Mary Kay Andrews does it again - a great summer read that kept me guessing! Conley is a reporter for a newspaper in Atlanta who is leaving her job to move on to a more prestigious position in Washington. The problem is that the opportunity goes up in smoke, and she is forced to move home to her Grandmother's house in Florida until she figures out her next plan. Her grandmother would love to have her stay home and help the struggling family newspaper survive. Conley's main task is to try and make the society column "Hello, Summer" readable.

When she happens upon the scene of an accident, and the death of a Senator, her reporter instincts go into overdrive. There are a number of twists and turns, there is some mystery and some romance, but it is a good balance.

This was a solid story that kept me interested; there were some details of the Senators death that I felt were left hanging a bit. If you enjoy Mary Kay Andrew's other books, this one won't disappoint.

I received a copy of this book through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When a job offer in DC doesn’t pan out, Conley Hawkins has burned her bridges in Atlanta and ends up back in her hometown of Silver Bay, Florida in her grandmother’s house. Not too much has changed there and she is coerced into helping her sister with the family’s failing newspaper.

She gets a scoop about their Congressman’s death in a fiery car crash and convinces her sister to start a digital page for the paper which upsets many of the old timers.
But Conley doesn’t give up and begins to see that small town life may not be so bad.

There’s something her for everyone—mystery, romance, family struggles, and even some politics.

*4.5 stars

Nothing says Summer than a Mary Kay Andrews book. I've become a huge fan of hers and I still have her backlist to get through. This is her newest story and its another winner.

Conley quits her job to accept another one but things don't go as planned. So she finds herself back in Silver Bay, her hometown. Without a job and living again with her grandmother, she accepts a temporary job with her sister. She runs the family owned business, The Silver Bay Beacon. Conley ends up witnessing an accident that involves a local congressman. From there, she wants to write the story, but soon finds more scandals in the local town than she bargained for. This book had everything: mystery, family dynamics, a little romance, and along the way finding yourself. If you're a fan, like myself, don't hesitate to pick this one up or if you haven't read MKA before, than I recommend giving her a try.

Always a pleasure to read Mary Kay Andrews. And this should definitely be in your beach bag this summer. Also, it comes out on my birthday, May 5th, so it must be magical!

Sarah Conley Hawkins got out of her hometown before the ink was dry on her diploma. Ambitious, talented, and on the path to journalism greatness. Working for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has been great, but when offered a job in D.C., she packs her meager belongings and is headed out the door when her sister sends her a message letting her know that the paper in D.C. has just shut its doors. 

Conley, she dropped Sarah long ago, now has no job, no apartment and finds herself back home living with her grandmother who is determined to put her to work at the family's weekly newspaper, The Silver Bay Beacon, currently being run by her sister, the lawyer.

There is a lot of tension between the two. Running a newspaper wasn't her sister's dream. But she has had to step in and take over, so yes, she resents Conley for leaving and never returning. 

Her first assignment will be working with the town gossip columnist. Who may be a few crayons short of a full box. She knows everything going on in the little town but has no idea how to write. So, for now, Conley is stuck making sense out of Rowena's long-winded descriptions and over the top gushing.

Until she and her former bestie, Skelley, happen upon a horrible car crash. Unable to get the man behind the wheel out before the car explodes in flames, Conley has herself a story. The man was a U.S. Representative with a sterling reputation and a war hero to boot. Or so they say.

But Conley is suspicious. And soon is knee-deep in the investigation. The police may have written it off as an accident, but Conley knows it is not. Something is not right and she is going to get the truth even if it kills her. And it just may.

No one does the complications of family like Ms. Andrews. The secrets we keep thinking we are protecting the ones we love. The misunderstandings between sisters. And always, the hope, the love, and the redemption we all need.

Well Done!

NetGalley/  May 5th, 2020 by St. Martin's Press

I really enjoyed this book, well developed characters and storyline. MKA includes all in this book, small town happenings, family drama and romance! I usually wait to read beach books closer to summer but decided to read this one earlier and I’m glad I did. Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read it,

A Mary Kay Andrews book is always an enjoyable read and this one did not disappoint. During these trying days, this book whisks you away to the Florida sun, add in a mysterious accident, family drama, old secrets and a little romance! Perfect getaway!

Conley Hawkins is on to bigger and better things, leaving her Atlanta newspaper job for a bigger one in DC, when she is thrown for a loop. She runs home to Silver Bay, where she grew up and rarely visits because of personal reasons. When she runs into an old friend her first night home, they come across an accident. A prominent resident is killed and this leads Conley and her family run and operated newspaper to uncover the truth, and hopefully, in turn, make the newspaper profitable.

I enjoyed learning the ins and outs of a small-town newspaper, the reporters responsibilities and the many hats they need to wear. So different from their much larger counterparts.

