There should be a warning when you wake up on a life changing day. Amanda is six months pregnant and lives in Chesapeake. She is a nursery school teacher. Amanda's sister Erin is single and doesn't have children. She doesn't have many friends. She also has a brother Kevin. Amanda suspects Lyle is lieing. I loved the different view points.

Sisters Amanda and Erin are about to have their lives turned upside down. Both have crappy relationships with their men and each other. So when the shit hits the fan they turn to each other & the rest of the family to get through.

I likes the idea of the plot although I would have liked a little more suspense/thriller to the story line. 
I gave this one a solid 3 stars. It was good. If you like light suspense/thriller this is for you. 

Trigger warning - cheating, single parent.

Thanks to Netgalley and Montlake for giving me access to the ARC for my consideration.

This story are told from Amanda and Erin point of view. Amanda wanted everything to be perfect and tidy while Erin is a free spirit and quite messy lol They are complete opposite from each other. 

I hate how Amanda and her mom treated Erin. Treating her like she don't belong to their family like asdfghjkl that hurts af! But yeah this thing did happen in real life so this story feels realistic. 

Something bad happened to their family and it makes them getting closer to each other. Finally they understand each other. Goshhh that took years!! They should've try that before but they didn't lol

Thank you Netgalley for If You Must Know ARC!

Amanda and Erin are sisters. Amanda is happily married and Erin is happily single and living with her boyfriend (he's not my mind of boyfriend, though). Until that day, everything seemed to be like usual. But then, a situation nobody saw coming, turns everything upside down. And the story starts.
The characters are very well developed, and they pace is good. Perhaps the speed slows a little in the middle but it's absolutely forgotten a few chapters later in the read.
I like Jamie Beck's stories. And this one was no disappointment.
Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

If You Must Know is the story of two sisters who are as different as can be; their personal outlooks, the way they live their lives, how they love.  For years this has separated them, but when heard times hit from all sides the two sisters find that they have more strength together than apart.

Ms. Beck's book is a well-told story of love and loss, of what happens when we put aside our preconceived ideas of not only other people but also of ourselves and what we expect life should be. Her characters are strong women who face hard times flowing with overwhelming emotions with grace and determination.  A true life tale of doing the right thing no matter how hard it is so that you come out the other side better for going through the experience.

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.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a very interesting story that kept me engaged from beginning to end. These two sisters are so different and lead very opposite lives. They learned to lean on each other and trust one another throughout this journey. I liked the writing and the story was a quick and easy read.

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.

This is a great start to the Potomac Point series.  Sisters Amanda Foster and Erin Turner are sisters that couldn't be more different.  Amanda's life is rule-driven, while Erin lives a bohemian lifestyle.  They coexist in the same town, but separately.  They are brought together and must learn to lean on and trust each other.  This was a great read.  I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book of the series.

RATING: 2.5 STARS
2020; Montlake Romance

If You Must Know is Jamie Beck's first novel that is labeled as "women's fiction"/general fiction. She is more known for her contemporary romance. I have not read any other of her books, so I am not sure how they compare to one another. However, this novel seemed like a contemporary romance to me. Two sisters, who are also pitted as rivals, are both going through romantic strife that brings them closer. I thought this was an okay novel, but will not be continuing the series. I might read a future series if it is like Robin Carr, Susan Wiggs or Mariah Stewart. I will be trying Beck's contemporary romance novel, The Memory of You.

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

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.

This is a story about sisters and mother daughter relationships. It is not a typical romance, but it is still a good story. I enjoyed the narrative, and I found myself unable to put it down once it got started. It was a solid read for me, and I look forward to more from the author. 

This is my first novel from the author and I loved every moment! Really, I could not get enough! I mean you could call it women’s fiction but there is also romance and some suspense. Plus those strong family ties make it a must read. 

I love stories about families. I love my family, and this book was so lovely. 

Even though the sisters are different, they are well written and compliment one another well. They are two whole people who love one another and have a strong sister bond. I am only child, but I thought this was amazing. 

The story is solid, and I was reading throughout the day to see what was going to happen next. It was all so good, and i was glad to have been able to read this. This was a good start to the series, and I can’t wait for the next one.

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.