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.
Katie 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.
Come transport yourself to Martha's Vineyard: an island of vivid blue ocean, white sand, and a lively community of locals, who celebrate everything from the bright New England summers to the cold, yet cozy, snowcapped winters.
Secrets of Mackinac Island: Complete Boxed Set is by Katie Winters. I chose the boxed set since each of these books if very short and deals with the people in a small town. Elise has just gone through a divorce, her children have left for college, her screen script has been turned down by a buyer, her Mother has just died and she feels like she has lost her way. As she is thanking people for coming to her Mother’s funeral, one woman comes up and ends up telling her that her Mother worked on Mackinac Island in Michigan when she was young. Elise is flabbergasted. She thought her Mother had told her everything; but evidently, she has not. Elise realizes that the timing of her Mother being there was just right for her own conception. Maybe she can find out who her Father is. She heads for Mackinac Island to see what she can find. If all she gets from this trip is to get her writing back, it will be worth it. However, meeting the people on the Island turns into being a trip to the past.
Elise Darby finds out her mother had a secret that started in Michigan’s Mackinac Island. Something she had never known her whole life. She travels there to discover secrets her mother held and things about herself she never knew.
I began with the first book of the series and was quite disappointed that there was no mention of mackinac island until the very end. However, I’m glad I listened to tug in my heart to keep going. I knew I had to continue with the whole series. It read wonderful as one novel, not individual shorter stories. I switched over to the complete series and basically ignored the book breaks and read as one novel. With mackinac island being one of my most favorite vacation spots when I was younger, I enjoyed this series which took me back and I could picture myself being there again!
Highly recommend to those who love mackinac and a good romance novel!
Wonderful series set around Mackinac Island, the family who 'owns' basically the Island, and Eliese who has come for answers after her life has been shattered in numerous ways. Great descriptive writing of people and their personalities. Just enough intrigue and twists with turns that keeps one glued to this series.
I don’t usually read romances but the Mackinac Island setting grabbed me as it is really a magical place. I got the series on KU so I was able to read all six novellas as a complete novel. The author did a great job with the characters, I felt like I knew Elise and was cheering for her all along. There were enough twists to keep it interesting and I was sad to finish it.
This Series felt so real! Allison Darby was an extraordinary mother and person! She was positive about love and life and passed those attributes on to her daughter and grands! I give a Big 5 to Katie Winters!
Totally stupid the mother was a cheater having an affair with a married man with 3 children . Father Dean was a scumbag too cheating in his wife and 3 kids . Boring and no truly likeable characters .
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This was a quick and easy read. I cannot believe that the main character and her friends are scriptwriters. Their grammar is horrible! Her children’s grammar was lacking. Where were the proofreaders? To let the mistakes pass is the equivalent of the dumbing down of American readers.
Didn't want this to end! Enjoyed them all! Well written book! Look forward to more from this author. Dying to visit Mackinac Island even more than before🐇💗