A fun mystery with a splash of beach romance and some suspense thrown in for good measure, this book has many layers that reveal themselves as the story unfolds. It was interesting enough to keep you reading but longer than I usually like. I feel like it could have been shortened as some things were repeated several times. Other than that, it was an easy enjoyable read that will make for a good summer read.

I'm sad this is over. because now it seems like summer has ended, even though it has yet to begin. Mary Kay Andrews books have marked the beginning of summer for me for a long time. I hesitate to say this was her best ONLY because I think I say that with each new release. However, this was probably her best! I loved Conley's character; she was ambitious and hard working, and she knew what she wanted out of life and didn't need a man by her side. I love seeing strong, independent female leads. I didn't quite care for Grayson's character; she seemed bitter and jealous of her sister's ambition. I don't think my dislike of her is a bad thing--she was well written.

I loved the political/murder mystery angle this book took, and I also enjoyed the newspaper/print/digital media angle--there was a lot going on in this book but it was very well researched and tied in together perfectly.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Ok, so giving a novel 3.5 stars is HARD, especially when it's by one of your favorite authors. I wanted to love this book ... a LOT, Unfortunately, it feel really short for me. I am struggling a bit because I normally grab a Mary Kay book to be transported away to a lovely beach somewhere, where summer romance is HOT and HEAVY and the small town issues are fruitful. While there were plenty of lies and family drama, there was VERY little romance and super long chapters that made me really bored :( Also, I feel in some ways this was marketed as a romance novel, but it was more of a thriller/mystery in my mind.

In all, I am not disappointed that I read this novel ... it was a nice distraction from some of the other novels I've been reading, but it wont be one that I recommend. I bet a lot of people will love it ... just wasn't for me!

A beach read with mystery, suspense and romance. Journalist Conley Hawkins returns to her small home town and discovers that big stories can happen in the most unlikely places. A perfect read for the start of the summer season.

Another great read from MKA. This book had a little bit of everything! Romance, mystery, suspense, feuding sisters, the list goes on and on. I really like the way Mary Kay brings you into the story and you feel like you are a part of the characters daily lives. The small town in Florida is so sounds so quaint and the quirky people that live there are funny and somewhat set in their ways. When Conley comes home to her families small weekly paper, she gets involved in some big stories going on in their little town!!

I was excited to read this book from the first page - breezy & hope-filled, this is a great book for this unusual summer of 2020, when we're not sure when or if we'll have actual time at the beach, by the water. I'm always grateful for authors like Mary Kay Andrews who use their imagination and skill to give us the escape we need! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a chance to read this book early in exchange for an honest review.

This is a perfect summer read to escape reality. The characters are well depicted and believable, the story is interesting, and the mysteries sprinkled in are intriguing. Sure it's somewhat predictable - but in a good way!! The writing is good and the story is well-paced. I really enjoyed it!

When I got the advanced copy of this Mary Kay Andrews boom I expected it to be a light beach read but I was unexpectedly pleased when it was so much more. This book is so well done. The characters are well developed and believable. There are twists you don’t expect. It all comes together to be such a great read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for this honest review.

Mary Kay Andrews is one of those authors that I love to read. I get so excited when I see she has a new book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy. This book has a little bit of everything in it. Romance, conspiracy, mystery, humor, murder; suspense. It’s a very long book; but it read quickly; and I found myself always wanting to find out what happened next. Highly recommend.

Hello, Summer
by: Mary Kay Andrews @marykayandrews
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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I was lucky enough to receive and ARC of Hello, Summer by @marykayandrews. It’s out now, and I’d highly recommend the audiobook version!
I think that I’ve read almost every book Mary Kay Andrews has ever written, and I’m always excited for what she has next. Hello, Summer is about big city reporter Conley’s return home to Silver Bay and her family’s weekly newspaper. On one of her first nights home, she goes to The Legion for beers. Smelly drives Conley home after she has a few too many, and they come across a one car wreck. The victim? Representative C. Sims Robinette. Conley starts working for her sister at the weekly and while “kicking up rocks,” she finds out the accident may not be an accident at all.
What I loved about Hello, Summer is that it’s part romance, part mystery, part thriller wrapped up in a pretty beach read bow. Mary Kay Andrews writes compelling stories with compelling characters, and she did it again with in Hello, Summer. (She’s also so good at naming characters!) I think you’ll love it as much as I do!

