Once I began reading this book I was unable to put it down. In fact, I didn't finish it until almost 3:00 AM. Beck draws readers into the heart of a family that has been fractured but still has love at its core. I found the dynamic between sisters Amanda and Erin to be most compelling but each sister's relationship with their mother was also filled with peaks and valleys as were the lingering effects of their relationships with their late father. With unexpected revelations and challenges in each woman's life creating chaos, not to mention intense sibling rivalry, it was anybody's guess if mother and daughters would find a way to mend the wounds that separated them or if they would break them apart for good.

Beck does a beautiful job of creating multi-layered characters who angered and frustrated me at various points during the book while, at others, I found myself empathizing with them and cheering them on. They are well-formed, realistic, and kept me engaged from start to finish. They've all accepted (even reveled in) their roles within the family. Beck uses the unexpected changes in their circumstances to foster introspection and growth which in turn fosters the evolution of their relationships with one another.

This is women's fiction, not romance, though both sisters have romantic relationships, one on the upswing and one headed for disaster. Woven skillfully into the overall story, those relationships do have an impact on who each sister is, who she has been, and who she has the potential to become. It's fascinating to watch how each of them handles chaos and betrayal (not surprisingly, they have very different reactions) and the ultimate impact each situation has on the relationship, or lack thereof, between sisters.

If you're looking for a story filled with fascinating characters, family relationships, a bit of a mystery, and a hopeful ending, tuck a copy of If You Must Know onto your summer reading list. I highly recommend it.

4.5 stars
*ARC received for fair and unbiased review

If You Must Know is the first in a new series by Jamie Beck. I've enjoyed books from this author in the past. This is a book about family - specifically sisters. They are different and aren't particularly close. This is a book about what happens when events pull them back together. The end of the book isn't exactly satisfying, but it's important for me to remember that it's just the first book in a series.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

This is a story of two sisters. Amanda believes she's living the perfect life-- a husband, beautiful home and a baby on the way. Erin is a free spirit who is happy teaching yoga and working on her fledgling soap business. But now secrets and lies threaten to tear apart their family.

For fans of Jamie Beck's romances, this is not a romance but a family drama. The story is told in alternating chapters between the two sisters. It's a story of simmering tension between family members, the relationship between Amanda and Erin and their dynamic with their mother.

I liked Erin's personality but had a hard time relating to Amanda. I also wasn't a fan of the immaturity shown by the mother towards her daughters. Erin's character showed the most growth of the three. While a part of the book stretched imagination, it did keep me turning pages. I would recommend this novel to readers who enjoy stories about sisters and family relationships. Thank you to the publisher for an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

IF YOU MUST KNOW (Potomac Point Book #1) by Jamie Beck is her latest contemporary Women’s fiction and the start of a new series. Ms. Beck has written an emotional and realistic story with dysfunctional family members in upheaval that I found difficult to put down.

Amanda and Erin Turner are sisters that have gone about life differently and have never felt close. They lead separate lives as adults. Amanda was the middle child and always wanted to please by being perfect and was closest with her mother. Amanda followed her plan and went to college, got married and is now expecting her first child. While Erin was the baby of the family and always felt different and was closest to her father. Erin has always led a bohemian life and while she teaches yoga and makes her own soaps and scrubs has never really worried beyond the current day.

Suddenly everything changes.

Amanda finds out her marriage is not as perfect as she believed. Amanda’s mother loaned her husband the majority of her dad’s death benefits for a business deal and he has taken off. As these secrets are being kept, Erin moves home to help with her mother’s inability to take care of herself. Erin does not know if it is because of her mother’s continued grief over losing her husband a year ago or the stress of the missing money. Suddenly all three women are together again and must deal with unsettling truths about themselves and their family.

I loved the different and difficult family relationships. The characters and emotions were to me believable because having grown up in a large family I could relate to all their character traits. Ms. Beck has written a complex and fully fleshed sister-to-sister relationship that had to evolve from childhood hurts and misunderstandings to grow and help each other in the present. Amanda and Erin’s mother’s past also played a large role in the present family dynamics.

I enjoyed this first book in the series and I will be looking forward to more.

Sisters Amanda Foster and Erin Turner are different in so many ways. Amanda, a preschool teacher, has been married to Lyle for two years and has a baby on the way. Erin embraces the ability to be unique, and she hasn't really ever settled down with one guy or one job. She teaches yoga part time and supplements that meager income selling handmade soaps and bath products in an Etsy shop. Because of their differences, the sisters don't always understand the one another's choices or see eye-to-eye on things. The one thing they do have in common is the aching grief and loss of losing their beloved father suddenly just a few years ago.

Amanda's husband Lyle leaves for one of his frequent business trips as a property investor, but this time something isn't quite right. She finds out that her husband is cheating on her and that he has no plans to give back the couple hundred thousand dollars he borrowed from Amanda's mother for a startup in Florida. Sneaky, lying Lyle spends all the money on a yacht on which he and his new bimbo, Ebba, plan to sail away. Amanda has no means to support her unborn daughter or to keep the house on her own, plunging her into an embarrassing nightmare situation. As the disbelief, anger, hurt, and worry for the future begin to weigh down on 7 months pregnant Amanda, she turns to her mother and sister for support. Despite their disagreements and annoyances with each other, they are family and family supports one another through thick and thin. That's what Amanda is hoping at least. Amanda never dreamed that her life would take such a turn and that she would be talking to private investigators, divorce lawyers, police, and FBI agents. Will she be able to get her mother's money back before Lyle takes off with his forever? How will she ever support herself and her daughter when she loses their home to foreclosure?

