Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC and review opportunity of The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews. I had every intention of reading this, but after the author's recent behavior on bookstagram towards other bookstagrammers that I do not condone, I will not be reading or supporting her work.

After she discovers her sister Tanya dead on the floor of her fashionable New York City
townhouse, Letty Carnahan is certain she knows who did it: Tanya’s ex; sleazy real estate
entrepreneur Evan Wingfield. Even in the grip of grief and panic Letty heeds her late sister’s
warnings: “If anything bad happens to me—it’s Evan. Promise me you’ll take Maya and run.
Promise me.” So Letty grabs her sister’s Mercedes and hits the road . . .

As Mary Kay Andrews recently wrote on instagram post near the end of December 2020, "Dear [person's first name], that book you just devoured in hours and trashed, in minutes, tooth author months to write. you followers are delighting haha! in this trashing. As a fellow author who's been on the receiving end of n'honest review' I can say that it hurts. Deeply. No matter how successful you are, that pain lingers and erodes your sense of self worth. Bud you do you." This was in connection and support to another author openly bashing a reviewer. After I saw this, I wrote NG and said I would not be able to review this due to the mistreatmeant and bullying Mary Kay Andrews was doing to us reviewers but I was told that wasn't possible. The note that came with my approval for this copy asked for honest reviews. I cannot in good faith take my time to read and review a book for someone who does not appreciate the time we put into reviewing. And this deeply saddens me.

Pros - the summary and the cover were nice, which is what drew me to the book.

This is a newer to me author, but of the books I’ve read so far, I really like her books! This one was a bit different than others I’ve read by her, but it was just as amazing as the other ones. Letty and her 4 year old niece Maya are on the run after Letty shows up to pick up Maya for a girls day, only to find her sister (and Maya’s mother) has been murdered. Her sister Tanya had warned Letty that if anything ever happened to her, the culprit would be Evan, Maya’s father and Tanya’s ex-boyfriend and if anything happens Letty is to take Maya and run in order to keep Maya away from him. They end up at a beachfront hotel, and Letty and Maya quickly become like family to the owner. As things heat up and Evan starts searching for them there are some other interesting developments that occur that link Tanya to the hotel Letty and Maya are at. No spoilers but OMG I could not put this book down! So much happened, the characters were all so well written, especially the other guests at the hotel who all end up playing a part in the story. Love love love this one!!

Great beach read...keep you turning the pages and excited about were the story was going. Fun setting and characters!

The Newcomer follows the story of Letty who after finding her sister murdered takes her niece and runs. It wasn't my favorite book. The characters felt under developed and the story line felt like a Hallmark movie or a book I had read before. However, there is comfort in reading a book you feel like you've read before.

I loved that this story was a bit different for MKA! It was set during summer but in Florida this time and had some suspense thrown in throughout most of the story. There was definitely family drama and love which her stories are known for but this story added another layer.

Mary Kay Andrews never disappoints, and her newest, The Newcomer might be my very favorite yet! LOVED this book...has a little mystery, a little romance, and characters that you love and are rooting for. Great book to read on the beach, in the mountains, or anywhere you can. Will hook you from the first page until the last!

Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book has it all mystery, deep family love, quirky characters and some romance. The characters where believable. This is going to be a great summer read when it comes out.

This book had me hooked from the first page! My curiosity was piqued, keeping glued to each page. The author reveals answers to gripping questions as the story layers are slowly peeled back. While you are trying to determine who did it and what happens next, the author wraps you in a wonderful cocoon of family created at the hotel. A menagerie of misfits that just fit, each adding to the story in a way you would never suspect. The varying personalities brought realism and definite humor! I found myself really enjoying their antics. I greatly appreciated that the plot kept me on my toes, was suspenseful and intriguing. This story is a romantic suspense, but really to me, it’s mostly about family or the family that is formed by the bonds developed amongst the hotel regulars. A well told and captivating read!

Letty grabbed her niece, 4-year-old Maya, and the to go bag her sister Tanya instructed her to take if anything happened to her. Tanya is dead, most likely killed by her ex and powerful but corrupt Evan. Tanya, not wanting to relinquish custody of Maya, informed Evan she would talk about all his illicit activities if he threatened to take Maya. Letty found an out of the way motel in Florida and is hiding out. The manager loves having Letty and Maya there but her son, detective Joe. feels there is something going on. This book is wonderful! Warm romance, mystery that will keep you guessing, thriller as Letty is discovered, and full of humor as the residents who stay over the summer at the motel believe they own the place. Everyone is enchanted by Letty and her niece Maya.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of The Newcomer!

The Newcomer fell a bit flat for me. Somehow it felt both hurried in its plot yet too lengthy. We meet Letty and Maya as they've arrived in Florida at The Murmuring Surf, "on the run" after discovering Letty's sister and Maya's mother, Tanya, dead in her NYC apartment. It takes quite a bit of time for the plot to unravel without much happening in the meantime. Once we finally get to the resolution of the plot, it doesn't feel very satisfying. Unfortunately, this is a novel where the description of the plot makes it sound a lot more exciting than it really is. It ended up being much less of a "whodunnit" than it was made out to be.

