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If You Only Knew

Kristan Higgins (Goodreads Author)

4.10 · Rating details · 15,935 ratings · 1,806 reviews

Sisterhood in all its drama, hilarity and tears is at the heart of New York Times bestselling author Kristan Higgins's thoroughly captivating new novel, featuring the wit and romance that readers have come to expect from the much-loved creator of the Blue Heron series...

Wedding-dress designer Jenny Tate understands the happily-ever-after business, yet somehow she's still ...more

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Paperback, 416 pages

Published August 25th 2015 by HQN Books (first published July 1st 2015)

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A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Best Books of 2015

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2015 Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense (July - December)

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· 15,935 ratings · 1,806 reviews

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Aug 24, 2015 Melissa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audible, unforgettable-reads, hilarious, womens-fiction, must-read-again, 2017, cute-banter, unputdownable

If You Only Knew what a happy accident this turned out to be. How this little gem might not have ended up in my hands—or I should say, in my ears—if it wasn’t for the persistent little nudges Audible kept sending to remind me that my credits were building up. Combine that with my craving at the time for something sweet and voilà . . . happy accident. Infatuated listener. Giggling gal. New Kristan Higgins fan. I still can’t believe this was my first.

It’s been a while since I’ve read/listened to s ...more

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Mar 07, 2016 Heather K (dentist in my spare time) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-to-review-arc, net-galley, loved-it, favorites-2016, m-f, contemporary, chick-lit-women-s-fiction, romance, made-me-laugh, little-to-no-sex-content

*Wow, price drop to $0.99 at Amazon US, 11/17/16!*

Excellent, excellent, excellent!

Can you believe that this is my first Kristan Higgins? There is nothing I like more than discovering a new author that has a huge back list for me to devour! Come to mama!

This book was a fabulous blend of women's fiction and romance. There is a good amount of family drama and the sister dynamic was a huge part of the story, but there was also some GREAT romance there. I'm a devoted romance reader and I know a good ...more

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May 23, 2015 Julie rated it really liked it

Shelves: chick-lit, women-s-fiction, contemporary-fiction, e-book, 2022, contemporary-romance, harlequin

If You Only Knew by Kristin Higgins is a 2015 HQN publication.

Jenny is still good friends with her ex-husband, Owen, and while that might seem like the enlightened path to take- in truth, she is still not over him. Her sister, Rachel, though, has the perfect marriage, and three adorable little girls…

Until she discovers her husband is having an affair…

Rachel’s entire personality shifts as a result, but she is still inclined to try and salvage the life she’s built and maintain the family life a If You Only Knew by Kristin Higgins is a 2015 HQN publication.

Jenny is still good friends with her ex-husband, Owen, and while that might seem like the enlightened path to take- in truth, she is still not over him. Her sister, Rachel, though, has the perfect marriage, and three adorable little girls…

Until she discovers her husband is having an affair…

Rachel’s entire personality shifts as a result, but she is still inclined to try and salvage the life she’s built and maintain the family life and home she once loved. She points to her own parent’s idyllic marriage as a model, but Jenny might have to shatter that image so that Rachel can make a more informed choice. Meanwhile, Jenny’s life also takes a new turn, but it could lead to fresh heartbreak…

This is a re-read for me. The first time I read this book was for a professional review blog, years ago. I could only share a small portion of the review on my own social media or book sites, so when I discovered the blog is no longer viable and my review vanished with it, I decided to refresh my memory of this novel and then write a new, full review for this book- for my own book/reading record, if nothing else.

I don’t think this book tugged on my heartstrings the first time I read it in the same way it did this second time around. I think back in 2015, I was expecting a contemporary romance and this is not that.
This story has some hints of a gentle romance and the promise and hope of future relationship possibilities, but in essence this is a story about life, love, heartbreak, and personal growth, but at the core of the story is the bonds of sisterhood.

