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.

3.5⭐️

I’ve read and Mary Kay Andrews books previously, so I was excited to dive into Summers at the Saint. However, it wasn’t quite what I expected. Somehow, a lot was going on but little actually happened. It felt uneven and leaned a bit further into the murder mystery aspect than I’d expected. Still entertaining enough, just not quite as I’d hoped.

Thank you Mary Kay Andrews, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

It's been a long while since I've read one of Andrews novels. She kept my interest most of the time, however, it didn't have me itching to get back to it each time I was able. It was interesting to get the background of how a resort is run featuring a historic family enterprise and the idiosyncratic issues of each member of the family involved in keeping it running.

The main character Traci is a widow who was married to a son of the patriarch of the family who is now on his deathbed as this opens. Traci inherited her deceased husbands portion of the business, but her ruthless son-in-law butts heads with her throughout the novel. There are a couple of mysteries, past and present that are addressed, with some unforeseen resolutions, but nothing earth-shattering, in my humble opinion.

I'd give it a strong 3-star rating, and did finish it. The epilogue wraps things up nicely. My thanks to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the pre-release e-ARC and provide an honest opinion of this work.

"Summer at the Saint" by Mary Kay Andrews is a great beach read! Andrews delivers a story rich with contrasts between social classes, personal challenges, and deep-seated secrets.

Dive into the lives of Traci and Shannon, best friends whose summer jobs at the upscale St. Cecilia Resort change everything for them. Traci marries the boss's son, Hoke, but then years later becomes a widow and inherits the resort. Her best friend Shannon is a single mom who hasn’t spoken to her in 20 years.

Lives full of secrets, a shocking revelation brings the two back into contact. While it isn’t a great reunion, they eventually find themselves working together to solve the mystery and save the resort.

This book mixes drama and romance in just the right amounts, making it a perfect read for those looking to lose themselves in a world of luxury, heartache, and hidden pasts.

Grab this book for an exciting mystery getaway!

Summers at the Saint is expected to be published May 7, 2024

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this eARC.

Family feuds, staffing issues, and deadly secrets at a summer resort

On an island off the Georgia coast sits an elegant summer resort, the Saint Cecilia, built and run by the Eddings family in the 1920’s. There is a definite divide between the wealthy people who are members and guests of the Saint and the townspeople of neighboring Bonaventure….you are either a “Saint” or an “Ain’t”, and ne’er the twain shall meet. Traci was definitely an Ain’t, until the summer of 2002 when she worked as a lifeguard at the Saint alongside her best friend Shannon and fell in love with Hoke Eddings. The tragic drowning of Hudson, the eight year old son of a guest at the resort, marred the summer and ended the girls’ friendship….people blamed Shannon for the tragic accident, while Traci ended up marrying Hoke. Twenty years later, Hoke has died and Traci is running the resort while her brother-in-law Ric runs the real estate division. They don’t get along (they never have) and when Traci convinces her niece Parrish (Ric’s daughter) to run the front desk for the coming summer, Ric is furious. But Traci is desperate; it is becoming impossible to find quality workers in the post-COVID world, especially when nearby housing is so expensive that workers can’t afford to live there. Even after coming up with some creative solutions, the business is still in a precarious position. Something is wrong at the Saint, and someone will die before the truth will be discovered.
Summers at the Saint is, like author Mary Kay Andrews’ previous novels, an entertaining read. Traci is an appealing character to whom I could readily relate. She is the girl from the wrong side of the tracks (or in this case, the wrong side of the causeway) who found love with the wealthy and privileged Hoke, but lost him all too soon. She is left with a family who never thought she was good enough for them but has to endure her. She is close to her niece Parrish, which just causes more problems between Traci and Ric, and has never understood why her friend Shannon cut her out of her life even though they live so close to one another. What happened during the summer of 2002 is still a mystery on several levels, and in the present day things aren’t going well at the Saint. Traci has plenty of problems on her hands, which escalate beyond what she would ever have imagined…but help from Whelan, a man who has arrived in the area with his own agenda, may give her a second chance at love. The story moves along quickly, and readers who are suspicious by nature (as I am) will sense that no one is quite what they seem to be. Readers of authors like Elin HIldebrand, Susan Mallory and Nancy Thayer will enjoy this tale of love, family drama, the haves vs the have nots and the dark side of the service industry. Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for allowing me access to an early copy of this great summer read….grab your beach towel and sunscreen, and enjoy the ride!

