A perfect summertime beachy read. Goes great with lemonade or white wine, sunshine, and several hours to just devour it without stopping. 😁

The setting is a posh hotel on the Georgia coast known as St. Cecelia or The Saint for short. The high dollar guests are known as the Saints and those from the other side of the river are known as an Ain't. Traci and her friend were so excited to be lifeguards for the summer. On those long ago summer days, Traci never dreamed she would one day be running this hotel that she is so enamored with. The summer was joyful, but was also marked by tragedy and lives were forever changed.

Traci ended up dating and then marrying one of the owner's sons, Hoke. Unfortunately, now she is widow trying to run this exclusive resort all while battling with her pain in the backside brother-in-law. Business is just now picking back up after the Covid shutdowns. Traci needs this summer to be successful, but it seems everywhere she turns something is going wrong. Staffing is an issue, but she finds a way to make things work.

This story had the perfect blend of mystery, family drama, long lost friendships and new romance, which made this such a delight to read. There are mysterious characters, betrayal and coverups that will shock you. Most importantly this is the perfect beach read and will put you right in the mood for a summer day at the beach or pool. The Saint lived in my mind for most the day today as I flew through the pages desperately wanting to know how this one would end, all while wishing I was a guest at The Saint.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Summers at the Saint has romance, intrigue, and rich people doing rich people things. The story is told from multiple points of view, as people from both sides of the tracks come together at an iconic southern beach resort. The widowed main character, Traci, is trying to navigate running an aging resort in a post-Covid world. The story unfolds quickly, with a few unexpected twists. The setting and the pace make this a great vacation read!

This book is a perfect summer read for anyone who loves a drama filled story about rich people behaving badly. It was told from multiple viewpoints with a mystery at its core, I was intrigued to keep reading, but some of the characters and situations left me unsettled.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy. This was my fifth book by Mary Kay Andrew’s and it won’t be my last. Summers at the Saint follows Traci, the owner of the Saint, a five star hotel as she navigates the summer season along with her staff Parrish, Livvy, and Felcia. They face many hurdles along the way. Summers at the Saint will be a popular choice this summer for a feel-good book with thrilling twists.

I look forward to Mary Kay Andrews every year, and I usually love her stories. But unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this book. While her settings are always lovely and charming, this story has too many characters & felt chaotic. The cover suggests a fun beach read, but instead Andrew’s gave us a darker story than what I’m used to with her. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book.

St. Cecelia, a luxury hotel/resort known as “the Saint,” has been a dividing ground for generations. If your family was wealthy enough to be admitted, you were a Saint; if not, you were an Ain’t. Traci grew up an Ain’t – until she met and eventually married the boss’s son. Upon his death, she took over running the hotel, determined to overcome financial troubles and staff shortages and return the Saint to its former glory. It will take everything she has to accomplish this before everything comes tumbling down around her.

I have read and enjoyed nearly every book this author has written, and this was no exception. I really liked Traci, her willingness to listen to her staff and her determination to get to the bottom of the problems that arose and turn the hotel around. I figured out who was behind each of the issues that came up before they were revealed in the book, but this is billed as a romance, not a mystery, so that wasn’t surprising. The romance itself wasn’t a surprise either, but I liked the way it developed as the book progressed.

I can’t wait to read MKA’s next book, which will most likely be a Christmas-themed romance.

There isn't an MKA's book/novel I haven't liked and I just added "Summers at the Saint" to that list. The beachside hotel setting was a visual delightful in the way it was described. I was expecting the perfect summer read and got so much more with a mystery as well. There was so much goodness and complexity in this story that I couldn't put it down. Such depth to the amazing mix of colorful characters. Traci's strength was uplifting and captivating as she handled everything thrown at her, secrets, murder, theives and deceit all while trying to save The Saint." This book was equal parts suspense, cute, emotional, exciting, intriguing and inspirational with some romance too. Truly an incredible entertaining read, an absolute delight!

Somehow I had never read a book by Mary Kay Andrews before I started reading her latest novel, Summers at The Saint. I really enjoyed this book. It had so many things that I love in a murder mystery. The setting of a tourist island in Georgia sounds like it could have been any of the little barrier islands that dot the coast of Southern states. The female protagonists all had some grit to them despite their differences. The twists were surprising. I now want to pick up another Andrews book to read soon!

I recommend this book if you love books about the darker side of paradise. It will be a great thriller to read at the beach or when you are mentally ready to be transported there.

Thank you @stmartinspress for allowing me to read this book ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

(This same review was shared on the Barnes & Noble website)

This was my first book by Mary Kay Andrews and I can honestly say that I’m officially a fan. This book had me on my toes constantly trying to figure out what was going to happen next! I struggled in the beginning to keep up with all the characters, but you adjust quickly. I felt heartbroken, happy, irritated, and anxious throughout the entire book. This author truly knows how to make her words come to life. I highly suggest!

Summers at the Saint is a captivating, cute, cozy mystery with a bit of romance snuck in. Mary Kay Andrews is one of those authors that never disappoints, I know I can pick up a pick by Andrews and enjoy it.

