Jamie Beck is queen of the dramatic family/framily saga (such as the St. James and The Cabots series, and the Sanctuary Sound series). And there’s not much I love more than a multi-book series full of complicated relationships and drama! So I was really looking forward to this new Potomac Point series. But as I have discovered, sometimes the first book in a new Ms. Beck series isn’t necessarily the best one.

After a series of...let’s call them misfortunes...involving the men in their lives, the Turner women are facing challenges. In their own ways, mother Madeline, and sisters Amanda and Erin are forced to face the baggage from the past and admit they need each other to get through the ordeals they are all facing.

It’s hard to give much more than that as a synopsis without giving spoilers. I will say this is a much different story than what I’m used to from Jamie Beck - and even she has said If You Must Know is more women’s fiction than romance. She’s not wrong. There’s only a scant amount of romance in this book. Instead, this is a very character and plot driven story about all three women.

Amanda and Erin couldn’t be more different, and even as adults they have lingering issues from their childhood that caused resentment to fester between them. When a huge betrayal sets the whole family into turmoil, working together gives them a chance to get a different perspective on the past and form the bond they should have had as sisters all along.

Dear ole mom is a piece of work...instead of helping her daughters deal with the issues they are facing (one of which she had a hand in), she’s more concerned about mitigating gossip in their small town and keeping her sister from finding out that all their lives have caved in.

While this may not be the “typical” Jamie Beck story, what IS the same are the complicated relationships. The fantastic writing. Excellent characterization. These poor women had one bad thing heaped on top of them after another so it wasn’t necessarily a fun or pleasant story to read. I was on edge pretty much the whole time and not at all certain the bad guy would get caught and things would all end up okay. I suppose I can’t really even tell you that if I don’t want to spoil things! I will say this: the first half of the book had a slower pace and I wasn’t sure if I was liking this book or if I would even continue with the series, but then things picked up and I couldn’t put the book down. And yeah, I want to read the next book in the series...even if there’s hardly any romance to be had!

* thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

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.

**Received this ARC for review from the publisher via NetGalley**

Is it a romance? Women’s fiction? Or literary fiction. Jaime Beck’s latest work, “If You Must Know” can easily belong to all these categories. There is romance, there’s that life experience and the brink of change. It also has literary merit that can be elusive in genre fiction.

The story of two sisters – Amanda Foster and Erin Turner. Physically, it is easy to see that they are blood relatives. Personality-wise, they are as different as night and day.

Amanda is a rule follower, and always toes the line. Erin is a rule breaker and does not stay within the lines. Very close when they were young, their separation was slow and subtle. It was not until they realized that they were on opposite sides how far they had drifted apart.

Entering their third decade, a double whammy of family tragedy forced the sisters to unite so that they can avert anymore disasters coming their way. As they work together, they slowly rediscover each other and find the bond that sisters have.

But, trust once broken is hard to get back. And that is what Amanda and Erin must work on - for the sake of their mother, their brother, Amanda’s unborn child and Erin’s budding romance.

Jaime Beck’s novels have always been thought-provoking and always have conflict built in. “If You Must Know” belong to that same ilk, but it is also more.

There is romance, but it is not the focal point. The focus is on the relationship between the sisters, their relationship with their mother and to a certain extent, their brother.

The characters are more grown up. You can even call them more mature. And somehow, that also extended to the author. Ms. Beck had shown more depth as she tackled the family dynamics. Dysfunctional from the get-go, Ms. Beck skillfully brought the characters together.

Amanda and Erin were two dimensional in the beginning. But on each page, we saw them grow and become three-dimensional. When we reach the end, we feel full. The book was a gourmet meal.

A great read! “If You Must Know” should be on your TBR list for the summer. Rated T for Teens due to adult situations. Parental guidance strongly advised. There are no sex scenes in this book.

If You Must Know, by Jamie Beck, is an enjoyable novel about two sisters that are completely different. When tragedy and betrayal occur within the family this forces them to become closer.
Their relationship gradually changes as the story progresses, at times both heart-warming and heart-breaking.
I enjoyed that the story is told from each sister's point of view.
A well-told, realistic story about family dynamics.
I look forward to the next book in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Jamie Beck's If you must know is her first "women's fiction" (chick lit) rather than the contemporary romance she is known for. A new author for me this is also a first in the Potomac Point series. I must admit this was just a so-so read for me. Amanda and Erin are sisters who have little in common; Amanda, married, and with a child on the way, and Erin, single who is a yoga instructor, and sells her own spa products on Etsy. When Amanda discovers her husband is not only cheating on her but has kept other secrets, her picture-perfect world falls apart. Can two sisters who have grown apart come together and heal their family? While the relationship between the sisters seemed real, the whole scenario seemed over the top and the ending was just kinda blah. Thank you Netgalley and Montlake Romance for the advanced copy for a honest review. 21/2 stars

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆
I am a big Jamie Beck fan, so did not hesitate to give this new release a read. I did enjoy it, but it was missing some of the heart that I expected. And by that I do not mean due to it being more family saga than romance, rather that I feel that the heart that there was, was spread around too thin. It is well written, and I did not mind at all finding out more about Amanda, Erin, and their mum.

