This looked like a beach read , but it was too annoying to go very far into it. I have liked some of her other books and know they are not usually deep or unpredictable, but enjoying if you aren't looking for those things.

Right from the start, even though I am in FL where the story takes place, I felt it was too over the top ridiculous a story to want to finish. FL can be a good escape from aspects of reality, but this was nowhere near reality and gives FL a bad name. Absolutely everything was too, too... too unbelievable to care about the characters who were too far removed from what I'd call regular people, too silly a storyline of long lost dad coming to her rescue, only to find her dad has now married her 8th grade best friend, who now hates her and does not wish her well. Need I go on?

Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion. I will no longer request books by this author.

I received an advance reader copy of Sunset Beach. I was expecting a generic beach read and it was an unexpected favorite.
This love story was multi layered with two amateur mysteries to be solved.
The story flowed easily, the stories within the story were intriguing with unexpected twists and turns. The characters were well developed and likeable. A good read to take to the beach or read in front of a fire. 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mary Kay Andrews for the ARC of Sunset Beach. I have been a fan of Mary Kay Andrews for quite a while. And this book does not disappoint. While the title and the cover makes it seem like a very breezy, easy beach read this one goes past that point. Family dynamics takes center stage in this novel. When Drue's mom dies and her estranged dad shows up for the funeral her life takes a turn that causes her to move back to Sunset Beach. After Drue starts work in her dad's law firm she finds cases that don't add up. The story shows her investigating and trying to find justice for one of her dad's clients. This book has suspense and intrigue and a wonderful beach setting. Such a great read!

I love early Mary Kay Andrews books and she's remained pretty formulaic with her books for awhile but I feel like her last book, The Weekenders, was beginning of a new path for her. Although she rights "chick lit" under MKA, she has a few female detective series under Kathy Hogan Trocheck, which I also love. With Sunset Beach, she successfully merges her standard independent woman meets a man she can't stand story line with a mystery no one else around can figure out (or wants to) other than said independent woman.

Another thing I appreciate about her writing: her characters also range in age. From the 20something we saw in Dempsey Jo Killebrew in The Fixer Upper to women in their late 30s in her most recent books and the older ladies (Weezie & BeBe) we see in Savannah Blues and other books in their series, Mary Kay Andrews covers the gamut and doesn't miss a beat.

Drue Campbell, 36 years old and down on her luck. With her mother just dying, she is barely recovering from a kite boarding accident and has no job. When her estranged father, Brice Campbell, shows up at her mother's funeral, Drue has no choice but to accept his offer of a job at his law firm. Packing up what little she has, she crosses over to St. Petersburg. Surprised, she finds her 68 year old father married to Wendy, a girl she once knew (and disliked) from 8th grade... It seems as if nothing has changed in that regard. That was one surprise, the other was that she inherited a small dilapidated beach cottage on Sunset Beach that once belonged to her grandparents. Her life is far from perfect, working with her father's wife, Wendy, a frenemy, a cottage to repair and a job from hell...the background is set.

While investigating a leak from the cottage roof, Drue goes up to the attic to investigate and comes upon an interesting find in a box with her mother's name on it...newspaper clippings about a case involving a missing woman from 1976. Along with that, there was a three inch binder with police reports and old black and white photographs. What was that doing in her grandparents attic? As if that was not enough to pique Drue's interest, there is another more recent case that she also gets involved with...a little girl whose mother was strangled and is being raised by her grandmother. But something didn't sit right with Drue in either case. With two mysteries to solve, along with a hated stepmother, family contention, the dangers involved with these two cases and not knowing who she could trust, this is a novel that is difficult to put down.

I really was tickled as I read the descriptions of Florida, especially where I live...spot-on with palm trees, beaches, dive bars, et al. There is nothing like watching the sunset over the water, or the beautiful pink and purple sky outlining the palm trees. Just don't ask me how I feel about hurricane season!

Mary Kay Andrews never disappointments, her novels are the best and this one keeps you glued till the end. Ms. Andrews is a consummate author, her writing and novels are quite entertaining. Highly recommended.

Loved loved loved this book. Perfect chic lit book for your next vacation...especially if you're heading to the beach. Mary Kay Andrews never disappoints with her easy to read, can't put it down novels. Definitely recommend this fun read! Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Received a copy of this book from nergalley.
The cover of the book does not do it justice,thought it would be a summer romantic read for the beach but once I dtarted reading the book I vould nit put it down.
It has sll the elements of a must read book ,family drama, romance,intrigue and all well written by the author.
Can not wait to read more of these books.

Another great beach read by Mary Kay Andrews. I wish I was reading it on the beach instead of freezing cold and snow, but at least I got a little escape by reading about Sunset Beach. When thirty something Drue arrives back at Sunset Beach she is grieving the loss of her mother, and her ability to kitesurf. She has taken the lifeline in the form of a job from her father with whom she has not had a good relationship, and moved into the cottage left to her by her grandparents. As she rehabilitates the cottage and herself she is also looking into murder case. Lots of depth to this book, with well developed characters and sense of place.

I am not *always* a Mary Kay Andrews fan but this book really held my attention and had a little bit more than some of her others. I enjoyed it very much. Kept my attention at all turns and I think it will be a popular summer beach read this year!

I'm a huge fan of Mary Kay Andrews and Sunset Beach was no different! Drue Campbell's life is a mess, and then her dad offers her a job working for him and her 8th grade frenemy, who also happens to be his new wife. She tucks her tail between her legs and accepts the job out of desperation, and that begins a new life to her. She inherits a fixer-upper, and uncovers new evidence in a missing-persons case, which draws her into the investigation. It's a super fun story, and the perfect beach read!

