Review: The Weekenders by Mary Kay Andrews

As a long-time fan, I look forward to the release of a new Mary Kay Andrews novel each Spring. Admittedly, my favorites go back a few years to Little Bitty Lies, Savannah Blues and Hissy Fit but I'm still enjoying her original and sometimes quirky characters and strong storylines. THE WEEKENDERS was no exception - in fact, it turned out to be more than what I've come to expect. There was a murder involved with more of a who-dunnit quality that I really enjoyed. Here's a quick synopsis . . .

Riley Griggs and her daughter, Maggy are headed to the North Carolina coast for the summer. The small island of Belle Isle was first developed by Riley's ancestors, making her family a fixture in the tight-knit community. Unfortunately, this summer won't be like previous summers because Rile and her husband, Wendell, have some difficult news to share with twelve year-old Maggy. After many months of fighting and basically living separately, they're getting a divorce. The plan is to break the news to their daughter over the Memorial Day weekend, the beginning of their summer retreat on Belle Isle with the rest of her family. But Wendell doesn't show up at the ferry on the designated day they were to meet. At first Riley assumes he's just bailing out on telling Maggy about the divorce but soon, Wendell's body is found in the marina and suddenly things get even more serious. Even as Riley is put on the growing suspect list, she is determined to find out who killed him, even as she learns that he has lost the house on the island due to foreclosure. With the help of her best friend, Parrish, she discovers that losing the house is just the tip of the iceberg. 

My Thoughts:

Over the past several months I've begun reading more books from the suspense and thriller genre and they sometimes get a little dark so I was ready for something more upbeat and less disturbing. Enter THE WEEKENDERS. An added bonus was realizing that even with the 'lighter' content, there was a change from her previous books. The big difference was the mystery aspect of who killed Riley's no-good lying husband. With several suspected characters, there was a lot ot think about while reading. Don't get me wrong, all of her stories are good, but this gave it a little more depth and I appreciated that. Of course, there was the usual romantic element along with friendship and the complications of family that are always prevalent in her books. There was also the more serious subject of juvenile Diabetes which fit nicely into this story and at the same time gave awareness to a growing problem in today's society.  I always love the locales MKA chooses for her novels and this was no exception. Having just moved away from Florida myself, I began missing the beach a little!

This is the perfect beach read for the summer, and for me it was a nice respite from some heaver books I've been reading. I think readers will like the murder mystery element as much as I did. In my opinion, THE WEEKENDERS puts Mary Kay Andrews back on top!

THE WEEKENDERS by Mary Kay Andrews
Publisher: St. Martins Press
Published: May 17, 2016
Print Length: 462:
Source: Publisher

The Sunday Salon: Summer Breezes In

Summer has arrived...already...and brought with it my desire to read some breezy summer novels. Admittedly, I don't read a lot of them, but I am in the mood for light and fun right now. Speaking of which, I just finished SPRING FEVER by Mary Kay Andrews last week and I had so much fun with it that I've continued on with that theme and have moved on to Claire Cook. Believe it or not, I've never read any of her books before, but I had BEST STAGED PLANS on my Kindle and felt it was high time I see what all her fans are raving about. I'm only in the beginning chapters  but already she's had me chuckling out loud. I think it's going to be a fun time. I'm also planning to read her newly released TIME FLIES, along with Mary Kay Andrews' new book LADIES NIGHT.  Also on my list is Sarah Addison Allen's THE GIRL WHO CHASED THE MOON, that I've had on my coffee table forEVER! I've refuse to add it to the shelves in my book room where it will be lost to me!

Its hard to believe the year is already half over. I've read some really great review books the first part of the year and though I still have some more scheduled, I'm planning to continue on with more lighter beachy reads, at least throughout the rest of summer.

