Once again Mary Kay Andews has written a kick-butt read. Summers at the Saint is about a very exclusive summer resort. It is located just off the mainland attached by a bridge. The island consists of luxury houses and a large hotel nicknamed the Saint. There are golf courses and pools and the beach as well as many other summer activities. Most of the workers are from the nearby town and are nicknamed the aints. The hotel is run by the Eddings family, specifically Traci Eddings. She was an aint (townie) that married one of the Eddings' sons. After his death, she took over running the hotel.

The story, however, does not just rotate around her. The other members of the Eddings’ family as well as some younger people who work for the Saint are all key characters The story focuses on two summers, the present summer and one around twenty years ago. The characters and the storyline seem to connect the two over a tragic event in the past. As always there is more going on than what seems obvious. Shady dealings with some employees, a string of customer complaints and then a death.

Summers at the Saint kept me enthralled right up to the end of the story. I found myself amazed at the peridies of the rich and famous and their righteous indignation at the workers of the resort. I was also amazed at the various ways people can get money in nefarious ways.

Mary Kay Andrews’ newest book is an awesome read.

This summer mystery focuses on the secrets and scandals at a southern resort in Georgia, resulting in two suspicious deaths at the location 20 years apart.

I went into this one thinking it would be a little more light-hearted, but it's definitely darker than I expected. There were some twists that shocked me, and then other reveals that I definitely saw coming. There were a lot of characters to keep track of in the beginning. I did get used to it, but it was definitely a little overwhelming at first. I wasn't particularly invested in the romance that developed, but I did enjoy the found family aspect and the focus on female friendships in the novel.

Overall, it's a solid vacation mystery to pick up and take with you to the beach or the pool.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this eARC, in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

The story grabs your attention from the start. It was a fun and entertaining read. I definitely didn’t see where this one was going but I like it that way. This was the second book by Mary Kay Andrews I've read and I can't wait to read more.

One thing about Mary Kay Andrews is that she will make a book feel completely different than I thought it would be! In the best way possible! I loved how this was a "beach read" but a murder mystery at the same time. I loved it!

Told in multiple points of view with an ensemble cast, Summers at the Saint transports us to the Saint, an exclusive luxury resort, where we're granted behind-the-scenes access into the drama of the family-owned hotel. I could not put this book down! Its large entwining cast of characters and unexpected twists had me absolutely hooked! I definitely recommend this book for anyone who loves an exciting vacation read: a captivating whodunnit mystery with a touch of romance!

This book was an excellent beach read, but perhaps if you wanted to take a few naps. My first by Mary Kay Andrews, and it had a whole lot going on, but the overall pace was quite slow. The imagery, however, was excellent and it certainly inspired some summer vacations to the coast!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I was expecting a rom com beach read but was pleasantly surprised by the wonderful cast of characters whom made this book so much more! The setting is posh but most of the characters are relateable and likeable. The author weaves a tale of family secrets, mystery and crime that took me by surprise. I enjoyed every minute of it! Of course we are given some romance and it fit the book perfectly. I appreciated having some characters from different walks of life and different ages. This fictional place is somewhere I would love to visit! Thank you Netgalley for the chance to review this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars

[ thank you @stmartinspress for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own! ]

THOUGHTS:

This fell a bit flat for me, unfortunately.

I thought there were just a few too many POVs and characters. I kept a list at first when reading to remember who was who but once I got that, it was easy. The voices/personalities made it easy to keep straight.

I don’t know why but I wasn’t expecting this to have the main focus on two mysteries — one in the past and present.

I liked the hotel setting. It makes for a good summer/beach read. And that cover? Love the hot pink in it! 😍

Overall, it missed the mark for me but was still enjoyable!

I will go in blind not reading anything about a book sometimes. This was one of those times. It looks like a feel good Summer vibes kinda book. This is why we don’t judge a book by its cover! I did get the feel good summer vibes but boy I got so much more! Blackmail, embezzlement, lies, NDA’s, murder, love, reconciliation, revenge just to name a few! This was a great book and I’m so glad I got the opportunity to read it!

Summer is about to start at the St. Cecelia hotel and resort located off the coast of Georgia. Traci Eddings is In charge of operations and is worried after she loses some of her important staff. She knows she will have to offer more than increased pay to attract the right type of people. She makes her brother-in-law Ric very unhappy when she talks his daughter and her niece Parrish to give up special summer plans to work at the Saint. Parrish has worked most summers there since she was old enough, but now she will have the extremely important position as Customer Relations at the front desk. Traci also talks Livvy into working at the resorts restaurant after seeing her in a position at a nearby restaurant.
Livvy's mother is Shannon who was Traci's best friend until one fateful summer when they were lifeguards at the Saint. A young boy drowned on their shift. Shannon was fired, but Traci stayed on because she had been dating Hoke Eddings, one of the sons of owner of the Saint. Traci ended up marrying Hoke and Shannon became an unwed mother.
Traci has had her own heartache after her beloved Hoke dies. She is determined to make the hotel as beautiful as it once was as she and her husband once planned. She doesn't have to worry about her father-in-law,Fred, who ran the Saint for years. He is under hospice care and can't even communicate. She does become concerned when it comes to light that Ric has been pushing to have Fred change his will.
The author weaves her signature magic in SUMMERS AT THE SAINT. There is emphasis on the setting almost as much as the characters. Many mysteries surrounding the past and present make for riveting and suspenseful reading. Despite many intense plot points, humor and love are mixed in to make this novel another perfect beach read from the lovely and talented Mary Kay Andrews. I have read all the novels she has written under this name. I look forward to her summer story each year. I highly recommend you pick up a copy of this newest novel and look into any of her back list that you may have missed.

