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Mary Campisi

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A Family Affair: A Small Town Family Saga (Truth In Lies Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Mary Campisi (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.2 20,714 ratings

Book 1 of 23: Truth In Lies

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Real families aren't always the ones you know about...

A Family Affair is where it all began...Heartache, Betrayal, Forgiveness, Redemption...all wrapped up in the people you will love to love, and those you will love to hate!

When Christine Blacksworth's larger-than-life father is killed on an icy road in Magdalena, New York, a hundred miles from the 'getaway' cabin he visited every month, she discovers a secret that threatens everything she's always held to be true. Her father has another family which includes a mistress and a daughter.

Determined to uncover the truth behind her father's secret life, Christine heads to Magdalena, prepared to hate the people who have caused her to question everything she thought she knew about her father. But what she finds is a woman who understands her, a half sister who cherishes her, and a man who could love her if she'll let him. The longer she's around them, the more she questions which family is the real one. . .

Attention Book Clubs: A Family Affair is filled with moral ambiguity, difficult choices, and second chances - all great topics for conversation and contemplation. Go to marycampisi.com to get a printable list of questions for your discussion.

Truth in Lies Series:
Book One: A Family Affair
Book Two: A Family Affair: Spring
Book Three: A Family Affair: Summer
Book Four: A Family Affair: Fall
Book Five: A Family Affair: Christmas, a novella
Book Six: A Family Affair: Winter
Book Seven: A Family Affair: The Promise
Book Eight: A Family Affair: The Secret
Book Nine: A Family Affair: The Wish
Book Ten: A Family Affair: The Gift
Book Eleven: A Family Affair: The Weddings, a novella
Book Twelve: A Family Affair: The Cabin, a novella
Book Thirteen: A Family Affair: The Return
Book Fourteen: A Family Affair: The Choice
Book Fifteen: A Family Affair: The Proposal
Book Sixteen: A Family Affair: Bonus Scenes
Book Seventeen: A Family Affair: The Homecoming
Book Eighteen: A Family Affair: The Decision Book Nineteen: A Family Affair: The JourneyBook Twenty: A Family Affair: The List
Meals From Magdalena: A Family Affair Cookbook

Bonus Material: Included with this e-book is the first chapter of A Family Affair: Spring, Book 2 in the Truth in Lies series.

KEY THEMES: secret family, sisters, Catskills, perennial garden club, getaway cabin, bed and breakfast, enemies to lovers, opposites attract, second chances.

From the Publisher

dreams, romance, hope, mary campisi, family, affair, women, mistress, small town, redemption, real

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A Family Affair is a heart-wrenching story which makes one pause to think about what is real." - Budden Reviews buddenbookreviews.com/drama/a-family-affair/

From the Author

Several years ago, I read an article about a man who'd kept a secret family for years without anyone's knowledge. I was fascinated that someone could and would actually do this. That one small article lived in my subconscious for years, emerging occasionally as I considered how a person might achieve this, the effects on the primary family as well as the other family, the pain, the grief, the anger, the emotional, financial and psychological entanglements between the two, and the ultimate question; which was the real family? I became so engrossed with the emotion of the situation that I knew I had to create my own characters and my own story and so emerged, A Family Affair

From the Inside Flap

In another week or so he'd be able to get back to his own place, back to seclusion, where the loudest noise at night was a flip between a screech owl and a log crackling on the fire. Just the way he liked it. The majority of the human species was nothing but an annoying intrusion on his state of mind and other than the times when he had to interact with them, he preferred to be alone. Of course, family didn't fit into that category, just everyone else. His mother said he was afraid to open up after what happened three years ago. She was wrong; he didn't care about Patrice anymore, didn't even think about her, not since the day the sheriff delivered the divorce papers. Nate heard she was remarried to some bank president in Palm Springs, drove a Lexus now. Probably silver; she'd always had a fondness for silver.

The doorbell rang again, twice, rapid staccato. "Hold on, hold on." Damn intrusive busy bodies. He reached the front door, preparing the same speech he told all the well-wishers. My mother's fine . . . needs her rest . . . she'll be in touch when she's up to it. She'd be furious if she had an inkling that he was blowing off people like Father Reisanski and Judge Tommichelli, but hell, did she have to be best friends with half the town?

He opened the door.

It was her.

"Hello. I'm looking for . . ."

Her voice was softer than he'd imagined, more breathy . . .

". . .this is a bit awkward . . . "

Her eyes were bluer than her picture . . .

"Lily Desantro. Is she here?"

That brought him around fast. "Who are you?" Stupid question, but damn if he'd let on he knew who she was.

