I used to housesit for a woman that collected Mary Kay Andrews and spent many sunny days on the deck curled up with one of her novels. I had forgotten how quick and easy her books were and how much I enjoyed them. This book was so fun and easy to read. I'll definitely be picking this up in the physical copy to send to my grandma because I know she'll love it!

As always Mary Kay Andrews never disappoints. This book was no exception - I was hooked by page two. A real page turner filled with suspense, humor and romance. Her characters were lovable, or detestable depending on the good guys or the bad guys. Her use of imagery was great - I could clearly envision settings, etc. in my minds eye. A great read!

I did enjoy this book, but thought it was a little long and predictable. It could have used some editing to speed things up a little.

Altogether it was an easy light read.

Fans of Andrews will love this! It was very sweet and had everything her other books have. She is great at writing characters that you root for! I found the romance part a bit rushed but I still loved it!

This is an ok book that could have been a lot better. Unfortunately the narration jumps around too much in my opinion, at one point there was even an animal POV! There are also a lot of flashbacks that slowed down the momentum. I think the story would have been a lot better if it stuck to Letty and let her fill the reader in on her backstory. For example we do not need to know what’s going on with Tanya’s ex Evan at the diner where Letty used to work when it would have been easier to have Letty just get a text from her waitress friend and not slowed down the story so much with the jumping around. There’s also a big plot hole with how someone finds out Letty’s last name in order to look her up. Letty could have been a more well rounded character too. We do not actually get to know her well and how she feels about things. Her niece Maya is adorable and there are interesting characters to be found at the motel they move into. The romance is pretty nil that’s alluded to in the description. There’s also not much comedy in what could be a funny setting with Letty on the run. It’s mostly a drama with too much chaos in all the character shifts and flashbacks that slow the story down. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a fun beach read. Mary Kay Andrews never disappoints. I loved the characters in this book. There were some twists, romance and suspense. It’s a perfect book to read on your next vacation.

"The Newcomer" by Mary Kay Andrews, is a wonderful beach read. Letty finds her sister Tanya dead in her condo. Tanya had told Letty that if anything were to happen to her, she should take Tanya's daughter, a "go" bag that had been packed for her, and a car, and just leave. Letty finds a magazine article with the name of a motel in Florida, penciled in by her sister, and takes that as a message she should go there.

This book is chock a block of warm characters some likable, some not so much,, a murder mystery, an intersecting heist, a love story, a beautiful setting and a satisfying ending. It has all the elements of a fantastic beach read!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a big fan of books by MKA, but this book was a disappointment for me. From the beginning I felt like I’d read this book before, and that feeling continued through the entire book. The plot was very predictable, although the characters living at the motel added a bit of humor to the story. I also felt the story could have been told in a lot less pages. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

Book Review for The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews
Full review for this title can be found at: @fyebooks on Instagram!

“The Newcomer” is an enjoyable read, with a great mix of humor, suspense, and romance. I’m not sure that I would have had my wits about me enough to grab my niece and run after finding my sister murdered like Letty did. Letty is a strong person who gets what she wants, without being pushy. I loved the mix of characters staying at the motel: grouchy, suspicious, and sweet and doting. I’m not sure how believable Evan’s character is. For being a crook with a lot of money, he sure made some stupid mistakes. Overall, though, I liked the book. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Andrew’s books.

I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have always enjoyed books by Mary Kay Andrews but this book is one of her best. The humorous touches added so much to this story. I highly recommend this book. I received a copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Letty Carnahan knew her sister Tanya didn’t always follow the straight and narrow, but when she finds Tanya dead and her four year-old daughter Maya hiding in their apartment, Letty knows Tanya’s shady ex Evan killed her. She grabs Tanya’s “go bag” and her niece and drives to a small mom & pop hotel in Florida called the Murmuring Surf because Tanya had an old magazine article about it in her things. There she finds a closed knit group of senior snow birds that eye her suspiciously, but slowly come around as she helps the owner run things, while trying to learn what Tanya was involved in. Her biggest problem becomes the owner’s son who is a local police detective and suspicious of her.

This is a much faster paced read than most romantic suspense, focusing on action, not the hot & heavy. Maya and her antics are adorable. As always, MKA is queen of the beach reads.

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

A good friend of mine who is also a huge bibliophile recommends books to me all the time. Typically we are on the same page and I devour her suggestions as soon as I can get my hands on them. Mary Kay Andrews is one of her very favorite authors. I have tried and tried in the past to love MKA as she does, but more times than not, her stories fell short for me. I always wanted "more" or something "deeper." Then I had a "light bulb moment" and started reading her novels for what they were intended to be - light, breezy, summer reads. Mary Kay Andrews excels with these stories and it's her niche that made her such a well-loved, best-selling author.

That all said, The Newcomer, her newest novel, is one of my favorites of hers to date (2nd behind Hissy Fit). It checked all the boxes it should and I truly enjoyed the read. The novel centers around Lettie and her adorable niece who are on the run after Lettie's sister was killed/murdered. Of course they escape to the Florida beaches and the story uncovers exactly why her sister was killed and WHO was the one to do it. All along the way, she finds friendship and love and a few warm summer moments to boot. All around a fun read!

