I truly enjoyed this. If I had to find any fault, it’s that it definitely reads more like a mystery with a minor romance subplot than an outright romance. But it was so cleverly written I didn’t even mind!

There are plenty of characters to keep track of, but they all feel real with well fleshed out back stories. The plot is full of twists and turns (that kept me guessing till the end when I usually take pride in figuring out the twist very early on) that made me gasp out loud - but never felt over the top.

This was a great read that I highly recommend!

If you like shows on the CW network, then this book is for you. This is a plot driven story of mystery with a dash of romance, and the twists and turns (good and bad) will have you mentally going "whaaaaat?!" in shock at the page. I found myself rooting for Traci, and even though the pacing/responses of some of the characters did feel a bit strange here or there, the story kept me reading because- like a CW show- you have to keep reading to find out what happens next.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an arc of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

I received Summers at the Saint as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) and thoroughly enjoyed it. I read this book during a few very cold days of January in Canada and this book transported me to the warmth of the beach at the Saint. This will be a perfect beach read (when it is released) that will make you feel like you are at the resort! This is a novel tells the story of the managing family, the employees and guests that the St. Cecelia Resort in Georgia. There are many characters that contribute to family drama and a murder mystery. The many characters are developed in a way that allows for easy following of the plot and keeps the reader’s interest. There are many twists and turns that will keep you on your toes! I always enjoy Mary Kay Andrews books and this is no exception.
I would like to thank #NetGalley and St. Martens Press for this ARC. #SummersattheSaint

Who doesn’t love a Mary Kay Andrews book?
This book is has a little mystery, a little family drama, friends from 1st grade, new friends and a little romance. Lots of strong female characters with twists and turns throughout.
Couldn’t put it down!
Thank you to Saint Martin’s Publishing Group and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The prestigious St. Cecelia, affectionately known as "the Saint," has a distinct social hierarchy - those who grew up vacationing there were deemed "Saints," while those from the less affluent side of the river were labeled "Ain'ts." Traci Eddings, originally an outsider, found her way into the Saint's world through a summer job and eventually married the owner's son. Now a widowed proprietor, she's determined to restore the hotel to its former glory despite staffing shortages, financial challenges, and the scheming of her greedy brother-in-law.

Facing adversity, Traci gathers a diverse team of summer hires to revitalize the Saint within one challenging summer season. However, the discovery of new information about a past drowning at the hotel and the tragic death of a staff member push Traci to the edge of despair, adding layers of complexity to her mission. As she battles against both external and internal forces, the fate of the Saint hangs in the balance. Mystery, unexpected plot twists, heartbreak, and romance make this a good beach read.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and author Mary Kay Andrews for the advance read copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I'm always excited to devour a Mary Kay Andrews summer novel. Summers at the Saint follows Traci Eddings as she takes over running the hotel known as 'The Saint' after the tragic death of her late husband. Traci is determined to bring the hotel back to its glory days, while navigating her toxic in laws, new help (including the daughter of her ex best friend), Traci faces the backlash of an old mystery drowning at the hotel. Overall I really enjoyed the book - it had a summer feel to it, while not being full of fluff. There were a few too many characters to follow, but the story did wrap nicely in the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

Wonderful book from Mary Kay Andrews! I am always a fan of her books. This contains a great murder mystery to try and solve along with the mystery of who is sabotaging the Saint hotel. Also a love story and healing a friendship from the past. Definitely recommend. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Another fabulous (and somewhat action packed) summer read from MKA. Thoroughly enjoyable.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/195790574

I've read most of Mary Kay Andrew's books and I guess by the title I was thinking this was a light hearted beach read...it's not. It's more of a who-done-it book in a beach resort. There were a lot of characters introduced early in the book and at times, I had to go back and see who was who. The characters were likable and interesting, but with subjects like an early death of a character, rape, theft, infidelity and blackmail, it also had a dark side. I really liked the character that died and wish she would have been in a coma or hospitalized, and later survived because she was so young. All in all I enjoyed the book, and the author brought the characters to life and had me interested in the outcome, so I'd recommend it, even though it wasn't one of my favorites. I'd actually rate it a 3.5 but went with a 4 because of the characters.

MKA is one of my favorite authors and I always looks forward to her new releases.
Summers at the Saint did not disappoint! Taking place on St. Cecilia Island, on the Georgia coast, , the ‘Saint’ resort is where the rich go for the summer. If you live in the area, you are either an Ain't or a Saint. Traci was born an Ain't, but married into the family who owns the Saint. Her husband died and she is in charge of the resort. We meet other members of her husband's family, who also are at the hotel. Since Covid, the Saint has been trying to get back on track. Traci comes up with some ideas to boost their revenues, but she receives pushback from other staff. We also learn of the drowning of a young boy years ago at the resort, which is now being investigated by his brother.
This is not a summer romance book, but more a murder mystery, , lots of twists and turns and with some romance thrown in. I couldn’t put it down, it was perfect read for a recent snow day!
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for this advanced copy.

