There is a reason Andrews novels consistently top the best seller list: she is a phenomenal story teller. While I think her characters lean towards cliche rather than deep development, the story is full of twists and turns. This story not only has the main mystery (or is it) to be solved, but two other sinister plots develop alongside Conley's attempt to get answers. I'm not sure how they actually tied in to the story and helped the plot along to be honest. As a masterful twist, I'm left wondering if the truth about the congressman's death was actually revealed. I still have questions about events in the book - I'm not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing.

All that being said, this is an engaging story with a bit of mystery and a bit of family dynamics and a bit of romance.

I received a dARC from the publisher via Netgalley. This is my honest review.

Mary Kay Andrews is a favorite author of mine. i cannot imagine starting a summer without one of her fabulous books. This was such a fun read and the perfect summer escape. This is perfect for escape from our summer quarantine to sweep you away . This has intrigue, drama, humor and a wonderful mystery in a beautiful coastal setting.
Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own . Thank you to the author for this perfect summer read !

Newspaper reporter, Conley Hawkins, is getting ready to leave her job in Atlanta for a brand new one when her new job evaporates as the company closed. She goes home to beautiful Silver Bay Florida to help her older sister with the local family newspaper. Her sister informs her the newspaper is going under fast and she needs her help.. Conley does not intend to stay and considers this a temporary move only as she and her sister have a contentious relationship. They are able to put their differences aside as Conley starts work with her first assignment. She has been assigned the "Hello Summer" gossip column to proof read. The author of the column does not like her interference or her suggestions.

When Conley sees a car burn up and finds out a victim was inside she decides to investigate. Soon she has received death threats and is finding her home town has many underlying secrets. She then learns a political scandal has emerged amid the crime. Conley must continue her investigation and find a way to save her family newspaper. This is such a well crafted story with excellent likable charcters. I loved the setting and the old fashioned newspaper. Another winning summer read from this favorite author.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Conley Hawkins is leaving her job from an Atlanta newspaper and going to NYC to work for another company that offers more advancements and possibilities. During her going away party, she receives the bad news that the new paper is shutting down. With nowhere to go, she decides to back to her hometown which is on the Florida coast. She will live with her grandmother in the beach house and work for her sister, Grayson, who runs the small, local newspaper.

On her first night back, Conley, goes out for a few drinks and runs into her high school next door neighbor and exboyfriend, Skelly. He ends up driving her home after she has a few too many drinks. On the way home, they witness a car accident death of a local congressman. Conley wonders how his car blew up on a desserted road with nobody around. She agrees with Grayson that there is more to the story and decides to write about it for the paper. She soon discovers that the local legend has many secrets than ever imagined.

Mary Kay Andrews is back with her latest beach read, Hello Summer. I look forward to reading her latest each summer. It was not my favorite by her, but not the worst. As usual, it has a little of everything: romance, mystery, a little humor, etc. This book was a little longer than most and over 600 pages. It was a good escape to read during the quarantine. Four stars..

Another great book by Mary Kay Andrews! I was expecting it to be more of a easy, breezy summer read, but this was full of mystery. I couldn't put it down. It still had its quirky characters (I loved G'mama!), but it was a fun mystery. Kept me guessing the whole way.

Fun, summer read!

Another great stand alone from the queen of beach reads! It was A little slower in the beginning than I was expecting but it got going and I couldn’t put it down!!!

I’ve been a LONG time reader of Andrews’ work so I can say that Conley is not my favorite of her “heroines”. 4 stars only because MKA has more lovable characters in her other works that are just as good... see Fixer Upper, Hissy Fit, Ladies Night, and Savannah Blues.

Wow, had my interest right from the beginning. Full of Political corruption, a death, dysfunctional family and just a tiny bit of romance thrown in.
Conley Hawkins had left her small town Florida town to be a bigwig journalist in a big city. She is now to take a new position in a new city and that goes up in smoke so she goes running back to Florida to live with her grandmother until she gets a new job. Her family business is a small town paper and she wants no part of it. Especially since her older sister is in charge and hates Conley.
Conley is out one night when her and a friend encounter an accident scene before anyone else gets there. It happens to be the local congressman and he is dead. So she goes digging into his life and his past and starts writing for her families paper and turns up a lot which puts her life into danger.
I could not put this down.
Thank you to St. Martins and NetGalley for the review.

