I love MKA. Her books are always the perfect mixture of sass and sweetness and this was no different. I loved the touch of mystery/intrigue as well. 4 stars.

2.5 rounded up

I liked this book... but it was wayyyy too long. If 100 pages had been cut out, this would have been a much better book. The story was interesting - Lettie was on the run with Maya, her sister's daughter. Her sister was murdered and had always told Lettie it was going to be the result of her ex-boyfriend and to take Maya and disappear. Well, Lettie doesn't do anything that people trying to disappear do. Instead she rents a car and drives to Florida (from New York). She checks into a motel, uses her real name and doesn't disguise herself.

Yet no one notices that she's wanted in New York (????).

Besides that giant plot hole, it is interesting to see Lettie fit in (everyone loves her... it must be nice to be completely flawless). Maya acts a bit spoiled and the swimmie, swimmie, swimmie gets annoying after the 10th time.

If you are willing to put aside glaring plot holes in the "mystery" part of this story, it is a decent beach read. However, it is too long, the dialogue is a bit strained and again, huge plot holes that take away from the story (one would think that with nearly 450 pages, we wouldn't have gaping holes, but alas).

Mary Kay Andrews is an auto buy author for me! Another one knocked out of the park with The Newcomer!

Once again Mary Kay kills it!

I think the book was a bit too long and a slow burn but Mary’s writing is undeniably amazing and left me loving this book.

A quick read with an interesting cast of characters, some mystery, and romance. It was a bit long (for my personal attention span), but a good "escape the cold weather" read nonetheless!

Full review to come on Instagram and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

~~~ I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ~~~

I have put off reading The Newcomer because for some reason the cover really turns me off, I just don't like it, so I was reluctant to pick it up and kept opting for other books instead. That being said, I was for the most part pleasantly surprised by this book. I generally really like Mary Kay Andrews' books and eccentric characters (literally some make me LOL), and while I did enjoy this book overall, I didn't enjoy some parts as much as others, so I'm a little torn on how to rate it. The beginning of The Newcomer had me hooked immediately, there was a sense of drama, foul play, and scandal that drew me in. As I got towards the end, it wasn't as intriguing, the main characters (Letty and Joe) lacked chemistry and some of the "police work" was highly unlikely and unbelievable- but it was entertaining I suppose. Overall themes of this book are family, friendship, starting over, secrets, and trust. I think this book would make a good light summer vacation read, when you're purely looking for something to escape occupy time with while sunbathing.

I will read absolutely anything Mary Kay Andrews decides to write. The queen of the beach read came with a darker storyline this time which kept me very intrigued. I liked the storyline and (most of) the characters. Loved it!

First off thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for this ebook in exchange for my review.

The Newcomer was the perfect beach read to transport me from winter here to a cozy setting in the book. It had fun characters and an easy storyline to follow.

Really the only major downfall is it’s a long book. I struggle with long books. LOL!

Definitely grab this if you’re looking for a cute beach read with done mystery and romance thrown in.

New to me author but definitely won't be last. Thoroughly enjoyed this story. Thanks Netgalley and to the publisher for letting me read this advance copy.

This isn’t the first book I’ve read by this author but it did stray a bit from what I’m used to. I enjoyed it, as others said it’s a perfect beach read. Quick, light, entertaining, and interesting. A fun little read when you need to escape!

I love Mary Kay Andrews but this is a little too much of a departure of her typically Southern books that I've grown accustomed to. Its not a bad thing - just a little too different for me.

This was a perfect beach read mystery. It's an easy read and one you don't want to put down. This was my first read by this author and one I plan to read more of in the future,

Gah! Such a good beach read! This was my first book by Mary Kay Andrews and will not be my last. Loved it!

I think I love just about everything Mary Kay Andrews writes. I love the humor, character building and multiple plot twist she will include. Her books are always delightful and easy to read. This book was longer than some of her others and it did drag just a bit but I still enjoyed the book overall. Mary Kay Andrews writing has a way to draw me in with her witty humor and wonderful settings. I really enjoyed most of the characters in this book, even the cranky, older, retirees that just wanted a room with a view. This book did have more twists and suspense than most of her books which I enjoyed. You can't read this book with the expectation of true to life, you just have to escape to to the little motel in Florida and enjoy the book as its written. You can't help but cheer on Letty and Maya!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I’ve never read anything by Mary Kay Andrews before, but I’ve always noted all the really good reviews that other readers write about her books, so when I had the opportunity to read this one, I didn’t want to pass it up. And even if the storyline wasn’t completely believable, it didn’t disappoint.

Letty’s sister Tanya is mixed up with something and someone dangerous, so when Letty finds Tanya dead on the floor of her townhouse, she grabs her 4-year-old niece Maya and Tanya’s go-bag and starts driving away from New York as fast as she can, knowing that Maya’s powerful father will try to track them down. Tanya left behind a magazine story about an old motel in Florida, so without any other plan, that’s where Tanya heads. What she finds is a rundown motel, a kind-hearted owner, and Joe, the owner’s less-trusting son who happens to be a local police detective.

This is a fun, easy-to-get-through, light romance with endearing characters and enough oomph to the story to keep you turning the page all the way through. Is it predictable? Yes. But, so what. The characters are what drive the story, not the who-will-find-them-first plotline. This is a story of community, friendship, loyalty, and love, which makes for a great summer beach read, and I highly recommend it for anyone in that frame of mind when reading. I can finally understand the hype behind Mary Kay Andrews, and next summer, I’ll make sure to look out for more of her books.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. It has not influenced my opinion.

I always love a good beach read pick and this definitely hit the marker for me. I enjoy this author's writing and will certainly be looking for more from her!

I really enjoyed the storyline and the characters. Tanya and her niece were running for their lives . From who and why? Well you will have to get the book to find out. This was an enjoyable read.

Mary Kay Andrews never disappoints and her latest, The Newcomer is no exception! This is a story that will captivate you from the very beginning and you will just HAVE to know the ending!

I am a huge Mary Kay Andrews fan. As in, I've read every single one of her books at least once. This one was not one of my favorites. Maybe because I was slower getting through it than others. It just didn't really do it for me. I usually love the campiness of her characters and story lines, but this was a miss for me.