Hello, Summer by Mary Kay Andrews

Synopsis (via Goodreads): New York Times bestselling author and Queen of the Beach Reads Mary Kay Andrews delivers her next blockbuster, Hello Summer.

It’s a new season...

Conley Hawkins left her family’s small town newspaper, The Silver Bay Beacon, in the rearview mirror years ago. Now a star reporter for a big-city paper, Conley is exactly where she wants to be and is about to take a fancy new position in Washington, D.C. Or so she thinks.

For small town scandals…

When the new job goes up in smoke, Conley finds herself right back where she started, working for her sister, who is trying to keep The Silver Bay Beacon afloat—and she doesn’t exactly have warm feelings for Conley. Soon she is given the unenviable task of overseeing the local gossip column, “Hello, Summer.”

And big-time secrets.

Then Conley witnesses an accident that ends in the death of a local congressman—a beloved war hero with a shady past. The more she digs into the story, the more dangerous it gets. As an old heartbreaker causes trouble and a new flame ignites, it soon looks like their sleepy beach town is the most scandalous hotspot of the summer.

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I received a complimentary review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

I went into this one thinking ROMANCE and SUMMER FUN, but ended up with a big, fat MURDER MYSTERY. The synopsis says Andrews is Queen of the Beach Reads, but suspenseful books are not what I want to read while I'm lounging on the beach. I want romance! I want hot, fiery passion! I want something light and funny! I do not want deer guts, entitled white men, and a main character that only cares about herself. 

Additionally, Conley doesn't witness an accident, she stumbles across one after it happens (a very significant detail). She also doesn't have an "old heartbreaker" causing trouble (if anything, she was the one that broke someone's heart), and the "new flame" is an untended ember in a bonfire. Skelly (hated his nickname, but liked the guy) was a childhood friend and old neighbor, so he and Conley had a past. He was interested in getting to know who she was now, but Conley was too focused on what she wanted to stop and consider someone else's feelings. She frequently told Sean Kelly (Skelly? Get it?), her G'mama, and her sister, Grayson, that she was only there temporarily. She could clearly see how her being around had positively impacted their lives, yet she wouldn't even entertain the idea of staying.

The book was too long, and I disliked how many different articles and bulletins I had to read. Most of the information was meaningless (like what people were wearing at an event), and I wish all of that had been condensed so only relevant information was shared. I didn't need to read an entire news article that the characters were going to discuss at length over the next few pages. Conley also used people when she was working on a story, by asking them for favors, or betraying their confidence. She simply cared about the rush of writing on a deadline. That's shitty, selfish behavior.

Also, I was on page 60 when the POV changed without warning, which was incredibly frustrating. Suddenly, we're following a strange man around instead of Conley. We know who he is on the simplest of levels, so nothing of consequence. He seems like a nice guy, but alludes to something dark and life-altering in his past. I honestly had no idea why his input was necessary for the story, and think it could have been reworked to make everything less confusing and more mysterious. His observations made certain things transparent, instead of them being alluded to over time. I understand what the author was trying to accomplish, but maybe save all his thoughts for the end? Like, they find his journal or something instead?

However, with that being said, I did enjoy the overall story that Andrews crafted within the lengthy 558 pages of Hello, Summer (yes, it's a beast). This was my first Mary Kay Andrews book, and it will likely be my last. It has nothing to do with the book itself (which really did have an exciting murder mystery), and everything to do with the fact that these aren't the types of stories I typically go for. I want more kissing and fun dialogue, and less murder and manipulation. I was surprised numerous times throughout Hello, Summer, and felt like Conley really had to work for the information she received. It felt believable, although her personality left a lot to be desired.

The secondary characters were complex and interesting, each of them contributing to the story in their own way (oftentimes obnoxiously (looking at you, Rowena)), and the plot kept me invested in their lives. If you enjoy a good murder mystery, or like piecing together clues and trying to determine the outcome before the main character, then Hello, Summer might be a book for you! The story itself was well-written, even if the synopsis was a bit misleading. (★★★☆☆)