Name of Book: Summers at the Saint
Author: Mary Kay Andrews
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Pub Date: May 7, 2024
My Rating: 3 Stars
Pages: 448

St. Cecelia, a landmark hotel on the coast of Georgia, and refers to “the Saint.”

The first time Traci Eddings saw ’The Saint’ she was a little girl with her grandfather in his fishing boat. She exclaimed “Look Pops – It’s a fairy Castle”. He answered. ‘No honey just the saint-no fairies but there are a lot of rich people.
When she was fifteen she and her friend Shannon got a summer job working at the Saint’s ice cream parlor. Although excited to be working there they quickly got educated that the help did not socialize with the hotel guests.

Several years later Traci's life makes a big turn when she marries Hoke whose family owns the saint. When her husband dies in a helicopter crash Traci has the struggling hotel to manage.

Awww this story started out great. I liked Traci and I do like mysteries however there is a lot going on, in this story as well as a lot of characters.
But it wasn’t the enjoyable read I was expecting. Doesn’t mean it wasn’t good, I know many readers love this story.
I went into this knowing very little about it and picked it because i loved both " The Santa Suit" and " Bright Lights, Big Christmas" (Recent Christmas stories). I suppose I was expecting more of a mystery with a sweet romance. However this was not a cozy mystery.

This was my thirteenth Mary Kay Andrews novel. I especially love and enjoyed her Cozy Mysteries you will find she is listed on the cozy site and if the story isn’t a mystery the site indicates (not a mystery). So when the nasty language appeared I thought ~ “Wait a minute are there two authors named Mary Kay Andrews?”
Must admit I didn’t love all the stories I read. True most earned 5 or 4+ Stars but a few were meh.
– Hmmm perhaps there really are two Mary Kay Andrews!
I do love and prefer Mary Kay the Cozy Romance/Mystery writer.

I haven’t given up on her and hoping for an upcoming ‘Cozy

Want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for May 7. 2024.

I adore this author and I think this is her best book yet! But I say that every time I read her newest book! I don’t want to talk a out what the book is about, the publisher’s blurb is there for all to read. The author touches on many aspects of human nature. There is a dynamic and powerful family involved, the Reddings family. There is mystery. I loved the characters, several of whom were strong females. The romance aspect was great with Traci, who is a widow finally looking forward to a new romance. Loved it!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

ARC review:
3.5⭐️ (round up on GR because I did really enjoy it)
for Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews

The Saint resort is plagued with another death and is fighting to stay afloat in a post Covid economy.
The cast of characters are employees at the ritzy resort and the tension between the rich resort members and the surrounding town is at an all time high.

I really enjoyed this book, the different POVs kept me hooked from the beginning. It did slow down as the POVs became more focused on just a couple characters. This is my first book by Mary Kay Andrews and her ability to create interesting and relatable characters has me curious to read another. It’s got a little bit of mystery and amateur detectives, as well as a side romance. Where the mystery was the main focus, it excelled. The romance was not great for me. The characters lacked chemistry and by the end of the book their relationship was downright strange. The characters seemed to have completely changed personalities. The main male character became oddly angry and manipulative when the female character wasn’t interested in being intimate after a major traumatic event. It was also really weird that a sub plot that seemed so big ended up being nothing at all??? Also what the heck were the cops doing during all of this. Anyway it was a quite enjoyable book and would be stellar for a quick beach read.

Summers at the Saint is out in May!

Thank you netgalley and St Martins Press for the opportunity to read this book. #netgalley #summersathesaint

I received an e-book copy of Mary Kay Andrews new book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I have read many MKA books, enjoyed this one as much as the others.
Summer at the Saints is about an exclusive resort referred to as the Saint. If you’re rich, any a member of the resort, you’re a “Saint”. Everyone else is an “ain’t”.
Traci and Shannon are best friend “ain’t” who work at the resort one summer. Traci meets one of the rich owners of the Saint, Hoke. They fall in love and marry and run the hotel together. Tragedy strikes when Hoke dies in a crash, leaving Traci to handle the hotel and his family on her own.
A new group of summer employees have arrived to work at the Saint. Traci must navigate through greedy family members and employees, a murder and fire at the hotel, and declining profits to keep the legacy of her husband open.
There are a lot of characters to keep up with, but MKA develops the characters so well that you feel you know them personally.
Another great book by Mary Kay Andrews, will be a great read for the summer of 2024.
Thank you #netgalley and #summersatthesaint

I didn’t know what to expect going into this book by MKA, but I knew there would be a beachy setting and a fun, quirky cast of characters, and it didn’t disappoint. This book ended up being a bit of murder mystery, familial secrets and scandals, with a bit of romance. This would be such a fun beach read if you’re looking for something like the Hotel Nantucket, and not just a romance.

This story is set at St. Cecilia Resort, referred to as The Saint. The main character was a townie but started working at the Saint as a teen. She ends up marrying the son, and heir to the Saint. He passes in a plane crash, and she ends up inheriting and running the resort— which she is currently trying to bring back to life.

Despite the many storylines and characters, and even some flashbacks to the past, I did find it really easy to follow along— which isn’t hard to do!

My only complaint is that there were so many characters, and story lines— I think I would have liked it more, and it would have been a bit faster paced if it it was edited down.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s for the ARC!

