Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Hello, Summer by Mary Kay Andrews

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1250256925/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2&linkCode=ll1&tag=doyoudogear-20&linkId=c4338cafc9b4159e2ec776636879807c&language=en_US
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.

𑁋𑁋𑁋

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 Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.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. (★★★☆☆)

22 comments:

  1. I usually love this authors books and will probably read this one but too bad that it was so long. Great review!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 558 pages is A LOT! This was a review copy, so it could have been condensed before it was published. I haven't checked! I hope you enjoy it more than I did! :)

      Delete
  2. Ah man, its tough when you go in expecting one thing and get something entirely different along with a heroine that makes you mutter under your breath. Glad you could eventually enjoy some of it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I enjoyed it enough to stick around despite its size! ;) It was just hard since I went into it thinking romance. That was what I was in the mood for, so the lack of sexy times was disappointing.

      Delete
  3. I would have expected summer romance fun too, oh covers, they are weird

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yep! Even the synopsis made me think it would be about a summer romance. I thought it might have a dash of mystery, but the bulk of the book was about the mysterious circumstances of someone's death. It left very little room for romance (not that Conley was looking).

      Delete
  4. Beach time! lol looks very summery. and a murder mystery too?

    Sudden POV changes like that can be jarring, for sure. Not always a fan when that happens!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It takes place during the summer and near a beach, but it didn't feel beachy (if that makes sense, haha). It was ALL murder mystery, which was unexpected! Sudden POV changes always throw me off. ;)

      Delete
  5. I hate it when you are expecting one kind of book and get another. This book really is a beast with more than 500 pages. I haven't read this author but I do have a book or two of hers hiding out in my Kindle.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I read it for two solid days to finish it before/on its release date, and I was constantly disappointed by my (perceived) lack of progress! It was like reading two of my other books. ;)

      Delete
  6. Ohhhh this has happened to me too Linds, more times than I can count. You're expecting one thing and end up reading something entirely different. It sounds like mystery readers will really enjoy this one but I'd be feeling a little jaded to be honest, the synopsis seems to have a very different idea of a summer romance than the rest of us. Hopefully your next book knocks your socks off!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm sure there are a lot of people that like to read mysteries and thrillers while they're at the beach, but I wouldn't classify those as "beach reads." They might take place during the summer or on a beach, but it feels different when death and murder are involved, haha. I want romance and fun! :)

      Delete
  7. Well, I thought this book sounded fun until I read your review. I thought it was going to be a fun romance with a small dose of mystery just to keep the story interesting, turns out it's more mystery with a small dose of romance. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but the cover and the summary do not give that impression. And the book is 500+ pages! Wow, that is a beast for a book I thought was a romance. I still might read at some point but I'll be better prepared for what I'm getting now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was even less than a small dose, haha. There's so little love and sexy times, I don't think this book should classify as a romance. There's murder and investigations, family drama and political intrigue. There's an old friend and neighbor that's supposed to be the love interest, but the main character doesn't want to start anything. She doesn't plan on sticking around, so she ends up hurting him throughout the book.

      Delete
  8. Ugh, it's always a bummer when the blurb totally gives you the wrong idea about a book!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yep! I feel like my initial disappointment (when I realized it was a murder mystery and not a summer romance) lingered throughout the rest of the book.

      Delete
  9. I am having BIG TIME trust issues with book covers lately. Between the cover and title this screams fun beach read. the summary does hint at mystery but not in a way that makes you think it's primarily a mystery and not a romance beach read.

    harumph!

    Karen @ For What It's Worth

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. THEY LIE, KAREN! Both the cover AND the blurb hint at summer romance, but there's very little love in this one. They do have sex on the beach, so maybe that's supposed to count? You get zero details, but we're told it happens. I wanted a steamy beach read!!

      Delete
  10. 528 pages!! Really?! The cover is NOT representative of the story you describe, Lindsi, and neither is the book's blurb.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 558 pages of NOT WHAT I WAS EXPECTING, haha! :)

      Delete
  11. Oh wow, I never would have expected murder mystery based on that beautiful summery cover. That's disappointing, especially since it sounds like there were other issues with the book as well. Great review and I appreciate the head's up on the misleading cover and synopsis.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was in the mood for a beach read, too! A little summer fun, some romance, maybe a side story that we followed here and there. Nope. This was a full-blown murder mystery that took up every inch of the book.

      Delete

Click the "Notify me" box if you want to be notified when someone responds!

“Stuff and nonsense. Nonsense and stuff and much of a muchness and nonsense all over again. We are all mad here, don't you know?”
― Marissa Meyer, Heartless