Mary Kay Andrews is a master storyteller. Hello, Summer takes us to Silver Bay....a small, southern town on the coast of Florida. Conley arrives back home to Silver Bay when the job she thought would take her to DC falls through. Instead, she finds herself living back with her grandmother and falling into her old role at odds with her sister, Grayson, who runs the family's newspaper. Conley, an award-winning reporter herself, has no interest in staying long-term, working for her sister and writing for what she sees as a failing small town read until a major incident involving a local politician pulls her in. Conley and childhood friend and neighbor, Skelly, witness something that starts her on a chase for answers to the story of what really happened.

Andrews is like no other in immersing the reader into that small-town southern life. Her characters are so well written and while you feel the pace of the sleepy town that is almost a character itself, the book reads quickly. Surprises pop up here and there, keeping the story engaging and interesting. The only reason I knocked off a star was because I didn't really love Conley. Her pushy, reporter ways were a turn-off many times but not something that was necessarily detrimental to this book. I would categorize Hello, Summer as another great work from Mary Kay Andrews and the perfect reminder as to why I keep going back to her with each new release. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a good small-town mystery.

I love MKA books. After having my twins, Spring Fling was the first book I picked up to reignite my love of reading. Hello, Summer falls far short of the high bar I have for MKA.
The pace is slow. All the action is in the last 10% of the book. The characters are not as engaging as in other books. There are details that seem crucial to solving the crime but aren't ever addressed in the resolution of the story. It wasn't what I've come to expect from her at all.
I did receive a free advance copy thanks to Netgalley.

Mary Kay Andrews is a master story-teller. Her complex and dynamic characters, her perfectly-paced and intriguing plot, her realistic examination of relationships, love, and life are ever-present in her stories.

The plot in Hello, Summer focuses on Conley, a successful news reporter. After an amazing job opportunity in D.C. falls through, Conley returns to her childhood home in Silver Bay, Florida to work for her sister Grayson who runs the family-owned newspaper. Conley and Grayson have a strained relationship with a lot of unresolved feelings that need to be addressed, and, initially, Conley rejects the idea of working at Silver Bay Beacon. But Conley’s grandmother Lorraine convinces her to stay. Conley decides to use the time searching for a new job, preferably out of state.

When local congressman Symmes Robinette dies in a fiery car crash and Conley witnesses it, her reporter instincts kick in. How did the senator get in a one-car accident on a clear night and empty road? The more she investigates the senator, the more the secrets unfold and Conley suspects that the car accident was no accident. As she gets closer to the truth, her life is in danger. Who wants her to stop investigating, and why? With her life in jeopardy, will Conley find out the truth about the senator’s death? Will she stay in Florida near family, or will she leave again?

What I love is that she presents women as they are – the good, the bad, the strengths, the flaws, the triumphs, and the insecurities. They are strong, brave, resilient, and independent women who come to realize their self-worth and strive toward self-acceptance. These are the women Mary Kay Andrews creates.

I also like the messages of the story. MKA examines the dwindling of print media and the effects this has on society. She delves into complicated family relationships and healing wounds of the past. She explores the impact death and abandonment have on different people. She highlights female empowerment and the bonds of love. And she does all of this in addition to creating an intriguing mystery!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

I really enjoyed this book, I finished it in about four days. This is the first book I read by Mary Kay Andrews and I can see myself reading more by her. I don't have any complaints, I definitely give this 5 stars, it reminds me how much I love to read, actually it also reminds me how much I love and almost went into journalism so I can work on the paper. I am grateful that the author, netgalley, and the publishers let me read this in exchange for an honest review.

Mary Kay Andrews books mean summer vacation to me.A book to relax and enjoy.This was a terrific read a book about newspapers family enjoyed till the last page#netgalley #st martins press

Mary Kay Andrews can't write a bad novel. Hello Summer is all about smal town newspapering and family.Loved this book

Every year I try to read a Mary Kay Andrews book- I feel like she is essential Summer! I really enjoyed her book last year so I was excited for this one! However, this one was so long and so slow. It just dragged on for me. Thanks to Netgalley for my advanced ebook copy.

