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Secrets of Mackinac Island #1
Lost Memories
Elise’s life as she knows it is over. Her husband of twenty years had an affair; her children have left the nest; and she hasn’t managed to sell a screenplay in almost ten years. Now, one of the people she loved most in the world—her mother—is dead.
“Heartbroken” doesn’t even cover it. She’s never been more lost in her life.
Elise and her mother had always lived in Los Angeles. Her mother was an actress and a single mother, who never revealed who Elise’s father was.
Now, Elise finds a secret diary within her mother’s things—one that reveals a portion of her mother’s life that Elise never knew about.
In the late ‘70s, her mother worked as the personal assistant to acclaimed actress, Jane Seymour. And during this time, she journeyed to the glorious Michigan-based Mackinac Island, for the film, Somewhere in Time.
While there, Elise’s mother met a man who changed her life forever. He must be Elise’s father. And Elise is determined to find out.
Now, Elise must decide what to do next. How will she grapple with her mother’s death? And could a trip to Mackinac Island change her life, like it did her mother’s?
She thought all the adventure in her life was over. She thought she would never find happiness again.
But she’s beginning to think the adventure has only just begun.
Dive in for a trek of a lifetime: from the glittering sands of Los Angeles, all the way to that gem of an island between the southern and northern peninsulas of Michigan, Mackinac Island, where secrets have been kept for the previous forty years.
“Heartbroken” doesn’t even cover it. She’s never been more lost in her life.
Elise and her mother had always lived in Los Angeles. Her mother was an actress and a single mother, who never revealed who Elise’s father was.
Now, Elise finds a secret diary within her mother’s things—one that reveals a portion of her mother’s life that Elise never knew about.
In the late ‘70s, her mother worked as the personal assistant to acclaimed actress, Jane Seymour. And during this time, she journeyed to the glorious Michigan-based Mackinac Island, for the film, Somewhere in Time.
While there, Elise’s mother met a man who changed her life forever. He must be Elise’s father. And Elise is determined to find out.
Now, Elise must decide what to do next. How will she grapple with her mother’s death? And could a trip to Mackinac Island change her life, like it did her mother’s?
She thought all the adventure in her life was over. She thought she would never find happiness again.
But she’s beginning to think the adventure has only just begun.
Dive in for a trek of a lifetime: from the glittering sands of Los Angeles, all the way to that gem of an island between the southern and northern peninsulas of Michigan, Mackinac Island, where secrets have been kept for the previous forty years.
64 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 16, 2020
898 people are currently reading
367 people want to read
About the author
Katie Winters
123 books400 followersKatie writes women's fiction and clean, wholesome contemporary romance. She looks to everyday, real-life family issues to weave stories of heartfelt emotions, love and loss, and everything in between.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
September 18, 2020
ARC for honest review with no compensation
Lost Memories is book 1 in the new series called Secrets of Mackinac Island by Katie Winters.
A short story about Elise Darby, a screenplay writer, mother of twins Penny and Brad, who’s husband of 20 plus years has an affair, gets divorced and her mother Allison who was an actress in her early years. When her mother dies, Elise finds her diaries and questions abound...what happens next...hopefully the answers are in the next book...The Return
Lost Memories is book 1 in the new series called Secrets of Mackinac Island by Katie Winters.
A short story about Elise Darby, a screenplay writer, mother of twins Penny and Brad, who’s husband of 20 plus years has an affair, gets divorced and her mother Allison who was an actress in her early years. When her mother dies, Elise finds her diaries and questions abound...what happens next...hopefully the answers are in the next book...The Return
September 20, 2020
What a beautifully written story regarding the
emotional lost of a cheating husband, the loss
of her son and daughter to college years, loss
of her script opportunity as a playwright and
mostly the loss of her mother who was her
best friend.
The funeral presents Elise with a conundrum!!
She meets a woman who remembers her
mother’s and Mackinac Island. What happened
there?? Elise never heard her mother mention
Mackinac Island. What took place there?
Could it lead Elise to her unknown father?
Come along with Elise as she finds her mother’s
diaries which will lead her to Mackinac Island.
The cast consists of well defined, interesting
and cleverly created characters.
The story is plot it took the reader right into
the midst of the action.