For me, if my memory serves, this was one of the first books by Higgins I read which fell more into a ‘contemporary fiction’ category than a purely romantic one- and I wasn’t sure I liked the direction KH was heading, at that time. Since then, I’ve outgrown most of the angsty contemporary romance novels we are presented with today and find this style of writing much more to my liking.

So, while I rarely re-read books, this is one occasion where the book was better the second time around for me. My emotions ran the gauntlet and I choked back a lump in my throat a couple of times, but I loved the way both Jen and Rachel’s characters grew and developed. Still….
I did hold out hope for a firmer HEA- perhaps an epilogue that let us know the ladies did indeed find true love and their dreams did eventually come true- but I can make up my own ending on that front, I suppose.

Overall, this story may be a few years old now, but it not only stands the test of time, but gets better with age. Now I need to tackle all the KH novels on Kindle that I haven’t read yet!!

4 stars ...more

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Dec 26, 2014 Mo rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I don't think I have read a KH book that I didn't like. There were one or two that might not have been up to par for me but, honestly, most of her books have been a solid four or five stars for me. You want hot sex scenes? Forget it. But I don't care. Her lyrical prose is enough to transport me to the world of her hero and heroine .... so beautiful.

And there is always "a dog"!

Wedding-dress designer Jenny Tate understands the happily-ever-after business, yet somehow she's still involved

...more

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Mar 27, 2017 Jennifer rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2017, one-click-authors, stand-alone-novel, higgins-love, own-signed-copy, own-audio-audible, absolute-favorites, womens-fiction-chicklit, i-met-the-author, tearjerker

If you've ever been cheated on, undervalued, passed over, or been left behind in a different sense, you will LOVE this book. If you haven't then just count yourself as lucky...and still read this book, you're going to love it too. Kristan Higgins knows what it feels like. For real. The internalization, the questioning, the frustration, the trust, the trying, the anger, the hope, the resentment, the confusion, the decisions, the blame, the shut-up-and-smile, the unfairness of it all, THE GRIEF. O If you've ever been cheated on, undervalued, passed over, or been left behind in a different sense, you will LOVE this book. If you haven't then just count yourself as lucky...and still read this book, you're going to love it too. Kristan Higgins knows what it feels like. For real. The internalization, the questioning, the frustration, the trust, the trying, the anger, the hope, the resentment, the confusion, the decisions, the blame, the shut-up-and-smile, the unfairness of it all, THE GRIEF. On and on it goes and Higgins has captured it all with delicate emotion and a surprising hilarity that I didn't expect.

If You Only Knew alternates perspectives between two sisters with two very different personalities who each are coping with their own set of relationship stressors. They remember their shared past in varying ways which impacts how they move forward (or stay standing). It is emotional, very real, and damn funny. How have I never read this author before??? Seems I have a lot of catching up to do. Yay me!! There is so much more to these alternating storylines than what I have noted but I don't want to spoil anything further. Read it, you'll love it. I will definitely be doing a re-read soon! Check it out!

Note: In an online interview located HERE, I found the following piece of information about the author which might explain how she can describe and show emotional responses so well:
"Kristan often tells stories of loss and does so with verisimilitude. This is in part due, perhaps, to her personal history. Her father was killed by a drunk driver when he was 47 and Kristan was 23. Her mother never remarried and the theme of losing a great love and being afraid to risk such heartbreak again permeates many of Kristan’s books."

My favorite quote:
“The one thing I hate about the wedding industry is that it focuses so much on the one day. People become obsessed with details, enraged with those they love, worn out from planning a few hours of a day that may not mean that much in the grand scheme of things. Even as I’m designing a dress that will cost thousands and thousands of dollars, I’ve always tried to work that message in. Don’t forget that after this day comes thousands of other days. Be careful. Cherish each other. Don’t blow it.”

