Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews

This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration.

Summers at the Saint

Summary: Welcome to the St. Cecelia, a landmark hotel on the coast of Georgia, where traditions run deep and scandals run even deeper. . . .

Everyone refers to the St. Cecelia as “the Saint.” If you grew up coming here, you were “a Saint.” If you came from the wrong side of the river, you were “an Ain’t.” Traci Eddings was one of those outsiders whose family wasn’t rich enough or connected enough to vacation here. But she could work here. One fateful summer she did, and married the boss’s son. Now, she’s the widowed owner of the hotel, determined to see it return to its glory days, even as staff shortages and financial troubles threaten to ruin it. Plus, her greedy and unscrupulous brother-in-law wants to make sure she fails. Enlisting a motley crew of recently hired summer help—including the daughter of her estranged best friend—Traci has one summer season to turn it around. But new information about a long-ago drowning at the hotel threatens to come to light, and the tragic death of one of their own brings Traci to the brink of despair.

Traci Eddings has her back against the pink-painted wall of this beloved institution. And it will take all the wits and guts she has to see wrongs put to right, to see guilty parties put in their place, and maybe even to find a new romance along the way. Told with Mary Kay Andrew’s warmth, humor, knack for twists, and eye for delicious detail about human nature, Summers at the Saint is a beach read with depth and heart.

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

I absolutely love MKA’s books. Everything (from the writing to the covers) just makes my day. I was excited to receive my ARC and even took it to Biloxi to read while I was at the spa on hubby’s birthday (don’t worry- I made plenty of time for him after I got the massage to get all the kinks outta me!)

Her characters are so real. Plus, I like how there is usually several themes running from the book (some romance, some mystery, usually a friendship gone awry).

What I liked:

I am 100% here for this cover. In fact, I kinda want to walk down the beach this summer, carrying it everywhere I go, so people can ask what I’m reading.

Traci. Going from an Ain’t to a Saint was def something that some people would not understand about her. But she didn’t lose the scrappiness of the ain’t lifestyle. LOVE her.

The mystery. Even though I guessed a bit, I was still HOOKED.

Bottom line: Pair it with a frosty drink. Pair it with a ice cold beer. Pair it with the cold AC on high blast. Pair it while sweating everything off at pool or beach. Just read it.

*This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.*