This was my first Mary Kay Andrews book and it definitely wont be my last! The Newcomer follows Letty escaping with her young niece Maya after finding her sister dead. Months prior her sister made Letty promise that if anything ever happened to her that she would take her niece and run. Running is exactly what Letty did until she stumbled upon a quirky hotel full of snowbirds in a quiet Florida beach town. The pace of the story keeps you engaged and eager to find out what happens next and how Letty plans to rebuild their lives.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchanged for my honest feedback.

Rating: 4.5 stars

One part murder mystery, one part woman on the run, one part old Florida that only exists in people's memories and small pockets up and down the coast, one part relationship building between two "not really young" people any more and you have THE NEWCOMER from Mary Kay Andrews. it's a delightful book that will have you readin through at a fast pace, hoping the expected "other foot" doesn't drop. Mary Kay Andrews has another stand alone hit that features Florida, the beach, and wonderful characters..

In this book, Letty has grabbed her niece Maya and fled to Florida, running from Evan, Maya's father and the suspected murderer of Maya's mother, Letty's sister Tanya. Because of an old magazine article she found in Tanya's things, Letty's destination is The Murmuring Surf Motel on Treasure Island Beach, outside of Tampa. When she arrives she finds an old style mom and pop motel, populated by an easy going woman who is a soft touch for a sad story, her police detective son, and a group of snow birds who vacation the same time every year.

Trying to solve why it was important to Tanya and avoid being found out by Evan, or arrested by Joe, the cop, keeps Letty on pins and needles. She proves herself invaluable to the motel's owner and convinces the son she isn't a dangerous criminal and they all set about trying to extricate her from her current situation. Satisfying on all fronts. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for an advance copy. The opinions here are entirely my own. An additional review is upcoming at MysteryandSuspensecom.

As a Floridian I enjoyed the setting in this book and can relate to the descriptions. There was also enough mystery and excitement in the story to keep my interested.

I am new to Mary Kay Andrews even though she has been writing books for over 20 years. I was introduced to her when I read her novel Summer Rental and couldn't wait to read more of her books. I love discovering a "new to me" author. I was excited to receive an advanced copy of The Newcomer from NetGalley and it did not disappoint! It is the perfect summer read. The book is full of intrigue with a little romance thrown in the mix. The residents of the motel Letty is staying at are characters and bring a bit of charm to the story. The ending is satisfying.

I want to thank St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an ARC of The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews.
This drama revolves around The Murmuring Surf, a motel on the west coast of Florida that is no longer in it’s prime. You become absorbed with all the characters. How they all come together is really special, sometimes sad and sometimes laugh out loud. A sister’s murder back in New York and searching for a couple of crooks and a cache of stolen jewelry and missing money is the premise of this novel.
Four year old Maya is the best! “Noooo” she says!
Curl up in a comfortable chair, have a cup of hot chocolate and immerse yourself in The Newcomer!
Forget about politics and the pandemic!
Enjoy!
#TheNewcomer #NetGalley

This was very different from other Mary Kay Andrew’s books I’ve read. They’re usually light and fun reads but this one was heavier and darker and I can’t honestly say that I loved it. There were parts that I started skimming because I was trying to get it over with.
Letty is an average woman who’s had a rough past. Her sister has made some bad choices and gotten mixed up with the wrong people. One day Letty finds her sister dead and her daughter hiding. Her sister had told her if anything ever happened to her that it would be her ex that did it and she should take Maya and run and hide to keep him from getting her so that’s exactly what Letty did. She ran to Florida, to a cute little motel that her sister left a picture of in her bag. There she gets “adopted “ by the owner and gets a job and a place to live while she figures out what to do. The owners son is a police officer and he figures out what’s going on with Letty and he helps the FBI set up a sting to get the ex to admit that he killed her sister, and in the process m he and Letty fall in love.
I think it probably would have been told a little bit more enjoyably had it been 50-75 pages shorter, but I liked the idea behind it.

The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews will be the #1 beach read. As the title alludes, this book is about a newcomer to an established motel community in Treasure Island, Florida. Letty Carnahan ends up at The Murmuring Surf motel with a four year old, Maya, in tow. You soon find out she does not have permission to keep Maya. Her heart is unmistakably true blue and she soon finds a whole community of support as she attempts to unravel the mysterious death of her sister, Tanya.

The true heart of Letty is pure, we are given insight into her quirky personality and fall in love with her flaws and all! Her checkered past shared via glimpses of flashbacks has you cheering her on as she changes her whole life to be the best aunt to Maya. You will fall in love with this little girl and the quirky cast of characters at The Murmuring Surf are hilarious.

Poignant scenes are shared between Letty and Maya as they struggle with Tanya’s death. The last scene of the book will have you cheering and crying all at once. Happiness and sorrow are intertwined with grace,

Obviously, it would not be a MKA book without a steamy love interest, in this case it is helped along by the son of the motel owner, This book has it all —- romance, humor, mystery, family secrets, and redemption!

I was provided a free advance reader copy from St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest review on Net Galley. The opinions shared in this review are my own.