I didn’t know what to expect picking up this book. What a pleasant surprise! What starts as a fun beach read, slowly transforms into a thriller with twists and turns. As you read, you slowly learn more about the Eddings’ history and unsolved mysteries of The Saint. Overall, a fun read!

DNF, unfortunately I couldn’t get through this one. I previously enjoyed Mary Kay Andrew’s’ book, but this one fell flat and was a bit of a snooze for me. I struggled to get through the small bit that I did, but couldn’t keep going to finish it. Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC.

I have come to love books crafted by Mary Kay Andrews. This one was a nice and easy read ... though a little bit on the raunchy side for my taste. A little bit of romance and a lot of family drama and a murder mystery thrown into the mix. That makes for a fun time getting lost in the story. I had a good idea what was really going on, so I wasn’t surprised by the ending. But it will had lots of twists and turns and random storylines that keep you interested. The characters were well developed with lots of personalities ... devious, naive and gullible, truly invested in doing what is best for everyone ... and the way Traci works so hard to make The Saint Cecelia a working classy resort kept my attention. While touted as a summer beach read, this is one that would be enjoyed any day of the year.

Another delightful read from Mary Kay Andrews! I look forward to her next adventure in the pages.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews is another hit for me by this author. I started the book without reading the publisher's blur, so I didn't realize going in that it would be a pretty involved mystery. That was a fun surprise, one that had me wondering throughout 'who done it' in all of the twists and turns. The story follows CEO Traci Eddings as she does her best to keep her swanky resort "The Saint" afloat amid a murder, drowning, fire, greedy family members, nefarious employees, and a little bit of romance. The setting sounds beautiful and MKA does a great job of painting a picture to be imagined in my mind with well-fleshed out characters. This book held my interest throughout, I fully enjoyed it!

Traci Eddings hasn’t always been part of The Saint’s “in crowd,” but while she was working there in high school she met and married the son of the owners of the prestigious resort. After his death she has tried to do her part to bring The Saint back to its glory days. With staff shortages, budget issues and an unexpected murder investigation, Traci is struggling. With the help of a couple employees Traci will give her all to make her deceased husband proud.

You can always count on Andrews to give us a fantastic summer read that is full of mystery and suspense. This one has tons of characters, but each is utilized and needed for the plot. I thought it was fantastic!

I devoured Summers at the Saint and now have to pick my jaw up from the ground by being so shocked! This was the first book I read by Mary Kay Andrews and I can’t wait to read other works by her.

I don’t normally like third person narratives but MKA’s story had me dying to know what happened. There was lots of family drama, some romance and murder to solve. The multiple storylines added incite and complexity that made me keep reading. At first all the characters names and roles confused me, but it added a unique perspective to the story.

Traci Eddings runs the high-end hotel ever since her husband passed away. There are many challenges of continuing the family legacy especially after the pandemic. Traci and her employees work to make their guests happy as well as solve a murder that happened on the property. You think you know someone, but can you really trust them?

This book was a fun read and made me wish I was reading by the pool at the Saint. Perfect if you like a summer read with an added murder mystery to keep you engaged.

Something I really loved about Summers at the Saint were the varying points of view. I think that this really added to the overall story and the way it was told. It was not at all confusing or too many. There want a dual timeline and yet we still got a story from the past that intertwined with the current ongoings. And the pacing gave a little away here and there until that all led to the big reveals. Solid writing, likable characters, and good plot.