Life turns upside down for two sisters in Wall Street Journal bestselling author Jamie Beck’s emotional novel about how secrets and differences can break—or bind—a family.
Sisters Amanda Foster and Erin Turner have little in common except the childhood bedroom they once shared and the certainty each feels that her way of life is best. Amanda follows the rules—at the school where she works; in … school where she works; in her community; and as a picture-perfect daughter, wife, and mother-to-be. Erin follows her heart—in love and otherwise—living a bohemian lifestyle on a shoestring budget and honoring her late father’s memory with a passion for music and her fledgling bath-products business.
The sisters are content leading separate but happy lives in their hometown of Potomac Point until everything is upended by lies that force them to confront unsettling truths about their family, themselves, and each other. For sisters as different as these two, building trust doesn’t come easily—especially with one secret still between them—but it may be the only way to save their family.
more
I loved this book about very different sisters. Beck is a very smart, insightful writer.
This book is somewhat of a departure for the author. It is not her typical HEA romance. They are all wonderful (read them all) and though a departure, truly wonderful. It may be may be my favorite best thus far and I have truly loved all of her other books. It’s about a complicated family, warts and all. The story revolves around two sisters. They are so very different that it is shocking that they are related. They couldn’t be more different even if they put forth herculean effort. Amanda what always been a rule follower. When you follow the rules there are no surprises and people tend to like and accept you. Then there is Erin. She lives a total bohemian free spirit existence and dances to her own tune even at her sisters expense. Their relationship has never been easy and has caused tension in the family forever, but that is mostly due to their mother. When their father dies they all must come together to support each other as well as deal with all of the other things going on in their collective lives. The writing is stellar, the character development wonderful and so much drama. It brings out all kinds of feelings while reading. Much realistic, but the way things changed in one sentence with the mom left me scratching my head. No one would be so accepting nor should they be. Go treat yourself to a copy of his book. I am very much looking forward to the next in the series.
This is an emotional book predominantly about 3 women, 2 sisters and their mother, who are all going through different issues after the death of their father and husband. Now Amanda has found out her husband is having an affair and left her while she is pregnant and after “borrowing” a significant amount of money from her mother and then disappeared. Erin is barely hanging on and finally kicks out her loser boyfriend who steals her dad’s albums he left her. She tracks them down and in the process meets Eli, a widower, another story line, and gets them back. In the meantime, mom is slowly destructing and to keep an eye on her Erin moves home. That is a basic premise to the story, so much happens and this truly dysfunctional family had me spinning and wanting to put the book down more than once but at the same time I wanted to find out what was going to happen next. I wavered between 3.5 and 4 stars for this one but ultimately would recommend it.
WOW!!! This story definitely has all the feels!! If You Must Know by the talented Jamie Beck, book one in her new Potomac Point series, is a story of family, slightly dysfunctional and two sisters who are totally different; sharing a room was their only thing in common. Amanda, the middle child, is a rule follower, people pleaser, perfect daughter, wife, and mother to be. Erin, the youngest, is a free-spirit, ruled by her heart and quite impulsive. Erin enjoys her bohemian lifestyle, honoring her late father’s memory with her passion for music. Her bath-products business is just getting off the ground and is starting to take-off. Both sisters are happy leading separate but happy lives in their hometown, until everything is becomes chaotic when they are forced to confront disturbing facts and lies about their family, themselves, and each other. This also allows for the sisters to understand and get to know each other better, improving their relationship.
Ms. Beck writes to the soul; the soul of her characters as well as the readers. This wonderful and amazing tale was emotional, and moving, filled with wonderful dialogue, and endearing characters that is must read. I highly recommend If You Must Know to other readers.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
In perfect prose, Jamie Beck weaves a story of two sisters at odds, relationships in peril, and lives turned upside down. A testament to the strength of family — and the beauty of forgiveness — If You Must Know is a summer read with staying power and a poignant reminder that what we need most will always find its way back to us.
Sisters, as different as night and day.
Amanda, perfect home, perfect teaching job, perfect everything until it’s not. Not a risk taker, she prefers to be the good sister.
Erin, flighty, a free spirit, yoga instructor, takes problems head on. She loves unique and will always take the road less traveled, with not a care in world how she is perceived.
Living in the same town, they don’t interact as much as most sisters in close proximity might. Now, tragedy and betrayal force them to become closer.
I enjoyed this book and although there were weighty issues, it was well written and thought out. I liked the way Amanda and Erin had examine themselves and their relationship with each other and their parents. An enjoyable women’s fiction.
What a emotional read. Heartbreak, growing, learning about yourself, self worth, family. So many emotions in this book. Amanda has been betrayed and Erin needs to find her path in life. When the unthinkable happens to Amanda , Erin really comes in to support her sister. The love they all have for each other but always have hid their true feelings. Their mom also has been handling grief very hard after losing her husband. Just the love and loyalty to each other alone makes this a amazing book.
I received a advanced copy for a voluntary honest review by the Author. Highly recommend this book and Author.
Absorbing, hopeful, and bittersweet!
