📚ARC Book Review📚

Summers at The Saint by Mary Kay Andrews

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

First thank you to NetGalley for this ARC, Summers at The Saint is available now!

In a small beach town along the coat of Georgia in the low country, there are two types of people. Saints and Aint’s. If you’re a Saint you are a member of the prestigious Saint Cecelia resort, a lavish some destination for the wealthiest of families. If you’re an Ain’t, you either work at The Saint or live in the tiny beach town but lack in wealth. Traci was once an Ain’t but after she married into the Eddings family she became a Saint. Now years later Traci is a widow trying to keep St. Cecelia afloat. Her in-laws are no help, so she recruits a crew from different backgrounds to help for the summer. After a tragedy that hits too close to home, secrets are uncovered and Traci is prepared to do anything to save her beloved St. Cecelia.

I was not sure what to expect from this book. This was my first Mary Kay Andrews book and let me tell you it won’t be my last! While the plot started out slow for several chapters, once it started to move it moved along very quickly and I had such a difficult time putting it down.

I was not expecting so many POV’s (I find it hard to keep track sometimes) but for this book it worked for the most part. There were only a few instances that so many pov’s bothered me but overall the variety really helped to tie the story together.

However, the one thing that bothered me the most was the romance plot, it was clearly given in the book’s synopsis however the actual plot line seemed rushed and completely out of left field with no real build up. It was rather instalove and I haven’t a hard time getting into that trope.

Overall, this was a great summer read and is definitely a perfect beach read! (Especially if you have plans to head to the low country this summer!)

Summers at the Saint is not your typical MKA novel. There is a little bit of mystery and suspense mixed in with a blooming love story and some family drama. This was a quick read that kept me turning the pages.

Need a fun book for your summer trip? Dive into Mary Kay Andrews' latest, set at the Saint Cecelia, a luxurious resort on a private Georgian island. Managed by Traci Eddings, a widow from the resort-owning family, the story kicks off as the peak season approaches and staffing issues abound. Traci converts an old garage into dorm housing to entice staff, and convinces her niece, Parrish, to delay her Europe trip to help out.

Soon, Parrish is dealing with guest complaints ranging from lumpy mattresses to subpar liquor at the restaurant. Then, when a staff member is found dead, the plot thickens as dorm mates turn detectives, risking their safety to solve the mystery. Meanwhile, Traci might just be finding new love.

Though some twists are predictable, Andrews ensures there's a surprise in store. It's a quick, engaging read!!

Hand me a tissue..

Summers at the Saint, is just so much more than a book. It's a feeling.

This book is all too real to be fiction. Id love to ask Mary Kay Andrews, her inspiration behind this tale and if any of the characters were influenced by real life.

I loved this book, I will forever love this book. I already know I'll have to order a second copy as I will read this book until I wear it out and the binding falls apart. This will forever be my go to summer read to kick off my favorite. season.

Being a self proclaimed "thriller enthusiast" with a side love for romance, this book is everything I could have ever expected and more.

Betrayal, mystery and some romance?

You have my attention Miss Andrews.

Summer at the Saint, is multidimensional, engaging and thrilling. I never skipped ahead and not once was I able to put this book down.

Check out this teaser :

Welcome to the St. Cecelia, a landmark hotel on the coast of Georgia, where traditions run deep and scandals run even deeper. . . .

Everyone refers to the St. Cecelia as “the Saint.” If you grew up coming here, you were “a Saint.” If you came from the wrong side of the river, you were “an Ain’t.” Traci Eddings was one of those outsiders whose family wasn’t rich enough or connected enough to vacation here. But she could work here. One fateful summer she did, and married the boss’s son. Now, she’s the widowed owner of the hotel, determined to see it return to its glory days, even as staff shortages and financial troubles threaten to ruin it. Plus, her greedy and unscrupulous brother-in-law wants to make sure she fails. Enlisting a motley crew of recently hired summer help―including the daughter of her estranged best friend―Traci has one summer season to turn it around. But new information about a long-ago drowning at the hotel threatens to come to light, and the tragic death of one of their own brings Traci to the brink of despair.

Traci Eddings has her back against the pink-painted wall of this beloved institution. And it will take all the wits and guts she has to see wrongs put to right, to see guilty parties put in their place, and maybe even to find a new romance along the way. Told with Mary Kay Andrew’s warmth, humor, knack for twists, and eye for delicious detail about human nature, Summers at the Saint is a beach read with depth and heart.