4.5 scandalous, sun-kissed, and "sunsetter" stars! I fell into the world of Mary Kay Andrews' beach reads a few summers ago, and now it just doesn't feel like spring without reading her latest release. Hello, Summer is hands down my favorite yet. A huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing for an eARC of this book!

Hello, Summer follows Sarah "Conley" Hawkins, a down-on-her-luck journalist who returns home to the one stoplight town of Silver Bay, Florida. Conley plans to crash with her beloved G'mama for a bit, just until the next career opportunity arises. Conley isn't the first journalist in her family. Her family has owned and operated the local paper, The Silver Bay Beacon, for years. Conley's sister, Grayson, currently operates The Silver Bay Beacon which...isn't doing so hot. Within hours of returning home, Conley finds herself right in the middle of what could be Silver Bay's biggest story ever. It could be a huge break for The Silver Bay Beacon, but Conley and Grayson will need to get past their childhood rivalry and squabbles first.

MKA's books are always like peeling the layers off an onion. You find yourself slowly making sense of the underlying mystery of the book, while getting a deeper understanding of who the characters are. In this book, I felt like there were a few onions! There are multiple mysteries going on in Silver Bay, and MKA does a fantastic job of weaving them all together. I did feel there wasn't much of a resolution to the "main" mystery, but perhaps MKA wanted to leave it up to the reader's interpretation.

Conley is my favorite protagonist yet. I love that she was consistently career-driven throughout the book and that she was a bit of a sassy, straight-shooter. The surrounding cast of characters were also fantastic. I wish the Hello, Summer column and Rowana Meigs were real!

As with any MKA book, there is romance, realization, and reconciliation. Those elements of the story were quite predictable, which was a tiny bit of a letdown.

All in all, this is a fun, enjoyable summer read. It was the perfect book to take my mind away from these crazy times and head to the beach with MKA for a while.

When Conley is basically forced back home, this star reporter is getting a little more than she bargained. There is some mystery, small-town scandal, and a lot of animosity afloat, but when Conley comes across an accident where a Congressman goes up in flames, her reporting skills go into overdrive. What she uncovers runs through deep pockets and many years. Of course, Skelly, the handsome neighbor add a little interest, as well as some talking by a neighboring county cop. Can you go home again and be happy after much success elsewhere? This story had many great characters. Grandma and Winnie were a hoot! Cannot wait to read what else happens to the Beacon staff. Hopefully we will be reading more about them in another book. Great ending and another great book by Mary Kay Andrews. Thank you to Ms. Andrews, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review this book.

i was given this book by netgalley and publisher for an honest review and opinion of this book
i love anything by mary kay andrews and really looked forward to reading this book.
it is about a woman that ends up leaving her current job just to find out that her new one isn't going to happen. she moves home to work at the small town paper that her family runs. while doing a story, she reports a death that turns into a scandal and mystery.
the book was cute, def a good beach, summer, sit on your deck read. i felt like it was very hard to get thru the first couple of chapters that they dragged on and on... but still a cute book.