I volunteered to read Lost Memories. Thanks
to the author for the opportunity. My opinion
is voluntary and my own.
Looking forward to going with Elise to
Mackinac Island.
emotional lost of a cheating husband, the loss
of her son and daughter to college years, loss
of her script opportunity as a playwright and
mostly the loss of her mother who was her
best friend.
The funeral presents Elise with a conundrum!!
She meets a woman who remembers her
mother’s and Mackinac Island. What happened
there?? Elise never heard her mother mention
Mackinac Island. What took place there?
Could it lead Elise to her unknown father?
Come along with Elise as she finds her mother’s
diaries which will lead her to Mackinac Island.
The cast consists of well defined, interesting
and cleverly created characters.
The story is plot it took the reader right into
the midst of the action.
I volunteered to read Lost Memories. Thanks
to the author for the opportunity. My opinion
is voluntary and my own.
Looking forward to going with Elise to
Mackinac Island.
September 17, 2020
Excellent short read! Katie has done it again, excellent character portrayal. While the story is sad, you develop the idea it’s going to completely change soon. Great story line for what many of us go through in our 40’s as the life we’ve known changes drastically as the children move on and parents pass.
Can’t wait to see how this story plays out!
Can’t wait to see how this story plays out!
September 17, 2020
First book of a new series by Katie Winters. Elise has always wanted to learn about her father and it takes a tragedy for her to learn about the summer her mom got pregnant with her. Great cast of characters- with elise, her mom allison, and the kids brad and penny. Can’t wait to see what happens in Michigan!
Free ARC provided for a fair and unbiased review.
Free ARC provided for a fair and unbiased review.
September 21, 2020
Grab this book today! What an amazing and intriguing book. The storyline is definitely awesome; the characters are really interesting; plot twists and turns are great; and the draw for Book 2 is outrageous! I can’t wait to see what happens next!! (I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and thoroughly enjoyed it!) ❤️
April 30, 2025
Too. Bad
I absolutely hate books that just leave you hanging so you will read the next one. Had I known that up front I would not have started it and as a result I will read no more of Katie Winters books. Too Bad because it was a good store - as far as it went. I know my loss, nut I have added another author to my list to avoid!!!
I absolutely hate books that just leave you hanging so you will read the next one. Had I known that up front I would not have started it and as a result I will read no more of Katie Winters books. Too Bad because it was a good store - as far as it went. I know my loss, nut I have added another author to my list to avoid!!!
September 19, 2020
This was a short women's fiction story about Elisa who recently divorced, saw her kids off to college, had her screenplay rejected, and lost her mother. At the funeral she could have asked for the phone number of the woman who talked about her mother and Mackinac Island but she doesn't. Instead she finds her mother's diaries and has more questions. I did not like that this book ends abruptly requiring you to purchase the next book to solve the mystery. I usually avoid books with to be continued, but I didn't realize it was like that when I was offered a review copy by the author.
September 25, 2020
Too short
This author has a bad habit of ending her books too soon. Unfortunately I read two before one in no time at all. Are they self edited (I did find errors)? Does she just want to sell more books? What’s up with an hour’s read? Like the writing, like the story, just frustrated regarding just getting the story and it stops.
This author has a bad habit of ending her books too soon. Unfortunately I read two before one in no time at all. Are they self edited (I did find errors)? Does she just want to sell more books? What’s up with an hour’s read? Like the writing, like the story, just frustrated regarding just getting the story and it stops.
November 7, 2022
When Elise's mother died unexpectedly, Elise felt the loss deeply. She'd never known who her father was as her mother had refused to talk about the subject. But as she was going through her mothers things after the funeral, Elise discovered the diary her mother had kept during the year that she'd gotten pregnant. Not only had her mother never spoken about Elise's father, but she had apparently hidden the fact that she had worked for a time as a personal assistant for actress Jane Seymour during the filming of the movie "Somewhere in Time" on Mackinac Island.
Having never known anything about it, Elise finds herself traveling to Mackinac Island, Michigan to try and discover more of her mother's hidden past, and maybe even manage to discover and hopefully meet her father.
I really enjoyed reading this 4-book boxed set. I grew up in Michigan myself and spent two summers working on Mackinac Island while in college. I also loved the movie "Somewhere in Time." Anyone who has spent any time working on the island, will learn many stories from year round residents about the time that Ms. Seymour and her co-star Christopher Reeves were filming on the island. I know that I certainly did.
