Synopsis from Goodreads:
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.
My Review
Traci Eddings and her best friend Shannon spent their teen years working at The Saint as lifeguards during the summer. The Saint is an exclusive hotel where only the wealthy stay. Traci and Shannon were definitely not in that class, but they were happy to work there.
While working one summer, Traci meets the boss’ son Hoke. They fall in love and marry. They were very happy until tragedy strikes. Traci is now a widow and owns the hotel. Not everyone is happy about this turn of events especially her brother-in-law, Ric. He is going to do everything he can to get rid of Traci. Meanwhile, The Saint has hit hard times and Traci vows to make it a success once again. She must overcome the obstacles that continually get in her way.
I’m a huge Mary Kay Andrews fan and this one did not disappoint. It might even be my favorite of her books. She brought me right into the story and I felt as if I was there. It’s the perfect book to kick off my beach-read season.
I loved Traci. I thought she was a strong character and never backed down from a challenge. The supporting cast is, also, strong. The bad guys are really bad, while the good guys touch all the emotions to bring this story to life.
This story touches all the emotions and deals with so many different topics such as betrayal, losing a spouse, rebuilding your life and old secrets that just won’t die. There's also an intriguing "whodunit" along with a dash of romance. All of this mixed together captivated me from page one until the very end.
I’m anxiously waiting for another book from this author. I may even go back and see if there are any on her backlist that I haven’t read. She’s a master storyteller and I’m already missing these characters. It earns a spot on my best of 2024 list.
For reading challenges:
NetGalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge 2024
FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
This one is high up on my TBR and I'm so glad to see how much you enjoyed it! I really want to read more of this author in general.
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