Summers at the Saint was my first book by Mary Kay Andrews but it won’t be my last. This book had everything; family drama, romance and a mystery. It was a well written easy read but I did find there were a few too many characters.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press and Mary Kay Andrews for an advanced reader copy of Summers at The Saint!

I went into this read with little foreknowledge, except that I enjoyed MKA’s Honewreckers. But WOW, did this one blow me away! First, the setting is absolutely phenomenal. An old southern beach resort owned by generations of the same upper crust family being ripped to shreds by conspiracy, murder, and all manner of mischief? Count me in.

I was consistently surprised by the level of dedication MKA had to this story. Absolutely nothing and no one were safe from the unraveling plot! Meanwhile, the summer season is kicking off for Traci Eddings, The Saint’s widowed CEO, and it isn’t looking promising.

This is a don’t-trust-anyone kind of book and I would ABSOLUTELY recommend it to a friend looking for a fun, if at times heavy, beach read this year.

You can always tell that summer is just around the corner when you get a new Mary Kay Andrews book to read. Once again, she has given her readers a fantastic mix of romance and mystery in a book full of lovable and quirky characters in a beach side hotel. What can be better than that?

The Saint Cecelia hotel is a resort on the Georgia coast that is where the rich and famous want to spend their summers. Traci and her best friend Shannon are from the wrong side of the tracks and when they are 19, they get jobs as life guards at the Saint. They learn very quickly that if you stay at the hotel, you are considered a Saint but if you were working class, you were considered an A'int. A horrible event at the hotel, ended their friendship and it didn't get any better in later years. Traci met and fell in love with Hoke, the son of the owner of the resort. When he dies in a helicopter crash, the hotel becomes hers but her father in law and brother in law want her to fail and work against her as frequently as possible. Here she is at 40 trying to return the hotel to its glory days as her brother in law works to make her fail. Several of her key people leave right before the summer season begins and she resorts to hiring people who wouldn't normally work at a high end hotel. With her quirky cast of characters, the hotel starts the summer season. Then along comes Whelan, looking for information about his younger brother who died in the pool 20 years before when Traci and Shannon were the life guards. His questions make an already stressful season even more difficult but adds a great mystery to the story.

This book has it all -- a twisted mystery from 20 years earlier, a vindictive brother in law who is trying to make Traci fail, an estranged best friend who has no use for Traci, a bunch of quirky characters who work hard to make the summer a success and a bit of romance to lighten things up. Along with that -- add the beautiful sunsets over the ocean and you have a perfect summer read. Mary Kay Andrews never disappoints!

Summer at the Saint is a fabulous read. If you love books surrounded by forming strong female bonds, secrets, mystery going ons, finding new love and rebuilding friendships then look no further. Traci is the main lead in this one. She is trying to save the summer resort she's has fallen in love with since she was a kid. You go on a journey with her as she faces staffing issues left and right and losing her niece and father in law. I love her spunk and fight for keeping everything afloat. Livvy and Felice are both equally strong and work hard to find out who is behind all the wrong doings at the Saint. I love the bond the three form even as secrets and truths start to come out. I could not get enough of this one. If you like trying to solve the who did it, why and everything in between then you need to click this one today.

I absolutely loved this book! Such a cute and captivating story. I loved the mix of mystery and history. I will recommend this as a perfect vacation read to my friends. Thank you!

Cute, easy read for summer! This was my first by Mary Kay Andrews and thoroughly enjoyed it! Definitely recommend as a quick summer read

I know it’s hard to believe that I was familiar with Ms. Andrews reputation, but had never read her novels before. She’ll be on my radar now because I really liked this story. There’s a little bit of everything in the plot. There’s a good variety of people from the wealthy “Saint’s” at the family owned beachfront resort to the poorer “Ain’ts”. There’s a hearty helping of family drama, old wounds, grief, loss, secrets, betrayal and back-stabbing with a side of criminal activity ending in murder. The setting along the Georgia coast was swoon worthy. Traci inherited the responsibility of overseeing the large exclusive resort after her husband’s untimely death. She married into the family and since she’s not blood, the remaining family members resent and undermine her. She’s a fair, trusting and compassionate boss who looks after the staff. There are seasonal summer teenage employees at the resort for various positions. They were well portrayed, interesting and realistic. Something happened years ago and Traci’s former best friend now despises her. There was a terrible incident involving the drowning of a little boy. Nothing was ever the same between them after that. Now a relative of the child is digging into the past for answers and evil secrets are brought to light. The story held my attention and would definitely read more by this author. There was some predictability, (thus the 4.5 star rating) which didn’t hinder my interest in the characters lives and need to see how the plot would play out.
An uncorrected digital galley of “Summers at the Saint” by Mary Kay Andrews, published by St. Martin’s Press, was provided by NetGalley. Anticipated publication 05/07/2024. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

