I am and always will be a fan of Mary Kay Andrews! I love snagging her novels as soon as they release and am so grateful I received a copy of this audiobook to listen to this summer.

Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews is another charming, feel-good story from an author whose novels I always love. Set in the coastal town of St. Augustine, it follows Riley as she returns to help restore her family’s inn, "The Saint." Along the way, she reconnects with old friends, faces family challenges, and discovers a new romance.

True to Andrews' style, the book is filled with vivid descriptions that make the setting come alive, and the characters are warm and relatable. While the plot hits familiar beats, it’s still a heartwarming and enjoyable read. If you love stories about second chances, friendship, and a bit of summer romance, Summers at the Saint is a perfect escape. Andrews once again delivers a delightful beach read that will leave you smiling.

Mary Kay Andrews’s Summers at the Saint is a delightful, heartwarming read that perfectly captures the essence of a summer escape with its blend of romance, humor, and Southern charm. Set against the picturesque backdrop of a charming coastal town, the novel follows the journey of a woman rediscovering herself and finding new beginnings.

The story centers around the protagonist, who arrives at the Saint, a historic and quirky bed-and-breakfast, seeking a fresh start after a series of personal and professional setbacks. Andrews’s writing brings to life the vibrant and eclectic characters who inhabit this seaside sanctuary, each contributing to the novel’s rich tapestry of warmth and community spirit.

Andrews excels at creating a setting that feels both inviting and magical. The Saint becomes more than just a backdrop; it’s a character in its own right, with its old-world charm and eclectic personality. The romance that unfolds is both sweet and engaging, complemented by a cast of endearing supporting characters and a plot that balances light-hearted moments with deeper reflections on love and self-discovery.

Summers at the Saint is a quintessential Mary Kay Andrews novel, filled with wit, charm, and a touch of nostalgia. It’s a perfect choice for readers looking to immerse themselves in a feel-good story with a touch of Southern allure and a heartwarming exploration of second chances.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this ARC!

This was my first book to read by Mary Kay Andrews and it did not disappoint. I loved the summer beach vibes with the element of mystery mixed in. I'm a huge thriller reader so I was intrigued by the murder mystery and the backstory of two friends that had a fallen out. There were a lot of characters to keep up with so I found myself often questioning how each person fit into the story and had to back track at times.

I never guessed the ending so it had a good surprise element to it. I like her writing style and ability to mix a light romance into the mystery.

I really enjoyed Kathleen McInerney as the narrator. She did a great job with all the characters voices and pacing of her reading.

omg this book had a little too much going on, it was very hard to follow and it's just made it a very difficult and not truly enjoyable read.

This is an example of why I love going into a book mostly blind. I'm sure I read the synopsis of this book months ago when I put it in my TBR, but by the time I picked it up to read, I didn't have any clue what was in store for me. And what a treat of an atmospheric Southern beachy mystery this turned out to be.

Was this a perfect book? No. Was it an engrossing and entertaining read? Yes.

In the beginning I was like why are there so many characters?! But as I continued on and the plot thickened, I became more and more invested in who and what and how and why. I was constantly changing my mind about the motives and the guilty parties and that is always the sign of a fun read.

I will say there were a couple elements of the reveals that didn't hit for me, but overall this was great.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook to review. All opinions are my own.

Content Warnings: infertility, unwanted pregnancy, sexual assault, child drowning, Parkinson's, death, murder, drug and alcohol use.

After reading "The Santa Suit" by Mary Kay Andrews and not loving it, I decided to give her another chance with "Summers at the Saint". Unfortunately, this one didn’t resonate with me either, and I’m beginning to think that Andrews' style might not be for me.

One of my main issues with this novel was that it felt misleading. I went into it expecting a light beach-read set at a resort, but what I got was more of a mystery-thriller. While I know beach-reads are typically on the fluffier side, this one felt almost too light, lacking the substance I was hoping for. The shift in genre didn’t match my expectations, and it wasn’t what I was looking for in a beach-read.

I also struggled with the narration by Kathleen McInerney. Although I’ve enjoyed her narration in other books, the novel starts with the voice of a young child, which I found grating. This initial impression stuck with me throughout the rest of the story, making it hard to fully enjoy the experience.

Thank you to Mary Kay Andrews, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for sending me the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book...a bit of summer fun, a bit of romance, and a bit of mystery...thoroughly enjoyable. Can recommend to a variety of readers!

Mary Kay Andrew’s has reemerged as one of my favorite quick read authors. I enjoyed the plot a lot. I typically do not go for mystery novels, but hers have been a hit for me. They remain lighthearted and fun with the search for the solve of the issue. The narration was great. It was easy to tell the difference between characters in the story. It was a great summer read!

Thank you, NetGalley for this book! From the cover I expected a light beach reach read with a little Romance brewing somewhere in there. What I got was, a great murder mystery that had you from the beginning of the book. Tons of twists and turns. (And yes a little bit of romance too) I loved the setting of an exclusive Island with a Grand Hotel, with young adults having fun, and a mix of the have and the have nots. Great read!

This book has some serious Nantucket vibes and I don't know I just didn't vibe with the exclusivity - I've never read anything by Mary Kay Andrews and I think I would try again but she's just not earning any awards for favorite rom coms over here.

Don't let this beach read of a cover fool you. Summers at the Saint is not a sweet summertime romance, which is what I expected. I guess this is what I get for going into books blind. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the story immensely.