4/6/17:
OMG, I loved it!!!!!
RTC when I get off cloud freakin' nine ♥️ ...more

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Oct 21, 2019 Holly rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, 2019-read, book-club, clean-romance

3.5 stars

I usually don't pick this kind of book - sort of chick-lit, though I hate that term, but it was picked for my book club. This book is kind of a family/contemporary clean romance which I found enjoyable despite it's emphasis on marriages gone wrong (cheating, growing apart, and death). I thought it felt realistic and relatable and the characters were really well developed. Maybe not something memorable, but for the genre I like it. I will check out other books by this author, I hear her ...more

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May 18, 2016 Susan Phillips rated it it was amazing

I can’t remember when I’ve enjoyed a chick lit/women’s fiction novel more. I read it straight through. Fresh, funny, heartwarming.

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May 26, 2015 Jonetta rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-arc, contemporary-fiction

Jenny Tate's marriage ended almost two years ago but she's still hanging on as her ex-husband's friend even after his remarriage. She's taken dramatic steps to move on but can't seem to make that final leap. Her sister, Rachel, mother of 3 1/2 year old triplet daughters, has the ideal life as a stay-at-home mother and is in a loving relationship with her husband, Adam. But circumstances change and has her re-examining the life she's professed to love.

This work of contemporary fiction has to be ...more

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Oct 02, 2014 Didi rated it it was amazing

Shelves: best-of-2015, betrayal, unable-to-put-down, romance, favorites, angst-in-my-pants, love-gone-wrong, more-than-friends

There's nothing like reading a KH novel. She's amazing, incredibly talented and manages to make me cry one minute, laugh the next then sigh from the beauty of it all. She's among my top 3 favorite authors, I've read and loved everything she's ever written and this was no exception.

I can't even categorize this. It's part women's fiction, romance and comedy but all enthralling. I loved everything about it: The beautiful and enviable relationship between sisters, Jenny and Rachel, the sweet and sou ...more

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Nov 12, 2014 ALPHAreader rated it liked it

‘If You Only Knew’ is the latest novel from Kristan Higgins – but let me just be clear and say I wouldn’t call this a romance. This is much more women’s fiction, closely aligned with the likes of Liane Moriarty or Jojo Moyes.

I’m still quite new to the Kristan Higgins fandom, considering she’s been steadily releasing books since 2006 and I only read my first one in 2013. But I already have my favourites of her backlist (‘Just One of the Guys’) and find myself eagerly anticipating each new yearly ...more

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Oct 15, 2016 BookLover rated it it was amazing

Shelves: tpl, favorites, reviews, rs, romance-contemporary, audio

I was blown away, though not surprised, by If You Only Knew by Kristan Higgins. I’ve been trying to put my finger on why this book read so different for me than others by this author and I came up with two main reasons. 1- this story is actually two stories in one, the story of two sisters, Rachel and Jenny, each told in the first person. 2 - while most Kristan Higgins books tell the story of one heroine trying to come to peace with issues in their lives and finding love along the way, this stor ...more

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Jul 17, 2015 Duchess Nicole rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc-net-galley, 5-star-read, genre-contemp-romance, genre-chick-lit, needs-more-hype, arc-for-review, kids-in-the-picture, lessons-learned, make-me-cry, read-in-2015

5 SISTER BESTIE stars!!

I'm a huge Kristan Higgins fan, and this book tops the list of my favorites by her. It is heartfelt, soul-deep, and true-to-life, with that trademark Higgins sass that has won over so many readers. KH has always sort of straddled the women's fiction/romance genres, and this one leans more to the chick lit side. It's told in dual point of view from both sisters. I tend to get really frustrated with that type of narration but it really worked here. I genuinely loved both Jen ...more

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Mar 30, 2016 ♥Sharon♥ rated it it was amazing

No time to write a full review but I'm here to tell you that I truly enjoyed this one!

If You Only Knew is my second book by Kristan Higgins and I am quickly finding that there is something soothing about her writing, her characters and her story lines. Her stories feel real to me, so very relatable.