This wasn’t quite what I expected from the queen of beach reads, but it was an interesting story. The setting was wonderful - a beach resort in a small town with a relatable main character (Tracy) who was struggling to keep it running. However it was more of a murder mystery than a light romance. I was somewhat put off by the unexpected demise of a very likable and important character early in the story. I think I would have enjoyed it more without that plot turn. There were a number of likable characters and hints of romance here and there to lighten the story, and hints of scandal to give it a twist, so I still enjoyed it very much. I can sense that this would be a great beginning to a series about the Saint, and I would certainly look forward to that. It was a fast and fun read.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Wow - just finished this book and out of the books I have read by Mary Kay Andrews before this one is my favorite! Her writing is just such perfection! I felt like this book and all of the different perspectives just made it that much more interesting. Definitely a longer read but I felt like I wanted even more with how good it was! I am a fan of all things mystery and I honestly loved that was one of the main focuses in this book. I truly felt attached to the characters and their individual stories! I definitely recommend this book! Amazing read!

I've always been a Mary Kay Andrews fan and this one does not disappoint! Traci Eddings grew up on the wrong side of the tracks from the famous resort hotel, St. Cecilia. By chance, she meets and falls in love with the owner's son which catapults her into the glamorous world she always longed for. When her husband dies in a plane crash, it it now up to Traci to pull the Saint back from the brink of financial ruin while avoiding her scheming brother-in-law who wants the Saint's property. Hiring young adults from the locals to work at the Saint for the summer allows Traci some financial breathing room until one of them, ends of dead. This death brings back memories of the summer Traci was a lifeguard and a small boy drowned on her watch. Determined to find out who killed her niece, Traci enlists the help of the other resort workers and discovers that a lot of the resort's financial woes are being self-inflicted by insider thefts. The tension builds as the murderer plots to stop the amateur investigation.
There are a lot of characters to keep track of, but the ones that shine though are well worth the read! The ending may come as a surprise to some readers who are certain they know "whodunit."
Here's hoping for a return to the "Saint" in yet another volume!

This was an entertaining yarn, even if the twists at the end weren’t surprising. Traci Eddings is the widowed owner of the Saint (after St. Cecilia), a hotel resort on an island off the coast of Georgia. She’s facing many challenges four years after her husband died in a plane crash. The hotel is struggling after the pandemic and it’s hard to hire good help. She also has a conniving brother in law who is looking for her to fail. In comes a cast of characters to help right the ship. But a murder, and a suspicious death 20 years ago, show there is danger and intrigue afoot. While the list of characters the book introduces was a bit overwhelming, I ended up having no problem getting to know them all as the story went on. I really enjoyed employees Olivia (front desk) and Felice (chef) who team up to try to solve the murder. Completing our Scooby team was Traci and landscaper with a past Whelan. There was one character I wish was more developed and some of the villains were almost too villainous. Yet I was eager to read this book to find out what happened next. Definitely an ideal beach read.

Thanks to the publisher for the gifted copy.

3.5 ⭐️
Thanks for NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book
I’m not sure where I thought this book was going to go, but I certainly wasn’t expecting it start out so slowly and then throw every twist and turn and reveal in like it was sprinting to the end.
A widow running her late husband’s family owned understaffed and struggling five star resort persuades her niece to come work for there for the summer. What follows is a murder, a 20 year old mystery that’s got tires to the present, attempted murder to coverup other crimes, a crime ring, a rather quick and frankly undeveloped and lackluster love story (if you can even call it that) and revelations from the past that have unknowingly set all this in motion. It was a lot. A lot of storylines and a lot of characters all of whom intersect in one way or another.
I’ve read other books by MKA and while I liked this one it wasn’t my favorite. The character development felt rushed or almost completely glossed over for several characters. What led some of these people to make the choices they made? There is some exposition about one late in the book, but what about the others who were involved?
I’ll admit that I almost chalked this one up to a DNF bc the beginning half of the book was so slow and almost meandering- just wasn’t holding my interest. Once the murder happens things picked up and the last 30ish% of the book felt like it was moving at a super charged pace. This also happens to be when all the big reveals happen- as I mentioned above, it felt kind of rushed. The twists and turns in the plot weren’t super surprising- I figured most of it out. All in all, it was fine. The pacing (super slow to begin and then too fast towards the end) was probably my biggest issue.
It should be noted that this book has a few TWs including: discussion of rape, death of a child, arson and the drugging of women.