The four books flowed so seamlessly into one another that it felt more like I was reading one book rather than four books packaged together. The author must have spent at least some time visiting the island as her descriptions of the more notable landmarks were pretty accurate. It brought back to me many memories of my time on the island.
I think that this story will appeal to those who have visited the island or who have seen the movie "Somewhere in Time" as well as to anyone who enjoys contemporary romance tales.
Edited to add: When I went to post my review of the box set, it appears that the box set is no longer available, and what I read appears to have been republished as books 1 & 2 in a 6 book series. (In other words, you'll need to buy both books if you want to enjoy what I have read thus far, and it looks like I'll need to read the remaining 4 books in the series to find out what happens next.)
Having never known anything about it, Elise finds herself traveling to Mackinac Island, Michigan to try and discover more of her mother's hidden past, and maybe even manage to discover and hopefully meet her father.
I really enjoyed reading this 4-book boxed set. I grew up in Michigan myself and spent two summers working on Mackinac Island while in college. I also loved the movie "Somewhere in Time." Anyone who has spent any time working on the island, will learn many stories from year round residents about the time that Ms. Seymour and her co-star Christopher Reeves were filming on the island. I know that I certainly did.
The four books flowed so seamlessly into one another that it felt more like I was reading one book rather than four books packaged together. The author must have spent at least some time visiting the island as her descriptions of the more notable landmarks were pretty accurate. It brought back to me many memories of my time on the island.
I think that this story will appeal to those who have visited the island or who have seen the movie "Somewhere in Time" as well as to anyone who enjoys contemporary romance tales.
Edited to add: When I went to post my review of the box set, it appears that the box set is no longer available, and what I read appears to have been republished as books 1 & 2 in a 6 book series. (In other words, you'll need to buy both books if you want to enjoy what I have read thus far, and it looks like I'll need to read the remaining 4 books in the series to find out what happens next.)
May 10, 2022
Good Start to Drries
Great start with solid storyline about Elise's father and her deceased mom. Elise's husband has divorced her for a younger woman and her children are close to Elise, who loves them dearly. They have been together for her mom's funeral. Elise found her Mom's diary and has gone on her first Midwest trip to Mackinac Island. She likes be a the island, but difficulty with one of her stepsiblings. Great great with roller coaster rides of emotions and mysteries and finding love??
Great start with solid storyline about Elise's father and her deceased mom. Elise's husband has divorced her for a younger woman and her children are close to Elise, who loves them dearly. They have been together for her mom's funeral. Elise found her Mom's diary and has gone on her first Midwest trip to Mackinac Island. She likes be a the island, but difficulty with one of her stepsiblings. Great great with roller coaster rides of emotions and mysteries and finding love??
July 11, 2022
Love Mackinac Island
I bought this book because I live in Michigan and like many others love Mackinac Island. The stories premise was intriguing as well, as it revolves around the movie Somewhere in Time being filmed there. Although the writing was a little disjointed in places and some things were missed in editing such as the phrase brass tacks being written as brass tax, I’ll still be buying the next installment because that’s the only way to find out what happens next. Yes, it’s one of those books that you need to keep buying the next to see what happens.
I bought this book because I live in Michigan and like many others love Mackinac Island. The stories premise was intriguing as well, as it revolves around the movie Somewhere in Time being filmed there. Although the writing was a little disjointed in places and some things were missed in editing such as the phrase brass tacks being written as brass tax, I’ll still be buying the next installment because that’s the only way to find out what happens next. Yes, it’s one of those books that you need to keep buying the next to see what happens.
September 7, 2024
Great start
Mackinac Island is probably one of my favorite places to read about that I’ve not visited yet. I’m so excited to find a new series to read.
Full of secrets, mean people, and possible love. Elise is trying to find her dad whom she has never met after her mother’s unexpected death. Her short time on the island has already been full of excitement. Most not good excitement.
Let’s see how book two goes.
Mackinac Island is probably one of my favorite places to read about that I’ve not visited yet. I’m so excited to find a new series to read.
