3.5/5 Rating

This book was definitely a slow burn for me. It was over 400 pages which is about 100 pages longer than it needed to be. I have read only one other book from this author and I loved it so I had high expectations for this but it fell flat for me. I thought it was going to be a beachy love story by looking at the cover so I was not expecting the murder mystery aspect. Parts of it was predicable but there were a few twists that I didn't see coming. There were lots of background characters throughout the book so I was a bit confused at times trying to follow the side stories. I felt like the story dragged on a bit but overall it was ok. I would read more from this author since I loved the first book from her but this book was a disappointment.

Summers at the Saint is the latest book by Mary Kay Andrews. It’s a great beach read but it’s also a mystery too. It really has a little bit of everything to keep the reader interested and turning the pages. The only thing is, I thought the book was rather long. Traci, the main character, was at one time an employee at the Saint along with her best friend Shannon. While lifeguarding there was a drowning that has forever bothered both girls because they never could figure out exactly what went wrong. Traci ends up marrying into the family that owns the Saint but after a tragic accident she is left widowed and the sole operator of running the resort. After the pandemic, things have been rather slow so Traci hires several new employees and trie to make changes to get things back up to speed, to increase revenue but yet keep up with tradition. There is a lot of shady things that take place that kept me glued to the pages. There is a murder, drug and alcohol abuse, arson and a past rape that has a surprising aspect to the stories ending. There’s also a little romance that made it a fun and enjoyable read. And there’s a twist regarding the mix-up surrounding the murder victim that was a complete surprise to me. I sure didn’t see that coming. I also thought the stories ending couldn’t have been more perfect. I was so happy that Traci was finally going to get everything she had ever really wanted. It was her happily ever after! This was a great read and it’s a book I’ll be recommending to others. I’d like to thank Kejana Ayala, Marketing Coordinator @ St. Martin’s Publishing Group for the widget and invite to read and NetGalley for the arc. I really enjoyed this, I’m giving it a 4 star rating and I look forward to reading more by Mary Kay Andrews in the future.

I love to jump into a good Mary Kay Andrews, and this one delivers. I thought I was picking up a cute beach read and it turned into a murder mystery in the best way possible. There are a lot of characters in this book to keep up with, as we have an entire hotel staff and some guests, but it was all laid out well and easy to keep up with, as the book will constantly hold your attention. I really liked Traci and some of the other side characters in the book. I saw many things coming and predicted several things that were going to happen, but I was slightly off on a few things…so I love when a book gets me like that. I couldn’t stop and had to know what was going on. Highly recommend putting this on your summer reading list!

Bottom Line: Read it!

Releases May 7, 2024

**I received a copy of Summers at the Saint from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

Another good summer mystery/southern read from Mary Kay Andrews. I loved that this one was based on the family and extended family of the rich and well off. There's a lot of tragedy, horror, and deadliness to keep you interested in the story with the touches of southern life and romance to soften the blows and lull you into the story. It was great!

Thank you Netgalley, St-Martin’s Press and the author.
I have read a few novels by this author and I have always enjoyed them.
Mary Kay Andrews puts in the novel part love story, part intrigue, murder, unlovable characters as well as lovable ones, all set on a resort for the rich.
I totally enjoyed it and could not put it down.
Thank you for another great story
Recommend
4 stars

Mary Kay Andrews does it again! This book was full of fun, mystery, and it was just delightful. I was a little worried at the beginning when multiple character were introduced. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to keep them all straight. But unlike other books with multiple characters, the characters are easy to remember and are integrated into the story well. I loved the story of the Saint and the members and guest who stayed there. Overall I give this book 5/5⭐️

Not what I was expecting from a Mary Kay Andrews summer beach read but I was still here for it. Twisty, with secrets, lies, murder mysteries, female friendships, love interests, reunions, inheritance fights and so much more!! I loved the setting at a Resort hotel with a long history, the flashbacks to the past and the new drama in the present. Suspenseful and entertaining, this is a great book for mindless fun this summer!! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book started off as literary fiction and ends up being a murder mystery. Two cases, one that happened about 20 years ago and one in the present all happening at the Saint. This book was such a fun read and will be easily devoured while sitting on the beach during the summer.

