Mary Kay AndrewsResenhas

Fun, enjoyable audiobook by Mary Kay Andrews.

"Summer at the Saint" is a captivating tale set against the backdrop of the iconic St. Cecelia hotel on the Georgia coast. Mary Kay Andrews skillfully crafts a story of resilience, friendship, and redemption as Traci Eddings navigates the challenges of restoring the hotel to its former glory while contending with personal and professional obstacles. With its richly drawn characters and intricate plot, this novel is a delightful blend of humor, drama, and romance that keeps readers engaged from start to finish. Andrews' vivid descriptions and keen observations of human nature make "Summer at the Saint" a beach read with depth and heart, perfect for those who enjoy immersive storytelling with a touch of mystery and nostalgia.

Half murder mystery, half family drama, this was the first book I've read by the author and she didn't disappoint. I originally picked up Summers at the Saint for a beach read and, while the island resort setting is beachy, the plot was a little darker than expected. No matter, I still enjoyed it quite a bit. It took a couple of chapters to get oriented, but once you get your bearings, the novel is hard to put down.

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Every winter the Toliver Family head to NYC from their tree farm in Tarburton, North Carolina to sell their beloved Fraser Fir trees in time for Christmas. The annual sojourn is usually made by Murphy and his father Jock in his rusting 1982 Ford F-150 with a vintage fifteen-foot travel trailer hooked up behind it. The 1962 Shasta trailer was fondly referred to as Spammy and has made the 700 mile trip the day after Thanksgiving for the past 40 years where it would be parked in the West Village of NYC.

This year Jock had a heart attack and would not be able to making the trip with his son Murphy, 39 years-old so it was strongly suggested by their mother Roberta "Birdie" Toliver that 34 year-old Kerry Clare Toliver accompany her brother. Kerry had been vague when she moved home a few months prior from Charlotte where she worked in human resources until a merge rendered her position "redundant". Since her boyfriend, Blake, "ghosted" her there was nothing keeping her there so she returned home to live with Birdie. She barely knew her brother since her parents divorced when she was 7 years-old and Murphy stayed to live with their father on the farm.

It's a humorous story about a new experience for Kerry who enjoyed the trip more than she imagined. From cleaning out the nest of mice in the camper's sleeping loft to the Google map plan of a 10-hour drive and then finding parking in the Big Apple! After Kerry recovers from the culture shock, she falls into a routine with Murphy selling trees and getting to know the locals that have helped the Toliver's over the years. Clare befriends Austin, the 10 year-old son of Patrick, a divorced father sharing custody with his ex-wife. There is a colorful cast of characters which provide drama and humor a long the way.

A fun holiday read.

It was one of those unremarkable Sundays. Not unbearably hot, because we'd had an early afternoon shower. The windows were open, and I could hear the soft swish of a lawn sprinkler nearby. I was inside the house, watching an old gangster movie. I think George Raft was in it. Edna had put a chicken in the pressure cooker, and I was supposed to be listening for the steam to be sputtering good so I could turn down the heat. She was outside on the porch, probably dozing over the Sunday paper. All of a sudden she let out a howl like a scalded dog. I went running out just in time to see her out in the yard, beating this poor old drunk with a dripping wet floor mop.

The St. Cecilia, known as “the Saint”, is a sprawling pink themed resort that caters to only the wealthiest on a private island on the coast of Georgia. Under that lavish, polished exterior, however, all is not what it seems.

Those who stay here are known as “the Saints”; the townies who can’t afford to and only work there are the “Ain’ts”. Lifeguard Traci Eddings was an Ain’t until the boss’s son fell in love with and married her. Widowed when he was killed in a plane crash, Traci now tirelessly runs the resort, trying to continue it’s legacy and save it from financial difficulties. She is often at odds with her unscrupulous brother-in-law who never accepted her into the family. As she strives to staff the resort for the summer, there seems to be something nefarious going on and when someone ends up dead, there is that mystery to solve, along with what is going on with complaints of inferior supplies, as well as what really happened when a young child drown there many years ago. Oh, and, there may be a new man in her life as well!

Mary Kay Andrews is a popular author and this is the first book of hers that I have read. Despite the length, it was a fast, very engrossing read. A multi layered story, some of it was predictable, other times there were surprises. Genre bending and contemporary, there was mystery, family drama, and some romance. I liked how the first few chapters introduced the main players and their stories before pulling them together and I loved the setting. This was a pleasing read, perfect for days at the beach!