Another great book by MKA! I’m already missing the Saint and the “good” people! I grew very attached to them!
This is a perfect beach read for those that are looking for a bit more mystery as well. I really thought I had it all figured out and then found out I didn’t. The little bit of romance also included was the perfect amount for the right people. And of course there were also those characters that I just could not stand and was happy they got what was coming to them 🙂
I definitely would recommend this book! Don’t take the word of those that rate it low. Read it and make your own decision.
Thanks NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

SUMMERS AT THE SAINT has an identity crisis. It looks like the fun romantic summer reads that we are used to from this author, but it is a murder mystery. It is bogged down with long introductions of the characters. If you can stay with the book through the first quarter of it, this story really begins, but even then we have to muddle through the over telling of the story line. It is a long road to the end, which jumps to a conclusion without addressing some of the plot lines. I wanted to love this novel, because I am a fan of Ms. Andrews work, but this book left feeling annoyed. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Publishers for an arc. These thoughts are my own.

Notes: quite a few characters keep track of
Easily picture the setting
Halfway took a turn I didn’t see coming, was sad
Thought I Figured out a twist early on (wrong)
Touched on heavy topics tw rape

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.

I loved the setting of this book, it reminded me a lot of The Newcomers by Mary Kay Andrews. Drama, light humour, mystery and beautiful setting! There was a lot going on in this book but I was invested and couldn’t stop reading! There are quite a few characters to keep track of but I really enjoyed the main characters. There were a few fun twists in here! All in all, this is a perfect beach read! 👙⛱️🏝️

✨ Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts ✨

to see why things fell apart back in the day. As adults though, can you get past the past?

This was well written, though I had a little trouble shifting characters as first. But in the end it all came together, literally, and is well done.

Mary Kay Andrews can add another one to her list! Summer at the Saints was amazing.

The rich are always trying to get richer any way they can and they have no boundaries or know when to stop.

The characters in this book were so relatable and love able. I found myself truly routing for the under dogs!

**This book will be published on 05/07/2024!**
I received this e-book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the author/publisher for the copy!

Traci Eddings, a widow to Hoke Eddings, is now the owner of the Saint hotel, along with the duties of that job, as her husband once did. Traci's former best friend, Shannon, is a nurse & single mother to Livvy. Their lives went in different directions after their summer jobs at the Saint as lifeguards. Traci meeting Hoke and Shannon getting pregnant and holding a grudge against the Eddings family, but Traci has no idea why. Andrews takes us through several points of views of different characters in the story and although this can be confusing, each character had their own voice and it was easy to follow as the story goes on. The author weaved each story together for an ending that I didn't realize was going to happen right up until it did.

This was my first Mary Kay Andrews book and I loved it! This book has everything from a little romance, to murder mystery, to rich family drama. I definitely wasn't expecting that at all, but it all went together nicely and it was a fun read! Who wouldn't enjoy reading a book where the setting is a fancy resort/hotel on a beach? If you're looking for a good beach read, then this would be a great one. Although I thought this book was going to get confusing following so many different characters, Andrews wrote it in a way where you know exactly whose head we are in and what is going on.

This was my first Mary Kay Andrews book and I was expecting a quick rom-com. Wow! I was wrong, the twists and turns kept me turning the pages & I finished the last 1/3 of the book in one night. The Saint is a resort that has been in the family for generations. Traci is currently managing the hotel after the tragic death of her husband while her brother in law handles the real estate holdings. As the summer season approaches a few key staff members leave for a neighboring resort offering much higher salaries. Traci convinces her niece Parrish to put off her trip to Europe to be the concierge. She transforms a old barn into staff housing and adds three more staff who are able to live there. A must read!

Mary Kay Andrews does it again. Summers at the Saint is a fun ride of nostalgia and intrigue with something for everyone - family drama, murder mystery and a little bit of romance.

I absolutely devoured this novel! Mary Kay Andrews never disappoints. Several times I thought I figured out what was coming next, and was shocked every time.
My only wish is that I could visit the Saint myself!

Summers at the Saint is a awesome mix of a fun beach read and a suspense novel. The characters were fun and believable and there were a few twist that I did not except.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC. #Netgalley #Summersatthesaint
Pub date: 5-7-24

This is the second book by MKA I have read. It started out a little slow but once it gets going it will definitely keep your attention. There are many characters with separate chapters in the beginning. This was a little confusing at first but laid a good background for the character development through out the book.

I truly enjoyed Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews! This was my second book by Andrews, and it did not disappoint! It’s a great read for the summer that packs a little more punch than your typical “beach read”! I loved the characters and the setting- learning about this resort situated on an island off of the Georgia coast was the perfect way to beat the February “gloomies”! I did not anticipate enjoying the mystery element of this book as much as I did. I was really guessing the whole time! It was fun to figure out parts of the mystery as I went along- but I was still surprised at the end! I highly recommend this one!

I like all of Mary Kay Andrews' books as they are a quick and fun read. This one was less romance than the others and I enjoyed that.

This one started off really strong. I loved the beach town settings with the exclusive hotel. The murder mystery only added to this, and what became a mystery from the past drowning at the Saint's pool. I was hooked up until the romance came into play. It seemed awkward and unnecessary, and made it feel like too much was going on.

Still a good read.

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!