I needed a light, breezy, fun read and Hello, Summer helped me chase away the blues. I fell in love with Mary Kay Andrews’ books after reading Sunset Beach last month and Hello, Summer made her an auto-buy author for me. I love a good summer/beach/poolside read to escape into and this book was the perfect blend of great characters, family drama, romance and mystery! So thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my copy.
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We meet Conley Hawkins, a young woman who is an investigative reporter working in Atlanta, but she’s from a little town called Silver Bay in Florida. Conley thinks she’s got her ticket to a big job in D.C. but when that falls through, she finds herself heading back to her hometown to stay with her grandmama and nurse her wounds until she can find another job.
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Conley ends up taking a job at The Silver Bay Beacon, the family weekly newspaper, where Conley’s sister, Gray, works as the editor. Gray and Conley have their issues (sister drama!) and Conley is stuck editing the local gossip column called “Hello, Summer.” Quite the slide for a young, hot-shot investigative reporter. But, the little town of Silver Bay has its secrets, and Conley inadvertently stumbles onto a big one that will take all her investigative skills to unravel.
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I really loved this book and if you need a fun escape, definitely check this one out!

You know that summer is just around the corner when the summer beach reads start showing up. And Hello, Summer was the perfect read for me to start the season. Like always, Mary Kay Andrews has once again written a wonderful story that I just got lost in.

Conley's career takes a detour as she has goes back home to her small town, family-owned newspaper. It's only temporary as she waits for another shot at a big-time jig. And then the accident happens. Something doesn't feel right to Conley and she just can't let it go. Her 'big-city' journalism skills come in handy as she searches for answers and uncovers things that most everyone wants to be left covered.

I love Mary Kay's stories for the fact that they are great summer reads while also having depth to them. There is always an exciting story that draws me in and keeps the pages turning. They are great books in which I can escape life for a little bit.

Hello, Summer is definitely a book you need to add to your summer reading list. It will keep you enthralled and entertained, for sure. I just love her books and I highly recommend this one!

MKA cannot write her books fast enough for me!! I adore her books and this one wasn’t any different. I flew through this beach read that felt straight from Mrs Andrews heart considering her background in journalism. Absolutely loved Conley, Lorraine, and the small town of Silver Bay & the story hooked me right in after the first few pages! Another wonderful, southern story!

Another summer treat from Mary Kay Andrews. She has again written the perfect Summer/beach read of memorable characters, ideal location and a touch of mystery

Conley returning to Silver Bay found herself in the midst of an emotional and family quagmire that one could only imagine when beginning to pursue Symmes death. This is a gripping tale with multiple characters that truly led the reader to the end wondering what could be next. Also factoring in was the family drama from Loraine to Winnie to Grayson. More often than not, the novel is cloaked in hello deception!

When Conley finds out during her going away party that her new job has imploded, she ends up in her hometown of Silver Bay at her grandmothers beach home. There are some advantages. She gets to reconnect with her childhood crush Sean Kelly or Skelly as he’s known. She gets to be at the beach and live for free. The big disadvantage is she’s back home and her grandmother maneuvers her into working with her sister at the family-owned paper, the Silver Bay Beacon.
Conley gets what could be her big break to get back to the big time when she and Skelly witness the grisly death of a local Congressman. As she investigates his death, the story becomes bigger and bigger. Ms. Andrews actually develops quite a little mystery in this story along with a sweet romance and some quirky southern humor. Great read to take your mind off of all the craziness going on in real life.

I have been a fan of Mary Kay Andrews for many years and have enjoyed her light-hearted southern humor mixed with suspense, this book had the usual charming characters, touch of mystery and romance but I will say that this book was a little more heavier than her usual tone which fit the storyline of the book. Conley comes home, tail between her legs to get her bearings and hope find a new job as her new job for a newspaper disappeared before she could even start. Sliver Bay is not the same place she left, small businesses are closing, her family's paper is barely surviving and her grandmother is really aging. Conley has no plans to work for the family paper, especially with her older sister in charge but when a huge story falls into her lap, well the journalism bug can't be suppressed, but it a temporary gig right? But the longer Conley stays in town the more the quaint town with it's shabby luster pulls her in, I mean who can resist politician's mysterious death that brings out family feuds, and secret/forgotten first families? Entertaining read with a storyline that will keep you wondering what's going to happen next!