Full of secrets, mean people, and possible love. Elise is trying to find her dad whom she has never met after her mother’s unexpected death. Her short time on the island has already been full of excitement. Most not good excitement.
Let’s see how book two goes.
December 5, 2024
I have fallen in love with this author! I have read two other series she has written and now have started on the series “Secrets of Mackinac Island”. She never disappoints! I found myself thinking of the characters throughout my day and looking forward to picking up in my reading to see what happens next. You won’t be disappointed!
January 3, 2021
Will continue reading this series.
Great story which sparked my interest because I lived in Michigan & had been to Mackinac Island many times. I remember when Somewhere In Time was filmed that & saw the movie several times.
Great story which sparked my interest because I lived in Michigan & had been to Mackinac Island many times. I remember when Somewhere In Time was filmed that & saw the movie several times.
January 29, 2021
Michigan Mackinac Island
Been to the island several times, my oldest daughter worked up there for
2 summers. Plus I love the movie "somewhere in time". I will recommend this book to both my daughter and my sister who actually stayed in the Grand Hotel.
Been to the island several times, my oldest daughter worked up there for
2 summers. Plus I love the movie "somewhere in time". I will recommend this book to both my daughter and my sister who actually stayed in the Grand Hotel.
February 27, 2021
I only gave it 3 stars because it was so short. I thought I was reading the Kindle sample before purchase and bam! It was the end. There are 6 books. Every other one is free. Kind of a tacky way to entice readers in my opinion.
January 23, 2022
This caught my attention because I love Mackinac Island. But it is 60+ pages long and leaves you hanging so you have to read book 2 and so forth. It would make a great BOOK if it was all together and not in 6 little 60+ page novellas.
I do not understand why an author would do this.
I do not understand why an author would do this.
April 4, 2023
Lost Memories
A life full of adventures and love! Betrayal abides but is left to progress away! The characters find that mystery is part of life and hard work is needed to find the answers!
A life full of adventures and love! Betrayal abides but is left to progress away! The characters find that mystery is part of life and hard work is needed to find the answers!
September 17, 2020
A short story to introduce us to Mackinac Island ... Elise will take us to Michigan as she learns more about her past. I'm looking forward to hearing more from Elise and Michigan.
December 12, 2020
This was one of the best series I’ve ever read, I was there experiencing it all, I want a vacation on this island of possibilities! Very very impressed!
February 7, 2021
Good book
July 21, 2021
Another good story
I must admit, again, that I got a bit lost here and there but figure that's part of the lure of the story
I must admit, again, that I got a bit lost here and there but figure that's part of the lure of the story
July 31, 2021
Great lead up to book 2
Don’t be disappointed with the abrupt ending … cue book 2.
Glad I knew this was coming… I am off to book two!
Don’t be disappointed with the abrupt ending … cue book 2.
Glad I knew this was coming… I am off to book two!
Read
September 8, 2021This book was an enjoyable one for me and went on to the read the 2nd book.
April 17, 2022
I hated that the first book stopped so suddenly, now I have to wait for the next book
June 3, 2022
Great read!
Great book! Constantly keeps you interested in the story! I hope the rest of the series is as good as this book!
Great book! Constantly keeps you interested in the story! I hope the rest of the series is as good as this book!
January 16, 2023
can’t stop reading
So realistic and intriguing. I couldn’t stop reading. I love how the movie Somewhere In Time evolved in the story
So realistic and intriguing. I couldn’t stop reading. I love how the movie Somewhere In Time evolved in the story
February 1, 2023
Good read
This was a good book. Looking forward to the rest of the series. I live in Michigan and have been to Mackinac Island many times. Its amazing in October.
This was a good book. Looking forward to the rest of the series. I live in Michigan and have been to Mackinac Island many times. Its amazing in October.
November 14, 2023
HeArtwarming
Loved all the characters. Like how there were so many different things happening. Love Elise and Wayne's relationship. Slow and not jumping into it immediately.
Loved all the characters. Like how there were so many different things happening. Love Elise and Wayne's relationship. Slow and not jumping into it immediately.
January 8, 2024
Growing
A good story of a life coming together. Description of Mackinac are fairly accurate but still leaves things to be desired.
A good story of a life coming together. Description of Mackinac are fairly accurate but still leaves things to be desired.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews