The premise of this book as a story of a very bougie hotel with its skeletons in the closet and eerie things going one around it was super interesting to me but I feel like it fell a little flat. There were a few aspects of the plot that didn’t feel like they got fully fleshed out like why Whelan was poking around trying to figure out what happened with this tragic accident 20 years ago. There were many big reveals in this book that seemed underwhelming and were told in a very nonchalant way.

But, for a mystery that still has a summery feeling, this book did a great job. I would recommend this if you want something interesting to keep your attention while you read on the beach or by the pool but I probably won’t be thinking about it ever again.

Summers at the Saint is the ultimate beach / summer read as it contains a mix of romance and mystery/thriller. I enjoyed the alternating POVs between the four MCs, each brought so much to the story and the backstories / views of the past were interesting as the story unfolded and everything began to tie in together. My attention was instantly captured from the first few pages and the twists and turns kept my interest peaked.

Thank you netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Is it even really summer if you haven't read a Mary Kay Andrews book? I was saving her latest release, Summers at the Saint, for my vacation week, and I'm so glad I did, because it's summer vacation perfect. It was a little darker than I was expecting, which I actually loved about it, and the characters are so easy to become attached to. With constant twists and reveals, Summers at the Saint is everything I wanted it to be and more, and I'm already looking forward to Mary Kay's next summer release.

I really enjoyed this! If you are a Mary Kay Andrews fan, pack this for your summer vacation! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review.

MKA did it again

The Summer at the Saint was the place that Traci wanted to be a part of as a young child and she got her wish. She married into the Eddings family at the cost of losing her closest childhood friend. The book opens with Traci trying to save her late husband’s legacy and prove that she is a Saint and not an Aint. Tracy implores the help of her niece despite the objections of her in-laws. An unfortunate event brings confusion, grief, mystery, forgiveness, and friendship.

Pick you your copy today! Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy of this book.

What started as a slow burn of a story turned into such a fun mystery and story of discovery and self-possession. MKA is such a strong, fun writer and Summers at the Saint had all her silly, fun twists and surprises. At one point I was gasping in every chapter. This is a joy to read.

This was a surprising read! The cover makes it seem like it will be another summer romance book (which I love) but there was more to the plot! There is love, there is a fancy resort, there is family drama, there is a secret child, there are best friends who reunite, and there is a murder to be solved. I can tell a book is good by how long it takes me to read and this one was the quickest I’ve read in the last month! One to add to your TBR list!

Traci Eddings is a owner of a upscale hotel in South Carolina. Since the death of her husband she has had to deal with her in-laws. For the summer Traci has to find staff. Lots of ups and downs.
Thanks to publisher St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

Sometimes I don't read the description of the books I start and just get pulled in by the author and/or cover. And that is what happened with this one. I didn't know what to expect and was very surprised and interested to see where the story went when reading.

I really liked having multiple points of view to follow this story and was surprised by some of the events that occurred throughout. While the introduction of the characters at the start had me trying to figure out how many characters I would need to follow, the author seemlisly jumps between their views throughout.

I honestly thought it was going to be a light-hearted romance read based on the cover. But as thrillers/mysteries are some of my favorite books, I was pleasantly surprised by having some of that mystery side in their as well.

The one callout as a negative would be that there are quite a few subplots that may have lengthened the novel a bit more than needed. The story was pretty long in terms of some of the content and the stories within maybe could have tied together better.

Thank you for an advance copy, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press.

Welcome to the St. Cecelia, a landmark hotel on the coast of Georgia, where traditions run deep and scandals run even deeper. . . .

This story follows Traci Edding's widow to the youngest son of the powerful Eddings family as she trys to manage the exclusive St.Ceclia resort. The book begins be introducing a slew of characters working at the Saint this summer and progresses to a whodunit of both a current day tragedy and one from 20 years ago.

🌞 Great beach read MKA writing style is so easy to read.
🌞 Interesting story that takes a bit to set up. There are lots of characters but the ending ties everything up nicely.
🌞 Story about friendships both past and present. Not really a romance as it was marketed.

"Summers at the Saint" is set in an exclusive resort on the coast of Georgia where a clear class structure is still in place. Those who are guests and members of "The Saint" are referred to collectively as "Saints" and those who work there and live in the nearby blue-collar town are "Aint's."

The resort has been around for decades, and the family that runs it isn't particularly savory, except for Traci Eddings, a young widow who was a local Ain't that married into the family. While she works to restore The Saint to its former glory, she also is a fair and compassionate employer who tries to "do right" by her employees, knowing that they are the lifeblood of the business. Unfortunately, her business partners (her father-in-law and brother-in-law) don't agree. All they're interested in is the bottom line. And right now, The Saint is bleeding money.

As the story unfolds, we're introduced to multiple mysteries, each of which eventually leads to the other. And the closer they get to the answers, the more dangerous it becomes to live or work at The Saint.