I ❤'d Jenny. She was sweet, kind, funny and a bit sassy. I adored the relationship she had with Leo. It melted my heart.

I ❤'d Rachel. She was my hero. A mom to triplets, a wife to a man who didn't ...more

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Sep 04, 2018 Vintage rated it really liked it

Shelves: angsty, bad-parents, banter, cheating, rom-com, deception, duped-heroine, made-me-cry, widower, humor

I can’t believe how much I loved this as I think of Kristan Higgins as big time Chick Lit, and I am not a huge fan of much of it or of KH's books in the past.

This is Jenny and Rachel’s, two sisters, stories about surviving relationships and men.

Jenny is a wedding dress designer and is still friends with her ex-husband and new wife. It was an easy divorce and they’re all trying to be sophisticated and civil. In fact, she helped deliver their baby unexpectedly. Rachel is married with triplet girl I can’t believe how much I loved this as I think of Kristan Higgins as big time Chick Lit, and I am not a huge fan of much of it or of KH's books in the past.

This is Jenny and Rachel’s, two sisters, stories about surviving relationships and men.

Jenny is a wedding dress designer and is still friends with her ex-husband and new wife. It was an easy divorce and they’re all trying to be sophisticated and civil. In fact, she helped deliver their baby unexpectedly. Rachel is married with triplet girls and just saw a text to her husband she is both too naive and in too much denial to identify. It's a crotch shot that she thinks is a picture of a sick tree. The situation is both funny and kind of pitiful.

I loved the details about Jenny’s store and the brides as she actually works unlike so many fictional characters. The sisters relationship is strong without being perfect, and I enjoyed both characters. A sweet bride with a horrible future MIL in tow provides some humor as well as the two sisters’ half-glass full mother. The pretentious lifestyle of superior Manhattanites and Mummies in the 'burbs is satired nicely. Snarky with and banter add spice.

my phone rings.

I sense my hard-won optimism is about to get a smackdown. The Angel of Death, also known as my mother, Lenore Tate, long-suffering widow and professional pessimist.

Best to take the call; otherwise, she’ll call the police to check on me.

“Hi, Mom,” I say, making sure I sound chipper.

“I’m just checking in. Honey, I’m so sad for you. Horrible that you have to move,” she says in her trademark tone—mournful with a dash of smug.

“I don’t have to, Mom. I chose to.”

“You sound so depressed. Well, who can blame you?”

My eye twitches. “I’m not depressed. I’m really happy. I’ll be closer to you, and Rachel, and—”

“Yes, but these aren’t exactly ideal circumstances, are they? It should’ve been you and Owen, not him and Ana-Sofia. Though she is quite beautiful. The baby, too. Did I tell you they had me over last week?”

“Yes. You’ve mentioned it nine times now.”

“Oh, you’re counting. Poor thing. I can only imagine how hard it was, delivering the baby who should’ve been yours...”

“Okay, I’m hanging up now.” She’s not exactly wrong, and she knows it. Such is her evil power.

I’m not doing the book justice, but it has satisfying resolution to some big issues while letting others stay unresolved as sometimes happens. Jenny struggles with moving away from her ex and dealing with a new guy who may or may not be a jerk as her sister struggles with how to resolve an unfaithful husband when he’s a wonderful father and makes protestations of love. As much as I hate the adultery theme in a novel, I thought it was well done and believable.