She hesitated, a split second extra air exchange. "Christine Blacksworth. I'm . . . are you Nate Desantro?" He said nothing. Let her squirm.

"Is Lily here?"

"No."

"May I come in?" She tried to look around him, into the house, into their lives.

He blocked the door. "I don't think that's a good idea."

From the Back Cover

Real families aren't always the ones you know about...

About the Author

Mary Campisi writes emotion-packed books about second chances. Whether contemporary romances, women's fiction, or Regency historicals, her books all center on belief in the beauty of that second chance. Her small town romances center around family life, friendship, and forgiveness as they explore the issues of today's contemporary women.

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 mix, Cooper, or, on the perfect day, riding off into the sunset with her very own hero/husband on his Harley Ultra Limited.

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

Mary has published with Kensington, Carina Press, and The Wild Rose Press and she is currently working on the next book in her very popular Truth in Lies series, the A Family Affair books. This family saga is filled with heartache, betrayal, forgiveness and redemption in a small town setting.

website: marycampisi.com
e-mail: mary@marycampisi.com
blog: marycampisi.com/blog/
twitter: twitter.com/#!/MaryCampisi
facebook: facebook.com/marycampisibooks

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004OL2OKK
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mary Campisi; 2nd edition (January 6, 2014)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 6, 2014
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1776 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 270 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #3,597 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #30 in Saga Fiction
- #158 in Women's Romance Fiction

Customer Reviews:
4.2 20,714 ratings

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Mary Campisi

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Mary Campisi is the bestselling author of over 50 emotion-packed, romantic women’s fiction novels that center around hope, redemption, and second chances. Set in small towns, these books take readers through the lives of the characters as they encounter, misfortune, disappointment, and challenges to find hope, friendship and, in some cases, love. Growing up in a small town gives Mary a real sense of how people pull together to help others find their true destiny. Her stories will make you laugh and cry, but in the end, you’ll feel like you want to live in these towns, meet the residents for coffee or share a meal.

Mary’s Truth in Lies series, also known as the A Family Affair books, takes place in the Catskill Mountains and centers around the discovery of a man’s secret family that prompts the question, Which family is the real one? The continued success of this series is driven by readers wanting more and she’s created an equally compelling one with the Reunion Gap series.

Mary should have known she’d become a writer when at age thirteen she began changing the ending to all of 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-release-mailing-list/

Website: https://www.marycampisi.com

Email: mary@marycampisi.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marycampisibooks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaryCampisi

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mary-campisi

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5

20,714 global ratings

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C. Dionne

5 blue ribbons from Romance Junkies

Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2012

Verified Purchase

Christine Blacksworth lives for success, just like her father. The stock market and her clients take top priority but she's very careful to make sure to put in an appearance at family events her mother deems important. To not do so would incite her mother's wrath and that wouldn't be pleasant for anyone. One such event is the welcome home dinner for her father which signifies his return home from his `getaway' cabin every month. Only one month he doesn't arrive home - and his unexpected death, more than a hundred miles from the cabin triggers questions Christine is determined to have answered.

Nothing about Christine's father's death feels right. Why was he on a road so far from his cabin? Who was the young man who called to deliver the news of his death? And after talking with Charles' attorney and learning that a portion of his bequests goes to a mysterious person named Lily; Christine decides to travel to the cabin her dad visited monthly. Then she makes the trip to meet Lily. Christine's operating under the assumption that her father was having an affair and Lily was his lover, but once she reaches Magdalena, New York, she realizes that her father wasn't just having an affair; he had a whole other life - which included a mistress and a daughter.

Christine's prepared to hate the Desantro family. In fact, what she really wants is physical proof of her father's betrayal, that way her anger is completely justified. What she doesn't expect is to be denied access to Lily by Nate Desantro or the unexpected shock of learning that she has a sister. She certainly didn't anticipate feeling a sense of belonging amongst the Desantro family or a strong attraction to Nate. When it comes right down to it, Christine discovers there's a whole different side to her father that she never knew about - one that liked a simpler life, something her mother avoided at all costs.

Christine and Nate are at odds over almost everything pertaining to her father. She's extremely angry with her dad and Nate just flat out hated Charles. They have serious resentment issues to overcome and if it wasn't for Lily, Christine might not have bothered, but something about her half-sister keeps drawing her back to Magdalena - and helps open her heart to the possibilities of a different life than what she's living now.