Mary Kay Andrews presents a cast of characters that you love to like or like to hate, and each serves their purpose well. The answers slowly reveals themselves as the story unfolds and the pacing is great.

Thank you to Mary Kay Andrews, the publisher, and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

This is the perfect summer read! The setting at the resort is perfection! The story was a bit of a slow burn in the beginning but it picked up mid way. The mystery of the story had me guessing and threw me for a loop by the end.

This read started out as a slow burn. I struggled through the first 50% and especially the character development, but by the time it got to 50% it really took off and in directions I did not expect. I enjoyed putting all the clues together and this was such a fun summer book with plenty of twists.

I was looking forward to a sunny beach read when I opened Summers at the Saint, and that’s partially what I got. I was pleasantly surprised to realize this would actually be a murder mystery, and was quickly pulled into the history of the titular resort. What I didn’t love was the balance between the romance and the mystery. I think it would have been a better read, personally, if there was a little less romance and a little more mystery.

All in all, a good read, perfect for a sunny getaway!

Every summer I tried to read a couple "summer reads" this year the first I chose was this one and man I'm so glad I did. I really enjoyed this one. We have Traci four years after her husband's death, trying to keep his family's hotel afloat. This book kept me turning the pages late into the night. I just loved how the story was told and all the little twists amd turns sprinkled throughout the book. My favorite characters are Weylan and Traci by far and my least fav is Livvy I did not like her at all she acted like a spoiled brat- the way she treated/talked to her mom just grated on my nerves. I fully recommend this book and im giving it 5 stars. Loved it!!!

Mary Kay Andrews is always a summer go-to author for me that I’ve been reading since my pre-Booksta days so I was excited to get approved for SUMMERS AT THE SAINT on Netgalley.

What to expect:
-resort setting
-a lot of characters
-mystery, family drama, murder
-ending wrapped up with a bow

While SUMMERS AT THE SAINT didn’t really work for me, it was an easy read that would be great as a beach or poolside read 😎

The St. Cecilia Resort, lovingly called The Saint, stood for something.
If you were part of the wealthy patrons and members of the club, you were a Saint, and everyone else was an Ain't.
Traci Eddings grew up on the wrong side of this equation but after marrying into the wealthy Eddings family, the owners of The Saint, her life turned around.
But when her husband suddenly passes, Traci finds herself alone, and struggling to keep the Saint profitable.
But when old secrets are dug up and new mysteries arise, Traci has more to lose then she thought.

OK, I thought this was going to be a summer romance.
The cute and casual cover art, the name, "Summer at the Saint", its so light and airy.
NOPE, this was a twisty little mystery and not at all what I was expecting.
I was pleasantly surprised.

It had everything, grief, betrayal, secrets, mystery, love, new beginnings ....
This was my first Mary Kay Andrews book, and it will not be my last!

I love Mary Kay Andrews books and this is no exception. It's a little different from the ones of hers I have read but I enjoyed this novel!

Traci is trying to keep the saint, her beloved hotel afloat and has hired quite a cast of characters to do just that. Between her family drama and the new hires things get a little Spicey. What happened to her niece? What is her brother in law up to? What really happened to that little boy that drowned all those years ago?

There is romance, family drama and murder mystery . It is all weaved together so nicely. There are a lot of plot points going on but when you settle in you will enjoy how it all comes together. Setting for this perfect beach read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this treat !!!

👙 Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews 👙

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.5/5 (rounded up)

💭 Thoughts:
This book definitely kept me interested, and I looked forward to continuing every chance I got. With that said, it seemed like there were a lot of storylines that could have been edited down. Too many far fetched things happened by the end to me 😅 IYKYK! Though it was chaotic, I liked the element of mystery that was added to the book, and I will continue to read anything Mary Kay Andrews writes!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was not quite the plot I was expecting for MKA, but it was a great read! It was a bit more dark for a "beach read", but it kept the book more interesting because I am a thriller lover.

Traci Eddings is struggling to compete with the new resorts that are being built in the area. The St Cecelia Resort is one of the oldest in the area and she is trying to keep it exciting for the guests. Her husband died in a plane crash several years before and had planned a great renovation for this hotel. His friend and GM pull of his plans, but the Saint continues to struggle.

Traci has a lot of family drama with her brother-in-law upset that she asked his daughter, Paris, to work the front desk instead of going on her planned graduation trip to Europe. He continues to be a thorn in her side for the entire book and tries to go behind her back to get his way.

Traci also unknowingly hires her former best friend's daughter to be waitstaff at the restaurant.

Paris starts taking note of strange things happening at the Saint and is keeping track of them in her Bitch book.

Tragedy strikes the Saint family in more than one way and things go off the rails. Long buried family secrets come to light and there is a murder and 2 attempted murders.

I look forward to what MKA comes up with next!