When the new MKA book lands on my porch, I feel like summer is not far away ☀️
Thank you @ stmartinspress for the gifted copy of Summers at the Saint {partner}

Genre: Fiction
Format: 📖
Pub Date: 5.7.2024
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

It wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I read my first Mary Kay Andrews book, and now I am such a fan of her books. They always have just the right amount of everything—romance, mystery, friendship, found family, and, of course, a little family drama. Summers at the Saint was no exception. 

With every new book from MKA, I promise myself that I will savor every page. But there was just something about Summers at the Saint that had me devouring page after page. I stayed up too late and woke up eager to start reading where I left off. It was just one of those stories that provided the perfect distraction from life, and I didn’t want it to end. 

🔎 Mystery
🍑 Georgia Hotel
☺️ Found Family
🫶🏼 Perfect ending

⚠️ sexual assault

Summers at the Saint will pair perfectly with a summer vacation or backyard staycation. But, really, it would also pair perfectly with a rainy day - you can’t go wrong with this one!

3.5 rounded up!

I loved how Mary Kay Andrews was able to bring together beachy, murder mystery, and romance all in one book. I enjoyed the main and supportive characters and felt like each page brought out another layer that I had not expected. I was curious to know more each chapter I read. Some things were pretty obvious so I would have hoped for a little more mystery there, but at the end I got all the mystery I didn't even think of. I wish there was more to the Hunter mystery. I do feel like that part kind of fell flat in the end with so much suspense leading up to it. This is more of a murder mystery, although there is a small section of romance. I came into thinking there would be more romance. I love romance and mysteries so this was the perfect read for me. I know sometimes bringing in so many characters can confuse people, but I always write them down and then reference back because it really does add that extra suspense in a story. The more details in a book, the better. Mary Kay Andrews really knows how to bring the settings to life. I would recommend if you love thriller/mystery with a hint of romance.

First, I would like to thank Netgalley and Macmillan Audio promotions for the complimentary copies that allow me to read and listen to this book.
"The Saint" was a five star hotel resort along the coast of Georgia who by their prestigious and wealthy clientele and members has set the bar of who really are the "saints" and the "ain'ts". Traci had once dream of becoming of the saints and that became true when she married one of the sons of the owner. Running the operations of the resort alongside her husband has become Traci's passion until a tragedy has left her widowed and alone in the operations. Like most of the business, pandemic has dragged the financial stability of the resort on a rocky status and Traci must think of ways fast on how to get above by the opening of the summer season. But, there were mysterious happenings in the resort such as death and inside robbery. What must Traci do?
I was really hooked from the very start of this book. It has the set of quirky and fun characters that makes you decide whose side you will be on. The cozy mystery happening is just the icing on the cake. I must admit that I kinda predicted about thirty percent into the book of how the storyline is going to turn out but the way Mary Kay Andrews reveal each and every scenario has keep me on my toes and that was the best part that I love along with everything else. The narration by Kathleen Mcinerney was awesome! It is a fast read and perfect for the summer!

Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews surprised me because I think of Andrews more as a beachy romance writer than one of mysteries despite her having penned several of them. In this combination mystery/romance set on an exclusive resort off the coast of Georgia, Andrews's captivating characters investigate a murder and the twenty-year-old drowning of a young boy. Everyone living in the area around the St, Cecelia resort is classified as a Saint or an Ain’t and Traci Eddings who has been trying to keep the place going since her husband’s death four years prior, grew up an Ain’t. Her brother-in-law Ric wants her to fail so he can take over while he tries to cut her out of his father’s will. When Traci’s niece learns that employee theft and paybacks may be endangering the resort, things get dicey. This is a page-turner that you'll want to pack in your beach bag and read straight through. The mystery is compelling and the romance will charm you.