A fun, frothy beach read. I enjoy Ms Andrews books and look forward to the summer reads. I can't say there is anything ever earth shattering but they are fun and pure escapism. That is so needed during these stressful times. I think having light reading that is fun is what summer is all about. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

I love the new style of books Mary Kay Andrews has begun writing. The mystery and intrigue are interesting. And the fact that she continues to include fun and quirky characters is entertaining. The story keeps you flipping the pages quickly. The characters are well developed and will have you loving or hating them. There were several times when I laughed out loud at some of the crazy antics.

At one point in time, I wondered why the author had spent so much time developing on particular characters and then the person just dropped out as an important part of the story. But was I ever wrong! That's why Mary Kay Andrews is such an amazing author. Because not only does she bring the individual back at the end; she brings it with a bang!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I am a huge Mary Kay Andrews fan and can't wait to get lost in another adventure. She definitely keeps me entertained!

Hail to the queen of beach reads! This was the perfect distraction with all the craziness in the works right now. I loved this! Fast paced with a little bit of family drama sprinkled in!

On her last day at the Atlantic newspaper where she worked, Conley Hawkins finds the paper who was to be her new employer has gone belly-up. With no job or prospects, Conley returns to her hometown Silver Bay to figure things out. However, she soon becomes involved in investigating a mystery when a prominent citizen and Congressman dies suddenly in an accident. Conley and an old school friend are the first one the scene of the tragic accident, but can do little to help the Congressman who is trapped in his burning car. Being the investigative reporter that she is, Conley has a few questions about the accident. What was the legislator doing about 40 miles from home at 3 AM? Had he been visiting someone, and, if yes, who? Conley agrees to work temporarily for her family owned hometown paper The Silver Bay Beacon, while searching for answers to her many puzzling questions. As her investigation moves along, Conley discovers a story full of secrets and innuendos that few people, if any, in the town want or dare to answer or seek answers for. Nevertheless, Coley’s determination and investigative skills push her forward into a small town’s past and the people in it, who, for the most part, would prefer she just let sleeping dogs stay right where they are.

This is a fairly well-done book. I admired Conley. Some might have found her an elitist, who looked down on her small-town family and neighbors, but I thought she was just an out-of-work journalist trying to figure out what to do with the rest of her life. I admired her determined efforts to trudge ahead in this story, though the going sometimes got hard or difficult to maneuver. I likewise admired her grandmother, a true matriarch in her family, ready to support the family as needed. She and the housekeeper were definitely colorful characters, as was the elderly gossip columnist, who submitted articles for the paper to print that needed almost total overhaul before they could become part of the paper. There were conflicts between Conley and her older sister, who managed and ran the paper, but these were really the sort of conflicts that usually arise among siblings who each have ideas of their own they want to put forth. This is one more of the author’s books that I have enjoyed and will remember long after reading it. All the characters were well developed and realistic, just what you would expect in a small town. The setting was also very well done. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

I read my first Mary Jay Andrews book a few years ago and I became a fan immediately. The characters of this story are so charming and the writing style is superb. I love the southern charm that exudes from this book. Grab a chair and enjoy this book this summer, you won't be sorry.

Hello, Summer by Mary Kay Andrews is not what I expected at all and was my introduction into Andrew’s immersive writing style.

The novel started off quick and never dragged. I finished it in one sitting. As the story goes, more and more storylines start go get added. The clear writing helped this story stay easy to follow throughout. I was not expecting the mystery that took over the plot. Silver Bay was picturesque, and I found myself wanting to visit. The descriptions were beautiful and lucid.