If You Must Know is a heartwarming, engaging tale set in the small-town of Potomac Point that takes us into the lives of two main characters. Erin, a free spirit who is fun-loving and kind but often impulsive and reckless, and Amanda, a straightlaced, happily married, pregnant teacher whose idyllic world is suddenly shattered when her husband runs off with another woman and all of her mother’s savings.
The writing is smooth and fluid. The characterization is well-developed with an intriguing cast of characters, including two generations of strong, determined women who must learn to support forgive and embrace the future. And the plot is a delightful blend of heart, hope, angst, grief, drama and love.
If You Must Know is, ultimately, a story about family dynamics, heartbreak, secrets, friendship, loss, dreams, regrets, romance, contentment, sibling rivalry, discovering one’s true self, and the complex relationship between sisters. It’s a sweet, tender, emotional tale that does a lovely job of reminding us that no matter how challenging life might often seem things always seem to work themselves out in the end.
You know one of the hardest tricks to pull off is making a book easy to read. LIke it’s not easy writing a page-turner and Jamie Beck really nails that quality in this book. There are plenty of questions I was dying to know the answer to and it was all written in this breezy style – which is HARD. Hats off to Jamie. (
I feel this novel is a natural progression of Ms. Beck’s writing. Starting with her St. James series, her stories have mined emotional depths, deep character development, and integrating issues such as suicide, alcoholism, homelessness, disabilities, cancer, and PTSD, all within a romance format. This style, for me, is what sets her books apart from most authors. The book under review, If You Must Know, continues the deep character development and emotional depths of the focal two sisters, while backing away from the boundaries of the romance format. The romance is still there but is not the focus of the book.
As much as I dislike the “women’s fiction” characterization of novels written by romance novelists, this novel, with great heart and depth, is clearly women’s fiction and not romance. And as is typical of Ms. Beck’s other books, plenty of trivia enters this book. If you enjoy Ms. Beck’s writing style, or simply enjoy a narrative that explores the changing relationship between two very different sisters, then you should enjoy this book. I recommend this book to anyone who appreciates excellent fiction.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing the book.
If You Must Know was a well-written story that held my attention from beginning to end. I especially loved Erin and Eli! I look forward to the next book in this series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy from NetGalley.
I ended up really enjoying this. At first I wasn’t too fond of the characters but as they worked through some of the huge issues facing this family of women they won me over. Mostly. The Mom was still a piece of work in my opinion. This book was wonderfully written, the characters were well developed and the storyline interesting so overall very well done. I would definitely recommend it.
For the most part, I tend to stick to reading romance books. However, there are times that I want to dig into a good women’s fiction or chick-lit book. So, If You Must Know by Jamie Beck was my palate cleanser for this month. There is a little bit of a romance with one of the main characters, but it’s not the main focus of this book. The book mainly focuses on the relationship between the two main characters and their relationship with other family members.
What I loved about the book: The book unfolds via two points of view of sisters Amanda and Erin. Opposites in almost every way, they have never really felt like sisters growing up. I really loved the insights into each character. As a mom, I wanted to stick them in a room together to force them to talk it out and no longer feel hurt and disillusioned by their lack of a real sister relationship. It was heartbreaking that they felt like each other was the favored child of a parent. And I really wanted to shake their mother and scream at her that she needed to wake up and get over herself and her desire for her family to be seen only as one that has no conflict and is picture-perfect. That’s just not reality, and she was hurting her kids in such a profound way.
What I didn’t like about the book: Honestly? Nothing. I’m always a little wary when diving into a book like this that it won’t hold my interest. This was definitely not the case with this book. I quite simply devoured it.
NICUnurse’s Rating: If You Must Know was full of mystery, intrigue, and angst. The intrigue may not have been on the level of the romantic suspense and thriller books that I love so much, but the author did a great job of dropping these little breadcrumbs in each chapter that had me curious enough––and invested enough––to not want to put the book down even when I needed sleep. And the estranged relationship between these sisters broke my heart. I cried several times at how each of them felt misunderstood and judged by each other and their parents. If you’re looking for a romantic read, this isn’t that kind of book. But if you’re looking for a book that will tug at your heartstrings and intrigue that will keep you thinking, “Just one more chapter,” then this is a book you will definitely want to dive into.
I give If You Must Know by Jamie Beck 5 out of 5 stars!
Erin and Amanda are sisters that are as different as night & day. This story follows their lives as they move their way closer to each other & the realization that family is your support system. I enjoyed the way their personalities changed & matured as they went through their troubles. Ms. Beck has always created characters that invoke emotional reactions as you read & experience their lives. As her initial foray into women’s fiction, I think she did an excellent job & I can’t wait to see how it continues.
4.5 stars
Man, this story is a gut-punch. The women in this family are put through the ringer. As much as they love each other, they don’t seem to be able to relate to each other. Words said in solidarity or support are often taken wrong and end up hurting instead of helping.
