TLDR: Easy murder-mystery beach read, but not one of my favorites. 3.5 stars.

Traci Eddings has taken over running the storied Saint Cecelia Hotel after her husband's untimely death. As she prepares for another summer running the Saint, she's met with the departure of some of her key staff members. With an eye towards enticing new people to work at the storied hotel, she decides to take a tip from the past and build staff housing to help with the high property costs in the area. Her niece Parrish, her ex-best friends daughter, Livvy, wait staff Garrett, affluent KJ, and head chef Felice take up residence in the staff house and are the key, Traci hopes, to reviving the Saint to its glory days. After the murder of one of their own, and a death from the past coming back to threaten the resort's future, Traci has to work to solve the mysteries of the past and a murder that hits close to home in order to save her beloved hotel.

This was my first Mary Kay Andrews book and I found it to be an easy beach read. The story was good, the setting was there, but I just didn't connect with the characters or the writing. The characters were one dimensional and the grief that was a center of the novel wasn't deep enough to be believable.

Liked, but didn't love.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Saint Cecelia Resort sprawls along the Georgia coastline. It's huge and pink and full of tradition. The Eddings family built it long ago and still runs it today. If you grew up coming to "The Saint" you were considered a "Saint". If you were from the wrong side of the river you were considered an "Ain't". Scandals run in this family and Traci, wife of the late son, is slowly learning about them. She is trying to make the wrongs right and put the guilty ones in their place. I loved this book! I highly recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC of this book.

I received an arc from the publisher for an honest review.

I loved it, It will be a huge hit this summer as one of the best beach reads of 2024.

The story takes place at a historic hotel on the coast of Georgia. The main characters are a “family” that has inherited and runs the hotel. It has romance, heartache, humor and a little mystery too. Some of the characters are very likable and others not so much but each plays an important role in the story.

Put this one on your TBR list and enjoy with the summer sun!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copies.

Summers at the Saint is Mary Kay Andrews at her best. It’s got mystery, romance, family drama, and plenty of coastal southern charm - as do all her books! It’s another solid installment from the Queen of the Beach-Read-Mystery. I recommend this to anyone who’s enjoyed previous MKA books, anyone who wants a beach read with a bit more complexity than most, or anyone missing the the South this summer.

The narrator, Kathleen McInerney, does a great job per usual. She’s narrated many MKA novels and novellas and I’ve come to associate her voice with strong female protagonists and southern beach towns. Highly recommend!

This book had all the right pieces- great characters, an interesting plot, twists and turns when you need them. I really enjoyed almost everything about Summers at the Saint and would highly recommend. I especially loved Tracy and Livvy as characters. There aren’t many books that have a murder/mystery AND feel good/borderline romance feel to it. This one did and it worked so well!

You guys! Let’s talk
I’ve been going through and reading Mary Kay Andrew books so far this is my favorite!
The story takes place in Florida, main character says that she loves the saint. The saint is a resort hotel and as a teenager, she grows up and actually gets a job there, and throughout the beginning of the book 1st couple of chapters, it mentions that she marries the owners son.
Now, as an adult, she’s struggling to keep her business afloat in the new wave of this next generation battling the traditions of the old generation! as you go through the story, there are some tragedies that happen, and some mysteries from present time and past. And a little love interest. Just keep in mind that MarykayAndrews is so amazing at creating these characters that have such death to them and also if you would mind that every character mentioned has a very very big storyline. As a native Floridian, this story taking place in Florida, gave me all the vibes I needed to get me started to transition from spring to summer..
Thank you NetGalley I had the privilege of reading both the audiobook and the e-book !!!
#netgalley #summeratthesaint

This is the perfect beach read! It is set at a luxe resort on the Georgia coast and offers the perfect setting for an escape through a captivating story. The Saint is run by a family, and lots of family drama provides a backdrop to how the resort—including some new staff—functions during one memorable summer (with lots of references to another summer in the past). The story involves multiple mysteries, including murder and attempted murder, plus a host of other crimes. There are a lot of characters, most of whom are quite interesting, and how they work together makes for an engaging story—once I started I did not want to put it down. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This wasn't quite what I was expecting. This is a murder mystery wrapped in family drama. And there is A LOT of family drama. If you are looking for a zany, humorous beach read, keep looking. If you want a complex tale that flashes back occasionally about twenty years earlier, this is your book.

I enjoyed the story, and I didn't guess the killer before the big reveal.

Not family friendly due to drug and alcohol use, profanity, and adult situations.

Mary Kay Andrews does indeed delight her again us with another fun filled book.This book has a little bit of everything from Romance to Mystery! Pre-Order your copy today! It's sooooo worth it!