I loved this book and could not read it fast enough! Spending a summer at The Saint seems magical, whether you are a guest (a Saint) or working (an Ain't), but there is so much excitement going on behind the scenes. Following Traci, Livi, and the other stories of the employees of The Saint was so fun. This book was not what I expected, and it was such an enjoyable read!

What a great kick off to the summer! The Haves vs the Have Nots mixed with privilege and deceit, not to mention a murder (I didn't see that one coming). I always say my summers start with MKA and goodness, what a way to kick it off! Summers at The Saint has everything from intrigue to romance. I can't remember a MKA wanting to go back to see what I missed. Thanks to ##NetGalley for the opportunity to preview #SummersAtTheSaint - I loved it and know her readers will too!

This, my first Mary Kay Andrews book, and I can see why she has a following. This is a good summer book with a resort setting, a murder mystery, family drama, and a bit of romance. The setting was great and perfect for a vacation read. The murder mystery was pretty good, and had some layers. The family drama was ever present and added to the pressures for the protagonist. The romantic interest was a bit odd all the way around. The guy himself was an odd choice for a love interest.
The problems I had with the book was that I neither really liked nor disliked the main characters. There were many different genres here, and that can be a good thing sometimes, but overall, I couldn't get totally invested in any of them, (except *maybe* the mystery, but I'm a mystery fan). The book was not a page turner for me, and it took me forever to read it.
In summary, if you are a Mary Kay Andrews fan, go for it. I liked it, but wasn't blown away.

~Thank for to NetGalley and Publisher

Really enjoyed this book. Perfect summer reading! Set at a resort full of mystery and friendship. It was great on audio.

The cover is a bit misleading: I thought this would be a cute, summery, romancey, cozy mystery. It was a fair bit more substantial and darker than that, though. I enjoyed the setting and the characters and the mystery kept me guessing.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.

I didn’t love this one. There were more POVs than necessary, the dialogue was very odd and unnatural at times (this is a complaint I’ve made previously of Andrews’ writing), the love interest was boring, and overall it was just lacking intrigue.

The leap from skimming money (even if it’s lots of money) from the hotel to cold-blooded murder is gigantic, and it just made no sense to me that the culprit(s) would make such a jump.

Overall, it was fine. I’m sure there are plenty of people who will enjoy it, I just wasn’t particularly one of them.

Spoiler below:






What happened to KJ’s drug problem??? All of a sudden his secret was being gay, not being a drug addict? Huh?? Did she forget halfway through that she had given him a drug problem he was covering up?

If you're looking for a light summer read, that's exactly what this is. This is my first Mary Kay Andrews book and I enjoyed her writing. "Those rich kids they're Saints. Y'all are just Aint's." Traci was an "Ain't" working as a lifeguard at the posh St. Cecilia resort on the Georgia coast when she met and married Hoke Eddings, the son of the owner of the resort. When Hoke is killed in a plane crash, Traci becomes the widowed owner of the hotel. She's doing her best to deal with the resort's financial issues, staff shortages, and her evil brother-in-law Ric constantly trying to sabotage her. If that isn't enough, the tragic drowning of a child back when Traci was a lifeguard resurfaces when someone starts investigating if it wasn't really an accident. There are a lot of shady characters working at The Saint and Traci needs to figure out who they are and what they're doing to exacerbate the resort's financial issues. The characters are compelling and well-written and the story, though somewhat predictable, will keep you turning the pages. Thanks to #netgalley #stmartinspress for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this via Netgalley!

2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

Mary Kay Andrews sure knows how to weave together a layered story! This did not at all go in the direction that I expected, but I was along for the ride. Here are 3 things I enjoyed about this story:

1) While this story started out with what felt like 100 characters, they all ended up being pretty darn important. Each played a key role in the book, and it was fun to get to know them.
2) The resort setting is one that I don't think I've read before, and that was just a heckuva good time.
3) I appreciated the age span of the characters in this story - they weren't all teens/early 20's, and they weren't all middle aged. It was nice to have some differing perspectives, backgrounds, and life stages among the crew!

