I always love books by this Authors, she has a very compelling way of telling a story.
Quinn Maguire, is living a predictable life, with a good job, a handsome although controlling Fiance and a nice apartment, but when her mother dies, this life she knows is put on hold as she will go on a journey she never expected.
On her death bed, her mother tells Quinn that the absentee father she has always heard about and resented is not her real father after all.
Her mother asked her to take her ashes back to her homeland on the island of Maui, and now Quinn has even more reason to go, and try to find out who she really is and why she was never told the truth.
This book has some wonderful characters, who draw you into their lives as well as the native Hawaiian customs, it is a story about family and its importance, about respect and definitely about a pace of life that Quinn has been craving without even knowing it.
The story has some mystery, some romance and some cleaning up of a past, which is all she has known.
A wonderful story which mainly takes place in Hawaii. So readable, I did not want to put it down for too long.
Looking very forward to her next story, which seems to follow some of these characters.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC of this book.

Kay Bratt's True to Me is not only about Quinn's personal journey of discovery and the road to healing, but it's also about the beautiful island of Maui and the people who have their roots there.

The twists and turns in Quinn's life kept me turning pages, wanting to know how she'd find the truth about her life, the when, where, who - all the things. The memories, emotions and discoveries of Quinn's journey are skillfully woven into the beautiful descriptions of many of Maui's most gorgeous places through the talent of the author.

If, like me, you've never had the pleasure of a trip to Maui, reading this story will make you feel as if you were there, climbing to the waterfalls or on the narrow winding road to Hana.

Pick this book up and take a beautiful trip to Maui that is filled to overflowing with many emotions, much love and insights into the heritage and love of family that makes the people of Maui so special.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC at my request. All thoughts in this review are my own and happily given because I loved this book.

I don't even know where to begin with all the ways in which this book was wonderful. Grateful to the author and publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this upcoming novel. Kay Bratt is one of the best in her genre. The loss of a mother, a deathbed confession, a trip to scatter her mother's ashes. The journey leads our main character to places she never thought possible. It forces her to reevaluate her life, her relationship and who she is. There is awful betrayal in this book, secrets, but so much love, hope and happiness. I laughed and I cried. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and did not want it to end. I do believe there will be a sequel and I will wait impatiently for it to come around. This book is a must read.

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.

I will leave a review on Amazon or B&N Dec 10, 2019

I received the ARC of True to Me from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion of this book.

My first book by this author, and I found it amazing. It contained so many emotions from deceit, betrayal, forgiveness and redemption. Quinn is determined to find out whom her birth father is after her mothers death, I thought the book was so well written it seemed like I was right there in the book following along beside Quinn to find out what would happen next. I would highly recommend this book to others.

Kay Bratt writes with her Aloha Spirit in this book. What an empowering story! Quinn is finally strong enough to find herself and takes us on an emotional heartwarming story while doing so. I couldn’t put this page turner down! No doubt you’ll love it too!!

Quinn Maguire has it all, a good job, a handsome fiance', a stable, normal life. That all changes, however, when her mother reveals a secret on her deathbed.

After her mother's passing, Quinn decided to go to Maui to spread her mother's ashes, as requested, and search for the truth. Who is or was her father? Is he still alive? Does she have more family, or is she truly alone in this world?

Quinn's quest for truth in Maui gives her time away from her fiance' and the time to reflect on who she was, is, and will be...and, if Ethan is the man she should marry after all.

Beautifully written. This is a story that takes us on a journey for truth and revelation about life, love, and finding one's true self.

Quinn thinks she knows the path her life is on, she has a fiancé, a good job and her future looks bright. Then on her mother’s death bed confesses that her MIA father that Quinn resented for the last 30 years was not her real father. Before Quinn can ask any questions her mother is gone. Quinn decides to return to her mother’s childhood home in Maui. Quinn is determined to discover her mother’s relatives and try to understand what had cause her mother to leave.
Time away from her life has given her clarity and slowly Quinn is becoming who she was meant to be. Will Quinn stay with her fiancé who questions her every move? Will Quinn through DNA testing find out who her relatives are? Will Quinn decide she wants to return to her fiancé and life off the island? Will Maui, the home of her mother tempt her to build a life their?
This is a delightful story about a woman’s journey to learn how to be true to herself. It is about family, friends and forgiveness. I enjoyed reading this story and the twists and turns along the way.
Thanks to Netgalley for the complimentary copy. The thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book, part mystery and very emotional, as well as about forgiveness and family, should be read by everyone. Quinn was raised by her mother. Her mother named a father, but on her death bed she told Quinn he wasn’t actually her father. Quinn feels she must find her father, and any other family she may have. Through a DNA test, and help from a friend, she is able to find her family.The author’s writing style makes you feel you are right there with Quinn through her journey. I read this book in one day, because it was so good and I couldn't put it down, I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing. All opinions expressed here are my own.

One of my most treasured books ever! Author, Kay Bratt, knows how to tug at one's heartstrings. This book made me laugh and cry as I felt such a connection with her protagonist, Quinn. Bratt delves into familial relationships and takes the reader through a gamut of emotions. This book is a true gem!

Kay has done it again! This was a great book to read. Hard to put down. Quinn is on a journey to find out who she is. Her mom has passed away and Quinn travels to Hawaii to spread her ashes. She encounters some problems along the way. Quinn has the courage to step out and take charge of her own life and overcome her fears. This is a great book about finding the truth and forgiveness. . I can’t wait for the sequel to come out! Thank you to Netgalley for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

A riveting tale of forgiveness, family, and friendship (old and new). I was captivated from the first chapter and struggled to put this book down when reality intervened. I enjoyed traveling with Quinn to Maui and picturing in my mind the places mentioned that I experienced years ago. Quinn’s journey to understand her mother’s past so that she might understand herself was very realistic as were the emotions she had to cope with as each stage of her journey brought unexpected revelations. Kay Bratt has a real gift to craft and weave words and storylines together to make her stories come alive in her books. I hope that she is working on another installment to this story because I feel there is so much more to explore in each of the characters and Quinn’s journey is not over.

Kay Bratt has written a beautiful heartfelt novel with “True To Me”.

Quinn’s truly emotional journey was one that instantly drew me in and had me right there with her through the happy and the sad times. Complex and tear jerking at times! I loved this story and found it hard to put down!

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone looking for an emotional journey!

I received this book from the author in exchange for fair and honest review.

A very good story. A little slow in the first two chapters but it really picks up in the third. It brings you in and really gets you wanting to know what is next.

Kay Bratt is one of my favorite writers, and True to Me is definitely in my top 3 books of hers. The storyline captivated me from the very first page, and the characters are so well written that it seemed like I was right there, experiencing everything with them. The ending is great as well - it’s always satisfying when all of the different plots have closure in the end. I can’t wait to see what this author writes next!

I truly couldn't get into this book. I think the plot was going to be super interesting but I couldn't enjoy it after feeling like it took too long to really begin. I just don't think this is the kind of slow-paced book I wanted to read. I anticipated something must stronger. I think this will be a hit with a book club though.

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.

True to Me by Kay Bratt was fantastic. It drew me in and kept my interest. I decided to read it while in Maui so I could compare the setting and it didn’t disappoint. Quinn was a character I really didn’t like much at first, but throughout the book she changes her perspective and finds her true self along with many other truths and became someone I would befriend. Her decision to travel to Maui at her mother’s request, her relationship with her fiancé, her predicament in Maui and all the characters I met along the way really gave the book good depth and kept me intrigued. I am looking forward to a sequel to maybe expand on new relationships and develop one of the other characters to a greater degree.

“Time to Me” by Kay Bratt (A By The Sea Novel)

A truly wonderful novel that is hard to put down. It is packed full of emotion, human kindness, the meaning of friendship and family, emotional and mental healing, and the importance taking to time to find yourself.

Quinn has always wanted a father in her life. She had also always wanted to know more about her background. So she was astounded when her mother’s last words were she had a different father than the long gone loser of a man she had as a father figure for several years of her youth.

When she heads to Maui to spread her mother’s ashes, Quinn is in a relationship where she feels unsupported, she has bought a house sight unseen for the most part in Maui, has recently lost her mother and has more questions than answers about her background and past.

Quinn’s arrival in Maui doesn’t start quite as she planned. There are tenants still living in her house (clearly the recent walk through by the selling agent didn’t happen and the sale was through the bank not via a family), but Quinn doesn’t have the heart to just throw them to the curb, yet feels she is on a deadline to upgrade parts of the house. Her fiancé wants to come down and deal with the issue and she tells him to stay put.

While she makes some friends as the house is being upgraded and is doing what she can to help move the family, Quinn is still struggling internally with wanting to find more about her past and a possible family or whether all should be left as is. (She also finds out her fiancé has been cheating on her.)

While ignoring work and Ethan, Quinn starts to learn more about the Hawaiian culture and beliefs, more about the country and area and soon finds she is more settled and at home there than she has ever been before. She also feels a closer connection to her mother in Hawaiian.

When she decides to reconnect with her long time best friend, Quinn finds the support she most needed to think through everything. When Maggie comes to Maui, Quinn is able to find the strength to make several life changing decisions. With the support of her best friend and an individual she has become very good friends with, she is able to come to many conclusions about herself, her life, her purpose and how she wants things to be. Her decisions also help more than herself, but affects several others along the way. She is living pono.

As Quinn learns more about her family than she is able to process, Ethan’s surprise arrival makes many things clear: it is time to be who she has become since her arrival and who she is becoming. But most of all it is time be true to herself.

Rating: 4.9
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** I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this novel. All thoughts and opinions in this review are strictly mine.

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.