Mary Kay Andrews is an author whom I have come to expect good beach-reads from. Her latest, Summer at the Saint, was a surprise. Not only did we get a taste of romcom, but also mystery, lots of scandal, and twists and turns that kept me alert throughout the late-night finish. With so much going on, this one was impossible to put down. Thanks, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with the ARC ebook I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

Mary Kay Andrews is one of my must read authors, so I was excited to see this offered. The story was a bit darker than I expected, but as with her other books, the characters and story line were excellent. It wasn’t the beach read I thought it was going to be, but I really enjoyed it, staying up past my bedtime so I could finish it!

I’d like to call this a “Just Right” summer read. It has just the right amount of mystery, intrigue, twists and ROMANCE! This is the story of a premier resort run by the widow of the former owner. She is trying to hold the place together after the lean years of the pandemic and her husband’s death. Sadly, there is also a severe labor shortage and she has to try to fill all the vacancies. There is also a resident baddie, her former brother-in-law who would like to destroy her.

So, mix these elements together, fill in characters including a “hottie” and stir into an absolutely wonderful read! The author has managed to pull all these threads together and make the book compelling and readable.

I highly recommend this novel. I enjoy Andrews’ books, but this is certainly the richest and best written. Every character fits in perfectly and nothing seems forced. I am a reader who needs a sense of closure and I certainly found it in this book.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing mme to read and review this book, a perfect companion for this snowy weekend in NYC!

Run, don't walk, to get this book! I absolutely loved it!! It starts out introducing quite a few characters. There were so many, in fact, that I found myself going back to reread details about a few of them so I could keep them straight. I quickly realized, though, that once you get to know each of them in first few chapters, they are very easy to differentiate because of how detailed and hilariously Andrews describes them. I felt like I could see each of them in my head, all the way down to their mannerisms and nonverbal cues. It was fun to read different perspectives of the haves vs the have nots (or is this case, the Saints vs the Ain'ts) and to find the out the history between some of the main characters. There were twists and turns in this book right to the end!

Betrayal...mistaken identities...scandalous relationships...mysteries new and old...who knew all of this could come from a single beach resort? Mary Kay Andrews has done it again the way she always does. She takes you down a road that changes directions, circles back, flips you around, and plants you right there with your bum in the dirt and a gob smacked smile on your face having had the craziest ride of your life.

When you think of life at the beach you think of a few things that are a constant: eye candy, drinks with umbrellas, sunscreen, and the seemingly never-ending water. This beach adds a few more things: intrigue, mayhem, and murder. I am never disappointed by one of MKA's books as she always keeps you on your toes and this one was no different.

There are certainly a lot of jaw dropping moments in this one and the gossip is juicy! I loved Traci as the main character. For someone like the rest of us who are 'aints', it's nice to see someone who fell in love with someone who was rich. Someone they actually loved, and that the money didn't ruin the core of who they were as a character.

Traci didn't let anything change her. She still works hard to make the most of the station in life that she has been giving and she always looks out for those under her, much to the detriment to those around her who would like to see the 'old ways' preserved. In other words, those that would like to continue being classist and not have to deal with any of the poor people around except for the necessary staff.

There are a number of strong women in this book who are either learning to be more independent or have had to learn the hard way like the rest of us growing up. Strength is earned, it's not given to you like a girl scout badge. And that is one of the things that I love about MKA's characters. They're strong, independent, but can also admit when they make a mistake.

In her typical writing fashion, you get a ton of southern sass, some butt kicking, some mouthing, and a whole lot of good time.

The mystery was great. I loved all the twists and turns, and that ending? Loved that. I enjoyed all of the characters, except for Garrett. You can tell from the beginning what kind of person he was going to be. I didn't think I was going to like Whelan though. At first, I really thought he was going to be there just to stir the pot. However, even I ended up falling under his spell. Plus, he's really good at his job.

