If Only You Knew

by Claire Allan

Cousins Ava Campbell (married, sensible, feeling old before her time) and Hope Scott (single, debt-ridden, in love with a man who will never love her back) have nothing in common. But fate is about to throw them together.

When their beloved Aunt Betty—the free-spirited black sheep of the Scott family—dies in France, the girls find themselves flying to the picturesque village of Saint Jeannet, tasked with sorting through her belongings and fulfilling her last wishes.

To guide them on their way, Betty has left them a series of letters detailing her own life, the heartbreak that led her to move to France, and the peace she found there with her beloved Claude.

As the women find each letter, a different layer of Betty's life, and their own lives, unfolds with hilarious, devastating, and life-affirming results.

Genres: Chick Lit, Womens Fiction

340 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 29, 2012

Reviews

[Margaret Madden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two cousins, Ava and Hope, both in their thirties, both leading very different lives.
Ava is a married mother of one and juggles family life with her job as a teacher. Always striving for perfection, she is the queen of the to-do-list and organises everything with extreme care.
Hope, on the other hand, is a freelance journalist, living with her best friend Dylan, who she is secretly in love with. Scatty and not at all in control of her life, she is coasting along day to day.
When their Aunt dies and leaves them a letter in her will, it leads them both to France, where they will discover more about themselves, as well their Aunt Betty.

I have read this author's work before and have always enjoyed her novels, so it was a no-brainer to choose this as part of #IrishFictionFortnight. From Derry, in Northern Ireland, Claire has a lovely way with words and yet pulls no punches with her language. The story of these two cousins was believable, with a great cast of supporting characters. I especially loved Fiona, the fellow mother of one, who has nothing good to say about being a mum and who makes you wonder why some people have children at all. Through a series of letters, the author introduces us the wonderful world of Betty. Growing up in Derry, in the midst of The Troubles, she is swept of her feet and moves to France. Her new life is a far cry from the one she left behind, but she has left a part of her in the walled town. The cousins both have their issues, with Ava struggling to be themother she wants to be and Hope feeling let down by her flatmate and the love of her life. However, I found Hope's repetitive rants and thoughts about Dylan became a little tiresome.

The house in France sounds idyllic and, more than once, I had that fleeting dream of packing up my family and moving there. Then I remembered, this is the real world, not a novel, and it's never going to happen! Nonetheless, the descriptions of Betty's home, and the surrounding areas, were divine. I felt like I was with the girls as they crept into the attic to find out more about their Aunt.

This is women's fiction so, of course, there is a love interest. Predictable as it was, it lightened the mood of the book and added the romantic element to the sun drenched chapters. For those who have not read Claire's work, be ready for some Northern Ireland turn of phrase, like 'wee' instead of 'small', which always bring a smile to my face as I read them. Try saying them out loud for added entertainment, my kids loved when I tried my best Derry accent (which is not good). I have already rooted out my next Claire Allan book, as she is a perfect blanket to wrap yourself in, on these cold January evenings...

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just picked this up by chance, and am I glad!! Lovely story of two ordinary women, made me laugh and had me in tears couldnt put it down and left me wanting more.
A definite read but be prepared to be turning pages at 3am!!

[celene irwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book

I nearly stopped reading this book when it was 10 chapters in because of their possessive use of the word feck and fecken it was just a bit too much. Also the Lord's name was used out of context and it didn't seem right . The story itself was great once I got into it and it had a beautiful storyline with a beautiful ending but I would not read another book from this author because of the bad language

[Book-shelf Shelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my I seriously loved this book and I am seriously thinking of writing the kids letters ready for when I have left them..think that is a brilliant idea, although my girls would probably cruse me as I would nag! The difference between Ava and Hope isn’t shown as much as you think it would, but the reader does get to see their friendship blossom. I think this book will have every reader finding a bit of them in it ... I think there is a bit of Ava, Hope or one of the other characters in them. You will find yourself laughing, crying and sighing along with all the eventfulness of a packed book and a perfect companion.

