Many thanks to my friends at @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for the free #gifted copies of this book.

Summer isn’t official until I’ve read MKA’s latest, and I found myself immediately absorbed in Summers at the Saint. I imagined myself sitting poolside at the Saint, fruity beverage in hand as I helped solve the mysteries at play.

And I think this is my new favorite summer read by her. It’s full of all the things I’ve come to love about her books: a twisty mystery, a cheer worthy romance, and a perfectly beachy backdrop.

But this time, she took the storyline a bit darker... and I have to say, I ate it up!

Murder, jealousy, trauma, deception... this is a beach read with substance. I found myself immersed in the storyline seeking out the sinister motives, eager for the twists, and caught up in the suspense.

The heart of the Saint (and this book), the main character, Traci Eddings, was easy to root for! Having experienced her share of hardship in the past, her strength was the guiding force throughout the book. As she fought to keep the legacy of the Saint alive in the throes of fresh grief, her grit and vigor shined through.

Set along the Georgia coast, I felt myself immediately transported to the home of my youth. I love the way Andrews paints fictional small towns full of southern charm and bedazzled with the names of real places I’ve frequented. It feeds my nostalgia and tempers my homesickness.

There’s a reason MKA is known as the queen of beach reads. Summers at the Saint delivers the perfect summertime escape full of mystery and romance with a southern flare.

🎧 I’ve come to think of Kathleen McInerney as the voice of Andrews, though she has a much wider repertoire. To me, her voice is the embodiment of full-fledged Georgia native. She expertly portrayed Traci and kept me engaged throughout the entirety of the story.

This was part mystery and part beachy romance read - the last half of the book had me flying through it, but the beginning felt a little bit drawn out. I would categorize this as a mystery first, and romance second. The cover alludes to a carefree beachy read, but this was definitely a mystery with some darker topics.

A little bit of froth and a side helping of romance, along with a murder.

The Saint is an upscale 5-star resort on an island off the coast of Georgia. If you grew up going here every year as a guest you were a “Saint”. If you grew up unable to vacation there, but were part of the summer service staff, you were an “ain’t”.

Ouch

Devious characters, murders to solve, family drama, and juicy secrets keep this from being the frothy read the cover suggests.

At 400 pages, there were a lot of characters and side plots but the author did a great job of bringing it all together. It was interesting with great character development but would have been even stronger with 75 or so less pages.

I always love both Mary Kay Andrews and listening to Kathleen McInerney so I knew I would love Summers at the Saint! There's a lot going on at the Saint this summer but it's a fun ride!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audio book. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 7 May 2024

This was such a fun summertime read! I love Mary Kay Andrews, her books always make me smile and this one did not let me down! I loved the mystery and romance combo and I loved the narrator as well! I thought she did a fantastic job! Solid 4 stars for me!

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Mary Kay Andrews for this audio arc in exchange for my honest review.

Title: Summers at the Saint
By: Mary Kay Andrews

Genre:
Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Mystery, Chick Lit

Summary/Review:
When Traci Eddings' late husband passed away, she inherited an old hotel. The Saint was a posh, but now rundown hotel, off the coast of St. Cecilia. The townspeople were divided by the river, those affiliated with The Saint and those who weren’t. You were either a ‘Saint’ or an ‘Aint’. This author weaves her talented writing to perfectly describe what happens when ‘The Saints’ and ‘The Ain'ts cross the lines of tradition and wade into the unknown territory of becoming one unified group.

This is my first read from Mary Kay Andrews and I quickly fell in love with her talented writing. The reader is drawn into the storyline, and the characters have a warm depth about them. Andrews weaves this mystery with unexpected plot twists filled with secrets which lead to loads of deception, and the overall themes of forgiveness, hope and new opportunities for love. I
loved devouring this novel and look forward to reading many more of the esteemed Mary Kay Andews Novels!


Thank you to Mary Kay Andrews, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

#reluctantreaderreads
#Summersatthesaint
#marykayandrews
#macmillanaudio
#netgalley
#audiobook
#advancedreadereditions

An excellent summer read, especially if you're looking for a vacation romance! I liked the narrator on this one as well. Thank you to NetGalley for the audibook arc!

Mary Kay Andrews is always such a fun, summery read and summers at the saint is no exception! A mystery with a splash of romance all set at an incredible hotel and this book does not disappoint!

A whole slew of characters that has you guessing until the end on what is happening! Perfect beach read this summer'

This was a super entertaining book! Mary Kay Andrews never fails to create a family drama with mystery to make it even more interesting. I was vested in this book from the start and kept making excuses to listen to it until the end (I usually only listen when I am working on something). I will definitely be recommending this one to my friends.

*"A delightful beach read that captures the essence of summer."*

"Summers at the Saint" transports readers to the idyllic shores of the fictional Belle Isle, a charming beach town where secrets, romance, and family drama intertwine. Drue Campbell, a down-on-her-luck attorney, unexpectedly inherits a beach bungalow from her estranged father. As she navigates her new life, she discovers hidden family connections, uncovers long-buried mysteries, and finds unexpected love.

Mary Kay Andrews skillfully weaves together vivid descriptions of coastal life, quirky characters, and a touch of nostalgia. The novel brims with sun-soaked days, salty sea breezes, and the allure of second chances. While the plot occasionally veers into predictable territory, the engaging writing style keeps readers turning pages.