I've really enjoyed getting away from the television lately and reading more than I usually do. I'll admit that I probably watch too much TV, especially in the fall and winter, but, honestly, I like to turn off the set and go stretch out on the chaise or on the bed and lose myself in a book. The evenings don't seem to go as fast when I'm reading and I like that. The days whip by fast enough as it is, right?

I've never really noticed my reading habits changing with the seasons like I have this year. I've even got a holiday review book scheduled for later this year! What's happening to me?! Regardless, I'm really looking forward to my summer reading list. What's on your reading list for the summer?

As for today, I'm sticking with Claire Cook. I feel like the only person on Earth who hasn't read any of her books. We've got more thunderstorms moving in later today and that will make for some great reading time. I hope your Sunday plans include some great books too. Happy summer everyone!

Review: Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews (Audio Version)

I have been a fan of Mary Kay Andrews' books since way back...SAVANNAH BLUES, and SAVANNAH BREEZE being two of my favorites, so naturally, when she comes out with a new one, I definitely read it. This time, with SUMMER RENTAL, I decided to listen instead. I was already reading a couple printed books and I was looking for something to listen to while cleaning the house and so forth. Besides, now that summer is here, I thought it was the perfect time for this book.

About The Book -
SUMMER RENTAL is the story of three thirty-something women who have been friends since they attended Catholic school together back home in Savannah when they were girls. Dorie still lives in Savannah and teaches at the school, Julia, a model, lives in London with her successful boyfriend and Ellis has been in banking for over a decade while living in Pittsburgh. Though each of them have had successes in there lives, they have each come to a crossroad where decisions must be made for their futures.

The girls have rented a house on the Outer Banks of North Carolina to spend the month of August and thanks to Ellis doing all the research and contacting the landlord, Mr. Culpepper, there is only one set-back. Dorie's older sister was supposed to come but cancelled at the last possible minute, so its costing a bit more for each of the girls. This really nags at Ellis, since she's just been laid off from her job at the bank and worries that her severance pay will only go so far. Dorie soon solves the rent problem when she meets a young woman from New Jersey at a diner and impulsively invites her to rent the bedroom on the top floor, promising privacy, which seemed to be very important to the woman.

As the days go by, it becomes apparent that not everyone staying at the beach house is being forthcoming about their lives. Ellis can't even get Mr. Culpepper to respond to her many emails about the guy living in the apartment above the garage that they share who calls himself Ty Bazemore.  Dorie, Julia and Ellis confide in each other about the changes taking place in their lives, but they still know nothing about Meredith, the girl from New Jersey and its making Julia uneasy considering she's living with them. Finally, Julia breaks into Meredith's room one day and what she finds gives the girls every reason to worry, so they decide to confront Meredith with what they've found.

My Thoughts:


Let me start with the narration of this book. Hands down, it is great. Not everyone can pull off a true Southern accent and Isabel Keating does a fabulous job. She expertly manipulates her voice to distinguish between each  of the characters and it is flawless. She has done the narrations for many of Mary Kay's books but this is the first one for me. There were a few times, though, that I felt she over-pronounced a few words but thankfully, that only happened a few times, so I can easily overlook that.

As for the story, I thought the premise was good and with the backgrounds of the women, had the potential to be very interesting. Unfortunately, I felt it fell a little short of my expectations. Without giving too much away, the part concerning Ellis and her love interest was a bit too predictable for me and honestly, a little fairy-tale-ish. I'm sorry, I guess I'm just a pessimist, but I don't know many good-looking young men, who work as a bartender at a hoppin nightclub that falls in love with a woman the first day he meets her and is ready to change his whole life for her! Really?? C'mon!!! I realize this is fiction, but . . . On the other hand, maybe thats why I choose to stay away from romance novels. I'm more of a realist than that.

That being said, I just wish that Ms. Andrews would have dug a little deeper and come up with some really good content and maybe a few surprises along the way. And believe me, that is very hard for me to say because I have been such a fan of hers for so many years. Maybe a few less storylines would have allowed the more prevalent ones to shine through.