Without reading the book’s description, and simply looking at the cover, you would not expect this book to be a mystery. I chose to read this book because I always enjoy Mary Kay Andrews’ novels, and I enjoyed the “beach read” story with the addition of two mysteries. Drue moves to Sunset Beach to work for her estranged father, and finds herself wound up in two unsolved crimes, one from 1976 and one more recent. Sunset Beach was an enjoyable read that kept me engaged and excited to find out what happens next, and I’d definitely recommend as a summer read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sunset Beach joins the list of Mary Kay Andrews’ books that are my go-to for a quick, enjoyable read. I never question whether I’m going to enjoy the book or not, I know that I will. Sunset Beach follows Drue Campbell, who has recently found herself very alone in the world. Her estranged father comes along at the right time to offer her a job and a home. Drue becomes a little too involved in an old case at the lawyer’s office she’s working at as she works to unravel many secrets from the past. This book has mystery, romance, intrigue and a lot of laughs.

Drue is 36, no career and her life is adrift, she has lost her mother to cancer and Drue doesn't know what to do with her life, when her estranged father offers her a job in his law firm.

Drue excepts the job and returns to where she grew up and left 20 years ago, though everything is not good with her dad, Drue blames her father for everything that has happened in the past and Drue's father also married Drue's best friend from school Wendy (which she didn't know).

On the positive Drue finds out the house she used to spend her summers in in now hers and she can live on the beach front of one of the only places that made her happy.

While working for her dad and fielding phone calls for future cases Drue meets a very unhappy client that thinks Brice (Drue's father) has ripped her off and not got justice for her daughters death.

This is an interesting read with a really intriguing storyline, that's very well thought out and well written. A very pleasant surprise that keeps you guessing until the end. Highly recommended read!!!

This is my favorite thus far of Mary Kay Andrew's books. I couldn't put it down. Thank God I'm retired and have a patient husband! After reading the first chapter, I wasn't sure if I would like it, but it immediately picked up and hooked me. Living in Florida, I could relate to Drue's beach cottage as if I were there. Please write a series with these characters. Excellent!

I needed a light, fun read with a summer cover during this cold spell! Mary Kay Andrews is always an Author I can count on for a good romance. This time she threw in two mysteries. Well done!

Drue, has recently lost her mom, and moved to the opposite coast to work for her absent father and his new wife...who was a friend of Drue’s in high school. Father is a successful lawyer, the kind that has his face plastered all over billboards. A woman comes into the office, claiming injustice for her murdered daughter...blaming Drue’s dad. She moves into her grandparents home and finds clippings and agile of a missing woman from 1975. And so the mysteries begin.

Characters are flawed, but grow on you. Storyline is easy to follow and descriptive. Enjoyed this delightful summer read, now if only the weather would cooperate.

I received an ARC of this book. Opinion is my own.

****will post to Amazon on pub date.

Oh Mary Kay Andrews, you are my new favorite beach book author. I really liked my first Mary Kay Andrews book, High Tide Club, and I really loved her new book Sunset Beach. I enjoy a great setting as much as I love great characters. This book puts you right into St Pete, Florida. I had no idea this was the setting until I started reading the book. It made me crave Chattaway burgers at 7 in the morning and I learned that Mastry's bar on Central has probably always been a dive bar and hasn't changed in years. I can picture the beach cottage on Sunset Beach and the law office in an old bungalow near downtown. I also enjoyed all of the characters. They are flawed but can do more than they expect. The crime solving in the novel kept me interested throughout the book. I can't wait to read another Mary Kay Andrews book. Thank you NetGalley for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

At first I was not sure about this book but it quickly grabbed my attention. I loved the beach setting and I enjoyed the characters and story line. Definitely a book I can recommend to my customers

Drue's mother has just died after a long illness. Drue is out of work and has a bum knee. She is unsure what her future holds. Then her father shows up to offer a job and tell her about a home she has inherited. In spite of long held anger at her father, she moves across the state of Florida to start a new life.

This is a story about relationships. Not all of them are good ones. There are family relationships and work relationships. Drue seemed to have emotional problems with all of them.

Drue's stepmother is a woman who was a good friend when they were in middle school. And her stepmother is the office manager at the family law firm. She is not Drue's greatest fan.

I am not her greatest fan either.

Although she is supposed to be 36 years old, she acts more like a spoiled teenager toward her father and stepmother. She was a waitress, is now an intake phone employee and yet begins to investigate a two year old murder. I felt that many of the choices she made were made with little consideration for reality.

She is a well defined character. Ms Andrews is a master at well developed characters. Even secondary characters are fully described and recognizable. Even though I understood and felt I knew them, there were no characters who I really liked.

I am certain that if Drue were more appealing to me, I would have been more invested in the book. Her actions seemed to drive the plot in unrealistic directions.

I am a mystery fan and this was as much a mystery as chick lit. That was a part of the book which held my interest.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are completely my own.

Ok so I thought this would be kind of a beachy read. Ya I was wrong but that's ok.
It's a romance kind of mystery book. I really enjoyed the pacing if the story. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

This was a really good story. Long but good. the father that shows up at the mother's funeral turns out to be not a bad Dad. The flighty kiteboarder with the bum knee turns out to be a good worker and the one that seems to be a friend turns out to be a sociopath. I love Mary Kay Andrews books..