Mary Kay Andrews is one of the top chick lit/romance writers. I was taken to The Saint, I could see the glamour of the hotel, the beauty of the surrounding, and when she describes the sunset, it came to life for me.

Romance is a small part of the story; the murder mystery and family drama is the main part of the story. I was intrigued by the family drama and felt like it was portrayed as real life would be. When money is involved, life can get messy. Traci was the bigger, smarter person than the Edding’s family gave her credit for. She was willing to fight for what was right and stand up for her employees that were faithful to her.

This is a different type of Mary Kay Andrews. There is a lot going on in the book, at times it may have been more than needed. But I love every word of Summers at The Saint. The book entertained me, took me to an beach hotel, and introduced me to some amazing characters.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for a copy of the book in via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

It’s always funny when you think you are getting a cutesy summer read and end up with a murder mystery. I was not expecting there to be such tension that unfolded in this book based on the cover, but this one was a roller coaster!

The St. Cecilia Hotel (also known as the Saint) has been entertaining some of the richest coastal clientele for generations at the hands of the Eddings family. Now, a widowed Traci Eddings has been tasked with running the hotel – which is no easy feat.

Between staffing issues, difficult guests, and financial troubles that threaten to ruin the hotel’s luxury reputation, Traci pulls together a crew of promising employees to help her revive the Saint experience. But when a tragic death pulls attention, her brother-in-law threatens to take everything from her, and shady dealings come to light, it seems all of the cards are being played against Traci and her beloved hotel.

There were a lot of characters and sub-plots happening here that kept me entertained. It felt like every chapter there was something new being introduced – which some may find chaotic or hard to keep track of, but I felt it helped to really drive the plot forward.

That being said, there were a lot of elements of this that were completely predictable. Even the twists that were trying to be “surprise” elements I could sniff out happening from a mile away. I find that chick lit disguised as mystery tends to be like this for avid thriller readers, so I’m not all that surprised, but that’s the reason why I am giving this an average rating.

Still a fun, summer read, but something that I think I will forget by the time September rolls around.

In “Summers at the Saint,” Mary Kay Andrews masterfully weaves a tale that transcends typical genre boundaries, blending elements of romance, mystery, and women’s fiction into a captivating narrative. Set against the backdrop of the iconic St. Cecelia hotel, Andrews delves into a world where tradition collides with scandal, and where the past casts a long shadow over the present.

At the heart of the story is Traci Eddings, a widow determined to restore the Saint to its former glory despite facing myriad challenges, from staff shortages to familial betrayal. Andrews’ journalistic background shines through as she skillfully crafts a multi-layered plot filled with twists and turns, keeping readers on the edge of their seats until the very end.

What sets “Summers at the Saint” apart is its rich cast of characters, each with their own secrets and motivations. Through multiple points of view and a series of well-executed flashbacks, Andrews brings these characters to life, making it impossible not to become emotionally invested in their fates.

But perhaps the true strength of the novel lies in its portrayal of female relationships. From Traci’s bonds with her friends and family to the camaraderie among the Saint’s staff, Andrews captures the power of women supporting women in a way that feels both authentic and uplifting.

Final Thoughts:

“Summers at the Saint” is a must-read for fans of women’s fiction and mystery alike. With its compelling storylines, well-developed characters, and evocative setting, it’s a book that lingers in the mind long after the final page is turned. Whether you choose to read the print version or listen to the audiobook, you’re in for a treat.

4.5 stars (rounded up to 5)

Thank you to St Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the ARC of the book and audiobook. The thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

Thank you to St Martins Press & NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Mary Kay will absolutely remain my Queen of Summer Romance! The settings, the characters, the unique storylines, she nails it every single time and Summers at the Saint was no exception!

This will be a must read this summer, so go ahead and throw it in your beach bag!

I was so excited to read another one of Mary Kay Andrews’ books and this was definitely worth the ride! I didn’t expect to go on quite the wild roller coaster! I absolutely loved many of the characters and felt super connected to the story and the outcome!! I would absolutely love to see more in this world, but with the epilogue, I’m not sure we would! Add this to your summer reading list!

I absolutely LOVED this book! I also listened to the audio as well as reading the E-ARC and I highly recommend doing that! The story is about Traci Eddings and her husband died in a tragic plane accident so she takes over the St.Cecelia hotel in coastal Georgia also known as "the Saint." Traci hires new staff in order to better the hotel and its guests. There are many scenarios throughout the story unfortunately that lead to solving a murder mystery. This book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I felt like I was really in each scenario! As the story escalates you find more and more information about family throughout the story and why they did what they did. This is such a GREAT beach read as it does take place at the beach! Highly recommend!!