I'll have to tell you one thing: I will be turning around and re-reading this book quite soon. There are so many plots and sub-plots that sometimes it gets to be a little too much. But the more I read, the more enthralled I became with this novel. I got so caught up in everything that was going on that I just couldn't put this book down.

I must admit that Mary Kay Andrews is one of my favorite authors, but I will let you know right here that I don't always LOVE her books. This I indeed did!

The only tiny problem I had (and I admit that it is my problem alone) is that there was so much young adult issues going on and I'm a little too old to understand some of the lingo etc. Oh well, that's all on me!

Murder, theft, arson, financial difficulties, and possible love connections make this a perfect beach read. I have to admit that I didn't finally figure out who was behind all these machinations until the last quarter or so of this book.

I loved this book and can't wait to re-read it...slowly!

Believe it or not, this was the first MKA book I’ve read! It certainly won’t be the last, though. This was a completely fun and cozy summer read. Every time I believed I had the mystery figured out, there was another twist. There was a lot of activity that kept me interested throughout, though it was a bit long. I really enjoyed the romantic interest Whelan’s character added. 4⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Romance

You can always tell that summer is just around the corner when you get a new Mary Kay Andrews book to read. Once again, she has given her readers a fantastic mix of romance and mystery in a book full of lovable and quirky characters in a beach side hotel. What can be better than that?

The Saint Cecelia hotel is a resort on the Georgia coast that is where the rich and famous want to spend their summers. Traci and her best friend Shannon are from the wrong side of the tracks and when they are 19, they get jobs as life guards at the Saint. They learn very quickly that if you stay at the hotel, you are considered a Saint but if you were working class, you were considered an A'int. A horrible event at the hotel, ended their friendship and it didn't get any better in later years. Traci met and fell in love with Hoke, the son of the owner of the resort. When he dies in a helicopter crash, the hotel becomes hers but her father in law and brother in law want her to fail and work against her as frequently as possible. Here she is at 40 trying to return the hotel to its glory days as her brother in law works to make her fail. Several of her key people leave right before the summer season begins and she resorts to hiring people who wouldn't normally work at a high end hotel. With her quirky cast of characters, the hotel starts the summer season. Then along comes Whelan, looking for information about his younger brother who died in the pool 20 years before when Traci and Shannon were the life guards. His questions make an already stressful season even more difficult but adds a great mystery to the story.

This book has it all -- a twisted mystery from 20 years earlier, a vindictive brother in law who is trying to make Traci fail, an estranged best friend who has no use for Traci, a bunch of quirky characters who work hard to make the summer a success and a bit of romance to lighten things up. Along with that -- add the beautiful sunsets over the ocean and you have a perfect summer read. Mary Kay Andrews never disappoints!

Rounded up from 3.5

Where to start? I haven’t read a Mary Kay Andrew’s novel in a while and this one was a breath of fresh air; the ocean, the mystery, the haves and have nots…this book has it all. It’s a great story that unfolds between different characters and the pace of the story is great. It will be perfect for spring or summer reading, or when you need to be transported to a sunnier locale!
*Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.*

I just finished reading a Netgalley ARC of Summers At The Saint by Mary Kay Andrews, one of my favorite authors! Summers At The Saint is a very suspenseful, enjoyable summer mystery full of romantic escapades, with family betrayals and long buried secrets of a child's drowning, a secret birth years ago, and an undetermined accident or homicidal death. I was able to escape these cold winter days reading about a summer resort known as "The Saint" being restored by Traci Eddings, the owner. What amazing characters, beautiful settings, and great storyline Mary Kay Andrews produces in her new book, Summers At The Saint which is being released on May 7, 2024!

Contrived chick romance novel about three friends who rent a beachside home in the Outer Banks. Enjoyable, yet unbelievable.

Great for what it is - light, beach reading. The mystery plot was stupid and could have been left out but everything else was perfectly enjoyable.

Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Genre: Romance
Trope: Holiday

𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝑰𝒇 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆:
🎄 Cozy Christmas Reads
🥰 Heartwarming
🫶 Found Family
🗽NYC
💙Southern Charm
🐾 Book doggos
🌹Wholesome Romance

𝑶𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔
This is perfect if you’re looking for cozy light holiday read with a wholesome romance element. I really enjoyed 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢 𝘚𝘶𝘪𝘵 by this same author this time last year. When I saw she had another holiday book to come out this year, I knew I had to get my hands on it!

Though set in NYC, this book still has a southern charm to it as Murphy and Kerry are visiting from North Carolina to their Christmas trees. The characters are all heartwarming, even the rough and tough Murphy! I even love the grumpy old man!

My only criticism is that while I really enjoyed the romance between Kerry and Patrick - the development of their romance felt rather abrupt to me. Regardless, I thought they were adorable together!

If you’re looking for a wholesome, feel good, Christmas read I recommend you check out 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘓𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴, 𝘉𝘪𝘨 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘮𝘢𝘴 or 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢 𝘚𝘶𝘪𝘵!

Book: Bright Lights, Big Christmas
Author: Mary Kay Andrews
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Stars5/5

Kerry and Murthy’s parents own a Christmas Tree Farm
in North Carolina and each year the family heads to
New York City to sell the trees.

Kerry is newly “self-employed” and ends up helping
her brother Murphy sell the trees after her father is not
able to make the trip north. Kelly and Murphy have
been estranged but slowly they start to become family
again. As Kelly and Murphy set up shop this the small
quaint neighborhood in New York, Kelly starts see the
people who live in the neighborhood as people. These
residents have been loyal customers for years and
Kerry starts to meets new friends. One of those she
meets is Patrick, a single dad yo his son Austin.
Sparks unite between Patrick and Kelly and as Kelly
becomes more enamored with Patrick she must decide
before Christmas arrives what she really wants. Does
she stay or go?

There are many sweet sub characters in the book such
as an elderly neighbor named Heinz who has some
secrets of his own. The sub- chararacters that Mary
Kay Andrews has uses in this book are very likable and
charming.

As usual, Mary Kay Andrews had a hit on her hands.
This book is very uplifting and a delight to read. This
is such a sweet book for the holidays and I will enjoy
adding it to my holiday bookshelf.

Thank you @netgalley for ARC, to @stmartinspress for
once again publishing a wonderful Mary Kay Andrews
novel and lastly to @marykayandrews for once again
writing a fantastic book.


#MaryKayAndrews, #MKA, #WomenAuthors
#ChristmasRomance, #ChristmasBooks,
#RomanceNovels, #HolidayRomance, #HolidayReads,
#ChristmasLove, #RomanticBooks #bookstagram
#bookish #instabooks #ilovebooks #readinglist
#bookblog #readmore #reads #currentread
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#readallthebooks #booksta #booksandbooks
#readaholic #booksparks #booksarelife #bibliophile
#bookwormlife #reader #beautifulbooks
#bookphotograph #bibliophile, #RomanticChristmas,
#ChristmasStories, #RomanceBooks

I've actually had this book since April. Like many reviewers, I tend to have a shelf full of books waiting to be read. It looked like a good book; I just never got around to it. My books are somewhat in the order in which I received them, but sometimes I want to read a book on my personal TBR list or I need to switch to a new genre for a break or a book just looks really interesting and I move other stuff back.

At the library one day, I was checking out the Bestsellers list while waiting in line and saw that Summer Rental was #14 (it eventually made it all the way to #5) and decided that it should be the next book I read. That was a couple weeks ago. I'm a bit behind on reviews.

Yes, there was a point to all that rambling. (Sort of.) I wish I hadn't waited so long to read this book! Summer Rental is a story of three childhood friends, now in their early 30's, who rent a house together for one month for some long-overdue girls-only time. Between the time Ellis, Julia, and Dorie plan the vacation and when it actually happens, the lives of all three women change and when they come together, they are all at a crossroad with heavy decisions to be made.

Then there's Ty, the cute guy next door who has some pretty serious problems of his own. Into the midst of all this upheaval (and a budding romance), comes Maryn. Her issues make the other problems look mild in comparison.

It's fun reading the interaction between life-long friends, and the banter between Ellis and Ty is so funny. Throughout the book, we get to watch as new friendships blossom, old ones are strengthened, and love sneaks up on two unsuspecting people.

Content warning: There is a flashback scene that includes incest and sex with children.

I won this book in a Goodreads First-Reads giveaway.

Small Town mystery Cute

Liked this one better than I expected especially since I love Savannah

Adorable cutesy Christmas story, nice and short in a good way too

At first I wasn't so sure about Letty and the craziness, but it really did turn out sweet with a side a cray cray to make it interesting.

I generally enjoyed this light, easy, mostly happy book. But...sometimes when I'm finished with a book and read through some of the reviews I wonder if they read the same book as me. Let's take Patrick. Where is his personality? I know he has a kid, an ex-wife and a Mercedes. That is not a personality. I would give away too many plot points if I said more...but Patrick and the void where his personality should be bothered me.½

Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy. It was fun to read a Christmas book in July. Cute but sorta predictable story about family and love with a happy ending.

Interesting Christmas novella.