There is certainly plenty of foreshadowing for the reader; the catalyst to Erin and Amanda making amends and finding their way to being supportive sisters are obvious. This story isn’t about their woes, but how they handle those problems and learn to work together.
While I love Erin and feel very deeply for her and how she’s treated by her mom and sister, I still found myself identifying with Amanda even more. Not her circumstances or even how she reacts to things, I am not a people pleaser like her, but the feelings in her that cause her to react the way she reacts. The middle child, introvert in me could clearly see Amanda in a way that almost hurt. Even when I was ticked at Amanda for being blind to the way her comments and her mom’s comments effected Erin, I still understood her. Jamie Beck really outdid herself in the development of the main characters in this book.
I can’t lay all the blame on Amanda. Erin does her part of keeping her family at arm’s length. She’s conditioned to believe anything she says or does will be met with derision, or even totally disregarded. But sometimes she reacts before giving her family a chance. And while Amanda may be blind to Erin’s hurts, Erin also doesn’t truly see how her actions have bothered Amanda throughout her life.
This story is a bit depressing, but there is a ray of hope that is woven throughout. The book ends on a good note, like a rainbow after a storm.
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for a complimentary copy of If You Must Know by Jamie Beck for the purpose of reading and reviewing prior to publication. My opinions are my own and no one influenced them.
If You Must Know is not the typical novel Jamie Beck normally writes, so I understood before I read it, it wasn’t a romance. As with Ms’ Beck’s other novels, the book is well written with complex characters and an intriguing plot.
This is a story of two sisters with vastly different personalities. They clash a lot. Amanda is the dutiful daughter and wife and favored by her mother. Erin is the adventurous one and was very close to their father who has passed. The mother is essential to the plot. There’s a lot going on in this one, lots of drama.
Amanda Foster’s character believes she’s happy and is pregnant with her husband’s baby when she uncovers secrets that will forever change her life. Her pain and feelings of betrayal are heartbreaking. She’s lived her life trying to please her loved ones. I could identify with her emotions since I too have had times where I felt less than.
Erin Turner’s character is footloose and fancy free. She roamed Europe and loves adventure. Since she was so much like her father, they shared a special bond. She tends to avoid any kind of serious relationship. She’s always believed her mother favored Amanda and it caused a rift between them from a young age.
The mother is deeply grieving her late husband and has become forgetful to the point she backed into her garage door, burned pans on the store, among a few things. Amanda fears her mother may have early onset dementia, which runs in the family, so she asks Erin to move in, citing a need to save money for a new place to live. This aspect of the story is helpful in seeing and understanding the dynamics going on between the three main characters.
If you enjoy stories with complex characters and family disfunction, then you should love If You Must Know as much as I. Since this is the first book in the series, I look forward to the continuing saga. This book is not a cliff hanger, so it does have an excellent resolution. If you prefer romances, this might not be the book for you. Happy reading!
3.5 Stars
First in a new series by Jamie Beck set in a small town. I’ve enjoyed her previous series (Sanctuary Sound) which centered around childhoodfriends, and was more of a romance. This book focuses on sisters Amanda and Erin. Sisters different as night and day. Amanda..buttoned up, the good girl, Mom’s favorite. Erin..free spirit, pushes the envelope, Dad’s favorite. The girls, along with their brother and Mom, are still dealing from the sudden death of their beloved father. Amanda and husband Lyle are awaiting the birth of their first child when a bombshell is dropped.
Loved the dynamics between the sisters, and with their Mom. Mom is grieving hard and showing signs of stress and health issues. This story moved a little slow for me at times but the writing was good. Told from each sisters point of view, which I liked since they were so different. Enjoyed the change of dynamics between sisters, watching them mature and change. Found the family dynamics very realistic and relatable. I look forward to reading the next in the series.
Thanks to Ms. Beck, Montlake Romance and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.
If You Must Know Potomac Point by Jamie Beck is the First book in the Potomac Point Series. This is the story of Amanda and Erin who are sisters. Although they are sisters, they have never been close and each chooses a different path in life from the very start. Amanda choose to be the good daughter who followed the rules, married and became a school teacher. Whereas, Erin took the path of a free spirit, taking live as it came and never not giving back attitude. When they father dies it starts the break in the lives they have chosen and the closeness they lack. This was a really good page turning story.
A great read with a crazy cast of characters each unique with their own faults and short comings, a family dynamic that is truly lacking with all that entails, and three women trying to heal from the loss of a husband/father and all the other things that life has thrown at them. One finds the power it takes to say no, to choose herself and her child and the strength to continue to grow. Another finds herself growing, becoming someone she can be proud of and a relationship with the sister she never had before. And their mother may just find that living without her husband is painful, but life is worth living and both her daughters deserve to be loved and treated with respect despite their differences.
What a great book! The story was very interesting with all the intricate family relationships and of course Lyle and his issues. I really appreciated how relationships were being worked on and repaired, in a way. I also loved Erin and how she took the lead so to speak to help her sister with the Lyle situation, she stepped up, but Amanda took control of things in her own life as well. The ending with the sisters I thought was a fitting way to tie this story up.