I also loved the history behind the place and even though the main family characters of the Saint were all the typical snooty fashion, it was still a really fascinating place to read about. And also, to envision myself there. I've never been one for the beach, but I have to tell you, this book really got me started more on thinking that maybe I too need more of a beach life. It does tend to make your life seem somewhat provincial in the scheme of things lol.

If you're looking for a book full of suspense, drama, mystery, a little bit of Maury and a whole lot of Jerry Springer, well, this is most definitely the book for you. I loved it and I whole heartedly recommend this book.

Thanks to Net Galley, the publishers, and to Mary Kay Andrews for the ability to read and review this book. All opinions are my own and are completely honest.

I enjoyed reading about how the main characters’ relationship to each other grows, strains, and evolves through the years. So many of us can relate to that dynamic, and that combined with the beachy setting of the book and twists make it one I quickly read through!

I loved this book and found it very hard to put down. It was a great story with many twists and turns and surprises. Story set at the St Cecilia Resort commonly called The Saint. The main character, Traci, started out as an ain't (lived in the local town) vs. a Saint with money to stay at the resort or be part of the rich family that owned it. Traci worked at the resort as a teenager and then feel in love with the younger son and married. She lost her husband in a plane crash. . The family never approved of her, but since she now owns a large part of the resort, they are stuck with her. She has a wonderful heart and is doing all to improve the Saint and their earnings and also hires staff and really takes care of them. Then the fun begins. There are many secrets and family scandals. Another great MKA book. Thank you to MKA, Net Galley

Traci, a girl from the other side of the tracks, married Hoke, the scion of a wealthy family which owns The Saint, a hotel/resort catering to a rich clientele. When Hoke died, his brother Rick and his father still treated Traci as an inferior, even though she inherited from her husband and managed the Saint. When one of the young people working there is murdered, several people decide to investigate. One of them is Whelan, who is also investigating the death of his younger half brother at the Saint many years ago. This novel is considerably darker than the beach/holiday reads I'm used to from Andrews. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I read an advance copy of this novel. I knew it would be good because Mary Kay Andrews's books are always good. I enjoyed the characters as well as the storyline of this book. It is well-written and makes for easy and enjoyable reading.

The Ain'ts and the Saints aren't supposed to mix, and when they do, stuff starts going down. There are several characters to meet at the beginning of the story, and you'll need to keep them straight at first, but when they start intertwining is when the magic happens. This book has it all - mysteries (both new and unsolved), murder, love, betrayal, crime, family drama, and a dash of 'hope conquers everything.' It will keep you rooting for the good guys to overcome, the bad guys to get their comeuppance, and guessing which ones are which up to the very end. A summer must-read!

In St. Cecelia, Georgia, the class system is still in effect. The wealthy are the Saints and the locals are the Ain’ts. Traci Eddings was a local who married into the wealthy Eddings family. After the tragic death of her husband she now is running the Saint, the family resort. The hotel has fallen on hard times. She is bleeding money on repairs and expansion and has difficulty finding staff. She hires her niece to run the front desk and the daughter of her estranged best friend for the waitstaff together with the bad-boy son of a rich patron and a trendy black chef. Mary Kay Andrews combines murder and mystery with humor and romance. I laughed out loud at some of the scenes with snobby patrons’ ridiculous requests of the staff. I was thoroughly engaged by the story and the characters. This will be a must read for this summer’s beach season. I heartily recommend it. I thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.

you know those hair products that are like 10-in-1 benefits? thats what this book reminded me of in the best way. you get murder, romance, family drama, betrayal all in one book! thanks netgalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 stars out of 5!

I really enjoyed reading this book! It was more of a mystery book with a splash of romance thrown in. There were multiple twists and turns I did not see coming which kept me on the edge of my seat towards the end of the book. I did find the first part of the book to drag on a bit but the last 25% was awesome! I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to figure out how it ended. There were a lot of characters to keep track of but I think it worked well with this book. The back story was well written and led us right into the ending. Overall, I definitely recommend this book. It will be a perfect beachy summer read!