I connected and loved each of the characters. Sean/Skelly had such a sweet and warm heart. I love the love he has for his mother and others. I enjoyed Sarah/Conley’s family dynamics. The family felt real and looked out for each other, even in adversity. I respected Conley for not backing down and compromising her values and morals. Conley and Sean’s back story was interesting and I admired the dynamic between them. Grandma’am was full of wisdom and love. I wanted to adopt her into my own family with her fierce love for her family and positivity.

The mystery kept changing, and I was shocked at several of the plot twists and reveals. I never had it figured out completely, which made it so enjoyable.

Hello, Summer is the perfect book to read over the weekend or for a fun and quick beach read. This was my first book by Andrews, and it did not disappoint. I will definitely be reading more by her in the future.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book. All opinions are 100% my own. Thank you, St. Martin’s Press, Mary Kay Andrews, and NetGalley

Hello, Summer by Mary Kay Andrews is an enchanting book about starting over. Conley Hawkins just accepted a great job in Washington D.C., but before she could go, the newspaper collapses. Her old job has been filled, so she heads home to the small town she grew up in. Conley's family owns a small newspaper there, The Silver Bay Beacon, which is run by her sister. Conley is assigned the local gossip column, which she feels is beneath her. When Conley witnesses an accident that kills the local congressman, she can't help but investigate. Ms. Andrews is one of my favorite authors, she never disappoints. I highly recommend this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

When you pick up a Mary Kay Andrews book you know you will be more than satisfied and very entertained. Small town, Southern...you are right there with the characters. As I leave the book, I know I will read it again another time...I always do with MKA books. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed “Hello Summer” by MKA. A perfect summer read or a great read to get your mind off the events going on in the world. I appreciate that MKA takes her time to write and only publishes one book a year. She fully develops her characters and I was drawn into the book from the first page. The book has everything, family dynamics, mystery, and romance. Excellent book!

Slipping into a new Mary Kay Andrews book is like stepping into the beach sand for the first hot day of the summer. A coming home, knowing that this is where you belong

Hello, Summer is the story of Conley Hawkins. Conley resigns from her job at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution only to find herself in job limbo. She goes home to Silver Bay, Florida, a small coastal town where her sister and grandmother live. Conley ends up working for the family newspaper, flirting with her childhood crush, and reluctantly involved in a local mystery.

I wanted to read Hello, Summer because I LOVE Mary Kay Andrews books. They are always perfect beach reads, and this novel was no exception!

The small southern beach town setting was captured so well and I enjoyed spending time there with this book. Conley is a sweet, sassy protagonist and her "boy next door" crush, Skelly, is dreamy small town perfection!

The mystery aspect of the story was well written and it kept me guessing until close to the denouement.

There are short newspaper articles (by Conley and her coworkers) interspersed between chapters. They are fun to read and really help move the story along too.

This is a fast moving story - perfect for a weekend read, well written escapism, and just great fun. Five stars from me!

Looking for your next beach read…check out Mary Kay Andrews’ new book, Hello Summer! It’s got suspense. It’s got drama. It’s got southern charm. It’s got humor. It’s got murder. It’s got romance and so much more. Once you start, it’s hard to put down.

Conley Hawkins is a journalist in Atlanta headed for bigger and better things…or so she thinks. In the middle of her farewell party at work, she’s hit with the news that the job she had lined up…is no longer. So instead of heading to Washington, DC…she’s headed home to Silver Bay, Florida…home to her grandmother…home to her sister, who she doesn’t get along with…and home to her family’s hometown newspaper, The Silver Bay Beacon. But in a small town like Silver Bay where nothing ever happens…somethings happening and Conley Hawkins is the woman who’s going to solve this mystery one way or the other.

This e-ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley, St Martin’s Press for such an enjoyable read.
Fun, interesting read which during these trying times was so appreciated.
Loved the characters and you really were able to be transported to sunny Florida and leave your troubles behind.

Family is complicated. Conley has come home to try and regroup after her dream job went up in smoke. While home, she has to find a way to reconnect with past, including her grandmother and sister. As events in the town unfold, Conley finds herself with choices to make which will affect not only her career, but also the relationships that she finds mean more to her than she once thought. Written with heart and humor, this a great summer read that takes you in to heart of a small town and welcomes you.