Summers at the Saint is a great beach read! Mary Kay Andrews does it again with great characters, a little mystery and suspense, and drama and romance. I struggled a little with all the different POVs at the beginning of the book, but it all came to a great, somewhat surprising conclusion. You definitely need to make this a summer read!

How have I never read anything by Mary Kay Andrews before??? I received and ARC copy of Summers at the Saint from NetGalley and it looked like a fun summer romance ala Elin Hilderbrand. I didn't even read the synopsis before diving in.

What a wonderful surprise!! It had mystery, suspense, twists, romance, backstabbing, friendship, and more, all rolled into one. The whodunnit part wasn't that difficult to figure out, but I didn't see the "why" coming.

Highly recommend and I will be adding more Mary Kay Andrews novels to my TBR list!

Another great Mary Kay Andrews summer read! This is a mystery/romance with plenty of intrigue and a host of interesting characters taking place at the fictional St. Cecelia Resort on the Georgia coast. There are a couple of twists that some could see coming, however, the writing and overall plot make up for the predictability. 4.25 stars! Thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for the advance copy.

SUMMERS AT THE SAINT by Mary K Andrews

THE COVER: First, let’s talk about the cover. It’s beautiful…exactly what I picture in my head when I think poolside reading. Picture it: Summer, 2024. You are poolside in a lounge chair wearing oversized sunglasses, a large brim pool hat, and a fabulous sheer coverup over your favorite swimsuit with THIS BOOK open and an ice cold LeCroix (or maybe Prosecco) by your side. Ahhhh. I can smell the sunscreen.

THE STORY: Now let’s get to the plot. Whoa! This took me on so many spins and twists I was almost dizzy. What in the Alex Murdaugh is happening at The Saint?? To me this is a classic “rich people behaving badly book” that will keep you guessing until the end.
THE SETTING: The setting was my favorite piece of the book. The book is set in Georgia at a prestigious hotel called the Saint Cecilia. “The Saint” is over 100 years old and has some skeletons tucked away in closets. You will just have to read to find out how they all come tumbling out!

THE CHARACTERS: MKA uses a lineup of characters a chef, a frat boy, a nurse, a landscaper, the list goes on. Some are “Saints”, some are “Ain’ts”, and other are hotel employees.

There is crime. There is murder. There is romance. There is mystery. Enjoy!

It’s always a good day when you have a new Mary Kay Andrew’s novel to read. This one doesn’t disappoint. It has a great setting, great characters, and a great story. A bit of sadness and some mystery add to the story. I’’m sure this will be in a lot of beach bags this summer.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "Summers at the Saint" and all opinions expressed are my own. I listened to the audiobook (although I also downloaded the kindle book). Mystery, drama, romance, friends, great setting, twists and turns. I am really enjoying audiobooks lately. The narrator was excellent! This book is just what you need for your summer read.

Once you start reading this book it's hard to put it down. It grabs your attention from the start and will keep you turning pages. No spoilers from me, but you won't see what is coming until the very end. Great characters that are both believable and mostly likeable. The cover gives a good description of the book so I won't repeat generalities. Just buy the book, read and enjoy. I was provided an advanced reader copy of this book but was under no obligation to wrote a review. The opinions expressed are my own. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this book.

Mary Kay Andrews never disappoints. I love the mystery genre and her quirky characters. Such a fun read!

Set at a picturesque Southern beachside resort, Summers at the Saint delivers on so many fronts. Mystery? Check. A touch of romance? Check. Workplace drama? Check. Friend drama? Check. Family drama? Big check. I enjoyed the pacing and many characters and perspectives in this book, but I found the mystery a little lacking. It was quite predictable, especially when comparing with the author's other titles. Nonetheless, Mary Kay Andrews is the queen of summer reads, and this is another solid book from a skilled, veteran writer. Highly recommend!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for gifting me with an ARC to review! All opinions are my own.

Read this if you like:
•Family drama
•Scandals
•Whodunit mystery element
•Fancy resort setting

This book has something for everyone. There’s mystery, drama, romance & lots of secrets. The setting was atmospheric and in true MKA fashion, there are some twists!

This will be out in May! Thank you St Martins Press for the eARC!

Thank you netgalley thank you to the publisher and the author Mary Kay Andrew’s for the opportunity to read This book early! Honestly I wasn’t quite sure what to expect and i had started several other books that I didn’t finish and started this one and could not put it down!
This is one of those books where you think you know where it is going but much to my surprise umm I sure did not.
This book had so many twists and turns ups and downs I thought I might have needed a pill to calm my stomach from rocking and rolling like a roller coaster!
MKA did it again, great novel and I’d love to see a book two follow up to this story!
Loved it! 5 stars!!