The two sisters grew up under the misapprehension that they were less favoured by one of their parents, and so developed all manner of internal stories to justify their actions. Now that their father has died, his supposed favourite, Erin, is feeling less sure of herself. Then Amanda, who has the outwardly perfect life, is left by her husband and he has disappeared with a colleague and a large sum of her mother's money. Suddenly, everything is collapsing around them, and it is time to be honest, to make amends, and to work together to move forward.

There are some very satisfying outcomes – it turns out the life of crime does not pay off. Erin learns about her ability to plan and take life somewhat more seriously, at the same time that Amanda recognises she will need to be a little more relaxed about life.

Sisters Amanda and Erin shared a bedroom as children, but are as different as night and day. Erin, the younger sister is a free spirit, never went to college, and has had a variety of jobs to make ends meet, but never a career. She shared a special bond with her late father, while being outside the circle formed by her sister and her mother. Amanda felt that the birth of Erin usurped her place in her father’s affections, and always tried to be perfect at everything. She’s organized, educated, and the perfect wife and mother-to-be. She has the perfect home life and husband, until one day she doesn’t.

When Amanda’s husband, Lyle, is unreachable while on a business trip, Amanda, now six months pregnant, begins to panic. Her calls lead her to find that Lyle has gone off to parts unknown with another woman. She receives, of all things, a letter in the mail from Lyle, stating that he believes he’s in love with someone else, and needs time to figure things out.

Meanwhile, Erin is barely making ends meet since her live in boyfriend, Max, lost his job. After enduring his lying around the apartment watching television for two months without any financial support, Erin has had enough. She orders Max to pack up and leave.

The financial situation of both sisters is shaky, and they end up moving home with their mother, who has recently had several instances of forgetfulness, or, possibly, something much worse. Amanda’s situation is especially dire, as it appears Lyle has now totally deserted Amanda and their future child, and he has some definitely shady, possibly criminal, financial activity.

IF YOU MUST KNOW details the three women living together, supporting each other, and learning to appreciate their differences. The sisters, especially, begin to see how their own actions colored their relationship, and begin to share and give ground where they never had before. I found Erin’s actions in particular to be way above and beyond to help Amanda out of her horrific situation. I also enjoyed seeing their mother make more of an effort to become closer to Erin. I’m sorry to say that this isn’t a romance with a happy ever after, though Erin finds a lovely man who seems very promising. Readers who are fans of women’s fiction should enjoy this well written book which focuses on family relationships, finding strength during adversity, and personal growth and understanding.

This is an emotional family drama about two very different sisters and the secrets that exist within families. Considering how different they are it’s hard to believe that Amanda and Erin shared a bedroom when they were little. Amanda is more of a conventional character who plays by society’s rules, whether at work in her school or in her private life. Most people would view her as the ideal wife and daughter, and think that she will be a great Mum, once her baby is born. Erin is more of a bohemian character and takes more risks in life, such as attempting to start her own business making bath products, She lives a fairly hand to mouth existence and loves music - something she picked up from her late father. Although they live in the same American town, they stay fairly separate, until lies and questions of trust turn the whole family upside down.
Suddenly one day Amanda’s husband disappears and even worse he has taken a large sum of money that he borrowed from the girl’s mother to start a business, After the death of their father, their mother had loaned him the majority of his life insurance money. This money should have kept their Mum for the rest of her life and be left as an inheritance for both the girls. Firstly, Amanda has to face that her marriage isn’t what it seemed, but to have it exposed so publicly is very hard to cope with. Their mother starts to struggle and needs everyday help taking care of herself. This could have been delayed grief for her husband or the shock of the money going missing. I loved how the author explored the emotions but also the tensions of what has happened in the family. Erin is the one to move in and look after their Mum. All three women are thrown together again and forced to face some unsettling truths about themselves and the family unit. I think the relationships were believable and I thought Amanda had an interesting character arc having to step away from this type A personality who has a perfect life. She has to learn that not everything can be controlled. I liked that both sisters worked on their relariomship with each other but felt Erin ‘s relationship with her mother needed some work - perhaps in. a future instalment? There were a few things unresolved in this way and I could see how this could weave into future books.
All in all believable, enjoyable and interesting in terms of complicated emotions and relationships. I look forward to seeing where further books take us.

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.

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.

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.

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.