A web of the past and present and tragedy all strung together to create a great story. I definitely didn’t see where this one was going but I like it that way. I don’t feel like they quite grieved the loss enough it kid of felt like a blip in the radar but beyond that it was really good. Honestly pretty realistic too because there is a lot that happens behind closed doors and a lot that people will pay good money to keep secret too.

I really thought I knew where this one was going, but I really didn’t and it was great. I listened to the audiobook, some of the accents were a bit much but it was pretty good. Thanks NetGalley & St Martins Press for the ARC.

I didn't love this one as much as I have enjoyed other MKA. I didn't like that they made the niece feel guilty for wanting to experience Europe instead of saving the family business. I don't believe that it's any family member's job to save a family business, so I had a hard time getting past that. Because of this decision, some others happened that obviously aren't great, so I don't think this is an MKA that I'd recommend to anyone looking for a beach read.

I received an advance audio copy. All thoughts are my own.

The Saint Cecelia, a sprawling oceanfront hotel complex, is the setting for this summer’s beach read “Summers at the Saint by the talented Mary Kay Andrews. Traci Eddings, a widow since her husband’s tragic death four years earlier, has inherited the hotel and a lifestyle far different from her simple childhood. She now deals with employees, ever increasing financial problems and her untrustworthy brother-in-law. She still missing her best friend Shannon who hasn’t spoken to her since a child drowned in the hotel pool when they were lifeguards years earlier. Now with her niece Parrish at the front desk, Shannon’s daughter Livvy a server in the hotel restaurant and star chef Felice in the kitchen, it looks like a good summer is in store for The Saint. However, there is a heartbreaking death at a hotel after party, suspicions of mismanagement, and an investigation of that long ago drowning. Traci needs to discover the secrets that hide in The Saint before there can be more tragedy.

Mary Kay Andrews has delivered a suspenseful, impossible to put down mystery! I love The Saint and its pink clothed employees! I love the behind-the-scenes look at hotel management! I want to read more about Traci and Whelan!

A summer read with romance and mystery. It didn’t need to be so long. I was getting bored and looking forward to it ending.

This is my first read by this author. I don’t usually read this type of genre but found it to be a mix of general fiction, summer beach read, domestic drama, mystery, romance, and even a bit of suspense. It follows the family and employees of a beachside resort on the coast of Georgia known by the locals as “The Saint” with a clear line between the haves and have-nots or as this book terms it, the “saints” and the “ain’ts”. The storyline moves smoothly between the various characters and back and forth through time to incidents that happened at the hotel in the past in carefully labeled chapters.

I really enjoyed the found family feel that the widowed owner, Traci, fostered at the Saint for the employees. There were some great side characters that formed relationships with each other and the hotel through their work and living situations. However, there were also characters mixed between the family and employees that were out for themselves and sometimes it was difficult to tell which ones, especially for Traci. Traci put her trust in a few people that I questioned from the beginning. I got the feeling that she wasn’t exactly a great judge of character and wanted to see the best in everyone. While I empathize, that isn’t always a good trait for the manager of a business.

I really enjoyed this story though I did think it was a bit predictable at times. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Kathleen McInerney and switched to the ebook a few times to follow along. I found some of her character voices to be odd choices. The mid-forties widow sounded like a teenage girl and was sometimes hard to distinguish from the other characters in their early twenties, Livvy and Parrish. The male character and general narrator voices were fine, so I’m not sure why those choices were made for some of the female characters.

Recommended for a light beach read. I will definitely try this author again.

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin’s Press for a copy provided for an honest review.

Summers at the Saint is the latest novel by veteran author Mary Kay Andrews. I am not usually a fan of what I think of as light and fluffy books, but over the last couple of years, I’ve developed an appreciation for this author’s work. This story centers on a fashionable beach resort hotel and those that run it, with the focus primarily on the women. It’s a good summer read—not a bad choice to take to the beach, actually. My thanks go to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin’s Press for the invitation to read and review. This book will be available to the public May 7, 2024.

Our protagonist is Traci Eddings, the young widow of Hoke Eddings, heir to the Saint Cecilia resort. Traci has inherited part of the business from her late husband, but there is a power struggle in play as the book opens. The old man is dying, and the surviving heirs are scheming. The business seems to be on the rocks, or near to it, and Traci can’t figure out why. She makes several smart changes, hires good people, and yet…

We have interesting side characters. Parrish is Traci’s niece, whom she persuades to postpone her studies for one more summer as Traci implements the changes that are needed. We have the new cook, Felice, as well as Livvy, a capable young woman that Traci hires away from the diner where she is waiting tables; and we have Livvy’s mother Shannon, who used to be Traci’s best friend. Shannon completely dumped Traci many years ago, leaving Traci bewildered and hurt; she still feels that way. Lastly we have Whelan, who is working at the Saint as a pretext while he tries to unravel the circumstances that led to the death of his younger brother at the resort’s pool many years ago.