[Tara Niland · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read with more twists and turns than a roller coaster, highly recommend this book x

[Nessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a thoroughly enjoyable story about two cousins, Ava and Hope who are in the mid 30’s and lead very different lives to each other, but when they are thrown together thanks to their Aunt Betty’s requests/wishes upon her death, we get to see them go on a journey of discovery about themselves, would be one way of putting, and also learning a few home truths and some shocking secrets from the past that had been kept hidden until now.

I love how their Aunt Betty left the cousins hand written letters to find as they went about the task of clearing out the Betty’s house in France, they were thought provoking, surprising, emotional and heartfelt in equal measures.

I really did enjoy reading this story, not only do we learn more about Aunt Betty but we also get to know the two cousin’s stories up to now, in detail and seeing how they each deal with the outcome of Betty’s letters. It was lovely to see that it bought the two cousins together/closer too.

This truly was a very well written story from start to finish, with amazing characters who truly came alive, the more you read their stories in depth.

This author Claire Allan is well known for her psychological thriller/mystery books but not so much her earlier books (such as this one, What Becomes of the Broken Hearted? (2012) and The First Time I Said Goodbye (2013), plus a few others) which have a genre of women’s fiction/general fiction. I was truly shocked when I realised that they were written by one and the same author. I’m determined to read them all now.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd give this 3.5*.
A lovely story but quite predictable.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Betty's letters were great, but I found the stories surrounding the two cousins redundant.

[Ellie Rose McKee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-fleshed out characters, as always.
Loved it!

[Sorcha Ní Dhuineacháin · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read, with engaging characters, but overall not something you would remember long after finishing.

[Mugdha · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve not read any of Claire Allan’s books, until I picked up her new book If Only You Knew, but I do have another of hers on my shelf to read and after reading If Only You Knew, I’ll definitely be cracking open another Claire Allan book as she’s an immensely talented writer. I love trying new authors and although Claire’s not a “new” author, having published five novels thus far, she is a new author to me and I was mightily impressed with If Only You Knew. Claire talks about this novel about it being her best yet, about it being her breakout novel and although I can’t confirm the latter statement having not read any of her previous four, If Only You Knew is certainly a book that makes a statement and it was certainly an excellent, excellent read.

If Only You Knew is about two cousins, Ava Campbell and Hope Scott, who are tasked – although, tasked is a bit strong a word, considering where they go to do said task – with the, er, task of sorting through their late Aunt Betty’s life once she dies at her house in Saint Jeannet (in France). They’re confused as to why Betty chose them; after all, Ava only met Betty once at a funeral and Hope only stayed with her for a month years ago when she went travelling with her best friend Dylan. However the two cousins duly head to France, and once there, they find letters from Betty, detailing her life in France and her life in Ireland before she went to France, and as the girls delve more into Betty’s life they learn of secrets they weren’t already aware of and they figure out that although Betty only knew them barely, she was indeed a lot more perceptive than anyone gave her credit for.

I very much enjoyed reading If Only You Knew, the story is an excellent one, although there is a niggling feeling that I’ve read a similar book that was also really good (so good, I appear to have forgotten what it was…). I wasn’t sure what to expect, as you know, but it’s a really perceptive read. I felt Claire Allan tapped in to the story brilliantly, managing to make Betty such an important part of the book despite her death, I felt she tapped into Ava and Hope in such a way that they’ll stay with me for a while yet and I just found the whole book to be an enchanting read. I found myself getting lost in the story, getting lost in Betty’s letters which really, really added to the book. It’s truly one of the most impressive books I’ve read this year and I was just so impressed with how layered it was.

If Only You Knew really impressed me. I just loved it all and it was just the whole package, a nice story, a good backstory, characters I cared about. The only thing I felt was lacking was a real set-to between Hope and her best friend (and secret love) Dylan. I kept waiting for them to duke it out properly, for Hope to just be honest and it never came, which was a shame. It seemed as if it needed to happen, if I’m honest, and I was disappointed it never did. Apart from that, though, I thoroughly enjoyed my reading of the book. Claire Allan is supremely talented (even if she sometimes uses Irish words I don’t understand – boking, for example, which if my powers of deduction are correct it means puking. I also don’t understand the use of the word “baggage” as in “You’re such baggage”, because to me, that makes no sense!) and I just loved the whole book. I will indeed be reading the other Allan novel I have, and I can safely presume that this is indeed her breakout book and what a book it is.