Mary Kay Andrews is a must summer read! Summers at the Saint is no exception.
In Summers at the Saint, you are either a Saint or an Ain’t. You belong or you don’t. The Saint is a 5 star resort nestled in an island off the coast of Georgia. The story has many characters but is not hard to follow. It goes back to 2002 in parts and present day for the rest.
Female friendships, murder, arson, theft, grief and loss, rekindled friendships and new love can all be found in this great summer read.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

Yet again, Mary Kay Andrews delivers with a fun, heartwarming story with characters that you can’t wait to get to know better.

This is a perfect summer beach read!

Mary Kay Andrews is one of my all time favorite authors. She writes the best summer fiction novels of anyone. I look forward to her books every time I can get my hands on one. I was not expecting the direction this book would take and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the journey I took with it. There were plenty of interesting characters with secrets to keep you turning the pages and the way the story played out, I could not put it down! Absolutely loved this one!

Much thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC of "Summers At The Saint" in exchange for an honest review.
What an engrossing package of multiple genres gets served up here like a ten course meal. And you'd expect nothing less at Saint Cecilia, (or "The Saint'), a luxurious, legendary beach resort and country club situated on the Georgia coast. Whatever a reader might want to sample in this novel, leave it to author Mary Kay Andrews to supply it. A large cast of characters engaged in family dramas brimming with dark secrets, a tragic death of a child in the resort's past, a clash of the Saint's wealthy clientele with its struggling, working class employees, a slow burn romance....and a murder touching off further dangers and some startling reveals.
Wow, that's some summer, huh? Can't wait to see what Christmas there might be like.
All the action swirls around the Saint's manager-CEO Traci Eddings, who inherited the resort from her late husband Hoke, a member of the powerful wealthy family that owns the rest of the sprawling property. A lower class townie (or in Saint slang,, an 'Ain't') Traci has always been despised and denigrated by her uppercrust in-laws, especially her heinous brother-in-law Ric. And her make-or-break summer season is afflicted with a full compliment of woes, both personal and business related.......and topped off with that murder that threatens the security and safety more than a few people in her orbit.
As I said before, there's something for everybody here and it's a fast paced, never less than compelling mixture of drama, mystery and even some romance thrown in, all leading up to a more than satisfying ending. I had plenty of vicarious fun checking in to the 'Saint.....a 5 star read taking place in a 5 star hotel I could never afford to stay at.

The Saint is a luxurious 5 start restore on GA where you can count on a relaxing escape. This year, Traci Eddings is.not only dealing with guests, but with family drama, lies, secrets, a murder and someone bound to ruin her and the reputation of the historic resort.

This is a fast paced, easy to devour novel filled with strong female characters and plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. I thoroughly enjoyed Summers at the Saint and I look forward to reading more by MKA.

Thank you to MaryKay Andrew’s, Netgalley and St.. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

This book is a good mix of mystery/light romance/ women’s fiction. I’d say it’s a safe pick for anyone interested in those subjects as there’s occasional foul language but no spicy scenes. It’s not a super deep read and the chapters are short so it’s perfect for a day at the beach where you might suffer constant reading interruptions. I enjoyed it though!

3.5 stars
Traci has the job of turning the St. Cecilia hotel from a drowning business into a thriving one. She has recently been widowed but puts her all into this hotel which was her husband’s family legacy. While “The Saint” is idyllic and cozy for vacationers, there has been tragedy before and now a new one has emerged.

I grabbed this book thinking it was a fun, light summer read. While it did have some of those aspects, it was also framed around a murder mystery. That dichotomy had me confused a few times but it also made the murder not as heavy and added some happy romance aspects. The characters were fun and interesting, having all come together from different backgrounds, lives and needs. They were definitely the heart of the story.

The murder was personal for many involved. Money, prestige and more are wrapped up in the mystery and many have much to lose. This element had me questioning motives and looking at each character with more scrutiny. It wrapped up well and with closure. I recommend this to those that love a mild mystery scandal with great characters and a happy ending!

AUDIO REVIEW: Kathleen McInerney had multiple different voices which made it easy to clarify each character. Some voices didn’t fit the personalities or sounded too young or a bit fake. I believe the many characters played a part in this!

I'm not sure why but I thought this was a beach read/summer romance. So imagine my surprise that a main character is killed a third of the way thru. Turns out this is a mystery with a few twists. I really enjoyed it.