“You’re either a Saint, or an Ain’t.” It all depends on which side of the river you grew up on…💎

A cross between a whodunit and love story, drama and scandal abound in this new release by Mary Kay Andrews.

Her husband’s untimely death four years ago left Traci Eddings the owner of the St. Cecilia, the five star resort her husband’s family has owned for generations. But with post-Covid staff shortages, financial obstacles, and her greedy brother-in-law who’s always felt she didn’t belong in the family — let alone own the resort! — Traci is struggling to maintain the exacting demands of their uberwealthy clientele.

When the tragic death of one of their own and a horrible accident from years ago collide, all the buried secrets twist their way into the light.

I’m a firm believer that the narration can either make or break an audiobook. Sadly, the narration broke this one for me. The pacing was very slow (had to increase the speed to 1.5+), and the overly-exaggerated southern accents made the characters sound whiny, spoiled, and cruel to the extreme. For this listener, it made intriguing characters come across as silly.

The story itself was interesting, and I did enjoy it. But...it felt like too many subplots happening: the patriarch, the greedy brother-in-law, the old accident, the death, the shenanigans of the staff, the love story… Each had a compelling premise, but some could have been developed better. The ending felt rushed to tie up all the action.

This is an easy, quick read perfect for a day by the water, but I recommend a physical or e-copy, not the audio for this one.

Thank you to Mary Kay Andrews, NetGalley, and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary advance copy! It was my pleasure to write this candid review.

I was able to pair the audiobook with the ebook and loved this novel. It’s true Mary Kay Andrews writing style. Her twists surprised me and I fell in love with the characters. The narrator chosen, Kathleen McInerney, always makes me think of MKA, she’s been used for several books. Such a great choice for Tracy in this book too.

Let me start by saying there are a lot, A LOT, of characters introduced in this novel. They all have a twisted detailed past and it feels kinda like being zapped, mid-season, into a soap opera. Mary Kay Andrew books usually have a mystery to solve, sometimes that includes a murder/homicide, sometimes it’s an item or persons secrets. Ingram this case the “murder” surprised me. She surprised me with the who, the how, the why, all of it.

This is a fantastic beach read for the summer or a quick vacation. The audiobook is perfect for long flights or car rides. Highly recommend Summers at the Saint.

I went in a bit blind to this. From the author and the cover, I was expecting a light vacation read. This is not it. It is about the investigation of a death of a small child which veers very far from my typical reading. To be fair, I didn't dig deep into the description but was expecting something totally different. I found it very hard to read and really struggle with bad things happening to kids, especially when it is discussed frequently. I know others will be able to disconnect and enjoy it, I just couldn't' finish it. A Rom Com book disguised as a Whodunnit.

The Saint is the class upper class playground where the rich can get away with it all from generation to generation. They expect everything to be just perfect and look forward to that each season. Now that the Saint is changing will people be able to behave the same? How will the staff handle a death of one of their own? A fast pace read that will have you longing for summer

You can always depend on Mary Kay Andrews for a fun, female-friendly read. She takes a "beach read" and elevates it, showing us that they don't need to be mindless to be entertaining. Her style is set, her writing and pacing are good, and her stories keep you interested throughout the book. This one is a perfect summer read!

I will be honest in saying that the first part of this book was more of a 3-3.5 star for me. Spent a good portion being confused and trying to figure out who all the characters were. There was almost too much going on and I was having a hard time keeping up. Unfortunately, that made some of the book drag on for me. Eventually as I continued on with the book I got more and more invested in the book and the characters leading me to a higher star review so maybe more of a 3.5-4. In case, you were grabbing this for a summer read I would just say it's not your typical summer read.

Rating: 4.5 ⭐️
Pub Date: May 7, 2024
How I Read It: 🎧

Synopsis
The St. Cecelia, aka The Saint, is the premiere resort on the coast of Georgia that holds a long history of family traditions. It’s also family owned, but with the recent passing of one of the owners, the resort seems to be going downhill and is bleeding money. But why? Can the staff be trusted? Will hiring new employees help turn things around? Find out as you meet the interesting characters who work at The Saint.

My Thoughts
This book was really good! MKA is such a great storyteller, and I always love the locations/setting in her books; they are my FAVORITE summer beach reads! This book was no exception. It was wonderfully written and was a page turner! I loved the main characters and the book had a few shocking moments/twists that added to the mystery of it all! If you’re looking for the perfect beach read this summer, pick this book up! You won’t regret it!

