Traci and Shannon, best friends since childhood, were lifeguards at the luxurious St. Cecelia Hotel, known as The Saint. The guests at the Saint were commonly referred to as the Saints, wherein Traci and Shannon were part of the Ain'ts, not allowed or worthy to mingle with the guests. Traci and Shannon couldn’t have imagined how drastically their lives would change after a young boy dies in their pool. Shannon is fired and basically disappears from Traci’s life. Traci unexpectedly meets and falls in love with Hoke Eddings, the son of the Saint’s owner. After Hoke’s death in a plane crash, Traci becomes the sole owner of the Saint. Continuing the luxurious legacy of the Saint, and working to adapt to newer demands, she also must deal with the animosity of her father-in-law, Fred, and Hoke’s brother, Ric. Ric is determined to make her life difficult.
The Saint is having great difficulty hiring enough new people for the Summer. Traci decides to renovate the old cart shack into a dorm building to encourage new employees to come on board. She’s fortunate to be able to hire some key people, including her beloved niece, Parrish. Traci persuades Parrish to delay her trip to Europe and promises to pay for it once she does go later. Parrish’s father, Ric, is furious.
Throughout this story of intense family drama, twists and turns and betrayals, Traci maintains her focus on doing the right thing, even when her world is rocked with a sudden family death.
Thank you, Net Galley, for the chance to read and review Summers at the Saint. Mary Kay Andrews has done it again. I loved Summers at the Saint and read it in a day. 😊

Thank you Mary Kay Andrews for another wonderful mystery page turner of a read with so many questions throughout. I just loved trying to find the answers to these questions:

Who killed a loved Eddings family member, how and why?

What caused the friendship that Traci & Shannon had since first grade to become so broken 💔, and can it be repaired?

How did that little boy really die? Who will help get the answers to the questions from long ago?

What is actually happening at the St. Cecelia Hotel (the Saint) with so many things going so wrong?

Not only is there mystery, but also romance, family love, drama, heartache, and sadness. This book gave me so much, and I loved everything about it. I highly recommend this 5 ⭐ read. What a surprise ending. Enjoy ❤️.

I also loved what the fortune cookie 🥠 said, "Courage is not the absence of fear; it is the conquest of it."

I've worked 30+ years in hotel & hospitality. This book brought back memories, the guest complaints, dealing with hotel problems, and solving issues as the overnight manager, wow.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and Mary Kay Andrews for the advanced ebook reader copy.

#SummersattheSaint
#NetGalley
#MaryKayAndrews

I have been reading books by Mary Kay Andrews for quite a few years. Several of her books are on my keeper shelves. I have enjoyed her books when they were straight mysteries or women’s fiction. She is a talented author.

This book is simply not for me.

I missed the humor which is normally in her stories. The jumping from one perspective to another pulled me out of the story on more than one occasion. There weren’t very many people I liked in this book.

I guess I was expecting a theme that was not so dark.

Parrish is a widow who manages a Southern resort. Her late husband was part of the original family who owned the resort. After his death, she has become the lead manager for the family. She has a great deal of responsibility. This is a long time family business and her late husband’s family do not consider her part of the family. But, in my humble opinion, she is better off not being a part of that family. Expect for her niece, none of them are warm and cuddly.

The other characters come and go within the story line. Everyone has their own perspective. Jumping from one perspective to another really didn’t do it for me.

I am a fan of this author. I am not a big fan of this book.

I received the book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are completely my own.

This is the perfect summer read!!! It had a little bit of everything. I really enjoyed the murder mystery storyline. There were so many twists and turns that I did not see coming. This is a fun page turner that will be the perfect beach read.
4.5 stars!!

Mary Kay Andrews does it again. The Saint Cecelia resort is an elusive coastal Georgia setting, where the elite summer. After the death of her husband, Traci is left to run the Saint; yet she is struggling to maintain staff and keep up with modern day resort expectations. She builds a dorm to house staff and is taken back to her own teenage summers working at the Saint. But when her niece is murdered, she becomes suspicious of foul play. As is MKA's signature style, we get a little romance, a little mystery and a low-country coastal setting. Sign me up to summer at THE SAINT!

The Saint was the place for the rich to stay and party through out the summer. The ones that could not afford wanted to be there. Traci came from the side that wanted to be there.

This is what got me peaked other than having read every new Mary Kay Andrews book since the pandemic. I love how Mary Kay writes. You feel like you are there living the actual book. This one felt so much different than the previous ones. Everyone had a reason to be there and everyone had done something regarding the mystery part.

Summers at the Saint is the perfect beginning of summer read. All of Mary Kay Andrews are. 4.75/5 start from me

Mary Kay Andrews does it again! Summers at the Saint is a quick read that will have you falling in love with the characters and setting and will keep you guessing until the very end. I recommend checking this one out!

Way too much going on & far too much repetition in retelling same events to multiple characters for me to enjoy.
Story unfortunately couldn’t live up to the appealing title & cover.

With thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for this e-ARC.