If you're looking for a light, feel-good read to accompany your beach days, "Summers at the Saint" is a delightful choice.

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Remember, you can explore more of Mary Kay Andrews' work on her [author page](https://marykayandrews.com/). If you have any other requests or need further assistance, feel free to ask! ☀️📚🏖️

I could not put this book down. I was invested every step of the way. The characters were so lovable and relatable! It was amazing!

This is a charming, sweet and poignant book about idyllic summers at a pink-tinted resort. You can easily imagine yourself there as Mary Kay Andrews' lovely prose flows over you, assisted by a capable audiobook narration. This was my first book by Mary Kay Andrews, but it definitely will not be my last. Similar to Elin Hildebrand, Andrews writes with heart and her work is a cut above the usual romantic dramas out there. Very enjoyable.

Summers at the Saint
Mary Kay Andrews

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

🎧 audiobook review

Thank you @Macmillan.audio @netgalley for this audio copy!

Behind this beach cover, is an entertaining read!! Full of murder, mystery, humor unexpected twists and turns and add in a dash of romance. The pacing was a tad slow in the beginning but by the last 100 pages or so I ATE IT UP! Loved all the characters Mary Kay wrote especially Traci, Livvi and Felice. I really enjoyed the audio narration of this as well.

Add this to your summer tote to read by the beach! 🏖️

This was a perfect cozy summer mystery. There was some intrigue, but nothing too crazy. A comfortable mystery, where everything gets tied up in a neat bow. The characters were somewhat predictable, but in a good way. More like reading about people you already know. There were some cheesy parts, but overall, I enjoyed it.

I always look forward to a Mary Kay Andrews book, she has the ability to make me cry or laugh while feeding me a great mystery. Her summer releases are always a favorite. Maybe. I do love a good holiday story and hers are the most merry!

Summers At The Saint, her newest book was once again a winner with me. It was a fantastic beachy summer read, but it also had a bit of heaviness included within it to keep it from being too fluffy.

The St. Cecilia, or the Saint as it is know by the rich clientele that summer there sets on the coast of Georgia. Traci Eddings owns it, inheriting it from her husband when he died. She is struggling trying to keep it a float, but she has a lot that is working against her, mainly her late husbands family. The descriptions of the hotel, from the front receiving area to the kitchens all painted a vibrant picture of where you were.

All the characters in the book, and there were plenty, from the family to the summer workers, were well written and thought out. Traci was not from a rich family, she spent her summers there as a lifeguard at the hotels pool, but ended up marrying the bosses son. There is certainly a class struggler's between her and her dead husbands family.

The mystery has been unsolved for decades, and it has a surprise twist that I will confess I did not figure out. It is a great little who done it that added plenty of intrigue to the family drama.

I read and also listened to this book, which made the 400 plus book go by quickly ( everyone who knows me know I do not like a book that roams over 350 pages ), but I feel like it was a fast paced book either way. The narrator Kathleen McInerney made the listening pleasurable with her smooth and silky voice,

Summer At The Saint is fun and entertaining and it is the perfect summer read for everyone.

I really enjoyed this book. I listened to the audiobook format. The narrator was great and the flow and pacing was excellent. The characters were interesting and as was the plot. This is one of the best Mary Kay Andrews books I have read. I liked that it also had a lot mystery in addition to the romance portion of the book. The setting was also a draw for me as it was a beach location and a 5 star hotel which I thought was interesting which added some quirky characters as well. Overall, a great read. I liked the audiobook better for a Mary Kay Andrews book better than book format.

This was the very first MKA book I ever read, though I've heard of her before. This was advertised as a 'summer' read, which I interpret to mean fun, which is something that was also reflected in how I interpreted the cover. I don't necessarily gravitate towards 'summer' or 'beach' reads, so I wasn't sure what to expect; still, Summers at the Saint was not at all what I was expecting. I didn't understand it was going to be a mystery/thriller with real danger (drugs, alcohol, explosions!). I think if I had those expectations going in I would have enjoyed it more. Namely,
the beginning where we met all of the characters one by one (and there are so many!) felt very slow and made me lose interest at first. That said, the story was quite masterful at blending all of the elements together in a way I didn't expect.

Lastly, I did not enjoy the small romance. I found the male character's behavior icky (though believable), and while I wanted the MC to be happy, I didn't want these two together.

I really enjoyed this novel, by Mary Kay Andrews. This is only my second from this author, and I found it to be a really entertaining read. The characters were all unique, and the story propelled itself quickly. It is a hard novel to determine the genre- general fiction, meets thriller/mystery, meets family drama, meets women's fiction....?!
The cover is a bit misleading, as this one isn't a beach read. I would definitely recommend to readers who enjoy a complex mystery, filled with depth and interesting characters!

This book took me places I definitely wasn’t expecting. Based on the cover I was expecting a light beach read. Though it definitely has aspects of that it touches on so many dark subjects. And it is full of twisty family dynamics that will keep you guessing. A bit of soap opera in a book I would say:
All in all I would definitely like to spend a summer at The Saint……just not as part of their staff.

I received a ARC of this title. All opinions are my own.

I read the audiobook of this and I think the narration just was my favorite. I really even thought about DNFing it and just moving on but then about 40% in it started to get super interesting. I liked the characters and the complicated subplots that all came together, but there was something about it that just didn’t hold my attention well.