Recommended Reading Order for By the Sea
The best way to experience Kay Bratt's By the Sea series is in order of publication. Because the stories are set in the same tight-knit Maui community and feature overlapping characters whose personal journeys and relationships evolve over time, reading them sequentially provides the most satisfying experience.
- True to Me (2019)
- No Place Too Far (2020)
- Into the Blue (2021)
The By the Sea Books in Detail
1. True to Me (Published December 10, 2019)
The trilogy opens with Quinn Maguire, whose life is turned upside down by her mother's deathbed confession. Learning that the man she thought was her father actually isn't, Quinn journeys to Maui, Hawaii, to uncover the secrets of her mother's past and her own identity.
2. No Place Too Far (Published September 1, 2020)
The second book shifts focus to Maggie Dalton, a single mother who fled a persistent stalker to seek refuge in Maui. As Maggie attempts to build a new life with the help of her friend Quinn, signs emerge that her past has followed her to the island.
3. Into the Blue (Published March 19, 2021)
The final book focuses on the Monroe family. Matriarch Jules Monroe runs a local charter boat business but is pushed to her physical and emotional limits. Meanwhile, her veteran son Jonah struggles with childhood trauma, and her daughter Kira's sudden disappearance after a morning jog sends shockwaves through the community.
Reading Guidance and Caveats
While each novel introduces a new central protagonist and focuses on a different set of personal challenges, they are closely linked by their setting and recurring characters. Reading No Place Too Far before True to Me will spoil major plot points regarding Quinn's family discovery and resolution. Similarly, the community relationships established in the first two books set the stage for the events in Into the Blue. Therefore, we highly recommend sticking to the publication order.