novel!

Will Mary Kay Andrews ever let us down? No. This book was delicious and the absolute perfect beach vacation read. It was action packed and intriguing. She is the queen of chick lit.

Again an emotional whodunnit summer romance that may sound like a weird mix but is just what you expect from Mary Kay Andrews

Letty is on the run with her four-year-old niece after her sister was murdered much probably by her ex-husband. She reaches The Murmuring Surf motel and needs to beg the owner for a place to stay, because for some reason that's the place her sister's emergency bag had, although Letty has no idea of the reason. With the police after her, she has to starts her life away from New York and making sure the owner's policeman son doesn't figure her out.

3.5, but rounded up because it was complex enough and had me turning pages crazy to find out how it would end.

I've become a big Mary Kay Andrews fan and this is a solid release that won't disappoint you if you've read any of her latest works. And as I usually say when reviewing her books, it's highly recommended for those who like romances but needed them seasoned with something else. In this author's case, and for this book too, it's usually solving a murder.

I feel I've been more puzzled to find out who did it in other books by her, but while the mystery itself didn't get that much of a plot twist (well not in the who, at least, because there was a couple of reveals that made me gasp) this one had a complex drama intertwined. I guess it comes with all the small child who lost her mother possibly to her dad but her aunt is the main suspect, but I still felt it at times. Beautiful but still heartbreaking.

As for characters, I can't say I didn't like Letty but she was probably the one I cared less about. Joe, on the other hand, surprised me as a hunk—I mean, a very dependable book boyfriend. All the guests in the motel along with Joe's mom were super fun too, without feeling like too many names (I'll confess I didn't memorize each of their names, but it didn't get in the way at least), I loved Joe's sister and her friend as well, and as expected little Maya was uber cute.

Yes, the book is about solving a murder, but it's still a breezy read for this summer. I don't think those who aren't into romance books will enjoy it much and this isn't anything that'll blow your mind, and yet it's still well above average. Whether you already know this author or not, I recommend it to those in need of a romance with a side of something else.


Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

The Newcomer is vintage Mary Kay Andrews. The quirky beachside motel setting is reminiscent of her novel, Savannah Blues. There is mystery, romance, and friendship. The Newcomer is a classic light read, perfect for an escape from reality or a sunny day at the beach.

This was a wild and wacky murder mystery. This was a bit darker than the other books I have read by this author and I LOVED it. It was a quick read - I finished it on one sitting as I was unable to put it down. I really enjoyed to characters at the hotel. It enriched the story and made it even more engaging.

Mary Kay Andrews, once again, did not disappoint. Although there were no surprises in this book it was very entertaining. I enjoyed the character development. This is a book about how family doesn't necessarily mean blood relations.

After the murder of her sister, Letty goes on the run with her niece, Maya. They head to a small hotel in Florida named the Murmuring Surf. There they find refuge, friendship, and love.

Excellent read. I highly recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance copy!

Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book. It is the first book by Mary Kay Andrews that I have read. I knew about her but had never picked up a book by her until I got hooked on watching her Friends and Fiction Facebook chats. This was a great story. I loved Letty's character who showed grit and determination to keep her niece safe from her brother-in-law. I loved Joe's character who comes off in the beginning as judgmental and harsh but really is a kind and caring guy. I also loved his mom who takes everyone in under her wing but also the eclectic group of characters who live at the motel all winter long. This story while having the underlying suspense of a murder, it also has con artists, eccentric seniors and romance. What an all encompassing story. I will be sure to pick up more of Mary Kay Andrews books after reading this one, it was a great read!!

I'm sure this book will be a must read of the Summer! Word is out that movie rights are being sought already for this book! This is another book that you know pretty much 4 chapters in what will happen, but like all books Mary Kay writes, you are just so enchanted with the dialogue and TRUE TO LIFE characters, that you don't care if you figured out the outline already- you WANT to be on the journey, as the characters walk it! Letty is the survivor in all of us, and her trek to the coast makes sense. While her sister's past may be not what she thought, finding out and getting past it, is the only think that will help her move on and provide a life for Maya. A perfect mix of chick-lit and cozy mystery, this is a super quick read that will charm you too!

This one kept me from the reading from the first word. Mary Kay Andrews has a way of engaging with audience with a bit of chick-lit, mystery and she throws in a bit of romance too. Just when you think it’s going to slow down, it picks up.

This is a great little book with interesting story and characters. While it isn't anything brand new in terms of girl meets boy it does have an intriguing storyline and mystery to keep you turning pages.