Despite the length of this novel, I found this to be a page-turner. I tried to find additional chores to do so I could finish the audiobook faster. I loved the mystery and had to know who the murderer was ASAP. There are a lot of characters and plotlines, but Andrews does a fantastic job of writing them in an easy-to-follow way. If you are looking for a suspenseful murder mystery with the vibes of a seaside resort, I highly recommend it.

I think fans of single-POV stories will struggle with this one. There are a lot of POVs, and I had to take notes to keep some of them straight. I will note that the narrator, Kathleen McInerney, did a fantastic job voicing all the POVs.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Past and present collide in this mystery/drama about The Saint Celcia Hotel. The Saint, as it is called, is a luxury resort on Georgia’s coast. If you were wealthy and stayed there, you were a “Saint.” If you were from the other side of the river, you were an “Ain’t.” The main character, Traci, grew up as an Ain’t, but like many of the locals she worked at The Saint during the summer to earn money for clothes, etc.
Like I mentioned, this is a mystery/drama story so of course, tragedy after tragedy occurs, but even so, through it all, Traci remains resilient. I enjoyed the story and all the different characters. This is a perfect read for summer!

Unfortunately, this one was not my favorite. First, I feel that this book could be at least half of the length it is. Even listening to the audio, which clocks in at 14 1/2 hours, was a job. The narrators are great, the audio quality is overall really good. But, I felt like with this genre + plot it definitely could’ve been a lot shorter. The overall premise is good, and had high hopes to be promising. But unfortunately fell short for me. There were a TON of characters, and a lot of little sub plots that felt difficult to keep up with. I’m sad that I didn’t enjoy this one as it was my first Mary Kay Andrews, but this won’t turn me away from trying her books again!

Great summer beach read. Loved the history of The Saint and the mystery that surrounded it. A little too predictable but again, as a summer read it fit the bill. Will be recommending it to patrons.

cute little summer read. started off a little slow and took a little to get into it, but once it picked up a little bit, it gave a nice cozy feeling.

Summers at the Saint was my first Mary Kay Andrews book. Though I read the description, I went into this thinking it would be more of a light-hearted read. I was pleasantly surprised to be incorrect. There was certainly some light-heartedness, but there was also suspense and a murder mystery as well as a few secondary mysteries. While in the beginning I was a bit confused attempting to understand who's who and keep the characters straight, after listening for a few chapters, my understanding of the characters came together and I appreciated a little back story and the characters' overall development. The pace was steady, and I was sucked into the several different storylines. 3.5 stars rounded up to five. I'm looking forward to my next MKA read!

I appreciated Kathleen McInerney's narrations. She was very pleasant to listen to, and her voice was perfect for this novel set in Georgia.

Thank you to NetGalley, Mary Kay Andrews, and Macmillan Audio for an audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Don’t let the cute cover fool you, this book centers on a murder mystery at the St. Cecelia landmark hotel on the coast of Georgia.

The main character is Traci Eddings, a former townie who married the boss’s son. Traci’s husband dies and she finds herself part owner of the hotel. The family isn’t exactly nice to her even though she is working hard to save the failing business. When past secrets resurface, Traci has more than a failing hotel on her hands.

I really enjoyed the mix of mystery and romance layered with complex relationships and old secrets. I also liked the beautiful setting; the St Cecilia hotel is a place I’d love to visit!

I thought the mystery plot was somewhat predictable, but overall enjoyed this book.

If you are looking for a book that is a more complex beach read, give this audiobook a try!

Summers at the Saint is set at and around the St. Cecelia Hotel on the coast of Georgia. It is lovingly referred to as "The Saint" and those who used to stay there were a "Saint", the others and the workers were an "Ain't". Traci Eddings was an Ain't who worked there and ended up marrying the bosses son. Her husband has died and his father is also at death's door, so she has been doing everything she can to keep the hotel profitable. Unfortunately, her brother-in-law has other plans and is trying to sabotage everything she does. In a last ditch effort, she pulls together a staff to work the summer with plans to turn it around. Someone else is causing problems with staff, and product, but can Traci figure it out. With a long ago drowning, a fire, a death and more, will all the mysteries be solved and Traci be able to save The Saint and her inheritance from her husband.

This is a tough book to categorize. It is women's fiction story, but there is a mystery, some romance, reconciliation and coming of age for some of the workers. The story is told from various POVs as well as some flashbacks. Parrish, Traci's niece plays a huge role in this book. She has no use for her father, and accepts Traci's offer of a position at the hotel. She is a smart cookie and I was rooting for her to sort out who was causing problems and possibly skimming from the hotel. The other two young women who lived in the bunkhouse were also great characters. They wanted the hotel to succeed and did all they could to help. When one of these young women end up dead, the other two begin to investigate what is really going on, putting themselves in danger. With all this going on, Traci meets someone that she finds herself interested in, so there is some chemistry and romance in the air. I really enjoyed this story and the twists that came throughout. Just a warning that there is a lot of swearing in this one, but it is realistic conversation, so I was able to deal with it. I recommend Summer at the Saint for a great summer read. I did a read/listen, but mostly listen as the wonderful Kathleen McInerney was the narrator. I love her voices, tone, expression and storytelling skill. I would listen to her read a cereal box. If you enjoy audiobooks, then I recommend you listen to this one.

This was my first Mary Kay Andrews book even though I have tons on my shelf at home! …. Mainly because of the covers making me want to wait till the summer to read them! :) this was the perfect summer read laying by the pool! I loved the characters and how well of a job she does at describing the setting and making you feel like you’re right there with them! Even though this was my first my this author, it certainly won’t be my last!

Not your typical Mary Kay Andrews I was anticipating her sassy prose and storyline but this was more serious, still an engaging read with all the rich descriptives, interesting characters.