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.

MKA does it again with the perfect summer read. A little bit of Romance, a little bit of mystery, this book had me turning pages so fast! When the Saint Cecelia is readying to open for the summer, CEO, Traci Eddings, is frantically trying to hire staff for the luxury resort. But the problem is normal people who want the jobs can't afford to live in the resort town. Determined to make this summer work, she creates a dorm for employees. But when one of the Saint's employees winds up dead, a mystery man shows up asking about a hush hush drowning from 20 years ago, and the financial situation looking dire, Traci is in over her head.

Pick this book up! You won't regret it!

Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews is a fun summer (or really any season) read! It's full of great characters, secrets, twists, romance, strong females, and enduring friendship. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. I really enjoyed the book!!

“If what you’re doing doesn’t terrify you, you’re not doing it right.”

This audiobook was excellent, Mary Kay Andrews always picks the best audio narrators, and this book is no different.

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗜 𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘𝗗...

⛱️Strong self sufficient female lead(s)
⛱️Strong POC
⛱️LGBTQ Rep
⛱️MKA shines through in her writing
⛱️Delightful characters
⛱️Orioles/Baltimore ref (epilogue)🧡🖤
⛱️Typical MKA, queen of the beach read
⛱️Kathleen McInerney is a brilliant audio narrator.
⛱️Bombshell secrets and mishaps
⛱️Author’s notes

When I first start reading MKA, in the beginning I’m always like NOOoOoOoo there are so many characters to keep track of but she always makes you feel like you’re actually in the world of her characters by the time the book is over. Plus Kathleen McInerney doing the different voices is…like I said, nothing short of brilliant!

I was expecting a light summer read, but got more than I bargained for in this story. Traci and her employees at The Saint are an engaging cast. After her husband's death a few years ago, Traci took over his responsibilities at the family hotel, and it doesn't seem like she has much room in her life for much else, including friends. With the exception of her niece Parrish, she doesn't have any family that she wants anything to do with either.

But something nefarious is happening at the hotel, and it's big enough to kill for. As Traci begins to track down a killer and a thief, she rekindles old friendships, and makes new ones.

This is an entertaining summer read with engaging characters and a tightly written plot.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A great Summer read! Hooked from page 1. Great variety of characters and a Summer setting rich in history. I enjoy the author’s writing too much. Easy to read and not want to put down!

Mary Kay Andrews could write the dictionary and I'd read it. I love the way she crafts characters, worlds, and helps you become immersed in the story and feel as though you are part of it.

The ways you see The Saint through Traci's eyes helps feel as though you are part of it. Andrews has enough different aspects - there's always a mystery - to keep me guessing and completely entranced.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley!

Such a good mystery. The Saint is such a beautiful place, but it harbors a lot of secrets. Traci has been trying to keep things afloat since her husband's death. Things are happening and she doesn't know who she can trust. After her niece's death on the property, there were cancellations, and she isn't sure the hotel will be able to come back from all of that. It seems she has thieves, arsonists and murderers working for her. Can she get to the bottom of everything before anyone else dies?

I've checked out a few of Mary Kay Andrews' books before, and this one really caught my attention because it mixes in some suspense and mystery with the romance.
"Summers At The Saint" is all about Traci running this resort on a made-up island off the Georgia coast, Saint Cecilia. She's taken over after her husband, Hoke, passed away in a plane crash. The place used to belong to Hoke's dad, and now his brother Ric handles the money side of things. Traci's not exactly best buddies with Ric, to put it mildly.
The story kicks off with the resort struggling financially after the pandemic, and Traci's got to figure out how to turn things around. But then it takes this unexpected turn into a full-on murder mystery!

I gotta say, I didn't see that coming at all. "Summers At The Saint" kept me hooked with its mix of romance and a dash of thrill!

This book grabbed my attention immediately. I was quickly invested in the characters and stories of each of them. I really enjoyed the suspense and mystery in this book, and thought I had it figured out only to be led a different way. It kept me reading and wanting to know what happened. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.

I sunk my teeth into Mary Kay Andrews latest book about the Saint Hotel and all the characters and drama at the hotel. This was a joy to read and I was shocked about the mystery and the victim! This was quintessential Andrews: a beach location, humor, well drawn characters and an absorbing fun read. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC!