Member Reviews

I look forward each year to the arrival of summer fun launched with a summer book by MKA. With her usual wit and quirky characters, she weaves together a plot including murder, deceit, romance, friendship with plenty of action and surprises thrown in.

Was this review helpful?

It is always interesting to expect one thing from a story and then be surprised to find the story is different. This one I expected a woman’s fiction with romance but we are delivered a murder mystery. This is a multiple murder mystery, perfect for the cozy mystery lovers out there.

This story blends in a bit of building romance with this mystery based on a delightful setting anyone would love to visit if it was a real location. I literally consumed this book. The story is fresh and interesting.

Andrews adds loads of twists and turns with characters that keep you guessing throughout. Her characters are spiteful, sneaky, trusting, and oblivious to reality. I enjoyed each of them as they added so much to the plot and kept us on our toes as we dive into each of the issues at hand.

There is plenty to keep track of in this story but it flows easily and Andrews manages to surprise me a time or two. The HEA at the end is so well deserved and worth it all. This just isn’t a beach read. It is an anytime read!

Was this review helpful?

Review: This has got to be my favorite book by Andrews!! It had a thriller aspect that I have not seen in her previous books and it reeled me in! I went into this book completely blind just knowing that I was going to love it because of the author. And I was right!! I am so blessed that I was given early access to this book by @netgalley and @stmartinspress ! Definitely recommend getting this book as soon as it comes out! It has multiple POVs, romance, mystery, murder and sabotage! Enjoy!!

Was this review helpful?

Shannon and Traci were childhood friends from the "wrong side of the causeway". As young adults, they worked at the Saint resort until a tragic accident lost Shannon her job and ended their friendship. Twenty years later, Traci is the CEO of the Saint after her husband died in a plane crash. Its hard to get employees at the Saint as housing is so expensive. She converts the old golf cart barn into dormitories for staff. She hires Shannon's 20 year old daughter, Olivia to work at the Saint much to Shannon's dismay. Olivia and 4 other employees live in the new dormitory. As Traci struggles to hang on the the Saint through economic difficulties, we see theft, murder and intrigue at the Saint. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and read it in one sitting. I have read several of Mary Kay Andrews books and highly recommend this one.

Was this review helpful?

I have always enjoyed Mary Kay Andrews writing style and story lines, this newest novel did not disappoint. This novel is set on Cecilia Island at the St. Cecilia Resort (The Saint). This resort had been around for many years and staffed mainly by locals. The joke around the town was there were two types of people: The Saints and The Aints, and the Aints were the workers for the elites that owned and visited the resort. Traci and her friend Shannon worked many summers at the Saint where Traci met and married Hoke (the owner’s son). After Hoke passed away it was on Traci’s shoulders to keep the resort running. Hoke’s family is constantly trying to cause problems for Traci and this particular summer things come to a head. Tragedy strikes at The Saint and a tragedy from many years prior is being questioned. The mystery surrounding these events combine to make a wonderful read. I think that this book would be a great read for anyone who enjoys fiction with a little bit of mystery, a little bit of romance and a little bit of intrigue. I really enjoyed this novel and read it very quickly.

Was this review helpful?

I'm usually a fan of Andrews. This one just okay for me. Little darker than her others. I look fwd to Andrews for light, guilty fun. This one fell a little short.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This was such a good book! I was not expecting the multiple different perspectives and I was a little worried it was going to be hard to follow, but it really helped tell the whole story here. Loved all the twists and turns mixed in with the romance, and can't wait to read more MKA!

Was this review helpful?

4.5 stars! Mary Kay Andrews never disappoints. I've read only 3 of her books but they've all been delightful and everything I look for in a good book. Mystery/Romance/Drama- this book will make a perfect beach or pool side read!

Was this review helpful?

Mary Kay Andrews has done it again!! Love this book! The twists and unexpected events in the story kept me turning the pages. The setting is off the coast of Georgia in an historic hotel. The description of the hotel had me wanting to book a room stat. As always, Mary Kay Andrews’ characters are quirky & strong-willed. This is a must summer read. Break out your beach chair & be prepared to laugh,cry & cheer. Thank you NetGalley & Saint Martin’s Press for an advanced reader copy of this wonderful book! You can add this one to your bookshelves on May 7th!

Was this review helpful?

Wow, great read! I really love the way Mary Kay Andrews writes and I think she does a great job at creating these wonderful characters. She really does bring the characters alive on the pages and I thought this storyline was one that kept you wanting to read more.

Was this review helpful?

Where can I make a reservation for The Saint?! Summers at the Saint is a classic MKA book. Romance? Check. Family drama? Check. Friendship troubles? Check. A mystery intertwining through all of it? Check and check! Traci is an awesome main character - a strong woman who has been put through the ringer with the death of her husband, the loss of her closest friendship, and in-laws who are, for the most part, less than pleasant.

I enjoyed the ensemble characters and the focus on friendship. The mystery was a bit predictable and the resolution of everything felt a bit rushed. However, this is a great beach read that will keep your attention and have you wondering whodunnit.

4.25 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this title!

Was this review helpful?

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley.

MKA has done it again. Her vivid writing makes me want to spend my summer at a beach club. I always love her diverse cast of quirky characters in every book. This one had me guessing about what the mystery would be; it took a bit to get to the mystery but it was good build-up. While I solved the mystery well before the end, I was intrigued through the end.

Once again, MKA has ushered in summertime and has proven why she’s the queen of the summer romantic mystery.

Was this review helpful?

OOOO I love a good down south scandal book. I have loved all of Mary Kay Andrews books and will keep reading her books shes an auto buy for me. So I knew I would want to read and review this one. I love the story of the outsider trying to get into "high society" or basically fit in. It gave modern day adult gossip girl with a side of "The Help". I will give this 5 stars I mean honestly I would give it all the stars if I could.

Was this review helpful?

This was my first book by Mary Kate Andrews and it was a fun read. I love a hotel setting in a summer book and Andrews did it well. I enjoyed the descriptions of the resort, its grounds, and the food. I also really liked Traci and was terrified she was going to have some skeletons in her closet as a “twist,” because that often happens in stories like these. I found it refreshing that she was instead as good and likable as she appeared upon first glance.

I will say that this book is slightly more sinister than what meets the eye. Although it’s not graphic or gory, the story took a darker turn than I was expecting and seemed to suffer a bit from not knowing exactly what genre it wanted to be. I jumped in assuming this would be a fluffy beach read, as I suspect many other readers will when they see it in stores, but feel the colorful fun cover was somewhat misleading. There’s no indication that it’s actually going to be a bit of a murder mystery. That didn’t make it unreadable--I read it quickly and it mostly kept my interest, although I do think the ending dragged on slightly longer than necessary.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Was this review helpful?

I could not put this book down. I enjoyed the character development as well as the storyline. Thank you for the opportunity to read this 5 star book early!!!

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy!

Unfortunately this story just didn’t work for me. The sub plots were a little too dark and not offset well with the lighter ones.

Was this review helpful?

I have read several Mary Kay Andrews books, and I love her writing style. This one is particularly good. It's a twisty mystery, it has a bit of romance, and it's a quick read. I finished it in a day, because I was so caught up in each new development I just wanted to see what came next.

Was this review helpful?

This was my first Mary Kay Andrews book but won't be my last. The setting is fun, the characters are well rounded, it's a good summer read with a mystery, romance and family drama.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my advanced review copy.

Was this review helpful?

Despite being a super popular author, this was my first read by Mary Kay Andrews and I really enjoyed it. It is full of intrigue and twists with a little bit of romance as well. I really liked the backdrop of a 5 star beach resort setting. I think the characters and the mystery are really thought out and well rounded. I loved all the descriptions of food and it made me want to visit the restaurant and have a meal there!

At first I thought I wasn't going to be able to follow along easily because we are introduced to a lot of characters in a short period of time, but they all have their own backstory which made it easier and each character has a distinct personality. I went into this book blind and I was a bit shocked with the death of one of the characters. My one gripe with this book is the length, but considering I finished it in two days, I wouldn't say it held me back at all.

This is an engaging, family-drama/mystery/suspense that will keep you engaged right until the end.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Mary Kay Andrews for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I am incredibly thankful to the publisher and Netgalley for the e-arc.

I greatly enjoyed Summers at the Saint. I was throughly engrossed in the story the whole time and was happy with the ending. If you’re looking for a nice, thought provoking spring/summer read, I’d recommend this book with no hesitation.

Was this review helpful?