In Summers at the Saint, we follow along with Traci Eddings, who is running The Saint hotel after her husband died 10 years ago. Traci used to work at the hotel when she was young and met Holt, whose father ran the hotel. Now, it has been a struggle to keep the hotel profitable but Traci has been doing the best she can. She ends up building a staff dorm to attract new hires to work for them. Throughout the rest of the book we discover how hard Traci will work to turn things around especially since she has to deal with so much tragedy.

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

I truly enjoyed this. If I had to find any fault, it’s that it definitely reads more like a mystery with a minor romance subplot than an outright romance. But it was so cleverly written I didn’t even mind!

There are plenty of characters to keep track of, but they all feel real with well fleshed out back stories. The plot is full of twists and turns (that kept me guessing till the end when I usually take pride in figuring out the twist very early on) that made me gasp out loud - but never felt over the top.

This was a great read that I highly recommend!

If you like shows on the CW network, then this book is for you. This is a plot driven story of mystery with a dash of romance, and the twists and turns (good and bad) will have you mentally going "whaaaaat?!" in shock at the page. I found myself rooting for Traci, and even though the pacing/responses of some of the characters did feel a bit strange here or there, the story kept me reading because- like a CW show- you have to keep reading to find out what happens next.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an arc of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

I received Summers at the Saint as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) and thoroughly enjoyed it. I read this book during a few very cold days of January in Canada and this book transported me to the warmth of the beach at the Saint. This will be a perfect beach read (when it is released) that will make you feel like you are at the resort! This is a novel tells the story of the managing family, the employees and guests that the St. Cecelia Resort in Georgia. There are many characters that contribute to family drama and a murder mystery. The many characters are developed in a way that allows for easy following of the plot and keeps the reader’s interest. There are many twists and turns that will keep you on your toes! I always enjoy Mary Kay Andrews books and this is no exception.
I would like to thank #NetGalley and St. Martens Press for this ARC. #SummersattheSaint

Who doesn’t love a Mary Kay Andrews book?
This book is has a little mystery, a little family drama, friends from 1st grade, new friends and a little romance. Lots of strong female characters with twists and turns throughout.
Couldn’t put it down!
Thank you to Saint Martin’s Publishing Group and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The prestigious St. Cecelia, affectionately known as "the Saint," has a distinct social hierarchy - those who grew up vacationing there were deemed "Saints," while those from the less affluent side of the river were labeled "Ain'ts." Traci Eddings, originally an outsider, found her way into the Saint's world through a summer job and eventually married the owner's son. Now a widowed proprietor, she's determined to restore the hotel to its former glory despite staffing shortages, financial challenges, and the scheming of her greedy brother-in-law.

Facing adversity, Traci gathers a diverse team of summer hires to revitalize the Saint within one challenging summer season. However, the discovery of new information about a past drowning at the hotel and the tragic death of a staff member push Traci to the edge of despair, adding layers of complexity to her mission. As she battles against both external and internal forces, the fate of the Saint hangs in the balance. Mystery, unexpected plot twists, heartbreak, and romance make this a good beach read.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and author Mary Kay Andrews for the advance read copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I'm always excited to devour a Mary Kay Andrews summer novel. Summers at the Saint follows Traci Eddings as she takes over running the hotel known as 'The Saint' after the tragic death of her late husband. Traci is determined to bring the hotel back to its glory days, while navigating her toxic in laws, new help (including the daughter of her ex best friend), Traci faces the backlash of an old mystery drowning at the hotel. Overall I really enjoyed the book - it had a summer feel to it, while not being full of fluff. There were a few too many characters to follow, but the story did wrap nicely in the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

Wonderful book from Mary Kay Andrews! I am always a fan of her books. This contains a great murder mystery to try and solve along with the mystery of who is sabotaging the Saint hotel. Also a love story and healing a friendship from the past. Definitely recommend. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.