[Salma · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Sometimes the hardest secrets to keep are the ones that can set you free."

Two cousins, one French house, and approximately a thousand chances to do something interesting, most of them missed. I picked this up expecting a cosy, escapist story full of secrets, sunshine, and personal growth. What I got was a by-the-numbers plot, two uneven protagonists, and a love story that felt stapled on in post.

Ava is the classic "type A" overachiever, which could’ve worked if she weren’t so painfully rigid that even her holiday needed a checklist. Meanwhile, Hope is a walking mess whose personality seems to consist entirely of pining for her oblivious flatmate. You know from page ten how that’ll end, and yes, it ends exactly that way. Any potential emotional depth is skimmed over in favour of recycled tropes and a lot of internal monologue that could’ve been cut in half.

That said, Betty’s house? Glorious. The French countryside descriptions were genuinely transportive: I could smell the lavender and see the chipped shutters. And the letters from Aunt Betty added a spark of life and heart I wish the rest of the book had leaned into more.

Ultimately, the emotional beats didn’t land because the characters didn’t earn them. It’s not that the book is awful—it’s just frustratingly fine. With sharper writing and less reliance on the usual "uptight-meets-chaotic" formula, this could’ve been something special. Instead, it’s the literary equivalent of a pretty postcard: nice to look at, but flat and forgettable once you turn it over.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

When their eccentric aunt Betty dies, cousins Ava and Hope are tasked with clearing out her belongings from her house in France. While Hope had spent a short time staying with Betty while on her travels, Ava only met her once at a funeral, and both are surprised that this task has fallen to them. When they reach the house, they discover that Betty has left them a series of letters, in which they uncover secrets that will shock them, and discover that Betty was a very perceptive lady indeed.
I'm a big fan of Claire Allan, and this was the one book from her back catalogue that I had yet to read. It was quite different from her earlier works I felt, a little less light hearted, but it really worked. The characters were engaging and relatable, and I liked that there weren't too many of them as I felt I really got to know the main protagonists. It was lovely to see Ava and Hope's friendship blossom. I really liked the idea of the letters from beyond the grave, and you couldn't help but warm to Betty even though the letters are the only communication from her throughout. I cried at parts of this book and it takes a lot for me to cry! Another wonderful read from Claire Allan.

[Lesley McCullough · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read about relationships, love and life with a dash of mystery thrown in from the free spirited recently deceased Aunt Betty in the form of letters, she has left them dispersed around her home for the heroines Ava and Hope to find whilst clearing out her possessions in Provence. An entertaining narrative moving at a good pace with solid believable characters. Yes it is a little on the ‘chic lit’ side and possibly predictable but I thoroughly enjoyed it, buy it with a box of tissues. Would definitely read more of Claire’s novels.

[Mireya · Rating 3 out of 5]

"If Only you Knew" tells the story of Betty through the letters she has left to her nieces Hope and Ava. When Betty dies, she asks Hope and Ava to fly to France and put her things in order. As they go through them, they find letters from Betty, where she opens to the two women by telling more about her live. The two strangers grow closer to each other as well as to their dear aunt as they unveil secrets and find more about themselves and what they want to do in life.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book . Nice easy reading but an emotional story.

[Geraldine Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never read any of Claire Allan and picked this book by chance. Glad I read this book. Would recommend this book

[Anne Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was brilliant. I'm def gonna read more from this author.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book I'd read of Adams' and it was a lovely, easy, heartwarming read.

[Marisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not my cup of tea, was a bit dowdy in writing style. It came across as old and unemotional I had no real connection with any of the characters.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a slow start, but about a third of the way through, it got really interesting.

[Jeanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad yarn but a bit too predictable

[Joan]

enjoyable read