Summers at the Saint takes place at a fancy resort on the seaside in Georgia. Traci and Shannon were lifeguards at the fancy resort where there were the Saints (rich families) and the Aints (families that couldn't afford to stay at the Saint. Traci and Shannon were both Aints, until Traci marries the son of the resort owner. Then we flash to the present and Traci is widowed and mourning. her husband who has died in an accident. At the same time she is trying to get the resort back into a better financial situation while there is drama with her terrible, evil brother in law.

Enter a few more characters, plus family drama, then a murder. In my opinion, there were a few too many characters for the plot. Traci and Livvy are very rich characters, but I feel like more could have been done with Parrish and Whelan. Also, a little more chemistry in the love interest was needed.

Overall, I"m giving this a 4 out of 5.

Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews is the not light, cute summer beach read you may be expecting based on the cover. Inside the pages you'll find murder, mystery, conspiracies, and a FMC you can't help but root for. Tracy has been running The Saint; a swanky, five star island resort, since her late husband died in a freak plane crash. In a town known for being a Saint or an Aint, Tracy was once from the other wise of the town, working as a lifeguard for The Saint when she met her future husband. Struggling with staffing shortages since the pandemic shut down the world, Tracy decides to build an on-property dorm style building for staff and creatively recruits new people to staff The Saint for the summer. Only Tracy doesn't get the easy, profitable summer she hoped.

With so many different characters to keep track of, I expected to get lost mid-way through but I didn't. Andrews crafted a page turning mystery filled with family drama, conspiracies, and broken friendships, oh and add a dose of romance to the mix. I really liked the story but I had two minor critiques. I was frustrated with the pressuring of Tracy towards the end of the book with her love interest. In modern times where enthusiastic consent is a must, I felt it toed a line I didn't love and didn't feel fit the character. I also thought some aspects of the mystery were a little heavy handed; for example, when discussing how someone may have found our about a secret it was suggested "Oh when that person cleaned out the house maybe they found the NDA" and sure enough two chapters later, it was said verbatim.

Over a compelling read that I enjoyed. Thank you SMP for the gifted ARC.

Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews. So much more than a summer “beach” read. There are murders, past and present, family drama, arson, kickbacks, twist and turns, a quintessential grumpy entitled customer, Mr McBee, and so much more. Well written and relateable "Saints" and "Ain'ts", you either love them or not. Traci and Whelan are well matched couple and are deserving of their second chance at love. Very entertaining and engrossing read.

Thank you to May Kay Andrews, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

I enjoyed this one even though it was a little overwhelming with the first few chapters starting from different character's points of view. Once all of the characters were introduced, it wasn't too difficult to follow the story. The story itself was intriguing with a mystery and lots of twists and turns along the way. This isn't your typical beach read, but it was still good.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

This was my first Mary Kay Andrews book and I absolutely LOVED it! I can’t believe I’ve never read anything by her before and look forward to reading all of her books now! It’s the perfect summer beach read. I loved the setting and felt like I was on the coast at The Saint. There were a lot of characters but it wasn’t hard to keep track of them all because they were all so interesting. There was romance and mystery and overall such a great book!!!! Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. I highly recommend it!!!

Five stars as the perfect beach read for 2024. It has a fun beach setting, a diverse cast of characters, a mystery, a romance and easy to read. Mary Kay Andrews did it again!

Another Mary Kay Andrews hit! While I enjoy "chick lit," I want a little more than just a "Hallmark story" where you know exactly what comes next and how the book will end. This book fit the bill of what I look for in a summer read, and I just wish I would have been reading it on vacation!

While this book is on the longer side (448 pages), it was a really quick read. I really enjoyed everything about this book - the story, the romance, the setting of the book, and the characters. MKA does a fabulous job with her settings, and I'm ready to take a trip to the Saint.

My only complaint is that there was a lot going on, so I felt a little whiplash in trying to keep up with everyone and all the different storylines - especially at the beginning.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I always enjoy MKA summer reads! This is another enjoyable beach read full of mystery, romance and suspense. I listened to this on audiobook. It was narrated by Kathleen McInerney and she was excellent! I got all the summery vibes while listening!

The St. Cecilia hotel is called “The Saint”. It was an exclusive luxury hotel back in the day and the rich patrons who had connections would spend their summers there. Traci Eddings wasn't one of those, but she did spend a summer working there, and ended up marrying her boss's son. She's now a widow and has inherited the hotel. She feels she's in over her head. She also has to deal with the unexpected drama of her hubbys family. She wants to bring The Saint back to its glory. She plans to spend the summer doing just that. There is a full cast of fleshed out characters, and decades of secrets and unsolved mysteries that get revealed. This is entertaining,fun and captivating. If you enjoy a good whodunnit, pick this one up!!

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan audio and netgalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Great story! a bit of friendship, family drama, romance, mystery. A great beach read. I loved the characters. My only slight negative is that it felt a bit long but overall a great novel from MKA!

Wow, I was totally expecting something more of a romance/drama story. This was a full on drama/mystery with a little romance thrown in! I loved Traci, the "Ain't" that became a "Saint" and absolutely hated Ric, her brother-in-law. Some of the people in this story were totally hateable (I know it's not a word) and some of them I totally loved. The twists that came out toward the end were totally a surprise, I love when I don't figure it out right away! I can see sitting on the beach with a drink and reading this all in one day, if children and life didn't get in my way I would have read it all in one day. Great story!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.