I have not read a book by Mary Kay Andrews in years, so I was excited to see an upcoming book, Summers at the Saint, offered on @netgalley. At the beginning, I was overwhelmed by the number of character’s who were introduced, and I was also confused on why some chapters listed the character’s names, while others did not. My main advice with this book, is stick it out, and the story will start to flow. The book is a mystery, with a love story mixed in. Some of the elements of the story were predictable, but there were enough surprises to keep you entertained.

This was such a great read and with quite a large cast of characters which the author throws at you all at the beginning of the book. There is a lot of names and POVs to keep track of and there is a lot going on plot wise in this book. There is the main mystery with a side of romance and there is a lot going on in background with the ownership of the resort, old scandals and discrepancies happening with guests at the resort as well. There was so many twists and turns and it kept you guessing until the end.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

Traci is infatuated with the hotel resort, Saint Cecelia in Georgia. As a teen, she served as a lifeguard with her best friend Shannon. When one of the children in the pool dies, their friendship ends. Traci ends up marrying one of the sons of the owner and runs the resort. She needs to hire summer staff and chooses her niece, her best friend’s daughter, and her favorite waiter. She provides housing in a dorm facility. This is a wonderful book with strong characters and twists along the way. There are murders to solve and a business to investigate. Great characters that are very well developed, a setting that transport you to the resort, and relationships that warm your heart.

When her husband Hoke passes away, Traci Eddings inherits the St. Cecilia resort. She feels as though she’s been thrown into the deep end and is struggling to survive. It doesn’t take long before she realizes that she’s inherited more than the resort; she’s inherited the family drama, too. As readers learn more about Hoke’s family-run business, they discover that there’s more than meets the eye at this fictional island resort on the Georgian coast. Can Traci right the wrongs of the past and carve a new history for ‘the saint’?

Allow MKA to set the scene and introduce the characters before she dives into the mystery, history and secrets in this luxury resort. She’ll take you back to Traci’s past when she did lifeguarding for the ‘saints’ and then immerse you in the present-day running of the resort. It’s a wonderful armchair travel on a dark, dreary winter’s day. I was immediately sucked in by the summery atmosphere and compelling mystery, rich in tradition and scandals.

This is a great mystery with a touch of romance and one that highlights betrayal and long-buried secrets. I can always count on MKA’s ability to write a heartfelt story, giving us a realistic view of human nature. For me, this one had the perfect balance; a main course mystery with a side dish of romance. I really look forward to my biannual MKA literary treat.

I was gifted this copy by St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. This book had a lot jammed in it from some who done it to mystery to some lighter moments! This author is know to put out some five stars reads and this one doesn’t disappoint! Well written and flows nicely! The ending was not what I was expecting but in a good day! No spoilers here!!!

Welcome to the St. Cecelia, a landmark hotel on the coast of Georgia, where traditions run deep and scandals run even deeper

I am not telling you anything about this book because boy it had me in a chokehold with all of its twists and turns. Starting out as an adorable story about a luxury resort and its entertaining cast of characters; this book quickly gets the Mary Kay Andrews treatment and flips itself upside down (in the best way possible)

This book sits at 471 pages which is massive for me and the fact that I never got bored or wanted to not finish is just something major to note. At the beginning I was worried about how many characters there were but everyone was important and not once did I get confused. This read like a southern Netflix drama and I could easily visualize everything.

Overall, there is not one bad thing that I can say about this book, except for that it’s now over.

This was such a sweet book! I loved the characters, and their love story. The dialogue was realistic and enjoyable.

This was a terrific read. Fast paced with a central storyline about circumstances surrounding a death, while the main character tries to move on from her past. I really like Mary Kay Andrews books and this one does not disappoint.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

Mary Kay Andrews did it once again, I devoured this book and she kept me guessing until the end who “M” was and how the whole story would come together.

Mary Kay Andrews is the queen of the summer beach read true crime. Can’t wait for this book to be released so more people can experience Summers at the Saint.

I was not required to post a positive review, all thoughts are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for honest feedback.

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.

Overall, great read!

Another great book from the Queen of summer books! I’ll definitely get a paper copy of this good suspense filled with twists novel.

It has always been my dream to work and live at a beachside resort and this story brought me right there. I loved the setting, the characters, the mystery and the drama. I was eager to know what happened, yet I wanted to savor the story. I need more books just like this one!

For those who love:
🐚 Beachside setting
🐚 Family drama
🐚 Multi-POV
🐚 Cozy Mystery (cold case and present)
🐚 Characters of all ages

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the e-ARC of this book.

I fell in love with Mary Kay Andrews’s writing style after my holiday reads of Bright Lights, Big Christmas and The Santa Suit.

I appreciated how the novel started out with character introductions and intermingled them all. There were a lot of characters to meet, so this was helpful.

I loved the dynamics between all of the characters when the Saint opened and they all started their resort jobs.

And then I was thrown for a loop. The NetGalley description classifies this story as a Romance, however there was nothing romantic about it and I would more so classify it as a Mystery/Thriller as the plot was searching for a killer. Maybe because there was one slight romantic interest that’s the reason?

Either way, solid 3.5 stars.

I've read a few other books by Mary Kay Andrews and I enjoyed this one just as much. What sets this one apart is that it has some suspense and mystery in addition to the romance.

Summers At The Saint takes place on an a fictional island off the Georgia coast at a resort called Saint Cecilia. Traci manages the resort after her husband, Hoke, died in a plane crash. The resort belonged to Hokes father. Hoke's brother, Ric manages the financial side of things. Traci just doesn't trust him at all.
After the pandemic, the books are the in the red. Traci needs to get them into the green. Ww get the backstory pretty quickly and then the story turns into the murder mystery of what really happened.

I didn't predict how this story would end up at all. This was such a great book. It was refreshing but yet thrilling.

Thank you, Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

MKA's books are good for when I'm in the mood for a light summer beach read. This one was a murder mystery at a beach resort, but fell a bit flat for me. The characters seemed to move on quickly from their family members being murdered and there was a lot that felt unbelievable and wrapped up too neatly and quickly for me.

This was an enjoyable book. Summers At The Saint was a great, easy read with an intriguing story. This book had a great cast of characters that it follows. Overall this was a great, light hearted mystery and is perfect for summer reading.

Read this if you like:

📖 Following Multiple Characters
📖 Light-Hearted Mysteries
📖 Summer Vibes

Thanks for this advance copy. I loved this book! I just read it in a day, so it's so good. If you are looking for a book to inmerse you as much as you forget about the outside world, this is it!

Anything Mary Kay Andrew writes, I will gobble it right up! This is MKA at her best. I absolutely loved the setting of a beach resort along with the ties to the past events at the resort. I only wish I could have read this book at a resort in the sun!

Not only is Mary Kay Andrews an amazing storytellers, she writes books that are so thought provoking and fun to read. I especially enjoy her holiday books and beachy reads so that is why I wanted the chance to read this new book. Boy, was I delighted as always to read yet another book by her!! Summers at the Saint is a light, slow burner romance comedic book that I truly enjoyed reading. I recommend this book to those who enjoy contemporary romance with some light hearted humor such as Emily Henry. Thank you Netgalley for the ArC of this title. I highly recommend.

Rating: 3.5 stars

This story promises a tantalizing mix of romance and murder mystery.

My reason for this rating is that there were way too many characters, there were also so many POVs to keep up with and it was giving me severe whiplash with trying to remember who was who. And it felt very repetitive at times.

However, despite its shortcomings, this book still remains an enjoyable read, perfect for lazy days lounging by the beach or cozy nights curled up with a good book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me access to this e-arc in an exchange for an honest review.