I haven't read a Mary Kay Andrews book in quite a while but when I read the blurb of this book I was intrigued and requested an ARC. I was approved and I'm glad I did because I quite enjoyed the story.

The story, in a nutshell, is as follows:
Conley Hawkins left her family’s small-town newspaper, The Silver Bay Beacon, in the rearview mirror years ago. Now a star reporter for a big-city paper, Conley is exactly where she wants to be and is about to take a fancy new position in Washington, D.C. Or so she thinks.
When the new job goes up in smoke, Conley finds herself right back where she started, working for her sister, who is trying to keep The Silver Bay Beacon afloat—and she doesn’t exactly have warm feelings for Conley. Soon she is given the unenviable task of overseeing the local gossip column, “Hello, Summer.”
Then Conley witnesses an accident that ends in the death of a local congressman—a beloved war hero with a shady past. The more she digs into the story, the more dangerous it gets. As an old heartbreaker causes trouble and a new flame ignites, it soon looks like their sleepy beach town is the most scandalous hotspot of the summer.

I enjoyed the characters and the family dynamics of the people set in the story. The characters were well written, interesting and fleshed out. There was a proper payout by the end of the story which I appreciated. It was a quick read and the story hooked me enough for me to finish it off in one go. With a mystery attached to the story, it made me that much more invested.

I definitely recommend people to give this a read. It's a well-paced quick and interesting read. It's a good mix of family relationships, romance and like I mentioned before a mystery.

This is a good solid 3.5 read which I am bumping it to a 4 because I was invested enough to read it in a sitting.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I downloaded this book to read on an upcoming trip to the East Coast, knowing that Mary Kay Andrews often writes about the South and East areas. I planned to start slowly, so I would have plenty to read on the plane. As usual, though, the book was so good I ended up finishing it before the trip even started! It is a great story, and has a little bit of a mystery. I was on the edge of my seat by the end.

This book has gotten many rave reviews on NetGalley so I requested it. Sadly, I could not get interested in this story. Just not for me. I’ve enjoyed other Mary Kay Andrew books so i will continue to read them. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was instantly drawn to the cover of "Hello, Summer" with its scene of ocean waters, the warm sand, and flip-flops- who wouldn't be during the tail-end of winter when we are all looking forward to the warmer summer months? As with the other books that I have read by Mary Kay Andrews, this one did not disappoint!

"Hello, Summer" is the story of Atlanta newspaper reporter Sarah Conley Hawkins (who goes by Conley), who moves back to her hometown of Silver Bay, Florida, after the DC-job that she was planning to start falls through. Conley has not spent much time in her hometown since she moved away, and especially after the death of her father, much to the chagrin of her grandmother Lorraine, and sister, Grayson, with whom Conley has a strained relationship. While back at home, Conley's grandmother talks her into helping out at The Silver Bay Beacon, the floundering town newspaper which the family owns, and which Grayson. runs, and Conley takes over tweaking the long-running "Hello, Summer" column. However, late one night on her way home, Conley and her childhood friend, Skelly, pass by an overturned SUV, which goes up in flames before they can try to get the car's passenger out. It turns out the deceased is none other then Silver Bay's local long-time congressman, Symmes Robinette. Conley decides to investigate just how the town's beloved congressman died in a one-car crash in the middle of the night on a deserted roadway, and begins to uncover some of his shady past.

"Hello, Summer" was a quick read- it was hard to put down! I loved the mystery that it involved, while set in the Florida panhandle. Another winner from Mary Kay Andrews!!

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for providing me with and advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. "Hello, Summer" goes on sale May 5, 2020.

I have always look forward to the next beach read from Mary Kay Andrews and this didn't disappoint. I am also a fan of her mystery writing, especially the Weezie and Bebe serious so I thoroughly enjoy when the author combines the beach read with mystery elements. Well done!

Mary Kay Andrews delivers another excellent read. I adore her books; they are always a smooth read that you just cannot put down!