A FAMILY AFFAIR takes your traditional family ideals and twists it about so that you can't help but admit that family is determined by more than DNA. Mary Campisi draws the reader into this story by invoking a variety of emotions, everything from fury and disappointment to genuine love and acceptance and incorporating enough suspenseful elements that I read the entire story in one sitting. The tension between Nate and Christine is completely understandable since he's trying to protect his family and Christine is doing the same for hers. One of the things that unite them is Lily and her easy acceptance of them. I really hadn't expected this story to be such an emotional journey and honestly I think a lot of its appeal has to do with Lily and the innocent way she views life and the people around her.

The whole time Christine's trying to come to grips with her father's death and the reality of another family, there's a whole other drama unfolding in her normal life. And I don't say drama lightly because it seems her mother really likes to be theatrical when it comes to manipulating her family. Fortunately Uncle Harry sees right through her and isn't above using a bit of blackmail to keep her in line.

Mary Campisi's A FAMILY AFFAIR is a delightful story that pulls at the heartstrings with its intriguing characters, stunning revelations, and an emotional rollercoaster as the two halves of Charles' life collide in a ferocious upheaval. Of course, he's deceased so isn't there to witness the havoc his decisions have caused.

Chrissy Dionne (courtesy of Romance Junkies)

3 people found this helpful

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BookEater99

Original and heartfelt...

Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2012

Verified Purchase

Christine Blasksworth's father died on a stretch of icy road he had traveled hundreds of times, leaving her family at a loss. Upon the reading of his will, she finds that there may be more to his trips than originally thought. Deciding to do a little investigating of her own, Christine finds herself in Magdalena, New York, face-to-face with his dirty little secret: another woman and an illegitimate child. Naturally, she is furious, with the woman, the child, her father. Then, as she starts to learn more about this family and the small town they live in, she starts to wonder: who was the real family, hers, or theirs?

This one really caught me off guard. I loved the premise, which is what brought me to read it, and when I opened it, I can't say that I was sucked right in, but I wanted to see where it was going and how it would all play out. Plus, the writing was solid, the characters well-developed and each with a distinct personality that I found intriguing.

Once I got into it, I discovered a story that was heartfelt. The author has a way of telling something seemingly so simple, but infusing each moment with passion, tenderness, and a caring so deep that it had me a little choked up at times. I could see it, feel it, and that is what really makes a story shine at the end of the day. I wanted to hate the father, but in the end, could only see it from a perspective of, if not right, then not totally wrong either. I could sense the struggle of all parties involved to live the life they had, surrounded by lies and treachery, but bound by love, devotion, and duty. The ending wasn't neat and tidy, cleaning up all the loose ends, and I felt that it was more true to life that way. Not everything could be wrapped up and smoothed overnight. It would take work, but for the moment, with the way it did end, it left me with the feeling that things were falling into place and that, no matter what Christine had to face tomorrow, she had found her slice of happiness that her father had been struggling to obtain, without all the messy strings and unanswered questions.

One person found this helpful

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rsml

May Be My Favorite

Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2014

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I REALLY, REALLY LOVED this book. I almost wish I had saved awarding a five star rating, just so that I could set this book apart.

I liked the heroine, Christine. At first, she seemed a little spoiled, but it quickly became evident that she was really a good person in spite of it. And I admired her for her courage in not playing games with Nate, the hero. She was willing to lay her heart on the line.

Uncle Harry was a wonderful secondary character - a broken man who no longer believed in himself, but believed in Christine and was willing to do anything to protect her. Nate was everything a hero should be -- handsome, strong, and vulnerable in his own guarded way.

Probably the most beautiful and most poignant part of the book is the story of Christine's dad, Charlie, his soulmate, Miriam, and his flawed, controlling, manipulative wife, Gloria. I was reduced to tears by this tortured, honorable man.

I also liked the author's style. Rather than limiting the viewpoint to one character, or even that or a storyteller, she switched viewpoints, but did it so well that there was never any difficulty in following who was thinking, talking or taking action. Also, although there were a few, the text was, for the most part, mercifully free of errors. I find those so distracting, and it is a real relief to find an author who has produced a well edited book. (OK, maybe that's the publisher, but to whomever, my congratulations for a job well done.

Bottom line is that I high recommend this book. I was a little surprised that we didn't hear more from Gloria at the end, but I have a feeling she will be back in book 2. But reading book 2 is not necessary in order to enjoy this book.

