Member Reviews

I patiently wait for Mary Kay Andrews' new book every May. I was so excited to learn I got it in February this year!

I have read all of Mary Kay's books and love her writing style. This book in particular was such a good story. I loved the hotel setting in the summer, the rise of Tracey from an Ain't to a Saint and most of all not one but two mysteries that I never figured out until the end. This was a fast paced book, one I hated to put down to go to work or to sleep. I think one of the most heartwarming scenes was the reconciliation between Tracey and Shannon. This book had everything I look for in a novel. Very well done!

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I believe this is my first experience with Mary Kay Andrews, and now I’m interested in picking up some of her past books. This was a great mix of “fun summer” and “thrilling mystery”, perfect for a beach read.
The story takes place in a 5 star resort hotel on the coast, with a tangled web of family and coworkers trying to keep the resort thriving amongst the secrets. Tangled is the key work here, there are a LOT of people and situations to keep straight in this one. Everyone has a past and some of the most minor characters play a big part in the wrap up.
It’s a fairly fast read, it keeps your interest and you really want to get to the whodunit. I have to say, I didn’t expect it to go in the direction it did when I first started reading. Good amount of twists here!
Thanks to the author, St Martins Press and NetGalley for the advance copy. I’m looking forward to exploring more books by this author!

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If you have ever had the privilege of meeting Mary Kay Andrews, you know right away that she is not the type of person who can be pigeonholed into any one category. Similarly, her books aren't defined by a single genre. While the cover of Summers at the Saint screams "beach read," there is, of course, more to the story. MKA is an expert at weaving the nuances of Western class divisions into her books. In The Saint, the reader meets Traci Eddings as a child of a family who definitely does not belong at the luxury beach hotel that captivates young Traci's attention. Undeterred, Traci works at the hotel as a teenager, and eventually becomes the owner of The Saint. When the book brings the reader to present day, Traci is racing against the clock to return the hotel to its former glory...staffing shortage and mounting debt be damned. For readers who love a good beach story, this plotline is enough to grab attention. But of course, there is so much more going on! Traci's relationships, both past and present, have shaped the leader that she becomes. She grieves the death of her husband, and the estrangement from her childhood best friend, and bristles at the toxic nature of her brother-in-law...yet strives to maintain a close relationship with her niece Parrish. When tragedy strikes and a beloved character is killed at The Saint, this book dives into not one, but two murder mysteries. Again, readers of Mary Kay's previous books will not be thrown by this shift, or by the redemption and romance plotlines that follow. My suggestion is to skip over the "light" cover and jump right into this book, ready for the roller coaster of emotions that only Mary Kay Andrews can create!

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I loved Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews. It's not a five star, but more than a four. It was a quick read filled with suspense and romance. The storyline was good, even though I figured out a lot before the end of the book. There were a lot of surprising situations with many different characters, but that did not keep me from putting this book down. It was another excellent book written by this author!

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It has a slow start while it introduces multiple characters. It wasn’t until about 33% when things started to pick up. There’s drama, secrets, crimes, twists and turns. It’s a good read but I was expecting something different. For me The cover doesn’t match the story either since the story was not as light as the cover makes it look to be. Still a good read.

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Just finished this amazing and delightful novel by Mary Kay Andrews. Yes it has 400 pages but there’s so much going on in the adventure. There’s a few characters I want to strangle of course. Garrett, Madelyn and KJ..
I highly recommend this book.
I received this book from NetGalley and St Martin’s press for an honest review.

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really don’t think I have ever read a Mary Kay book that I haven’t liked! She comes up with cute, quirky and frequently mysterious stories that I truly enjoy. Some comedy is always there along with a bit of a romance and a summer backdrop. I always look forward to my MKA summer read. You will not be disappointed!
Thank you to Netgalley for my digital ARC!

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This book was fantastic and is going to be a wonderful summer read. Great characters and good drama and action. This story read quickly and transported me to a relaxing summer retreat, where secrets are being tightly held and relationships are complicated. If you haven't read books by this author before, but enjoy Hilderbrand, this is a book you will love! Thank you netgalley for thos arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

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It was difficult for me to get into the book at first and it was hard for me to want to pick it up to read, but once the twists started happening, it was great! I had a bunch of theories in my head and I could not guess the ending!

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Summers at the Saint is a well written mystery. I enjoyed the plot and the setting. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance ebook. This is my unbiased review.

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Summers at the Saint is an entertaining mystery beach read. The characters are well developed and the story line is not far-fetched. I was intrigued by the mystery and found myself finishing this book in a few days. While this is not the kind of book, that will make me want to discuss it with others, it is a great summer read.