It's online free. ...more

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Feb 11, 2017 Karen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

Well, she did it again. Two books down, two 5 Star reviews. I am officially in love with this author. It is not all rainbows and butterflies, its real, it's complicated, it's painful as hell but oh so sweet. This book had me in tears several times. And I never cry. And the ending gave me chest pain... the good kind. I loved the characters in this book. I didn't want it to end. And I'm actually a little upset that it didn't have an epilogue. All I can say is I am eagerly looking forward to her ne ...more

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Apr 12, 2017 Myrna rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks

If You Only Knew is a thoroughly enjoyable romp filled with twists, struggles, sisterly love, triumphs, and some funny moments. The characters touched my heart. I found myself being pulled into the sisters’ stories but the minor ones as well. Also, this book is so well titled. If the characters only knew......
what was really going on, what to do in a certain situation, how to change their future for the better, who to pick, etc. Yes, this one could be classified as Chick Lit but I believe it's d ...more

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Aug 30, 2015 Ursula rated it did not like it

If you like a book about a slightly desperate woman (Jenny) whose life goal it is to get married and have babies (and who keeps whining about it) and who throws herself at her neighbor (with whom she soon envisions being married), this is the book for you. If this is how the average female thinks, we indeed are the weaker gender.

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Mar 21, 2015 Kathryn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: e-arc, women-s-fiction, published-2015, read-in-2015

4.5 stars.
And they lived happily ever after... well actually not always! Kristan Higgins has written a story that explores some of the things that happen that might mean no HEA.

As the book began I wasn't that turned on by it, it seemed a flippant chick-lit type story, which isn't my cup of tea. However reading on I soon realised I was wrong and I became riveted by the lives of two sisters Jenny and Rachel.

Jenny has a friendly relationship going on with her ex - Leo and his wife. He never wanted 4.5 stars.
And they lived happily ever after... well actually not always! Kristan Higgins has written a story that explores some of the things that happen that might mean no HEA.

As the book began I wasn't that turned on by it, it seemed a flippant chick-lit type story, which isn't my cup of tea. However reading on I soon realised I was wrong and I became riveted by the lives of two sisters Jenny and Rachel.

Jenny has a friendly relationship going on with her ex - Leo and his wife. He never wanted to have children and now here he is with another wife and a child! What! Who'd keep a friendship going with their ex when he has dumped her? Seemingly Jenny would.

Jenny is a bridal dress designer and she's good at it. She has moved back home and set up her own shop - Bliss. She has rented an apartment in a house above the 'super', who doesn't seem to know much about home maintenance. He teaches piano and has a dog Loki that seems to have a small aversion for Jenny. Leo is a bit of a mystery man, and when he and Jenny develop a friendship he underlines that it's not ever going to be permanent.

Rachel has three delightful triplet daughters, they are a handful and she is quite adept at caring for them in good times and bad. However she is somewhat shy and socially diffident. When she accidentally discovers her husband Adam has been sexting someone, her life is thrown into turmoil. This is either going to call for forgive and forget and 'getting on with life' or for Rachel to see things as they are and make choices accordingly.

The sisters have a very good relationship with each other and while it falters for awhile the strength of what they have comes through. Together they wade through lies and untruths, secrets and the impositions of the self-important, and come to stand in their own truth. Some relationships just need to be shed, some need to be looked at with love and forgiveness and some shouldn't be let go. To find out which relationships survive, which secrets will out, and who is set free - you'll need to read this book. Kristan Higgins has written an emotional story that held me enthralled.

While infidelity, divorce and lies are explored in this book, the delightful way of writing that Kristan Higgins has, along with some of her trademark humor - which is a little muted in this book, all combine to make If You Only Knew a read that I loved.

Great cast of characters, tough issues for them to grapple with, ones whose lives I became invested in.

Only disappointment was - "What, you mean the book has ended. No....!"
...more

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Oct 02, 2014 Mare SLiTsReaD Reviews rated it it was amazing

Shelves: author-love

In July I drove 8 hours to NYC so that I could go to the RWA signing.
I was so excited!
I couldn't wait to get some signed books and meet some of the authors that attended.
I waited in line so that I could get a Kristan Higgins signed book and meet her and tell her HOW MUCH I LOVED

Just One Of The Guys.

So I meet Queen Higgins and I gush and tell her how much I loved JOOTG. How I cried and laughed and cried and laughed. And she responded with...

