Everyone refers to the St. Cecelia as “the Saint.” If you grew up coming here, you were “a Saint.” If you came from the wrong side of the river, you were “an Ain’t.” Traci Eddings was one of those outsiders whose family wasn’t rich enough or connected enough to vacation here. But she could work here. One fateful summer she did, and married the boss’s son. Now, she’s the widowed owner of the hotel, determined to see it return to its glory days, even as staff shortages and financial troubles threaten to ruin it. Plus, her greedy and unscrupulous brother-in-law wants to make sure she fails. Enlisting a motley crew of recently hired summer help—including the daughter of her estranged best friend—Traci has one summer season to turn it around. But new information about a long-ago drowning at the hotel threatens to come to light, and the tragic death of one of their own brings Traci to the brink of despair. Traci Eddings has her back against the pink-painted wall of this beloved institution. And it will take all the wits and guts she has to see wrongs put to right, to see guilty parties put in their place, and maybe even to find a new romance along the way.

I live for a new Mary Kay Andrews book. They are so lovely and short and sweet. Always such easy reads, but well told stories. There is always a cast of characters to fall in love with as well, and this book did not disappoint. There in an element of murder-mystery as well, but also a happily ever after.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

perfect beach read! loved all the twists and turns of this one! also loved that the answers to our questions were answered in the final chapters. the hotel it sounded so glamours and cute I would love to stay there in real life!

I just love Mary Kay Andrews’ books, and this one is no exception! I immediately loved Traci and her can-do attitude. When she faces horrific situations at the resort she manages, she is determined to figure things out! I have to admit that I could NOT put this down! There’s romance, mystery, and conflict….all that makes a story just perfect!

3.5 stars rounded up.

I enjoy Mary Kay Andrews books because I never quite know where they’re going to take me. This one was no different in that aspect. It was quite the rollercoaster. There was far too much happening for me to even have a hope of summarizing it. I’d call it a scenic mystery with a light side of romance.

I really liked Traci as a character. She came across as a woman who carried herself with grace, who was trying her best, and who was open to listening to others input but wasn’t shy about taking charge and making decisions. She seemed to genuinely care about the well-being of her staff and preserving the integrity and standard of the hotel. She came from humble beginnings and held onto her values. Even though the romance part of the story felt like an afterthought rather than an important part of the plot, I liked it for Traci because she deserved happiness after all the loss she faced.

The mystery storyline was more of what I cared about in this particular book. It kept me guessing, and part of that was due to there being so many players and moving pieces involved. Some of it my instincts were right on and others took me completely by surprise. Early on as everyone was being introduced at what felt like rapid fire pace I was concerned about being overloaded with characters, but once the story found its flow I found it easier to follow. The book is long, but the second half flew by for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, I thought I was cracking open a sweet summer romance but I was wrong in a good way.

First of all the gorgeous cover is very deceitful but inviting. The book is a slow burn, slow to set the beautiful beach resort scenery, slow to describe and get to know the characters, but Mary Kay Andrews so delightfully slowly set the stage for what ended up being a fantastic drama dare I even say thriller. This book was full of lies, history, action, theft, deceit, well written characters, and even murder. Once I made it 60% the bombs kept coming one after another and I could not and did not want to put it down. This book will be a delicious summer read that you wont want to put down.

Thank you to St Martins Press, NetGalley, and Mary Kay Andrews for the gifted copy in exchange of my honest review.

This is a great summer read.

The story follows its characters at the start of the summer season at "the Saint," a luxury result where generations have been coming for years. There are many characters in this story, and there is a little bit of everything in this book - from romance to mystery and more.

I definitely recommend this story for anyone looking for a good read, especially if you are looking forward to summer. There are a lot of characters, but the story had a lot of twists and turns that I wasn't expecting along the way. I haven't read all of Mary Kay Andrews' books, but the ones I have read I've really enjoyed, and this is one of the best so far!

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and so glad I was able to read it.

I love Mary Kay Andrews. Her stories are always so fun and full of great characters. I love the cozy mystery vibe set in a historic hotel. A death from years ago resurfaces and a new death created a lot of action and connections. I love that we are given the mystery while getting humor as well. Andrews novels are always so entertaining and the audio is always great. This cover drew me in so quickly because it’s gorgeous. Not to mention this was a fabulous read to kick off your summer reading! I binged this one so quickly and the romance that Mary Kay Andrews always gives is perfection.

Summers at the Saint has everything! It's full of drama, scandals and murder! The Saint is luxury hotel that only the privileged in town get to enjoy while the other side of town doesn't. It makes people envious of each other and desperate to get in. Traci was not one of the fortunate "it" people and always wanted visit. Finally she gets her chance when she gets a job working at the hotel but everything is not what it seems. The summer is full of drama, greed and scandals. This was a quick and thrilling ride!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC!

My mom has been a long time fan of Mary Kay Andrews and got me hooked on them when I was in high school so I have been reading her for years. To me summertime means a new Mary Kay Andrews book to enjoy and I put off reading this for a bit until I couldn't hold out any longer. Summers at the Saint was the perfect mix of mystery and humor with a touch of romance. Andrews' descriptions of the Saint and the characterizations of everyone there made me feel like I had been there and I was truly sad to leave them when the book was over. I highly recommend picking this one up, whether you're a long time Mary Kay Andrews or this would be your first. 10 stars!