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Traci Edding's saw the magnificent St. Cecelia hotel on the Georgian shores as a kid with her Grandfather. Her dream was to one day work at the St. Traci started at the "Saint" scooping ice cream, and then later became a lifeguard at the pool. Athough she was considered an "Ain't" (a townie in opposition to the posh "Saint" country club crowd), she loved her time and her job there. She goes on to marry the owner and runs the St. and faces the many challenges that she inherited.

This summer may be last summer that the Saint survives, unless Traci can find a way to improve staffing and occupancy. But she's plagued with operational challenges. A potential liquor thief and mattress scandal, plus something just doesn't seem right in the pro shop. Not to mention the difficulty in staffing a resort in a highly competitive hiring environment. And then a murder happens on her property, which may put an end to her ability to pull in customers. Plus, her brother-in-law seems to have a scheme to try to take over everything. Will the property survive this year's turmoil?

I loved this book about the Saint. The book had history, challenge, well-written characters and enough mystery and intrigue to make it a good page turner--in fact I couldn't put it down once I picked it up. During the entire book you begin to root for Traci, and for the Saint to survive this summer to make it to the next year. It's the perfect vacation or holiday read (or any casual weekend).

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I was expected a beach read and this wasn’t a typical beach read. Who done it, family strain and a touch of romance. I really enjoyed it and couldn’t put it down once the ‘mystery/who done it’ really started to take off. Perfect read for a weekend!

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I’ve been reading Mary Kay Andrews for years and while I haven’t read all her books I’ve enjoyed the ones I have. When Summers at the Saint came up as a Read Now on Netgalley I decided to download and give it a try.

We recently traveled to Florida for a wedding and it seemed a perfect time to pick it up. I didn’t realize there was murder and mystery to the book and appreciated that part of it. At times, the story felt a little bogged down with elements that didn’t, for me, necessarily enhance the story. However, I did enjoy the setting and was trying to figure out what was really taking place at the hotel.

A cozy mystery feel with summer resort vibes and life among the haves and the have nots. A solid read that entertained me during a long car ride and that is a wind for me.

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I thought this book was an easy and entertaining read. The setting was lovely and reminded me of a gorgeous beach resort you see in movies. Though at first glance Summers at the Saint appears to be a light summer romance there is a much darker and more suspenseful story underneath. A classic who-dunnit with lots of twists and turns that left me guessing. I enjoyed how the different storylines came together and while there are a lot of characters to keep straight they were well written. If you are looking for a fun and easy read with a side of murder and a splash of romance then this book is the perfect pick!

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I enjoy reading this author and thought this was a good beach read with an intriguing story line. Would recommend.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for letting me review.

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This is a delightful beach read. Set at an upscale hotel with intrigue, fascinating characters and a bit of romance too.
The story is told from multiple points of view, allowing the reader insight into the characters. Traci is the main character, a widow who owns and runs the hotel that has been in her husband’s family for decades. As she struggles with the bottom line, she builds a crew to round out her staff, including her niece Parrish in the hopes this is the summer that will bring the hotel back in the black. However, Traci’s hope for a successful summer is met with a variety of mysterious incidents and the suspense builds as she tries to discover who she can trust. Andrews keeps the reader guessing as the story progresses.
An engaging read with lots of twists and turns. Thank you to St.Martins Press for the opportunity to read an early copy all thoughts and opinions are my own.

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A fun thriller of a read-I couldn’t put it down and didn’t want it to end. A perfect summer beach read! Family, romance, and lots of mystery! Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced read!

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Mary Kay Andrews is one of my favorite authors and I’ve read almost all her books. Summers at the Saint did not disappoint. It has the same southern charm MKA brings to all her books. You feel you are there with this cozy mystery.

Reading this summer book in winter left me feeling warm and longing for lazy summer days and time at the beach. This book centers on Traci Eddings who manages the Saint, a beach resort for the elite. You also meet Parrish, Livvy and Felice working there for the summer. I enjoyed having it all with this one as the characters explore friendship, romance, mystery and finding their own way in life. While I wasn’t completely drawn in by any one individual this had all the emotions from sadness, disappointment, and disbelief, to hopefulness, wishful and victory.

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Mary Kay Andrews delivers another stunning novel with Summers at the Saint. She is the queen of a Southern who-done-it! The deep dive into the hospitality industry with each novel she writes is epic. We are given a picturesque description of a castle like hotel in Southern Georgia utilized only by the upper crust of society. The saying goes, “If you’re not a Saint, you’re an ain’t.” We begin with Traci who is the manager of the resort helping to find funds to keep the hotel afloat. We meet a dynamic cast of characters all working for the summer at the hotel, but danger lurks among them. This was spellbinder and a nail biter right to the end of the story. Andrew’s uses the first half of the book to paint a spectacular picture of the hotel and its cast of characters. By the last half of the book, we know our main characters are in trouble and the avalanche of problems begins. This was a fantastic book that will be hard to put down.

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