True to Me

A By the Sea Novel, Book 1

By: Kay Bratt

Narrated by: Sarah Mollo-Christensen

From the bestselling author of Wish Me Home comes a breathtaking novel about the secrets that families keep and one woman’s illuminating search for the truth.

Quinn Maguire has a stable life, a fiancé, and what she thinks is a clear vision for her future. All of that comes undone by her mother’s deathbed confession - the absentee father Quinn spent thirty years resenting is not her real father at all. With that one revealing whisper, Quinn embarks on a journey to Maui, her mother’s childhood home, a storied paradise that holds the truth about her mother’s past and all its secrets Quinn is determined to uncover.

But settling on the island has its complications, and with the fiancé she left behind questioning every choice she makes, Quinn’s quest for her truth is even more difficult than she expected. As time passes and she digs deeper into her family history and her own identity, one thing becomes clear: Maui is as beautiful as she’d always imagined, and its magic is helping uncover the woman that Quinn was always meant to be.

©2019 by Kay Bratt. (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Quinn Maguire has grown up believing that she knows the truth about her complicated childhood. But when her mother dies shortly after revealing an earth-shaking family secret, everything changes in an instant. Kay Bratt beautifully draws the story of a daughter returning to Maui - the enchanted land that she believes holds the key to her past - where she unlocks a promising future she never could have imagined. Full of secrets, love and gorgeous settings, True to Me is the ultimate escape." --Kristy Woodson Harvey, bestselling author of Slightly South of Simple

"Heartfelt and brimming with lively characters, True to Me is a poignant reminder of the meaning of family, the importance of truth, and the power of forgiveness. Perfect for fans of Christine Nolfi and Cathy Lamb." --Sonja Yoerg, Washington Post bestselling author of True Places

"Bratt writes a beautiful tale of family which grabbed me from the very first page. Quinn, mourning the loss of her mother, must travel to Maui in search of her roots. Leaving behind her fiancé Ethan, she is drawn to the island’s rich history and the locals who welcome her into their world. Woven between the pages is the deep mystery of Quinn’s past, and the DNA test that leads her to a family she never knew. Bratt takes the reader on a heartfelt journey of family and forgiveness while Quinn teaches us about those we should let in and those we should let go. For at the very core of the novel is the rare gift of being true to one's self." --Rochelle B. Weinstein, USA Today bestselling author

Wonderful listen.

Smooth listen. My children listened in as well. The story covered actual situations experienced by the people of Hawaii, not just from Maui. The sense and connection of family, the land transfers, the homeless, etc. all exist. The development of the main character was good too.

Amazing

What a beautifully written story!! Just loved everything about this book and would highly recommend it...

Great story with twists and turns!

Well narrated story that takes place in a island setting. Just a bit different culture than us to make it interesting but with all the disfunctionality that many face. It all works out to a happy ending, however don’t try to figure it out ahead, you’d probably be wrong.

Almost didn’t finish..

But kept going and so happy I did. Loved this story!! Romantic, sentimental, emotional, heartfelt and at times deeply moving.

Great book

Enjoyed this story on my 12 hour long trip. Listened to another book first and when I got home, needed to listen to the last 4 Chapters. It was fun...could almost feel the warm Maui breeze and hear the ocean on the beach.

Beautiful profound book

This book is an absolute jewel!!

Very interesting plot, lots of action, lots of moral choices!!

Lots of twists in the background of Maui!!

Can't wait to start the second book

Kay Bratt's descriptive writing makes you feel as though you are there. The book started out a little slow...but did not take long to engulf you in this story!

Enjoyable listen!

I enjoyed this book. It kept my interest, the reader was very enjoyable to listen to and it didn’t have any hidden agenda! I would recommend it without question.

Wonderful story

Such a beautiful story of the importance of forgiveness love and family! Alsothe importance of getting the negative out of ones lide

Good Love Story

I think I bought 'True to Me' as a daily deal. I hadn't read any of Bratt's books before, but I enjoyed this and will probably by the second book in the series.

A woman's mother dies and makes a deathbed confession. She finds out she has some family in Hawaii and she decides to go there and see if she can find some more about her ancestry. What she gets is more than what she bargained for.

True to Me is sort of heart wrenching. I loved the idea of the long lost daughter finding her roots, and the book also gives a little history of Hawaii and explains many of the cultural norms there.

I would recommend True to Me as a light, easy listen.

-Wendi