There are many remaining questions about characters that aren't quite fleshed out, especially with Rooney and Evan. I don't need realism in my beach read since MKA's books are always an escape for me, but the characters' behavior was often inconsistent with their status in life or previous experiences (ESPECIALLY Joe - I don't want to say too much because it would spoil things, but his complete dismissal of a BOLO about a presumed kidnapped child is disturbing...). I didn't particularly like any of the characters. I usually love MKA's female leads, but I just didn't connect with Letty at all. It didn't feel as if she was the main character; I ultimately knew more about Tanya by the end of the book than I did Letty.

I'm hoping MKA's next release will offer her usual characters with more depth and a plot that isn't so convoluted.

I throughly enjoyed The Newcomer! It’s a beach read, family drama and murder mystery rolled into one. I felt an immediate connection to the characters, their pain, fear and emotions. The moments of suspense kept me reading and turning pages to discover how it would end.
4 stars.

The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews will definitely be a hot book for Summer 2021.

Letty finds her sister Tanya dead, and she knows she has to go on the run with her four-year-old niece Maya. She knows this because Tanya warned her before she died that something might happen to her, and if it did, Letty should blame her ex.

From that start, readers follow Letty and Maya as they flee to Florida where Letty will meet a cast of characters, including potential love interest-slash-local police detective Joe.

It's the classic mix of love and intrigue from Andrews. It's perhaps a bit long, but it'll be an enjoyable summer read for fans.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

The Newcomer is another great book by Mary Kay Andrews. It follows the main character as she flees NY with her sister’s daughter after she finds her sister dead. She heads to Florida to hide out in a little motel after finding the name circled in a magazine article of her dead sisters. Her journey brings her south as she strives to grieve with her niece while trying to figure out what happened to her sister. Great book! Definitely had some surprises in there!

The Newcomer is a novel by Mary Kay Andrews. It has a main character named Letty who is on the run with her 4 year old niece. She began running after her sister was brutally murdered. She runs to a motel in Florida where the owner befriends her and helps her and the niece who's name is Maya. The mystery was easily predictable and that's ok. The characters were very likable. I laughed throughout the book at the small town vibe I felt. It was a good read I just felt like the story drug out for way too long. It was an enjoyable beach kind of read, but it definitely could have been a hundred pages shorter. I got a little bored toward the end. Thank you NetGally for the chance to read this!!!

The Newcomer: A Novel by Mary Kay Andrews was an excellent read. Ms. Andrews has been a very good author but her last two novels have shown a definite growth in her work. I would definitely recommend this book as well as Ms. Andrews previous novels.

Absolutely loved The Newcomer. The setting was a fun little motel on the coast in Florida. My parents and grandparents were snowbirds in Florida, so it was especially fun to read about all of the Bingo games and shuffleboard games, etc. I loved the development of the snowbird characters. I think it really captured their lives down there.

The Newcomer was part romance, part mystery. I highly recommend this book and would love to join them at the motel for a week sometime.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for an ARC of this book.

I love Mary Kay Andrews, so I was thrilled to receive an ARC of this book. Sure enough, within the first couple of pages, I breathed a sigh of relief. Instantly engaging, Andrews once again proved that her books are like sitting down with an old friend who's about to tell you a fascinating story. This book has it all. An overarching mystery, characters who you fall in love with, and a quirky beach community. I loved ever last word. Thank you, Mary Kay Andrews, for continuing to share your talents!

Mary Kay Andrews has out done herself this time! This is a beach read with a thrilling twist. This book is like enjoying the beach BUT watching out for the sharks in the ocean at the same time.

In this book, Letty quickly fleas New York with her niece, Maya. Letty doesn't really know where she is going but she is taking the hint from her deceased sister as to where they may be safe. Letty and Maya find themselves in a roadside ocean front motel in Florida. Letty quickly becomes friends with the motel owner and finds a small room to live in while they are trying to start their new lives. Letty tries to keep to herself because she doesn't want the summer motel residents to know what they are really running from in New York. The longer they stay at the motel, The Murmuring Surf, they more Maya and Letty become comfortable. Everything breaks loose when the people they are running from find them in Florida. Ava and Joe, the motel managers, find out who Letty really is and why she is running.

This beach read has everthing and more! I highly recommend The Newcomer! (I will have to say this is one of my favorites by Andrews.)

Mary Kay Andrews’s ‘The Newcomer’ is a book that’ll make you wish you were sitting on a beautiful Floridian beach. Its strengths lie with its mystery/suspense elements, which take the foreground in this particular narrative. The romantic elements, on the other hand, feel kind of forced.

Letty is on the run. After her sister, Tanya, is killed, Letty knows she has to save her niece, Maya, from her father, who Letty is convinced killed her sister. Enter the The Murmuring Surf Motel and its compassionate owner, who allows Letty to stay if she cleans up the extra motel unit they were using as storage. As Letty and Maya begin to establish a new normal, she still finds herself sleeping with one eye open. It doesn’t help that the motel owner’s son happens to be a cop.

This is my first time reading an Andrews novel, and I have to say that I found the story to be fairly predictable. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, mind you, but it just fell a little flat for me. I connected more with the peripheral characters in the novel than with Letty herself. And the sudden romantic connection between Letty and Joe just seemed to come out of nowhere and didn’t have enough depth to warrant its inclusion. I think this may have worked better as novel if the ideas where honed and the word count tightened.

That being said, it’s a nice little escape read with just enough suspense to keep things interesting. I imagine that if you’re already an Andrews fan, you’d heartily enjoy this novel.


An ARC was generously provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest review.