I was able to pair the audiobook with the ebook and loved this novel. It’s true Mary Kay Andrews writing style. Her twists surprised me and I fell in love with the characters. The narrator chosen, Kathleen McInerney, always makes me think of MKA, she’s been used for several books. Such a great choice for Tracy in this book too.

Let me start by saying there are a lot, A LOT, of characters introduced in this novel. They all have a twisted detailed past and it feels kinda like being zapped, mid-season, into a soap opera. Mary Kay Andrew books usually have a mystery to solve, sometimes that includes a murder/homicide, sometimes it’s an item or persons secrets. Ingram this case the “murder” surprised me. She surprised me with the who, the how, the why, all of it.

This is a fantastic beach read for the summer or a quick vacation. The audiobook is perfect for long flights or car rides. Highly recommend Summers at the Saint.

I went in a bit blind to this. From the author and the cover, I was expecting a light vacation read. This is not it. It is about the investigation of a death of a small child which veers very far from my typical reading. To be fair, I didn't dig deep into the description but was expecting something totally different. I found it very hard to read and really struggle with bad things happening to kids, especially when it is discussed frequently. I know others will be able to disconnect and enjoy it, I just couldn't' finish it. A Rom Com book disguised as a Whodunnit.

Mary Kay Andrews can do no wrong. Every book you pick from her you know it’s going to catch your attention and leave you wanting more, this one was no different. I loved the romance mixed with a little bit of murder mystery, it’s the perfect beach read!

This is a classis Mary Kay Andrews and I loved every second of it. I really enjoyed the mystery aspect of it, and though for a while I thought it didn't have a huge place in the story, but as everything came together it ended up being so perfect. These characters were great, and hopefully we get a little bit more in this world. This is the perfect beach read.

Summers at the Saint is women's fiction combined with mystery and some romance. It is a family drama set on a tiny private island off the Georgia coast.

The Saint Cecelia (known as the Saint) is a beach resort and country club. The Eddings family owns the Saint. The book features a cast of characters (some rich and some poor).

The book has quite a few POVs including Traci, Parrish and Olivia. Traci married the good Edding (she is now a widow). Parrish is her niece. Olivia/Livvy is a waitress.

I enjoy when books are set at fancy hotels. The setting and the romance were both so fun.

The book features a big mystery that was mostly easy to figure out (but still super enjoyable). However there were definitely a few wow elements that I absolutely loved.

I really liked Traci, Livvy and Felice (a chef). A bunch of the male characters were terrible, including Ric (Traci's late husband's brother).

Overall this is a fun summer read. Mary Kay Andrews is the queen of this type of book. I definitely enjoyed it.

What is summer without a new Mary Kay Andrews book? Summers at the Saint reads like a MKA book, but at the same time has a totally different feel than all her other books. The cover looks like her usual light hearted books, but this one packed way more than I would have expected. I loved the characters and how the story ultimately played out. At times I thought I had things figured out, but MKA would throw in a twist I didn’t see coming.

Thank you Netgalley and St Martins Press for an advance copy of “ Summers at the Saint”. Mary Kay Andrew’s books always feel like a summer vacation that you’ve been looking forward to all year. Like all of Andrew’s books, this one takes place at a beautiful resort in the South that has been around for decades and is THE hotel to summer at. Traci has always loved the hotel from a young age, and ends up becoming CEO. She goes through numerous ups and downs trying to maintain the hotels five star rating, from murder, past suspicious occurrences and finding the perfect staff. You have no choice but to root for Traci. This novel had more mystery than other Andrew’s novels, but I loved it just the same.

3.5 Stars

Summers at the Saint was vastly different than the books I normally read, which are primarily romance. However, I’d heard good things about Mary Kay Andrews and the cover is stunning so I figured why not?

I used to really enjoy a thriller but then I had kids & am now a sensitive lady who needs to keep the anxiety low and be able to sleep at night you know? This was just enough suspense to keep me interested but not enough to keep me up at night or freak me out. I really thought Summers at the Saint was going to be a fun little chick-lit with some romance sprinkled in but it read more like a tamed down telenovela & really took me by surprise. There was mystery, family drama, secrets, a bit of romance, friendship—it was really a mixed bag.

Overall, I enjoyed Summers at the Saint and it was fun to read something so different for me. However it was slow moving and I had a hard time staying motivated to read. It took me almost ten days to read which is insane for me! I’m still glad I read it but was it my favorite? No. I think a lot of people will love this book though including my grandma. It’s a cozy mystery without being scary or traumatic with a lot of characters.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of Summers at the Saint in exchange for an honest review!

