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Park Bench #5

A Family Affair Shorts: Peace

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The story before the story…

What happened before A Family Affair began? Bestselling author Mary Campisi answers this question in her new Park Bench series. These short stories make the perfect park-bench read, and are named after her signature park bench covers.

In A Family Affair Shorts: Peace, Book Five, Charles visits Miriam and Lily, as he’s done for the past several years. Their time is ordinary and enjoyable, and passes too quickly. There’s already talk about the next visit and Lily’s fourteenth birthday in a few months. Such grand plans and dreams that will die on the icy road with Charles and create what can only be called fate as his two families converge… And that’s where A Family Affair begins!

Charles has written six letters that will reveal the choice he’s made in order to live a more authentic life. However, he dies before he can distribute the letters, and it will take years before they are discovered!

Note: These stories are intended for those who’ve read A Family Affair, Book One in the Truth in Lies series, and provide an in-depth look into the lives of the characters readers love to love—even a few they love to hate. Don’t miss these compelling collections!

Park Bench series:
Book One: A Family Affair Shorts: Destiny
Book Two: A Family Affair Shorts: Regret
Book Three: A Family Affair Shorts: Love
Book Four: A Family Affair Shorts: Heartbreak
Book Five: A Family Affair Shorts: Peace

41 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 3, 2018

19 people are currently reading
28 people want to read

About the author

Mary Campisi

80 books421 followers
Mary Campisi is the author of over 40 emotion-packed novels that center around hope, redemption, and second chances.

Mary should have known she'd become a writer when at age thirteen she began changing the ending to all the books she read. It took several years and a number of jobs, including registered nurse, receptionist in a swanky hair salon, accounts payable clerk, and practice manager in an OB/GYN office, for her to rediscover writing. Enter a mouse-less computer, a floppy disk, and a dream large enough to fill a zip drive. The rest of the story lives on in every book she writes.

When she's not working on her craft or following the lives of five adult children, Mary's digging in the dirt with her flowers and herbs, cooking, reading, walking her rescue lab, Henry, or, on the perfect day, riding off into the sunset with her very own hero/husband on his Ultra Limited aka Harley.

If you would like to be notified when Mary has a new release, please sign up at http://www.marycampisi.com/book/book-...

website: marycampisi.com
e-mail: mary@marycampisi.com
blog: marycampisi.com/blog/
twitter: twitter.com/MaryCampisi
facebook: facebook.com/marycampisibooks
Instagram: instagram.com/marycampisiauthor/

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
Profile Image for Nikki (Saturday Nite Reader).
477 reviews112 followers
July 11, 2018
For fans of the Family Affair series, comes a series of short stories that give a bit more light to the characters and relationships from the novels.

I read Book 5 in less than 1 hour. It is the last few days of Charles' life and sets the stage for Nathan and Christine.

Finishing this series makes me want to re-read A Family Affair: Truth in Lies Book 1 all over again. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend. I enjoy all these characters and can't get enough of Magdalena myself.
Profile Image for Angela.
197 reviews1 follower
April 6, 2018
Well what can I say A Family Affair Shorts: Peace was great! I love Nate more than ever, what he said to Charles needed to be said. Nate's love for his mother & sister Lily is pure & protective. He has trust issues but definitely stands tall in his love. Reading Charles letters to his loved ones & his honest letter to Gloria were spot on.
Mary Campisi has given me characters & stories I care about & have to know their endings.

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Lucy.
189 reviews7 followers
April 15, 2018
This final book in mary Campisi's short stories that give you a bigger insight to her A family affair series.

Charles is making peace with his decisions and finally his made the biggest decision, one he should of made years ago but for whatever read he never did, only he will truly know why it took him so long... but life has a way of taking things out of your hands... life is short live everyday like it's the last.
Profile Image for Debbi.
856 reviews3 followers
May 8, 2018
I just completed reading the fifth and final short story in the Park Bench series. It was good to see what's going on with Charles and that he finally had made a stand on his future. But he never got to follow through. That's where the A Family Affair series picks up. This was a great series and I'm glad the Mary Campisi decided to write them. I thoroughly enjoyed being taken back to Magdelena and the wonderful characters.
Profile Image for Susan Macbean.
141 reviews7 followers
May 1, 2018
Out of all of the Park Bench series I found this book the most moving.Especially the last few pages it had me crying.But then I had to start to reread my Family affair books again from the begin. And I must say I am reading them in a new light, and you understand the characters better. Mary please keep up this kind of writing cant wait for the next book.
2 reviews1 follower
April 9, 2018
Understanding the Family Affair

Mary Campisi’s books are great. I have read the entire Family Affair series and these short books detailing the background of the characters is wonderful. I can’t wait to read more.
17 reviews
January 7, 2019
Love love loved !

I read all 5 short stories in one sitting. They kept me wanting more. I did read them out of recommended order but I can't wait to read THE FAMILY AFFAIR, 15 book series!!! Love the way Mary can say something in her books that you can relate to.
Profile Image for Alicia.
822 reviews16 followers
April 2, 2019
Charles makes a decision

Just before the accident that !ills.Charles Blacksworth, he had finally made the decision to follow his heart and the suggestion of his sister: to live his life and not let time pass him by. Unfortunately no one knows if he truly would have followed through with his plan, but most of us would like to think so...
1,172 reviews6 followers
February 5, 2025
Another great and touching short story to complete this series. Told from Nate's point of view, his love for his sister Lily shines through despite her being the daughter of the much despised Charles. Read an ARC for an honest review.
Profile Image for Pam.
4,625 reviews68 followers
May 19, 2018
A Family Affair Shorts: Peace: Park Bench Book 5 is by Mary Campisi. This series is meant to fill in the spots in the Family Affair books.
Nate Desantro concentrated on keeping his father’s business alive. It was a full- time job but Nate knew it was worth it. Besides, it kept him from worrying about his mother. How could she engage in a four-day-a-month affair with Charles Blacksworth? Then to have a child with him! Lily was special, she had Down syndrome; but she was the best little sister he could have asked for. It didn’t make it any easier with Charles though. Why couldn’t the man decide which of his families he wanted to be with? He definitely didn’t want his Mother or Lily hurt nor did he wish Christine, Charles’ daughter, any ill-will. Did she know about them? He refused to like Charles nor would he accept any money to prop up the business. It all becomes a moot point when Charles is killed in a car accident and his daughter Christine comes to town.
How will she handle knowing about her Father’s other family? Why should it bother Nate that she will be hurt?
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews

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