"If you loved JOOTG wait till you read If You Only Knew. ...more

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May 01, 2015 Holly rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2016

Another awesome book by Kristan Higgins! It's not so much a romance novel but a story about two sisters. I loved how they coped with their ups and downs. I was a little worried that things weren't going to end how I thought they should! It was a good story, I loved everything about it. ...more

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Nov 23, 2016 Linda rated it really liked it

Shelves: a-slice-of-life, children-involved, chick-lit, animal-involved, snarky-humor, women-rule, 2-stories-in-one-book, women-s-fiction

It has been several years since I read a Kristan Higgins romance. At one time I gobbled them up as fast as I could read them. I loved the snarky humor delivered between relatives and friends, the heroine's droll wittiness and the animals. The author always included at least one animal. Oh, and before I forget, another of Mrs. Higgins' trademarks is a heavy dose of family drama.

Each story contained a romance but I remembered I thought that a few relationships felt secondary. Usually, the H and h ...more

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Feb 12, 2017 Andrea rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

I'm stuck in bed, so so sick. I'm quite pathetic, actually. The upside is I get to read and sleep all day!! And what a feel-good book to read. I have a happy heart and a smile that's still smiling on my face long after I closed this book. I adored the characters, the premise, the location, and those irresistible 3 year old triplets. Chick-lit in its best form! ...more

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Apr 20, 2015 Tori rated it liked it

Shelves: dealing-with-grief, angst, review-for-smexybooks, arc, romance-mild, contemporary, multiple-storylines, read-in-2015, womens-fiction

Kristan Higgins’ romance contemporaries have always been an enjoyable escapism for me. I love the balance of humor and heartbreak she imparts as she builds an opposite attracts romance among the eccentric innate craziness of her small towns and their residents. If You Only Knew takes a departure from Higgins’s usual endeavors as the romance is more of an element that enhances the storyline than being a major aspect of the storyline.

Higgins’s focus is on a pair of sisters; detailing the highs an Kristan Higgins’ romance contemporaries have always been an enjoyable escapism for me. I love the balance of humor and heartbreak she imparts as she builds an opposite attracts romance among the eccentric innate craziness of her small towns and their residents. If You Only Knew takes a departure from Higgins’s usual endeavors as the romance is more of an element that enhances the storyline than being a major aspect of the storyline.

Higgins’s focus is on a pair of sisters; detailing the highs and lows of their lives, their relationship, and addressing the lengths they will go to achieve the perfect life. Infidelity, both physically and emotionally, is the base on which this story is built on. While I’m not a huge fan of the cheating storyline, Higgins’s makes some interesting choices in the ways she showcases the various ways people can cheat on the ones they love and the means people take to protect themselves in these situations. Strong secondary characters contribute to their story, adding small but necessary pieces to the story until the picture fully evolves and we see how much the past can shape the future.

Jenny had everything she wanted until her husband announced one day he no longer wanted to be married to her. He divorces her only to remarry the perfect woman and have the perfect child he refused to have with Jenny. Jenny maintains a friendship with the happy couple to the point of going to their home for dinners and doting on their little girl. She eventually realizes this behavior is unhealthy and moves home to be closer to her sister and rediscover herself.

Rachel is a married stay at home mother with a set of adorable little triplets and a handsome charming husband she loves very much. When she discovers her husband has been cheating on her, she goes through a myriad of reactions only to settle on forgiveness and trying to make her marriage work. As time goes on, she discovers that while forgiveness is easy, it’s forgetting that’s harder. Suspicion, anger, and hurt all swirl together as Rachel tries to decide just how far she’s willing to go to keep her perfect life.

As Jenny and Rachel each take their journey to self discovery, they both learn that the key to happiness often starts within oneself.