This newest summer-themed book from Mary Kay Andrews is much more than a light, fluffy beach read. With the primary characters ranging from late teens to middle-aged women, I found it to be a delightful combination of young adult and women's fiction along with elements of romance and mystery. Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and the author for a copy to read and review.

A not-so-light summer read from Mary Kay Andrews!

Fans of MKA are used to light, beachy summer reads, this one has a bite to it. While it is set at a glorious resort, there is much more going on than meets the eye. Romance, yes - but also a murder and an adventure.

Take this book along on your travels and enjoy the ride!

You know it’s summer time when you pick up a new Mary Kay Andrews book!! This one I really enjoyed this book! I loved the resort setting of this book and the behind the scenes of running a resort during the peak summer months. The cover made me feel this would be a sweet rom com summer romance but it was more murder mystery and loved how that all unfolded. There are several characters in story and multiple point of view that slowly work to unravel all the details of a past event and current happenings at the hotel. It’s fast, quick read with good beach location. Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Traci Eddings grew up in awe of the St. Cecelia resort on the other side of the river, but her family wasn’t wealthy enough for her to ever experience it. That is until she was able to get a summer job there. During that fateful summer she worked as a lifeguard and was on site when a young boy drowned. That is also the summer she met her husband, who happened to be the boss’s son. Years later, she is a widow, the owner of the hotel, and has one summer to turn it around financially before her greedy brother-in-law steps in.

I flew through this book and didn’t want to put it down! I love a Mary Kay Andrews beach read, and I think Summers at the Saint was one of my favorite ones yet! The fancy resort was the perfect summer setting and had all the things that make for a perfect summer book. There was SO much drama, a variety of characters with very different experiences and points of view but who were all somehow connected, there was mystery with surprise twists and turns, and there was romance and humor. Even though there are so many different characters, it was surprisingly easy to keep them all straight.

I enjoyed the narration of the audiobook by Kathleen McInerney and thought she did a fabulous job. However, I think this would have been even better as a full cast narration.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the advance copies.

Thank you to St. Martins Press for allowing me to read a copy of Summer at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews. When I want to read a book by this author I associate it with a light, cute read. Warning this book was not that as indicated by the title it was more of a mystery. This book was about a resort and all the twists and turns that happens over the years. This book was a little to long it could of been a little shorter.

With this book having SO many different characters I did not think I was going to enjoy it. But, I was wrong! It worked for me because the author did a great job describing the characters and letting us get to know them. It also had a different vibe than I expected from the cover photo and the description.

Mary Kay Andrews books are almost always sickeningly cheesy, but this one's premise sounded interesting so I decided to give it a try. I am sad to say I am DNFing after chapter 2. It is painfully boring and cheesy. I think folks who enjoy this type of read will probably enjoy this book, but I probably shouldn't have requested it to review. Thank you anyway for the ARC.

Mary Kay Andrew's delivers another novel that slowly sucks you in to the drama, secrets, and romance of her characters' communities. I enjoyed Summers At The Saint for the safety of knowing you're going to get what you expect. It wasn't profound, but it makes for an enjoyable lazy day escape.

Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews is women’s fiction with some mystery and romance built in. Many stories are threaded together, and there are lots of crimes, mysteries, and cover-ups to add layers to it. You have to peel back the thickness of the many clues to not only figure out whodunnit but also why.

Set at an exclusive family-owned and operated resort in Georgia, there are secrets galore. There are also many who are not as they seem and have most of us fooled. There are many roles the characters play in their personal and work lives, and sometimes they seem at cross purposes. There are many strong female characters and unlikely friendships and alliances. There is also a family legacy surrounding the hotel that takes an unexpected twist. There is attention to detail and vivid descriptions.

But there’s also a dark side, and Traci, the widowed owner who came from the wrong side of the causeway and was an “Ain’t,” is doing her best to keep it afloat while seemingly dependent on the wrong employees. There are twists and turns, sleuthing, bad decisions, lots of food, drinks, drugs, some laugh-out-loud moments, a few tears, and more. The crimes are solved one at a time, and most get their comeuppance, but it doesn’t seem all do. The epilogue gives a happily ever after on several fronts but didn’t go far enough for me.

Summers at the Saint is filled with people who expect nothing but the best when vacationing at the Saint. Relax in your beach chair, with a cold drink or two, under the umbrella with the beating sun, and form new friendships.

I rated the book 4.5 stars but rounded to 5 stars here and on other sites.

Mary Kay Andrews never disappoints! This was a bit different than her usual books but I think it’s my favorite of hers (so far)! Great cast of characters and a few plot twists that keep you guessing which I loved. My favorite characters were definitely the girls. Traci, Livvy, Felice and Parrish were all so well written and I became so invested in them! The end was not too much of a surprise although I definitely had Livvy’s bio dad wrong! This was a book I could not put down and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes a bit of murder mystery and a feel good ending!