Final Thoughts
MKA’s books are always thick/long, but don’t let that deter you! Her books will hook you and you will be flipping through those pages like crazy to find out what happens in the end! I REALLY wanted to give this one five stars, but I had to deduct a 1/2 star for the swearing at the beginning of the book. It didn’t add anything to the story, and I felt the book could have gone without it since, it basically did continue on without it. It was just odd that it was thrown in there. The narrator, Kathleen McInerney, was AMAZING! I could listen to her read a book all day long!

❗️Of Note
📝 Family Drama
📝 Murder / Death
📝 Drugs / drug overdoses
📝 Swearing


Themes:
🔍 Mystery
🏖️ Beach Read

Ratings
Characters: 5 ⭐️
Pace: 5 ⭐️
Enjoyability: 5 ⭐️
Narrator: 5 ⭐️

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

Summers at the Saint was such a fun audiobook to listen to!The narration was great and i was able to get a sense of each personality while listening.
It was the perfect book for summer filled with mystery, romance, and fun. This book kept me guessing until the end and the twists and turns were not what I expected.
If you are headed for the beach or looking for a fun and easy read this summer, be sure to pick this up!

Thank you to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the opportunity to listen to the audio version of #summeratthesaint!

Don’t get too comfortable thinking this is your relaxing beach read. The suspense, drama, twists, dark turns, and well-drawn characters will have you on the edge of your seat and you might even be ignoring your friends and family once you begin this page-turner! Andrews wastes no time drawing the reader in to the gorgeous Southern resort setting with its fine food, beautiful grounds and golf course, iconic sunsets, memorable events at the pool and beach, and masterful attention to details thanks to its lovely leader, Traci Eddins. The layers of storytelling in this novel locked me in, having to find out what was going to happen in not just one story line but in SO MANY story lines. The detailed characters made me feel like I had a sideline seat at the resort truly people-watching. I knew them! The dreamy resort, mystery, drama, crime, both likable and questionable characters—this book has it all to keep the reader highly entertained. Andrews’ skill as a writer shined as she brought the all the puzzle pieces and plot twists together for the reader in such a satisfying way. I loved the clever phrase in the book, “You’re either a “saint” or an “ain’t”! After reading this, I’m happy to just be an outsider looking in! Thank you for the visit to The Saint, #marykayandrews!

I just finished reading (listening) to "Summers at the Saint" by Mary Kay Andrews. This book was much better than I expected! It has mystery, thriller, and romance.

There are several likable characters, including the main character, Tracy Eddings, as well as Parish, Felice, Olivia, and Waylon.

The plot is interesting and complex. There are secrets that eventually come to light. The setting is an island off the coast of Georgia at a beautiful historic renovated beach resort called Saint Cecilia. It is set in modern day, post COVID Pandemic.

Tracy was from the wrong side of the town, but as a young adult, she got a job at the Saint as a lifeguard. She had a romance with Hoke, one of the sons of the resort's owner. Eventually, they married, and Hoke was in charge. After several years of wedded bliss, Hoke passed away in an accident. This story picks up about 5 years after that when Tracy is the resort's owner.

There is a murder mystery from the past that is still unsolved, and then another one occurs.

Kathleen McInerney is the narrator of this audiobook, and she did a great job with all the voices! She kept them all straight, which must be difficult with so many characters.

Characters - 5/5
Writing - 5/5
Plot - 5/5
Pacing - 5/5
Unputdownability - 5/5
Enjoyment - 5/5
Narration - 5/5
Cover - 3/5
Overall - 5/5

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and Mary Kay Andrews for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you @macmillan.audio for early access to Summer at the Saint.

This was more than a beach read. Mary Kay Andrews writes lovely mysteries usually involving murder. The Saint is a luxury hotel on the Georgia Coast owned by the Eddings family for 3 generations. Traci grew up on the wrong side of town but married into the Eddings family. After her husband dies in a tragic plane crash, Traci becomes owner of the Saint. As a new summer kicks off, Traci battles with her terrible brother in-law, who hopes to see her fail. Traci is strapped for reliable help, so she builds an on-site dorm to house the 20 somethings, who can’t afford to live in town. Like a college dorm, the employees bond and party together. Sadly, one employee ends up dying, and they expect foul play.