Meanwhile, Erin is dangerously close to losing her apartment because she can't afford the rent, especially after she breaks up with her deadbeat boyfriend Max who then steals and sells all of her precious albums from her father. Luckily, when Erin tracks down the albums, fate brings her to meet Eli. Eli is like a breath of fresh air to Erin, and they decide to start off as friends. When Erin has to make a tough decision to help her sister Amanda at all costs, will she risk losing any chance she had of a real relationship with Eli? You'll have to read it and find out.

If You Must Know has strong themes of friendship, family, and forgiveness. There is very subtle hints of romance and very little profanity, so I would place this book in the clean and wholesome romance genre. Fans of Jennifer Probst and Sarah Morgan will enjoy this book. Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an early review copy of this book.

Families are a complicated mess, but when the chips are down those differences disappear and you find out who really has your back.  

The Foster family is truly a unique family with diverse personalities.  Amanda and Erin approach life differently.  Amanda seems very uptight and perhaps she feels like she needs to be perfect.  Erin is the wild child and lives life as it comes.  Erin didn't feel like she fit into her family except with her dad.  Nancy, the mom, is much like Amanda and that causes some friction between the three women.  There were many times I wanted to shake Nancy and tell her to get over herself if she thinks she is that important that she has to worry about what people will say about Amanda's now scandalous life.  I could say the same about Amanda and her fears about what others will think about her situation.  It takes Erin shaking things up to loosen them up by the end of the book.

I was surprised at how some situations were handled with Lyle, Amanda's husband, at the end.  I won't go into too much detail, but I'm not sure if the situation would have ended this way in real life.  But let's just say that Lyle gets his just rewards.  

I did enjoy watching Erin discover what a real relationship should be like when she meets Eli.  He has his own issues, but the two of them are able to help each other move forward in life.  I'm not sure if future books in this series will touch back on these characters, but I hope so because I don't think their story is finished.

A couple of quotes that really stuck out while I was reading this book:

"Will there ever be a day when people stop demanding that others conform to their own expectations?"

"Most people are good people, yet bad things happen every day. You and I? We aren't unique victims."

Overall we give this 4 paws up.

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.

The writing is solid, but I didn't find it engaging. I found myself annoyed by Amanda's voice, the side-notes and the slow moving action. I do think this is one of those situations, where I can see other people enjoying this book, but I just couldn't get into it.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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!

A new book by Jamie Beck and a new series by her has me doing my Snoopy dance became I know I am in for a treat. Love stories about families and the chaos they create? Pick up this book. Make sure you have lots of extra time when you pick up this gem because you won't want to put it down. A definite must read. Discover the magic that are Jamie Beck books. Happy reading!

I enjoyed this book very much. This book focuses on two sisters Amanda and Erin. Amanda is pregnant and finds out her husband is having an affair. Erin is the youngest, who is nothing like her sister. The sisters who have different lives and both feel that they are misunderstood by each other. The family comes together when they realize that Amanda’s husband has fleeced her family and is not in Florida like he said. This story is about love, betrayal, family and eventually sisterhood. Thank you Montlake Romance and NetGalley for the early ARC. This is my own opinion.

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!

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've read several Jamie Beck novels and this has been my favorite so far. I'm really surprised by the low reviews. Maybe you have to have sisters and troublesome relationships with them before this really strikes a chord with you. It certainly did with me. I've also got the mother like the one in the book that has very strong opinions and gets angry if you don't agree with her.
I love books about sisters, but usually they have the sort of relationship from the start that I wish I had with mine. It was definitely a work in progress with Amanda and Erin. It wasn't smooth sailing all of a sudden, which I thought was very realistic. That bothered some readers, but trust me it doesn't work that way.
I thought this was a great book about relationships between all sorts of people--sisters and parents, spouses, friends, romantic interests and even just neighbors (what will they think?).
I was given a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

If you must know by Jamie Beck is the first book in her new Potomic Point series. The story is women's fiction about two sisters, Erin and Amanda. The two sisters couldn't be more different. The story is well written and enjoyable.

If You Must Know, the first book in Jamie Beck's new Potomac Point series.

Amanda and Erin; Two sisters living contrasting lives, their only common link is their bloodline. As different as chalk and cheese, Amanda's shocked when her perfect life's destroyed by deceit, while Erin lives a carefree life. That's until their father dies and some painful realities are exposed.

One aspect of Ms Beck's writing I admire is her consistent writing skill. After enjoying other novels by her, I know I'm going to be reading a well-written book when I pick one of her titles. Therefore, when the narrative didn't resonate with it caught me unaware. I ignored the temptation to give up after a couple of chapters simply because of the slow pace defused my enthusiasm. Besides, I don't like throwing in the towel when I'm scheduled to write a review. So I plodded on… and I'm glad I did because, whilst the beginning is slow, the reward for my patience is when the pace picks up and elements I associate with Ms Beck's writing begin to shine through.

The characterisation is spot-on as the dynamics between these two sister's unfolds. Absorbed within the storyline, the narrative had its moments, but equally, sections failed to keep my attention. I'm a mood reader and it's possible it affected my overall enjoyment of this book…"It's me, not the book". If at a later date I re-read this novel, I'll amend this review accordingly.

The author's shift away from romance to women's fiction is a surprise and a fact I wasn't unaware of before I began reading this novel. Yet, I applaud her for the change of direction she's taking with her work. Consequently, I'll still read future books in this series and by the author generally.

3.5 stars

***arc generously received courtesy of Montlake Romance via NetGalley***

This was my first book from this author. Usually I don't read books without romance but still I really liked this one. There was hint of romance but it wasn't main thing in this book. This book was about two sisters and their relationship. They had different kind of life and it showed. When something happens they have to work together which is not easy. I really liked how they build their relationship back to together and how they learn to trust each other.

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.