With her usual style, Mary Kay Andrews has written a romance wrapped in a mystery. "The Saint" is a well-known resort on an island off the coast of Georgia. Built in the robber baron tradition and run by the widowed Traci Eddings who married into the family, Saint Cecelia is facing economic difficulties that began with the Covid epidemic. With workforce shortages and a malignant brother-in-law scheming to run Traci off, she has her hands full trying to get the resort back in the black.

Things are further complicated when the brother of a boy who drowned many years ago shows up to investigate that death. Then Traci's beloved niece Parrish is found dead on the property. More catastrophe follows and Traci and her cast of summer helpers try to get to the bottom of things.

Fans of Mary Kay Andrews will enjoy this addition to her books. It's hard to put down once you start so even though it will make a great beach read, go ahead and read it now.

I love Mary Kay Andrews, I have read all her books, they are always fun and well written. Summers at the Saint was no exception full of lots of twists, part mystery and part romance. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this arc.

Heroine’ struggles to balance the image she presents to the world with her true self hit close to home, and her internal dialogue was both hilarious and sincere. I loved how by the end she finally reached her very own version of zenith.

I was asked to read this book, and I am glad I was because I really had fun with this read! I enjoyed following along with Traci, who came from the "wrong side of the tracks", but wound up on the other side through marriage and hard work at a hotel, which years later she owns. In an effort to re-establish the hotel to its former status, Traci tries to figure out a drowning mystery while navigating some emotional ups and downs. I really enjoyed reading about the setting - this was a strong point in the book because I really felt like I was there based off of the descriptions. The author wove in her trademark romance and humor with some twists along the way. Another great story for relatable characters, which Mary Kay Andrews just excels at.

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

Twists and turns great characters a must read you will not be able to put this down will want to finish and then will be sad it's over

I’m a big fan of this author because her books are always quick reads that are light and entertaining with quirkly banter, romance and some fun beach read setting.

I expected this book to be more of a beach read rather than a murder mystery at a beach hotel setting. There was a lot going on in this book in terms of various characters and back stories, which seemed a bit scattered at times. I totally get what she was doing and she managed a few twists in the end, but I still found it entertaining. Like her last book, Homewreckers, I felt like the romance came out of thin air and felt more like convenience than believable.

With that said, this is one of those books where all the dirty secrets come out after someone dies. There are many layers to uncover on this family.

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for allowing an advanced digital copy of this book.

I can always count on Mary Kay Andrews for what I think of my most perfect summer book and she's done it again with Summers at the Saint.

Summers at the Saint has all the ingredients that make me happy -- a dollop of family drama, with a dash of mystery, with a sprinkle of romance -- all plated in a location that screams summertime.

I binge read this in a little over a day and I really enjoyed the varying POV throughout the book. I'd happily read another based on another of the females introduced in this book (Team Felice!).

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC copy of this novel in exchange for my review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of this book!

This was my first Mary Kay Andrews book and definitely not what I expected! I assumed it would be a romance novel but this had a ton of twists and turns that I did not see coming (and a few I did). The characters were all well written although I felt like some of the dialogue was a little unrealistic. There was a little bit of everything in here and I am a fan!

I would like to thank NetGalley, St.Martins Press and Mary Kay Andrews for my ARC in exchange for an honest opinion review. I found this book to be one of her better cozy mysteries that she has written in recent years. There were parts that reminded me of Bebe and Weezie but I wish she would dove a little deeper into Livvy and Felice's friendship. Without spoilers, I wish she would have given us more scenes with KJ, Madelyn and Garrett so the conclusion would have been more fulfilling. I also felt there was going to be a set up connection between Hudson and Parrish's death. Speaking of Parrish, there just did not seem to have enough grief over her death by anyone. I also wanted Ric to get more little more in the end. He is entitled brat and deserved more coming to him. I also was worried about Lola and the long hours that Traci works. As always, I always look forward to May and MKA's release.

Summer? check. Romance? check. Dead body? check. Summer, or in my case, the sub-freezing apocalypse, begins with MKA. There are a lot of characters introduced early in this book and they were easy to remember as I settled into the book. Lots of fun and some dark twists and turns that left me guessing. You will want to read this one when it's out. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a chance to read an ARC of this one early.