Thanks to the Ms Andrews, St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone!

I always look forward to reading a new Mary Kay Andrew's novel
Big city reporter, Conley Hawkins, comes back home to her family-owned newspaper after her new job at an online paper goes under. Reunited in her small southern hometown, Conely finds herself in the middle of a career making news story. Will she accept the position with a major television affiliate, embrace the love a longtime friend, or rescue the failing family newspaper?
Hello Summer is full of gossip, romance, and scandal with a few added thrills. While most of your MAK craving will be fulfilled, this novel does lack her signature southern humor.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance read in exchange for an honest review.

Family ties and strains. Career disappointments. Romance and intrigue.
All of this along with wonderful characters, great situations and a few surprise elements. Mary Kay Andrews is pure royalty. She just gets it right.

I am a long time fan of Mary Kay Andrews. Hello, Summer had great characters and it was set in a gorgeous locale. I felt that the book was too long with too many subplots. I must admit that the main plot kept me guessing until the very last minute! All in all, it was good escape read.

Great book. Another I read in one day during the great quarantine of 2020. Sometimes it’s hard to keep track of all the people with double names in the south but once you get that Conley one of the main characters is also Sarah. It gets easier. The hero’s of the story are ones you’d never guess and the villains are right there where you see there true self. The Congress man could go either way. I like the Grandmother and her “help”, they are the heart of the story and both match making till the end. Will the Becon be saved I guess you’ll have to read till the end.

Oh my goodness y’all! I can’t say enough great things about Mary Kay Andrews first and foremost but this was not just a perfect beach read it was multiple plot lines that converged into an amazing mystery, thriller and love story all in one. This is a must read for your Summer and here’s to hoping we all get a little beach and relaxation soon!

Part mystery, part romance, Hello Summer is a totally enjoyable read! Love the small town flavor of . Silver Bay and the small town newspaper owned by Conley's family. She doesn't really want to be here this summer, not to work on the Silver Bay Beacon with her sister and not to deal with events from the past. But present events conspire to force the issues for Conley.

Popular fiction at its best: a combination of mystery, coming of age, family, romance and beach read. A newspaper reporter between jobs comes home to her family and gets involved with their fading print paper, investigates a mystery, reconnects with her family. Explored through the lens of a southern Florida beach town. The story is well written and the characters are well developed. A beach read of good quality.

Mary Kay Andrews sure knows how to mix a cool drink of family angst, mystery, and love! Put all of these ingredients at the beach and you have the perfect concoction. This is a once you start you can’t put it down kind of book. It had me rooting for the small town as soon as we arrived. The descriptions make you want to be there eating and drinking while walking along the ocean. I’m ready to pack my bags and head to Silver Bay today!
Thank you for my requested copy of the ARC. This are truly my own thoughts and opinions.

Conley Hawkins is a star reporter for the Atlanta paper, but she's been hired away by a hotshot Washington, D.C. online news organization. Or so she thinks.

When the new job goes up in smoke, Conley finds herself out of a job, out of her apartment, out of her latest boyfriend's life, and right back where she started. She heads home to small town Florida, and the life she left behind. She begins working for her sister, who is trying to keep the family-owned newspaper, The Silver Bay Beacon, afloat is given the unenviable task of overseeing the local gossip column, “Hello, Summer.”

When Conley witnesses an accident that ends in the death of a local congressman, she believes she's found the "big" story that will be her ticket back to the big leagues The more she digs into the story, the more dangerous it gets, and she soon realizes that this little backwater town holds more secrets than she expected.

Hello, Summer is the perfect beach bag read. Although I read it during a rainy, shelter in place weekend, it transported me to sunnier times at the beach. This book was the perfect mix of romance, family drama, and mystery. Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for this ARC.

I enjoyed this book so much. I needed an escape, and in classic Mary Kay Andrews fashion, she granted that to me. The story swept me away and kept me going and guessing all the way to the climax of the story. You know it's a good book when you are constantly trying to figure out who's behind something. Well done on this one.

Hello Summer by Mary Kay Andrews.  Another fun summer read by one of my favorite southern authors.  Hello Summer has many amusing characters and unexpected twists that drive the story. I always like reading about beach life, beach towns, and beach houses. Wish there had been more. Thank you Net Galley and St. Martins for the opportunity to read this advance offering.

Mary Kay Andrews heralds the coming of summer for me every year. I have not been disappointed since the teenager in The Weekenders made me crazy! I love her family dramas with a bit of mystery. A perfect beach read.

Hello, Summer is one of those books that has has a little bit of everything and covers many genres. I loved the characters and the small town feel, and especially loved the column written by Rowena! Her character was my favorite! I did find myself losing interest about 75% of the way through and started skimming, but overall it was a good read.