First of all – I love MKA. I always look forward to her books. However, this was a departure from her normal type of book. I love MK for her mysteries, her romances, the setting descriptions, and her southern charm. Unfortunately a lot of that was missing in this book. First of all the language in the book was astonishing! I am no prude, but the amount of F bombs that were strewn throughout this book was alarming. It really felt like MKA was trying too hard to reach a certain audience. Which ultimately, felt alienating. There was a lot going on in this book. Too many mysteries, too many characters, and too much foul language. I was thoroughly disappointed.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I went into it kinda blind, thinking it was a fluffy romance novel, but it was SO MUCH MORE! There was family drama, workplace drama, investigations, murder, and more! I love how intertwined several of the characters were. This book would make an awesome movie, I could picture scenes being played out while reading. I LOVED it!

A GREAT READ, This is a story about the saints and the Aints. Traci and Shannon were the very best of friends until there was a drowning at The Saint where Traci and Shannon were Lifeguards they both did everything they could to save him. Shannon got fired that day. Was this an easy way out for management getting rid of Shannon. You will have to read in to see. Traci married Hoke Eddings son of Fred , owner of the Saint' Hoke was killed in a plane crush so Traci took control of his share and ran the Saint. You must really read this book as there is so much going on that it is hard to write about it without spoilers. All of this author's books are very good but in my opinion , this is one is GREAT.

I went into this book thinking it would be a lighthearted summer read. I forgot that Mary Kay Andrews imbues her novels with twists and turns along with the humor. Summers at the Saint IS a great beach read that will keep you engaged, but it's a little darker than you might think. That's NOT a bad thing.
The Saint is a century-old hotel run by the Eddings family. Traci, a former "townie" who married into the formidable family, was always made to feel like an outsider. Now, after her husband's death four years ago, she's running the hotel and trying desperately to get back in the black after the pandemic. She's got some new young adults on her staff that are promising and she's optimistic. Until the secrets start being revealed.
I was hooked on this one, and some of those twists were a complete surprise to me. The characters are skillfully created, and the storyline goes deeper than I expected. Definitely pick this one up for your beach vacation - or if you just wish you were going on a beach vacation.

I could not have loved this book more! I’ve been reading MKA for the last few years and always find her novels a delight but this one kicked it up a notch. I totally did not think it would have as much mystery as it did and it surprised me in the best way. I love how she is able to make each story so unique and “Summer At The Saint” is no exception.

This book gives total beach vibes with a hint of romance and a ton of mystery. I could not stop reading and fell in love with all of the characters, especially Traci, who’s still recovering from her late husband’s death while trying to rebuild the hotel business after the pandemic. Reading this book was like watching a movie in my brain- the descriptions were so spot on, I imagined I was right there alongside the characters throughout the book.

This is definitely one to preorder and read immediately! 5/5 stars

This is Dirty Dancing meets Outer Banks with, as told in the story, the Saints vs. the Ain'ts as rivals in this island setting. There's summer fun, mystery, luxury and love.

Mary Kay Andrews has done it again, written an engaging story that was hard to put down. Traci Eddings grew up on the wrong side of town and felt drawn to the pretty pink building at The Saint from the first time she saw it as a little girl. Now as a widow, she runs the place following the tragic death of her husband four years ago. After the pandemic, business has been slower and it is harder to find new employees, so Traci comes up with some ideas to attract some. After a death occurred, there is a mystery to solve and plenty of suspicious activity to make it hard to figure out who did it along with a second chance at love.

DNF at 28%

The dialogue in this book was stilted and unnatural but I was pushing through it until the homophobic slur arrived and now I’m not going to continue. I wasn’t asked to be a sensitivity reader, but you should consider hiring one and removing the derogatory language.

While Mary Kay Andrews may never win the Nobel Prize for literature, she's definitely won the hearts of her readers for her enjoyable and oh so readable writing. Summers At the Saint is the story of Traci Eddings after she takes on management of "The Saint Cecilia" aka The Saint, an exclusive resort owned by the Eddings family located on a private island off the coast of Georgia. Traci is struggling with the issues all business owners face: revenue, expenses, staffing issues, etc. Over time, Traci works thru some issues but is faced with others. Tragedies occur. Secrets are exposed. Old friendships are renewed and new friendships/relationships are developed all in the beautiful island setting. An enjoyable story and well worth the time. I received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. If you're a Mary Kay Andrews fan or even if you're not, you will enjoy this one.

Summers at the Saint intricately weaves suspense and southern charm against the backdrop of a picturesque resort. With vivid descriptions and an engaging plot, the author expertly crafts a tale of secrets, betrayal, and unexpected twists. From the moment the protagonist arrives at the resort, tensions escalate, keeping readers on the edge of their seats until the final page. A gripping read that transports you to the sultry atmosphere of the South while keeping you guessing until the very end.

My first Mary Kay Andrews but it won't be my last. I really enjoyed this book. The story flowed and the ending tied everything up nicely. It was a quick, read as I wanted to know what happened and who did what.

I have some older MKA books in my TBR and I think they will be moving up on the list. I look forward to reading more of her books.

I received an Advanced reader copy through NetGalley. This book was filled with interesting characters. The setting was perfect. The Saints and the Aints working together for generations. There are stories from Traci and Shannon’s teen summers to present day. Family secrets, death, and the running of a grand hotel collide at The Saint. This is definitely a story I will be recommending!