Review: The Weekenders

The Weekenders

By Mary Kay Andrews

Published: May 17, 2016

Some people stay all summer long on the idyllic island of Belle Isle, North Carolina. Others come only for the weekends-and the mix between the regulars and “the weekenders” can sometimes make the sparks fly. Riley Griggs has a season of good times with friends and family ahead of her on Belle Isle when things take an unexpected turn. While waiting for her husband to arrive on the ferry one Friday afternoon, Riley is confronted by a process server who thrusts papers into her hand. And her husband is nowhere to be found.

So she turns to her island friends for help and support, but it turns out that each of them has their own secrets, and the clock is ticking as the mystery deepens...in a murderous way. Cocktail parties aside, Riley must find a way to investigate the secrets of Belle Island, the husband she might not really know, and the summer that could change everything.

Told with Mary Kay Andrews’ trademark blend of humor and warmth, and with characters and a setting that you can’t help but fall for, The Weekenders is the perfect summer escape.

My review:

Riley is going through a rough time as her marriage is ending and she has to break the news to her daughter. Maggie is only twelve but she has developed a major attitude lately and her recent Diabetes I diagnosis makes things even more difficult. When Riley and Maggie arrive at their beach property she finds out that the house is being foreclosed so they have to stay with Riley's uptight mother Evelyn until they figure out what is going on. Riley's husband Wendell hasn't been answering his phone calls and he fails to show up. There are speculations that he is having an affair or involved in bad business deals. Riley's former flame Noah is also back on the island and hopes to make amends but they start off on the wrong foot. Riley has a lot to handle but she has the help and support of her best friend Parrish and her brother Billy. Then there is a murder...

The Weekenders is a fun beach read. There is humor, romance, mystery and plenty of quirky characters. I felt bad for Riley and all she was going through. I wanted to slap her daughter at times for making the situation worse. I was glad that Riley had a great friend like Parrish on her side and that Noah was there for her too though she didn't always want him around. I enjoyed their rekindled romance. As the story went on there was some mending of the relationships between Riley and her daughter and her mother which was nice to see.

I love mysteries so I was glad that The Weekenders had a mystery to solve. I couldn't figure out who the killer was but in the end I was a little disappointed by the resolution of the mystery and how anticlimactic it felt. I also wished that we didn't have so many shifts in point of view. I don't think we needed to see the story through that many characters' eyes. If she had kept the focus on Riley and Noah, I think it would have been a stronger story.

I enjoyed this novel overall and I think readers looking for something light to read this summer should give The Weekenders a try. Other books by the author that would be great summertime reads include Spring Fever (a personal favorite), Beach Town and Save the Date.

Note: I received an ARC for review courtesy of the publisher and Netgalley