2 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

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Pauline

A family affair: A small town family saga (Truth in Lies Book 1)

Reviewed in Canada on May 17, 2023

Verified Purchase

A very compelling story of family secrets and cover up,s. A tale of true love conquering all and turning life into a sweet existence not ruled by greed and money

Aitziber

Muy recomendado

Reviewed in Spain on October 24, 2020

Verified Purchase

Un libro muy entretenido

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Sunita Gupta

Excellent book

Reviewed in India on January 19, 2017

Verified Purchase

Loved this book. Love to read all series's.....Usually I don't have much time to read but once I started reading this book I couldn't stop myself reading whole book.

Monica

Un buon romanzo, trama diversa dal solito

Reviewed in Italy on April 15, 2015

Verified Purchase

Christine perde il padre Charles in un incidente d'auto e viene a scoprire di un terribile segreto al momento della lettura del testamento: il padre per 14 anni ha avuto un'altra famiglia in una piccola cittadina, dove era solito recarsi per circa 4 gg al mese. Christine per capire i motivi del padre legati a tale gesto, si reca là per conoscere l'amante e scopre di avere una sorellastra Lily. Nate, il figlio di Miriam (l'amante), la detesta, perchè ha odiato Charles per il dolore che ha causato a sua madre per non essere stato in grado di scegliere una delle due famiglie.
Nel frattempo Gloria, la madre di Christine, deve vedersela con il fratello di Charles, Harry, il quale vorrebbe che lasciasse in pace la figlia, in modo che possa trovare la serenità che desidera.
Storia intricata, fatta di segreti e bugie familiari che si intrecciano gli uni con gli altri...in mezzo a tutto questo permane il desiderio di Cristine di conoscere suo padre, scoprire i motivi che l'hanno portato a tradire e a nascondere agli occhi di tutti una doppia famiglia.
I personaggi descritti hanno tutti una loro particolarità, che ti porta ad amarli o ad odiarli.
La famiglia di Christine è piena di segreti, bugie e minacce: la madre Gloria ha tradito più volte il marito ed il fratello Harry è un ricco viziato abituato ad avere tutto dalla vita. In questo si può capire il desiderio di Charles di scappare, ma allo stesso tempo la vigliaccheria dell'uomo di non essere stato in grado di scegliere l'amante, causando dolore e sofferenza nei confronti delle persone che lo amavano.
L'aspetto morale del romanzo lascia molto a desiderare, mostra come una persona per quanto stimata e benvoluta in realtà ha un lato marcio dentro di se: Miriam e Charles i due amanti clandestini sono dipinti agli occhi della piccola cittadina come santi, mentre in realtà lei è una donna che ha deciso di accettare di essere considerata seconda, e lui è un uomo incapace di rinunciare ad una delle due famiglie per puro egoismo.
Non ho dato 5 stelle per questo motivo, perchè secondo me l'autrice non ha dato risalto a come la situazione sia moralmente sbagliata, dando per scontato che la presenza sola dell'amore sia un motivo per perdonare tutto.

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Rani S

Lies, Secrets and Truths are uncovered!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 18, 2014

Verified Purchase

As mentioned by some previous reviewers, I agree I am very surprised this book is a freebie , its better then some bestselling novels that I have paid ten bucks for! I did download the book purely because it was a freebie and I liked the synopsis but I had never read any Mary Campisi before. Suffice to say after this book I will be reading a lot more from her. So if the point of the freebie was to get us hooked on Mary's books, its worked!

I actually read this book approximately a year ago but have now reread the book prior to reading the sequel Book2.

When Christina Blackworth's father dies, she discovers that her father led a double life and had another family in the town that he was killed. He hid the truth from his family in Chicago and visited this second family for a few days each month. Although the second family knows of the family in Chicago the same appears not to be the case for the family in Chicago with possibly the exception of Christina's mother who has kept the secret hidden well.Christina travels to Magdalena to discover the truth and finds a half sister, Lily who worships her and also finds she has more in common with Miriam, Lily's mother then she does with her own mother Gloria, who is very controlling. While there she also meets Nate, Miriam's son from a previous marriage and a powerful attraction builds up between the two. As a result she breaks her engagement off to Connor and finds herself travelling up for a few days each month (like her father) to meet with people who she grows closer to with each passing moment.Other lies and truths are also discovered including some doubts over Christina's parentage

I loved this book, there were so many hidden truths and lies which had to be unravelled that it kept me gripped from beginning to end. There were also many interesting developing relationships and attractions, including Nate's and Christina's and also Harry's and Greta's.In the end Christina has to choose what she really wants - a relationship for a few days a month or something more permanent.

The book is gripping, engaging, the characters are all memorable and the relationship between Christina and Nate is sizzling! This is by far the best book that Mary Campisi has written and I have read a few since I downloaded this freebie a year ago but only now writing a review for my favourite one!