The book’s strongest aspect is the side characters, particularly Felice, Shannon and Livvy. Other characters are one dimensional, either entirely good or entirely awful. Rather, this is a plot based book. There are a great many moving parts, with a blend of genres that include romance, mystery, beach reads, women’s fiction, and contemporary family drama. It is in weaving the many pieces of this story that Andrews’s experience shines through. If there is a plot element that conflicts with another, or that is simply illogical, I didn’t spot it. At the end, everything and everyone is accounted for; in fact, I might have preferred not to have every single aspect resolved, and every positive character quite so perfectly happy. I seldom argue in favor of ambiguity, but in this case, it wouldn’t hurt.

I was fortunate enough to receive both the Kindle and audio versions, and once more, Kathleen McInerney does a fine job of narration with all of the women characters and the internal monologue. Her voice isn’t deep enough to voice the men’s characters well, and I suggest adding a second, male narrator next time around.

The story held my attention quite nicely as I did my morning bike ride, and I recommend it to Andrews’s loyal readers, and to those that enjoy a good beach read.

I picked up Summers at the Saint thinking it was going to be a light beach read. I was pleasantly surprised that this turned out to be a cozy mystery. I rated this book 3.75 stars. I wish there was a little more development in the romantic story line. I enjoyed that there were two mystery story lines evolving at the same time also.

Summers at the Saint was a fun summer beach read with romance and mystery all woven into one. It was definitely entertaining but it just felt a little long for me.

I love to jump into a good Mary Kay Andrews, and this one delivers. I thought I was picking up a cute beach read and it turned into a murder mystery in the best way possible. There are a lot of characters in this book to keep up with, as we have an entire hotel staff and some guests, but it was all laid out well and easy to keep up with, as the book will constantly hold your attention. I really liked Traci and some of the other side characters in the book. I saw many things coming and predicted several things that were going to happen, but I was slightly off on a few things…so I love when a book gets me like that.

I switch between an ebook and audio book for this read. The audio is done from one of my favorite narrators and she really added to the overall experience for me while consuming this one and I definitely did nearly 90% on audio! I couldn’t stop and had to know what was going on. Highly recommend putting this on your summer reading list!

Bottom Line: Read it!

Releases May 7, 2024

**I received a copy of Summers at the Saint from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

Another good summer mystery/southern read from Mary Kay Andrews. I loved that this one was based on the family and extended family of the rich and well off. There's a lot of tragedy, horror, and deadliness to keep you interested in the story with the touches of southern life and romance to soften the blows and lull you into the story. It was great!

The St. Cecilia, the Saint, is a prestigious resort on the coastline in Georgia; offering its members and guests a luxury experience. Traci grew up across the river and as a child she imagined herself staying at the resort. One thing everyone in town knows is you are either a "Saint" or an "Ain't" and Traci was on the wrong side of the river. One summer she and her friend Shannon score a job at the Saint, but that summer changed their lives entirely. Traci married the boss's son and Shannon stopped talking to her entirely after a fatal incident that left Shannon without a job. Now decades later, Traci is widowed and trying to restore the Saint to its former glory after facing staffing and financial difficulties. She has assembled some summer staff members to help fill some gaps and one of them is Shannon's daughter. Traci is fighting for the Saint, trying to mend old hurts, and keep her greedy brother-in-law from ruining everything she has worked towards. It's opening season at the Saint and it will be unlike any other. Old scandals and new collide in Mary Kay Andrews upcoming twisty novel, "Summers at the Saint". You can find this new summer read in stores starting May 7th!

"Summers at the Saint" takes readers through the lives of friends, family, coworkers, and lovers. Do not let this cover fool you, the story inside is full of twists, betrayal, and old money secrets. While this story primarily focuses on Traci Eddings there are multiple POVs that we follow throughout. This novel is full of twists and there is no way that you will see all of them coming, while some are obvious there are a few that will leave you shocked. Andrews did a great job keeping the story flowing with the multiple POVs and was able to provide each character with their own distinct story without detracting from the main plot. This is the perfect read for lounging by the pool or on the beach.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with the audiobook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Mary Kay Andrews does it again. Another fantastic story with memorable characters and a plot that makes you want to keep on reading.

I enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator is so talented. The way she changes her voice to fit each character was phenomenal. It really helped me to keep track of all of the characters that were involved. The story was good. It was a nice mystery and the twist had me in shock.