The story is told in the present from Jenny’s and Rachel’s alternating points of view. While Rachel’s story is certainly sad, the infidelity shown here is a predictable and often told story. Adam has the perfect wife and life but looks outside of it as their marriage has settled into complacency. Rachel acknowledges some blame for their problems-their lack of communication being one of them- but refuses to allow her husband to use them to excuse his cheating. We watch her question everything from her looks to her ability to be a single mom at the age of forty. Her fears are real and provide an interesting look at marriage and the perceived roles we place ourselves in. There is a small romantic interest introduced but it’s a remarkably lightweight plot device used to push Rachel in the direction Higgins’s wants her to go.

Jenny’s story was far more interesting and definitely the stronger of the two story lines. While her husband didn’t physically cheat, he did emotionally cheat and continues to do so long after the divorce and remarriage. He clings to Jenny, using her friendship to assuage his guilt over his re marriage and child. She allows this; martyring herself to his needs without acknowledging why they continue to play this game. Even after she moves away, she continues to take his calls and drive into the city to spend time with him and his new family.

Jenny’s small romance comes in the form of her reclusive landlord, Leo. It’s here we see the true extent of Jenny’s martyr complex. Jenny is a fixer. Jenny believes her life will only be complete once she meets her prince and gets her happily ever after. Unfortunately this prince has some hefty demons and is unreceptive to a relationship which he proclaims loudly and often. It was hard to get a fix on him because we only see him through Jenny’s eyes. The mixed signals he throws out and Jenny’s excuses for his rude behavior shows she is too wrapped up in the dream to see the reality of the situation.

The ending is rather abrupt and leaves much open to interpretation as Jenny and Rachel both come to terms with the path their lives are taking. Some dragging in the storyline and Jenny’s complacency in some areas left me wanting to skip forward at times. I also felt Higgins’s should have made Jenny coming clean on one secret to her mother and sibling a priority rather than keep it to herself.

Regardless, I think Higgins branching into women’s fiction has potential though the off the cuff humor and eccentricity that makes her previous works so much fun was missing. While humor does not a story make but it certainly helps pave the way.

Overall Rating: C+ ...more

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Mar 21, 2017 Stacey is Sassy added it · review of another edition

Shelves: heroine-drove-me-batty, dnf

DNF 6%

I did not rate this one as I had barely started it before I'd decided it wasn't for me. Yes, I know I didn't really give this one a fair go but this book was making my head explode.

***the rest is spoilerish, proceed with caution***

In this case, I found it hard to relate to the characters. One sister, Jenny, is divorced and still friends with her ex...and his new wife. She loves him so much that having him as a friend is better than nothing at all. He fell out of love with her, didn't want ...more

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Jun 16, 2017 Kendall rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Emotional and heart filled story! Review to come :).

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Sep 29, 2018 Nikki ღ Navareus rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Only people who can handle cheating stories.

Shelves: evil-ow, grumpy-hero, dead-wife-or-girlfriend, cheater-cheater, heartbreaking, hea, loved-it

***FIVE STARS!***
I started this book quite a while ago. I've been swamped lately, but today I had a long road trip and I was able to read the rest of this story all in one sitting. I am absolutely in love with this charming little story. This is a wonderful story about the lives of two sisters, their losses, and how they find the strength to pick themselves back up again, dust themselves off and persevere. I loved both of these sisters, they were strong and funny. There's plenty of angst in this ...more

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May 05, 2017 debra rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Audio 4.5-5 *s Thoroughly enjoyed this-didn't want it to end. See Melissa's and Jennifer's excellent reviews for all the reasons why this book was soooo enjoyable and entertaining.

PS If not for their wonderful reviews- I would have never known about this delightful book. Both said I would LOVE it. I def did! I thank you both!!!! ; )) ...more

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Feb 14, 2019 Ririn Aziz rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, kristan-higgins, chick-lit, romance, cabaran-2019

I’m not a fan of dual/multiple 1st person pov. I prefer the 3rd person style (I think I only read a handful of 2nd person pov 🤔). And that’s why this book was kept away for quite a long time, even though everyone know how much I love KH.

