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

Excellent book
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.

Emotional story!
Excellently captivating emotional story of a bold woman who discovers enigmatic truths that surround her family while also earning herself a loving and caring household!

Nice
Interesting plot and twists and turns. Liked the unusual idea and developments except for the very predictable marriage in the end, though I liked it.

Un libro muy entretenido

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.

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)