Not what I was expecting from a Mary Kay Andrews summer beach read but I was still here for it. Twisty, with secrets, lies, murder mysteries, female friendships, love interests, reunions, inheritance fights and so much more!! I loved the setting at a Resort hotel with a long history, the flashbacks to the past and the new drama in the present. Suspenseful and entertaining, this is a great book for mindless fun this summer!! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this novel before its publication in exchange for a fair and honest review!

I have long been a fan of Mary Kay Andrews' books on audio because of narrator Kathleen McInerney. She truly brings the characters and story to life with her narration and it makes listening to the book feel like I am watching a movie. Summers at the Saint was more evidence of this!

I started rooting for main character Traci Eddings from the beginning of the novel and didn't stop all the way through. She was a great protagonist as a believable, fun, and strong character among the many personalities in the story. While she was a great main character, the alternating points of view of the novel also added tremendously to the story. I did not find it difficult to keep track of everyone despite listening to the book and hearing everyone's names rather than reading them in print- fellow audiobook readers likely feel my pain of how stories with multiple POVs can become very confusing!

Nevertheless, this book was a breeze to follow and I found that it read just like one of Elin Hilderbrand's works as it was full of summertime-themed drama, romance, and humor. It even had a few thrilling twists worked in with an ending that I dare you to see coming! I loved it.

Well done Mary Kay Andrews, this was very memorable and fun to read. A perfect escape to listen to and get lost in!

Summers At The Saint is a decent summer read, one with mystery, suspense, and a bit of romance. Traci Eddings now manages Saint Cecilia, a resort off the Georgia coast, after inheriting it when her husband Hoke tragically died in a plane crash. Traci isn't well liked by Hoke's father and brother, however she's determined to keep the resort running smoothly and successfully. First she needs to get it out of the financial hole it's in. Traci hires a few teens to work at the Saint this summer, hoping to turn it around, but then a murder happens that leaves everyone in shock.

Overall, the story was an alright one. It did seem very slow at times and it took a while for me to get into it. There are a lot of characters to keep up with an at times it felt all over the place. I did appreciate the mystery aspect, and the overall setting of the resort was great, as was the anonymous POV!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martins Press, and Mary Kay Andrews for this read!

**𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘** 𝑺𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕 𝒃𝒚 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝑲𝒂𝒚 𝑨𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒘𝒔

5⭐️1🌶

This book was so refreshing. A fun little summer read with a murder mystery! In a small costal town with a 1950s beach resort, no one would ever suspect there to be a ring of corruption. The FMC Traci is the CEO of the Saints beach resort, and she has been running in by herself since her rich husband died un-expectedly 4 years before. Traci has worked at the Saint since she was a teenager as the life guard. Her family didn't have any money, and during the summer nights her and her best friend with try and snag a rich "saint's kid" while out bar hopping. She never would have imagined that the shy nerd-type guy she found while bar hopping was the son of the owner of the beach resort she'd been working for.

One cold case and one murder later, and Traci is up to her neck in police reports and angry customers. With the help of several friends on the staff, they begin to unravel what has been happening at the Saint for decades.

This was a fun fast rom-com/murder mystery that would be a perfect read for any vacation.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an Advanced Audio Copy of Mary Kay Andrews' newest book, just in time for the Summer 2024 season!

The Saint Ceclia resort has long been a popular retreat for the wealthiest of guests to visit the Georgia coast and relish in the exclusivity the resort brings. For the locals in the area, "you're either a Saint, or an Ain't". Traci Eddings may have started her life as an "ain't", but after working at the Saint one summer and falling in love with one of the Eddings brothers, whose family owns the Saint, she finds her living a life as a "Saint".

An unexplained tragedy changed her life as a teen while she worked at the Saint, and now Traci finds herself tragically widowed and facing nothing but challenges from her horrible brother-in-law who wants nothing more than to see the Saint Ceclia fail under Traci's guidance now that she has inherited it. Traci won't go down without a fight, and she is determined to make this summer the year the Saint does better than ever, putting together a staff that she knows will help her succeed. Things aren't always as they seem, especially when money, power, and greed are all involved, and Traci's world is thrown another tragic curveball as things begin happening around the Saint that prove someone is out to get her - and the Saint - out of play.

Surprisingly, this was my very first Mary Kay Andrews book that wasn't a holiday story. She has been on my TBR list for a long time, but her titles tend to get put aside for some reason...not anymore! This book was a fantastic summer story, and it will be at the top of many beach read lists for sure. The storyline moved at a great pace that made me keep wanting to listen more, full of twists and turns, jumping between the past and present, and trying to guess what was happening before the big reveal at the end. The narrator did a fantastic job with the story, and I am now a fan of Mary Kay Andrews!

I honestly didn't know what to expect going into this book but I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would! I had no idea where the story was going and it really took a turn when one of the characters was found murdered. I didn't see this book going that way but I really enjoyed it. The narration was really good as well. Will definitely be picking up more books from this author.