Between the 2 sisters, it’s a matter of course that I love Jenny’s story more, which is more the usual Ms Higgins style. A pathetic heroin with unbelievable past but still very optimism and brings smile to people around her. Happy facade but also have a complex i ...more

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Jan 16, 2019 Liz rated it really liked it

Shelves: chick-lit, fiction-contemporary

This is the first book I’ve read by Kristan Higgins and I really enjoyed it! (Yes. I know I’m super late to the party on this one) I very much enjoyed Higgins style of writing and her characters. It is a beautiful story about two sisters and the triumphs and hardships they encounter in their respective lives. The story is told in the present from Jenny and Rachel’s alternating points of view. I connected with these woman on more than one level and it made me really love this book! I needed a bre ...more

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Aug 18, 2015 Debbie rated it it was amazing

There’s so many things to love about a novel from the amazing storytelling magician that is Kristan Higgins so let me count some ways for this 10 out of 5 star unparalleled novel about the incredible bond of sisters, letting go and starting over.
I love the side stories she incorporated with her main tale with fabulous, enduring characters. Then there’s her extraordinary humor that had me laughing so hard I held my sides remembering scenes long after they ended. Her charming, enigmatic and totall There’s so many things to love about a novel from the amazing storytelling magician that is Kristan Higgins so let me count some ways for this 10 out of 5 star unparalleled novel about the incredible bond of sisters, letting go and starting over.
I love the side stories she incorporated with her main tale with fabulous, enduring characters. Then there’s her extraordinary humor that had me laughing so hard I held my sides remembering scenes long after they ended. Her charming, enigmatic and totally loveable characters on one side and then there’s the villain(s) who made me rant and rave and want to climb into the page! Her playful, witty and at times serious, dealing with family, relationship and all other matters of emotion, narrative makes the story come gloriously in Technicolor, alive for me. And her piece de resistance was her unsinkable heroine, Jenny’s optimism, her ever-deserving HEA plus the delightful terrors, those adorably unforgettable triplets.

Hoping she’s running to her future and not away from her past brings wedding dress designer extraordinaire Jenny Tate back home to Cambry-on-Hudson NY to open her new wedding boutique, Bliss. Being in frenetic Manhattan and staying friends with her perfect plastic surgeon ex-husband who saves disfigured children and his more perfect new wife (her replacement) a charity founder that builds wells in third world countries, who is having the baby she was denied was getting on her last nerve. Plus she has to admit that not only will this move give her a fresh start but she’ll be close to her sister and BFF Rachel who really is living the perfect life, blissfully happy being a stay-at-home mom to triplet daughters and is married to the love of her life. The only fly in her new ointment is the gorgeous, too sexy for his shirt, piano teaching, super of her new building, Leo Killian the enigma, whose sending such mixed signals she’s about to get whiplash.
Rachel Carver was busy taking her perfect life for granted when she without thinking answered her husband’s cell phone getting the shock of her life when someone sent him an X-rated text image and suddenly her hearth and home is threatened and the perfect life that’s until now defined her, might just derail her instead.
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About Kristan Higgins

Kristan Higgins

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Kristan Higgins is the New York Times, USA TODAY and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than twenty novels, which have been translated into more than two dozen languages and have sold millions of copies worldwide. If you want to receive a free short story and be notified when Kristan releases a new book, sign up at kristanhiggins.com.

Her books have received dozens of awards and accolade ...more

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Quotes from If You Only Knew

“I use to think that somewhere along the line, I'd find the key to that perfect life...and that once I had it, every day would be golden and easy and everything would fit. But life isn't like that. There are only perfect glowing moments...and then there are everyday moments that weave them together into a shimmering path that can always be seen, even in the dark.” — 13 likes

“You didn't break my heart, I say. "You filled it up.” — 5 likes

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