I received a free copy of. Summers at the Saint, by Mary Kay Andrews, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The Saint, or Saint Cecilia is a hotel. Traci Eddings worked there and married into the family. There is a lot of drama at this hotel. I thought it was a nice read, but i did like all the swear worlds.

I was sent an email and invited to read this but I just couldn’t get into it. I didn’t connect with the story or characters. It’s not a book issue but more reader issue

Fabulous story about a family run hotel, The Saint. It’s posh and they have many elite guests and the “Aints” that are staff.
Lots of drama, family bound by a tragic loss and a few creepy owners.
Enjoy this action packed thriller that will keep you reading through the night.

This book is written in true Mary Kay Andrews fashion, characters that capture your attention immediately, mystery, drama, and a little romance. I always enjoy a good Mary Kay Andrews book and this one was no exception to that. If you haven't read a book by Mary Kay Andrews, you are really missing out!

There is a lot going on in this book and so getting it all straight at first takes a little bit, but it all grabs your attention and keeps you intrigued to find out how everyone is going to have a role in the overall story. Traci and Shannon are part of the population that are not in the "in" crowd when it comes to the Saint. They are from what many would call the wrong side of the road. The Saint is something that everyone that is someone has a membership at. Even though Traci and Shannon are not in the popular crowd in high school, they find a way to get into the Saint. They get a job as lifeguards for the summer at the Saint. Traci and Shannon are the best of friends until an accidental drowning ends up coming between them. The fact that Traci ends up marrying the grandson of the Saint's owners doesn't help either. Traci is happy with her life but Shannon doesn't fit into it. When Traci's husband dies early, she is left to find a way to make the Saint make ends meet.

Traci is doing everything she can to turn the Saint around and one of her ideas is to make an on-site lodging place for the employees and make it an incentive in addition to their pay. Traci end up recruiting Shannon's daughter to be on her summer list of employees and Shannon is not happy about it one bit.

With the on-site lodging for the employees, there is more of a feeling of being a family. Of course there is some romance that takes place but there is also a murder thrown into the mix. How could one of the employees get murdered when they are all supposed to be looking out for each other? This book will keep you on the edge of your seat and turning the pages as fast as you can to find out what all is going on with the characters and the Saint. I have a feeling you will really enjoy this read as I did.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book.

Where do I even begin..,. This will hands down become my favorite MKA book. I absolutely devoured it and was so so sad when I finished it because I wanted it to last forever. I loved that there was a mystery, a little romance plus just the everyday business of running a resort. I really enjoyed the main character and the supporting characters except of course the bad guys, which I will say surprised me a bit! Of course, my favorite was the attention to detail that MKA is known for….especially in regards to the traits of the dachshund! Hilarious and spot on!

This was the first book I’ve read from Mary Kay Andrews, so I didn't know what to expect going in. I thought that this would include more romance, but it actually had more mystery which I really enjoyed. With old crimes resurfacing and new crimes popping up, I was definitely intrigued to see how it ended!

We get to see many different POVs on how everyone’s story ties into the Saint Cecilia, a beachside resort, as they rush to get ready and open for the season. It is written to show how complicated life can be full of family drama, old feuds, grief, trauma, and complicated relationships but also, moving forward, finding new friends and finding new love.

Initially, I did have a hard time keeping up with all the character introductions in the beginning, but as the story came together, it made more sense for how it was set up and written from multiple perspectives.

I’d say this is the perfect read if you are looking for a book where mysteries are solved with some romance along the way! It releases on May 7th, 2024!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Mary Kay Andrews for the opportunity to read this early in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley for this advanced reader’s copy. Mary Kay Andrews does not disappoint when she writes a fun summer novel and this book is no exception. This is the story of the Saint Cecelia resort and the sordid tales of the rich who stay there or the “Saints” and those who live in the the surrounding town or the “Ain’ts”. Of course the rich get up to no good, but don’t count on the townies as being all sweet and innocent. This was not my first Mary Kay Andrews book and will not be my last as they are fast and fun summer reads.

This novel had a great storyline. Characters you can connect with though it was more plot driven. It kept the pages turning. It is written in multiple perspectives. There is murder, mystery, corruption, family issues, and a resolved ending.
The language was more than I expected from a Mary Kay Andrews book. The story could be easily point driven without so many harsh curse words. So I give this a 4 star.
Thanks to the publisher for an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.