Audiobook: The Weekenders

The Weekenders is written by Mary Kay Andrews and narrated by Kathleen McInerney.

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.

The Breakdown:
1. I always enjoy listening to a Mary Kay Andrews book.  They are entertaining both funny with some romance and often have a little mystery to it.  McInerney narrates most of Andrews books that I have listened to, and she does a great job of capturing the characters and the southreness that Andrews infuses into them.

2. While there was romance in this book, compared to other of Andrews's books, this one was light on the romance.  It was much more focused on Riley's family dynamics and the mysterious circumstances involving her husband. I kind of wished there were more interactions between Riley and Nate.

3. I have to honest, for most of the book, I did not like Riley's daughter, Maggie.  She was a complete brat. I get that some really terrible things and big changes happened in her life, but she just was not very likable.  If I had talk to my mother the way she did so many times, I would still be grounded, and possibly dead. She did improve at the end, but it was too little, too late for me to like her.

4. I think my favorite thing about this book was Riley and her best friend, Parish's relationship.  They were wonderful together, just was people who have been friends forever should be. The things they get up while investigating Riley's husbands doings were great, and many times hilarious.

To Read or Not to Read:
Worth the Listen