I really wanted to love this book and it pains me because I didn't. But that doesn't mean it won't appeal to readers who really enjoy escapist or chic-lit novels.  As for me, my tastes change and evolve and maybe I'm now leaning more towards different types of books. But that doesn't mean I am not a Mary Kay Andrews fan anymore. I know she just released a new book, SPRING FEVER, and I will read it just like all her previous books and I hope you will too.

SUMMER RENTAL(Audio Verson - Audible.com)
Author: Mary Kay Andrews
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Published: August 2011
Length: 14h 46m
Narration: 4 out of 5 Stars
Story: 3 out of 5 Stars

[TSS] My Summer Reading List

Hello and thanks for stopping by today! Its been a busy weekend for me so far and I'm looking forward to relaxing today and enjoying some reading time. I kicked off my weekend Friday with a margarita night with my two best girls: my sister and my best friend. It was a beautiful, breezy night so we sat on Linda's front porch listening to the wind chimes and just having some 'girl time'. The best part was there was no driving involved since Linda and Brenda live in the same community. We simply stumbled over to Brenda's, where I spent the night. Her daughter graduated from high school Saturday and we had to get up super early for that. Since I can't drive, it was easier for me just to spend the night. It was a great ceremony and as it turned out, I got to see several of my friend's kids graduate. It was a lovely day.

So here we are staring summer in the face and its getting hotter by the day.  It's the perfect time to pick some good summer reads and there are a few that I am especially looking forward to. I don't read a lot of 'chick lit' but there are times when that is exactly what I'm in the mood for. I've been reading some pretty heavy stuff lately and its time to read something light and fun.

New Summer Releases I'm Excited About
There are two books that were released on June 7th that are definitely on my radar. The first is Mary Kay Andrews' SUMMER RENTAL. I am a huge fan of hers. I have all of her books and they are like crack to me. As soon as they come out, I devour them and then it feels like forever waiting for the next one! Her trademark Southern Fiction, mixed with witty and fun characters always make for a great read. It is perfect for this time of year and I'm sure I'll be reading it by the pool very soon.

Another summer read I'm definitely getting is BEST STAGED PLANS by Claire Cook. I have not read anything by this author and I just don't know how that is! I've read some great reviews and I'm really looking forward to this one as well.

Tying Up Loose Ends
One thing I have to do, though, is finish a couple books I've had to put aside for some ARC's. I am looking forward to getting back to Sarah Waters' THE LITTLE STRANGER and FINDING NOUF by Zoe Ferraris, which just got lost along the way somehow. I'm also half-way through the audio version of STILL MISSING by Chevy Stevens, which is very good. I also have the audio of THE SNOWMAN by Jo Nesbo that is patiently awaiting my attention!

I'm also on the waiting list for CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER by Tom Franklin at the library, but by the looks of it, its going to be awhile yet. There are also a few books on my shelves here at home I'd like to read before the end of the year: THE FORGOTTEN GARDEN, THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE and QUEEN OF PALMYRA, just to name a few.

Aside from the two new summer releases, I'm not planning to buy anymore books for a long while. Not until I get some of the ones read that I already own. And I own some really great books! I'm getting a little nervous because my eye disease seems to have progressed over the last month or so and I can see a big change in my vision. I really want to get some of the books on my shelves read before I can't see the writing anymore. That is going to require a lot of restraint because I LOVE to buy books!!

So, for the most part, that is what my reading schedule looks like for the foreseeable future. I'm sure I'll be making changes because even as I sit here and write this post, I'm thinking of ANNA KARENINA and THE BOOK THIEF that I also have on my shelves! One thing is clear: I need to get busy!

What summer reading do you have planned?

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Upcoming Book Reviews:

• THE STORM AT THE DOOR by Stefan Merrill Block (TLC Book Tour) June 15th
• THE CYPRESS HOUSE by Michael Koryta  TBA