This is one of those cautionary "Do not judge the book by its cover" reads. The cheery cover, and the blurb, made it sound like a feel-good beach read. I picked it expecting that. However, what I got was a murder mystery, with a great many POVs. I'm not fond of murder mysteries, especially murder of the innocent.. This mismatch between expectation and reality made this a difficult read in spite of the vivid setting and the author's fine prose.

This was my first Mary Kay Andrews book!! I buddy read this with Julie, and I’m glad I did. It’s so fun trying to figure out things together. I’ll admit, we figured some things out pretty early on. It was still an enjoyable read.

The Saint is the place to be, but it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Like many other family businesses, this has a lot of history, lies, and secrets. Traci came from nothing and is now trying to keep it from going under and losing the hotel. Of course, she has to contend with grouchy, rude, and gross family members she married into. Not only that, but Traci is also still grieving her husband. Her grief was a strong presence throughout the story. She’s finally got a plan to make The Saint have a comeback, but then a murder happens. Here is where the story takes off.

One of the things I enjoyed about this was all the different POV’s. There are so many, more than I normally like. Somehow, she managed to pull it off, and it added so much more to the story. We also get some of the past thrown into the timeline. Even though Julie and I figured out many things, it was still fun to see it play out.

I picked this one up because of the cover. It seemed like a light beach read! I couldn’t have been more wrong. There are many darker turns than I expected. Some of these characters go into a dark place, but you can’t blame them. Some dark secrets come out, and it makes sense.

Overall, I thought this was a good read. The story itself is very predictable, but it was still enjoyable. It was my first by this author, but will not be my last!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an e-arc! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It started out 5 stars for me. I was enjoying the characters and setting but there were a ton of characters to keep track of and the story kind of came off the rails about 1/4 of the way through. Also, her writing just isn't very good. It was way too long. It would be a fun book to enjoy by the pool but overall it's just fine.

Rating: 4.5 ⭐️
Pub Date: May 7, 2024
How I Read It: 📱

Synopsis
The St. Cecelia, aka The Saint, is the premiere resort on the coast of Georgia that holds a long history of family traditions. It’s also family owned, but with a recent passing of one of the owners, the resort seems to be going downhill and is bleeding money. But why? Can the staff be trusted? Will hiring new employees help turn things around? Find out as you meet the interesting characters who work at The Saint.

My Thoughts
This book was really good! MKA is such a great storyteller, and I always love the locations/setting in her books; they are my FAVORITE summer beach reads! This book was no exception. It was wonderfully written and was a page turner! I loved the main characters and the book had a few shocking moments/twists that added to the mystery of it all! If you’re looking for the perfect beach read this summer, pick this book up! You won’t regret it!

Final Thoughts
MKA’s books are always thick/long, but don’t let that deter you! Her books will hook you and you will be flipping through those pages like crazy to find out what happens in the end! I REALLY wanted to give this one five stars, but I had to deduct a 1/2 star for the swearing at the beginning of the book. It didn’t add anything to the story, and I felt the book could have gone without it since, it basically did continue on without it. It was just odd that it was thrown in there.

❗️Of Note
📝 Family Drama
📝 Murder / Death
📝 Drugs / drug overdoses
📝 Swearing


Themes:
🔍 Mystery
🏖️ Beach Read

Ratings
Characters: 5 ⭐️
Pace: 5 ⭐️
Enjoyability: 5 ⭐️

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

Mary Kay Andrew’s books are always delightful reads but Summers at the Saint brought a new dimension to the delight factor due to the mystery embedded throughout the story. The then/now strategy is used flawlessly in telling the story of Traci and Shannon who were working at a summer resort as teens when a tragedy occurred that changed their lives. Years later another tragedy occurs and the secrets of the past, and present, are slowly revealed. Interesting characters, a fabulous setting, two mysteries, a little romance…all together add up to another delightful engaging read.
Many thanks to Mary Kay Andrew’s, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this engaging read, published on May 7th.

Traci Eddings was working as a lifeguard at the famous St. Cecelia, when she met her husband, who happened to be the owners son. Now, her husband has been gone for 5 years, killed in a tragic plane accident, she is trying to revive the Saint to its former glory. She is working with a staff shortage, so she brings in her Niece and daughter of her former best friend. Then, a terrible tragedy occurs that opens up old events that had happened at the hotel.

This is a great beach read! Ms. Andrews has created wonderful characters along with suspense with a little romance thrown in. The perfect combination! I highly recommend this one!

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.