True to Me

Written 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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Dec 10, 2019
• ISBN: 9781799749370

Kay Bratt

Kay Bratt is the author of eleven full-length novels and two children’s books. Her writing became her solace and support while she navigated a tumultuous childhood, followed by a decade of abuse as an adult. After working her way through the hard years, Kay came out a survivor and a pursuer of peace—and finally found the courage to share her stories. A wise man once told her to “write what you know,” which resulted in Kay’s pet project and her bestselling series, The Tales of the Scavenger’s Daughters. Learn more about Kay and her writing at www.kaybratt.com.

Reviews for True to Me

[Ruth Johanna · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So exciting and beautiful story, I did not wanted it to stop! I wished it not have stopped so fast eider!

[Angela Renzi · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book came across my recommended reading list and I am so glad it did. I loved the characters and almost immediately fell in love with their plight. It was a hard book to put down.

[sallyelizabethmurphy · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Sweet story but too long and complete fluff

[bookanonjeff · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing Tale. This was one of those tales that was so rich that the author could spend the rest of her career writing within this world and I'm pretty sure no one would be disappointed. The tale here of finding oneself and the large amounts of forgiveness that sometimes requires is palpable and tragic - but ultimately the feel good story one expects from this particular author. Just as with her previous book, this one yet again feels like it was written specifically to one of her daughters and indeed she has spoken publicly of it being inspired by a trip to see this particular daughter... in Maui. Truly a remarkable work, and very much recommended.

[lorikboyd · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

You had me at Maui and genealogy. My favorite place and the study I find fascinating. This book sucks you in at the beginning and holds you until the end. Just unbelievable enough to be totally believable.

Quinn and her mother are very close. But, on her mother’s deathbed, Quinn is told something that rocks her world; the story she has been told all along about her father is a lie. This starts a mystery Quinn needs to unravel herself. This starts her impulsive decision to buy a house, site unseen, and fly to Maui, a place very special to her mom. From here, the story unfolds with many heartbreaking twists.

This was my first book by Ms. Bratt, and I look forward to reading more. Her writing and storylines flow effortlessly and she brings her characters to life, with all their flaws and strengths. She describes the beauty of Maui perfectly, making you feel like you are there. Aloha!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

[bettytaylor56 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the first book I have read by Kay Bratt but it is now clear that I will have to buy some of her past books. While I love thrillers and suspense, there are times that I just want a “feel good” story, and this book was just right.The story took me back to the days when I travelled to Hawaii frequently to work. I loved the moments I was able to escape the tourist areas and enjoy the scenery and chat with some of the delightful local people. This is a story of family, friendships, forgiveness, and finding yourself. I really like Bratt’s style of writing. It was an easy read, no alternating perspectives, no dual timeline. Just a simple read. Characters you can’t help but love. Romance and a bit of mystery. A great holiday read.Thank you to the author and Lake Union Publishing for the e-galley. All opinions expressed here are my own.

[sdbookhound · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

True to Me is the first book I have read by Kay Bratt. This book takes place in Hawaii on Maui. The main character, Quinn, has recently lost mother and learned that her father was not who she thought. She makes a trip to Maui to try and learn more about her family and to spread her mother's ashes. Not only does she learn about her family ties, but she also experiences personal growth as well.I liked this book a lot. I learned a lot about Maui and Hawaiian culture. The mystery of Quinn's heritage kept me turning the pages, and the characters were interesting and realistic. I was more than satisfied with the ending of the story and will be interested in reading future books by this author. I read this book compliments of Net Galley. All my thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

[grandmacootie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

True to Me is a heartwarming story about a women’s journey as she seeks to learn about her mother’s past and determine her own future. Quinn Maguire has just lost her mother, and her mother’s deathbed confession has shattered her world and everything she has ever believed to be true. Quinn’s fiancé, Ethan, wanted them to combine scattering her mother’s ashes in Maui with a vacation and what he feels can be the start of the rest of their lives together. Quinn can’t do this, she and her mother were their own little family, and now she needs to go to Maui alone to see if her whole life has been a lie.As I said, True to Me is a heartwarming story and a pretty good mystery as Quinn tries to unravel all the facts and rumors she’s learned about her mother’s past. However, I think I am in the minority of readers that didn’t totally love this story, as I had some serious issues with it. The pace was slow and the tale predictable until about two-thirds of the way through. Many events just did not ring true to me. Although Quinn is supposedly successful in business she is a very awkward person, and not usually in an endearing way. It’s obvious that her relationship with Ethan was missing something but she kind of scrapped it pretty quickly, but then again had what seemed to be an overly dramatic reaction when she found out about Gina (“body going into a fetal position as she fought to protect herself from the onslaught of thoughts and the sudden nausea”), especially considering the attraction that seems to be building between her and Liam. Overall a lot of confusing signals.Quinn isn’t really very likable until we are well into the book, so it’s hard to feel sympathy or empathy for/with her as she experiences a lot of her struggles. There is a good mystery and a lot of action and danger as more and more facts becomes known and a very enjoyable cast of supporting characters, and in the end I was rooting for Quinn to have her happily ever after, wherever that may be.Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of True to Me. All opinions are my own.

[teachlz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Kay Bratt, author of "True to Me" has written an intriguing, captivating, emotional and magical novel. The story takes place mostly on Maui, and the timeline for the story is set in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or the events. The Genres for this novel are Fiction, Women's Fiction, Romance, and a touch of Magic. The author describes the characters as mostly likable, complex and complicated.The main themes in this novel are family secrets, forgiveness, and second chances. I also appreciate that the author discusses the importance of family, friends, neighbors, love, and hope.Quinn Maguire finds out on her mother's death bed, that the man she thought was her father that abandoned her wasn't. Quinn also has her mother's ashes and is bringing them to Maui, where her mother's childhood home was. Quinn is hoping that she can uncover secrets and discover the truth about her life.  On the island, Quinn starts to feel the magic and meets interesting people. Is it possible that Quinn will learn who she really is?I would highly recommend this entertaining and thought-provoking and emotional novel. 

[susan0316 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have been a long-time fan of Kay Bratt and was excited to find out that she had a new book. And...in my opinion, it was her best book yet. The characters are well written, the plot has some mystery and some romance and the Hawaiian setting made me want to buy an airline ticket and visit Hawaii.Quinn and her mom were close and there were no other family members, just the two of them. Quinn's dad left years earlier and she had no memory of him. She lives with and is engaged to a very dominant man who thinks that he can control her life. When Quinn's mom was dying, she told Quinn that her real father was not who she's always been told he was. Those were her dying words and at her death Quinn not only has to deal with her grief but also with the mystery of who her father really was. Her mother had requested that her ashes be scattered in Maui so that is where Quinn decided that she's start her search for her father there.This is a beautiful book about love and friendship and the discovery of not only the past but the discovery of learning who you really are and what you want in your future.Thanks to the author for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.