Summers at the Saint
Fiction
St. Martin's Press
May 7, 2024
Advance reader copy
448
Free from publisher
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.
My review:
It's that time of year again! As the saying goes (and I'm paraphrasing), it's not summer until the new MKA book comes out! This one had all the things going for it that this author is known for, and why I always faithfully read her books each year. I love how she draws characters, I just loved Traci in this one. A girl from the wrong side of the tracks that you couldn't help but root for. As usual there are also some unscrupulous characters, and those that you grow to care for even if they don't start out quite on the right foot. I also loved the pacing of this book. At over 400 pages for a summer beach book, that is quite hefty, but it sure didn't feel like that while reading. Between all the goings on with the hotel, as well as a decades old mystery to solve, this one had me turning pages at a fast clip. There are a number of subplots that keep the readers interest high. And while I'm never a fan of the obligatory romance, this one wasn't too bad. If I had to quibble about any aspect it would be that it did wrap up rather quickly, then again a beach book at over 500 pages is probably not going to fly, so I get where the author was going.
If you want a great book to start your summer reading, look no further than this one. Fast paced, great storylines and well crafted characters, you will want to pack your bags and check in to the cute St. Cecelia (Saint) hotel.