In Hello, Summer, out of work journalist, Conley Hawkins, returns to her hometown of Silver Bay, Florida where things quickly heat up. Conley finds herself in the middle of a scandalous story involving the death of a Congressman that shocks the small rural town. This book includes romance, family drama, and a little bit of mystery.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

We are all ready for this...
Hello, Summer by Mary Kay Andrews is just what I needed to get me through the last dregs of winter! Once again MKA uses masterful storytelling, snappy dialogue, and well crafted characters to give us a little mystery, a dab of love story, and some good old family drama to grab our attention. This book had me from the first chapter. Conley Hawkins moves home to help out at The Beacon, her family’s small town newspaper in Florida, after being nudged out of her big time job in Atlanta. She soon finds herself wrapped up in small town scandal, rekindling a romance with an old boyfriend, and worrying about her aging grandmother. With so many storylines going on, I sometimes wondered where it was all going, but MKA solidly weaves it all together in the end. And in this case, we even get a bit of an epilogue from The Beacon’s society column which is named- yup- “Hello, Summer”! I’ve read 3 MKA books in the last 4 months and have loved all 3. The High Tide Club was my favorite but Hello, Summer was a close second. I find her characters so relatable and the writing style and humor will always keep me reading her books! 💕💕💕💕4.5/5
Thank you @netgalley @stmartinspress @marykayandrews for a free digital copy of Hello, Summer which will be published in May!!
#hellosummer #beachreads #shesellsseashells #netgalley #stmartinspress #marykayandrews #whatsblackandwhiteandreadallover #bookclubsofinstagram #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookclub #bookstacks #booknerds #book🐛 #booksparks #booksharks #ilovereadingbooks #mysterybooks #bookreviewersofinstagram #MAKI

Thank you for the arc of this book. Love the setting for I live in Florida myself. It was a great story but felt it dragged a little at the end. Loved the sister sago since I never had one but Mary Kay Andrews always puts the south on the map 🙋🏼‍♀️

This summer romance with a hint of suspense by Mary Kay Andrews was a fast read. Conley Hawkins returns to her family newspaper The Silver Beacon from a big city newspaper as an interim step after losing a coveted job in Washington DC after that newspaper folds unexpectedly. Conley witnesses an accident resulting in the death of a prominent politician. She agrees to investigate the accident and write a report for the family.newspaper. The story revolves around her investigation and the secrets she uncovers. The characters are well defined and interesting. This novel was better than the usual beach/summer novels the author is famous for because of the suspense and mystery that was present. There is the requisite romance at the end with an interesting summation of the characters. This book was a NetGalley ARC.

Mary Kay Andrews has done it again! I have read every book she has ever written and loved each of them. This one is no exception!! The way Conley, the main character, goes through finding herself as well as love is eye-opening. Not only does she realize who she is, she finds love along the way!

Very fun book about a newspaper family dealing with a scandalous death of a prominent politician. They are lots more scandalw to deal with as our intrepid journalist gets to the facts

Thought at first that this would turn out to be a fun, "beach" type read. Pleasantly surprised by the amount of great excitement, and grit along with the fun family drama. Thought it would go in one or two directions, but constantly surprised by the swift, unexpected switches. Totally enjoyable!

When her new job falls through, investigative reporter Conley Hawkins finds herself unemployed, and headed back to her hometown of Silver Bay in Florida. Conley settles back in with her grandmother, and reunites with her sister Grayson, with whom she has a bit of a strained relationship. After stumbling upon a tragic car accident one night, Conley falls into the family business writing an article for their local paper, The Beacon, as she tries to discover more behind this mysterious death.

I really enjoyed the relationships between the characters, especially Conley’s with her grandmother, Lorraine. The characters were likable and easy to resonate with. I felt that every character in the novel was dynamic, well-developed, and purposeful, and I was able to connect with them throughout the book.

Despite what you would expect based on the cover and the title, this novel is not super “beach focused”, so it’s perfect to read any time of the year. “Hello Summer” is a perfect blend of “Chick Lit” with a little mystery thrown in, making for a light-hearted and enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.