Though there were good, bad and horrible characters, the characters were what made this book. I liked the mystery, rich summer people vibes, and the resurrection of long buried secrets. My only critique is that it felt quite long…. Longer than necessary.

✨ Genre: Mystery & Beach Read
🩷 Steamy rating: Very Mild
🤬 Profanity: Moderate
🎧 Method: Macmillan Audiobook

Triggers: Murder, drug use and abuse, rape, death of a spouse, Parkinson’s, and arson

#summeratthesaint #marykayandrews #macaudio2024 #macmillanaudio

Great mystery with some romance and family drama. Think you know who did it! Guess again.

The twists and turns are what keep you glued to this story. Some of these family issues have been going on for decades and are still unsolved. The awesome characters, stunning scenery, tangled motives, greed, secrets between friends and well paced intrigue are what make this book hard to put down.

I listened to the audiobook and it was really fun. The narrator - Kathleen McInerney - did a great job.

I know summer is here when I get my hands on the new Mary Kay Andrews read! Summer must have made it!! Summers at the Saint was a fun, beachy summer read! I really liked the characters and the story line. This book was a little bit "darker" than most of Andrews books, but not in a bad way. The Saint is a hotel that has been an island institution for years. As summer approaches and the Saint is short staffed, they come up with creative ways to attract employees. One of the ways is employee housing. This is where the fun, and the deception, starts! I felt like I was at summer camp and a fancy resort all at the same time! I would recommend this book for a fantastic beach read! Thank you t0 NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Mary Kay Andrews spins a tale of intrigue, romance, and age old mysteries solved. Summer at the Saint will keep you turning pages until all hours of the night.

Have you ever started a book and thought you had the plot figured out? Yes… me too. This is not one you’ll have figured out. I was surprised by the heaviness this book brought pretty early on. Thankfully it ends with as much positivity as possible. 4 stars!

I listened to the audio for this one and it had me captivated - Kathleen Mclnerney is a fabulous narrator for her books. In true MKA fashion there is mystery and romance in a beautiful setting - light and frothy, intriguing and captivating, excellent food and a beautiful resort !
If you're looking for the perfect beach or pool read, look no further! This book will have you hooked and you won't want to put it down!
This book was a little bit darker than other MKA books with a murder victim who actually has the reader rooting for her before her untimely demise - unusual for anything in the cozy mystery realm bit MKA manages to reset the tone quickly without everyone looking too shallow. MKA's interconnected characters and setting descriptions make you feel like you were there and you were a part of what was happening. This book told a beautiful story of female friendship, love, deceit, mystery, family, being rooted to a place and so much more. I highly recommend adding this book to your summer TBR- you won't be disappointed! This is the perfect beach or pool read - especially with an @oliveandjune Honest & True manicure Thanks to NetGalley andMacmillan audio and St.
Martin's Press for the opportunity to read an Advanced Readers/ Listeners Copy in exchange for my honest review

Summers at the Saint is the first book by this author I was able to read until the end. Even though I enjoyed it, I still didn’t care for the length. Over 400 pages! Some things I feel like it dragged out because of the amount of pages. There are also way too many characters to keep up with and I think that wasn’t beneficial to the flow of the story. I’m also having a hard time defining this book. It’s like it was trying to be several genres at once. I think cutting a few pages would make this a much more enjoyable read. The plot is great, but the cover of the book makes you think you’ll be reading a beach read. #MacAudio2024

Summers At The Saint is the story of a summer at a fancy schmancy beach resort in Georgia and the mischief and chaos that ensues when one of the employees dies and another one investigates a decades old death. This is the perfect beach read. It was juicy and twisted but also heartwarming and cozy at the same time. The characters were deep and so well defined and relatable. The magic in the writing is that the hotel itself became a character. I loved hearing the history of the hotel and how the characters were all intertwined. And I absolutely loved the little behind the scenes look at life running a hotel. I want to stay there!

Somehow this was my first Mary Kay Andrew’s book and I enjoyed it! I was not prepared for the mix of genres—Summers at the Saint is a mystery at its core, but it also has family drama, romance, self-discovery and growth, small town history, and friendship. Well-written characters and a plot that kept my attention and I wanted to know what happened.

Loved this one! I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was wonderful. The book captivated me from the beginning and I loved all the different storyline webs that came together throughout. I love this author, she writes the most interesting books and this one is at the top of my list by her. Highly recommend!