3 things I didn't like about this book:
1) It was about 75 pages too long - it drug way too much in the middle for me. I almost didn't finish it.
2) Some of the language/slang in this book was cringey for me to read. I wanted to die when a middle aged woman used the term "hot guy" for a middle aged man..or when another said, "A younger man? Me likey!" I had secondhand embarrassment.
3) The bulk of the action happened in the last 20% of the story, and while I wish I could say it were worth it, I really just wanted the book to be over most of the time that I was reading it.

Overall, I didn't hate or love it. It was just fine to me. Hopefully her next (probably Christmas) book is better for me!

This is the second book I have read by Mary Kay Andrews and OMG i just love her writing. She kept me entertained through this whole book. I was so excited when I saw May Kay Andrews had a new book. I'm the person that decides to read a book by its cover. So when I saw the cover and the author I knew it was going to be good. What I didn't know was what this book was about. Why read a synopsis when you know it's going to be good?! Well I got a surprise with this one. I thought it was going to be a cute summer story. NOPE!!!This was a mystery thriller story. I had the BEST time reading this book. I didn't want to stop. There was a few twist I did see coming and knew who it was but didn't know how she was going to execute it. This book has some romance in it. The characters were really well written. I absolutely loved the main character Tracy. I would still say this would be a good beach read! I can't recommend this book enough. Please grab a coffee or drink of choice and ENJOY this book!!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

I absolutely loved this book!! I couldn’t put it down.
I just loved all the characters. I highly recommend this book.

Reading a Mary Kay Andrews book is like reconnecting with old friends, even when the characters are ones you’ve never met.

Summers at the Saint was the perfect way to kick off my summer reading. Traci is the quintessential MKA heroine, the setting is perfectly beach, and there’s just enough dark and twisty to keep a reader guessing. There’s some sad elements here too, which I didn’t see coming.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Elements for a great summer novel? A lush, oceanfront setting, glamorous characters with secrets, romance, mystery and great storytelling. Summers at the Saint has them all The pink wedding cake architecture of the St Cecilia Resort, The Saint, sits on its own island off the coast of Georgia. It is the resort of choice for southern families who treasure fine food, golf, a beautiful sunset and activities for their children. But the Saint isn’t immune to tragedy. First the son of a guest drowns, leaving one of the local lifeguards, one of the “Ain’t’s” fired. A dozen years later, death visits the glamorous hotel again.
The Saint, though, is a family business, and the interaction between the jealous family members creates complications for them all. Figuring out who is responsible for the murder, and the survival of The Saint makes this page turning the perfect summer read. Bravo Mary Kay Andrews!
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for the review copy. Summers at the Saint was released on May 7, 2024.

I loved Summers at the Saint. I thought the characters were really good. I thought I had solved the mystery but it was way more elaborate than I suspected. I kind of wish Ric had more of a consequence. The one question I was left with was why did Ric give Hudson peanuts. I know Ric was having an affair with Hudson's mom. I know they said that the peanut allergy was not diagnosed. I think the story could have been slightly better if it was discovered that Ric knowingly gave Hudson the peanuts so he could have his mom to himself. Although it did sound like the whole situation aged him and he will likely drink himself to death soon. I was also a bit suspicious of Whelan. I felt Traci was a little to quick to trust him given everything that was happening. Definitely happy to hear they have a happy ending though. Great book. I haven't read any Mary Kay Andrews before and I will definitely look for other titles by her.

The perfect beach read! It has love and mystery and second chances. You’ll fall in love with Saint Cecilia, GA! Traci is a young (young to me) widower who runs the resort side of the business after her husband passes. She worked at the Saint when she was young and wants to give her employees that same experience. Even with all her good intentions, things just don’t go as planned. Past wrongs come to light, new betrayal starts and in the midst of the chaos, a new love blooms. This books has it all.

I loved Summers at the Saint, a twisty mystery with old friendships and new romances. I loved the characters, with Traci heading the roster as the director of The Saint and her friends and family. I could not put this book down, a great new summer read!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

Hi. Am so very Sorry that I wasn't able to give a review earlier. Had a tough surgery but doing better after 8 weeks of recuperating!

I have to start with the fact that I love Mary Kay Andrews work and beach resort hotel stories and the people that live there, specially the women. It’s a grear summer read. My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read and review this book!

Again, sorry for the delay!