5 stars. I absolutely loved this book. Although I have begun to love MaryKay Andrews after starting to read her a few years ago, I hadn't expected to love this book, but I feel like I've raved to some in-life friends and if you enjoy Mary Kay Andrews, don't miss this one and if you've never read her, this is a great place to start. I've missed 1 or 2 of her recent books and I need to remedy that this summer!

Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews is a great combination of a romantic beach read and a thrilling mystery. This book captures the essence of a "best book".

As I was listening to this I couldn’t believe I had not read anything by this author I know shocking I’m not sure why she’s a great author I glad I finally found her.
Summer at the saints is a mystery romance & a perfect book or in my case audio to bring to the beach.
I will say there’s a lot going on in this book and it does have a few Characters but they are all easy to follow.
The plot has family drama, lots of secrets, mystery, romance and a whodunnit it and the rich and the not rich and the roles each plays at the Saint it’s an interesting dynamic. The whodunnit will have you reading until you finally find out.
I recommend listening or reading this book.

Somehow this was my first Mary Kay Andrew’s book and I enjoyed it! I was not prepared for the mix of genres—Summers at the Saint is a mystery at its core, but it also has family drama, romance, self-discovery and growth, small town history, and friendship. Well-written characters and a plot that kept my attention and I wanted to know what happened.

I enjoyed this book. The plot was good and kept me turning the pages. The story was original and engaging. I was torn because I did not like the characters. Not to say that they weren’t well written, they were, I just didn’t think any of them were really great people who I could root for except for the one who died. Which is in itself what makes the book kind of unique. Fans of Mary Kay Andrews will enjoy this book.

Summers at the Saint features Traci Eddings as she runs The Saint hotel, her late husband’s family hotel. Traci desperately short staffed, last minute hires a motley crew of employees, to keep the hotel afloat for the summer.

Each plot development left me unable to put the book down, I couldn’t wait to find out the answers to many mysteries seamlessly woven together.

Highly recommend for anyone looking for a cozy mystery/beach read!

The book starts out as a drama. There is family history of discrimination. The infighting is interesting but hardly the story. Staffing at the hotel is another part of the story. But then there is a death and the story picks up in interest. By the end of the book the twists have made this a 5 star book. Always a pleasure to read a book by this author. So entertaining.

Run, don't walk, to pick up this great summer read! With a mix of mystery and romance, this story about a widow trying to keep the resort her late husband's grandfather started going also explores some grief issues and class differences.

I found watching the mystery/ies find resolution extremely satisfying and the mid-life romance swoony. The characters each have their own reasons for spending this particular summer at the Saint, and the setting made me long for a vacation. This is my third MKA book, and her backlist is high on my list to dig into.

I really enjoyed Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews and think it will make a great choice for a beach read. The characters are well written and authentic. You easily knew who to root for and who you needed to watch with a close eye. What surprised me most about this novel was the mystery. I expected much more of a romance novel, and while there was a small subplot of romance it definitely was not the main focus. And honestly think the novel would have been just fine if it never got included. I think if you're a fan of cozy mysteries this is definitely a book you would want to pick up.. just had that vibe to it.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the opportunity to read and review honestly an advanced digital copy.

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.