I love Mary Kay Andrews!! I’ve enjoyed this book so much. MKA writing is pleasant and love the twist and suspense in this book. She kept me hooked! This is the perfect book the read at the beach or during the summer

Summers at the Saint
By: Mary Kay Andrews
St. Martin's Press
Romance, Women's Fiction
Pub Date: May 07, 2024

As a Georgia resident, I love a good book set in my home state. Although Summers at the Saint is set on the Georgia coast, it is so much more than a beach read. The hotel known as the St. Cecelia is itself a character in this lavishly plotted story because of its history and atmosphere.

Andrews knows how to write a story that draws you in, and she does it this time with a big cast of characters and a rich, intriguing plot. Main character Traci Eddings is the hotel owner who has her hands full trying to bring the hotel back to glory amidst scandal and mystery. Just settle in and prepare to be intrigued and entertained in the style that is uniquely Mary Kay Andrews.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for a gifted advance reader's copy. My review is my own.

Summer begins with MKA and Summers at the Saint is classic Mary Kay. Extra bonus that this books has a mystery and a murder that need to be solved. A cast of characters that was full of unique people that you loved or loved to hate!

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the chance to read and review this book.

Grab your beach chair and favourite summer beverage. True to Mary Kay Andrew’s style of captivating and descriptive writing, Summers at the Saint doesn’t disappoint. It’s a little slow to get started but it’s well worth the time invested. The development of the characters plays an important role how the story twists and plays out. It turns out, Summers at the Saint is a bit of a ‘who dunnit’ mystery.
Thank You to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this widget.

4.5 stars rounded up

Holy crap. I'm not sure what I was expecting but this book threw me through for so many loops. I loved it. Absolutely loved it. Lemme tell ya, the cover has you thinking it's gonna be a fun summer thriller. Wrong. This book kept me guessing the whole time and I LOVED it. I will be telling everyone I know to read this book.

Mary Kay Andrews is always my first read of the summer, but I couldn't wait to start this one. MKA is the master of interweaving storylines together and making you fall in love with the characters in her books. The murder element kept me guessing until the very end, although I did figure out Charlie was connected earlier in the book. 5 stars!

I think I like Mary Kay Andrew’s summer books way better than her holiday ones! i was hesitant to read this one after being disappointed by Bright Lighta Big Christmas, but I really enjoyed it! Some parts were predictable but I still wanted to read and it kept my engaged.

This was such a fantastic summer read! It has the best elements of a beach read while also having a substantial-enough plot to keep me interested and mentally engaged. Normally I struggle with books that have many characters because I start to get them confused, but that did not happen here. The only disappointments I had seemed to center around Whelan. To me, he was not overly likable, and it just decreased more and more as the book went on (for example, pushing Traci to have sex and then getting angry and leaving the screened in porch when she refuses). I also HATED the joke about Traci firing Whelan for sexual harassment, right before they finally have sex. Besides these issues centering around his character, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to many of my friends. Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Summers at the Saint was everything! It had so much more depth than I was expecting. It is certainly not just a feel-good book; it has mystery, intrigue, murder, romance, comedy, etc. Mary Kay Andrews proves that though she is prolific, she has not run out of ideas nor is she predictable. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. I continue to be a huge fan!

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press, for the opportunity to read Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews in exchange for my honest review.

Traci Eddings inherited the St. Cecilia resort (known as The Saint by locals) after her husband Hoke passed away in a freak accident. Traci is left with a resort that is just coming out of huge renovations, she’s working with her horrible in-laws, but she makes it work. Then covid strikes and things slow down. The Saint’s in trouble. They just aren’t making the money they used, their long-time, loyal employees are leaving to take jobs and new resorts along the coast. Traci comes up with a plan to bring in a few new employees and provide housing for them as the only way on or off the resort is on a causeway and housing in town is super expensive.

Traci hires a new chef with a few secrets, a waitress from another resort who is treated poorly and happens to be the daughter of her BFF whom Traci hasn’t spoken to in 20+ years, Traci’s favorite waiter at the Saint, and her niece. Traci’s horrible brother-in-law tells her to hire a long-time member of the Saint's son whose dad is punishing him for getting kicked out of college. These five employees move into the brand new employee housing and things are okay. For a very short time.

I honestly wasn’t sure where this story was going. There are a lot of characters, and we learn about their background but honestly, some of it really doesn’t affect the outcome of the story and felt unnecessary. That said, after a slow start, by about a ¼ of the way in I was hooked. I had some inklings of where the story was going but there was one twist I thought of but tossed out and it turned out to be true. Usually, I get annoyed if I can piece the mystery together before the end, but honestly, it didn’t bother me here because I enjoyed reading how Andrews put it all together. I was hoping to learn more about some of the characters that Andrews spent so much time introducing at the beginning of the story, but it is what it is.

It’s put this in the maybe beach read, or beach read for someone who enjoys a little more mystery than romance although the book includes both. Some interesting characters, and a few questions that I’d love to dig deeper into, but I was glad I stayed with it.

The ending is wrapped in a pretty bow if you like that type of thing. Truths come out that people went very far to keep hidden. I would recommend to anyone looking for a light mystery with a side of romance with the warning that it takes a little bit to get into.

Who doesn’t love Mary Kay Andrews? Her writing style is so easily digestible and always fun and easy. Summers at the Saint is no different- maybe my favorite MKA book yet. I read this while sitting on the beach & I felt all the feels! Such a cute, easy summer read. We also get to enjoy dual POVs (a fav of mine) & I loved the characters. When I think summer, I think Mary Kay Andrews. Currently working on reading all of her books!

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for the ARC copy of this book.