Publishers Weekly
03/13/2017
Higgins examines the ties that bind family as two sisters grieve their losses and provide support to one another. Kate O’Leary is a successful photographer and loves her life with her new husband, Nathan, in suburban Cambry-on-Hudson, N.Y. But when Nathan dies in an accident, she is devastated by his loss. Kate’s half-sister, Ainsley, talented and ever-cheerful, supported her longtime boyfriend, Eric, through cancer, and believes that he is finally going to propose to her. But shortly after Ainsley finds the ring, he publicly breaks up with her via his blog. After Ainsley moves in with Kate, the two women become closer than they had ever been. Each draws on the strength of the other to move forward in her life and begin the healing process. Kate tries to continue with her work as a photographer and enjoys her friendship with Daniel, the “Hot Firefighter,” and Ainsley enjoys a love/hate relationship with her job as an editor at Hudson Lifestyle, where she always seems to attract the displeasure of her boss, Jonathan. Higgins’s page-turner highlights both the complexity of family relationships and the intense power of love. (Feb.)
From the Publisher
"Emotional depth is seared into every page along with wry banter, bringing readers to tears and smiles. Another hit for Higgins." -Library Journal, starred review
"Higgins' complex, witty characters will seem like close friends, and readers will savor each and every page as they find that love comes in many different flavors and forms. Demand will be high for the latest from this women's-fiction star." -Booklist, starred review
"A captivating read about two sisters dealing with love, loss and new beginnings. What sets this book apart is how one event changes both women's lives. Kate is refreshingly frank in her inner monologue, and Ainsley is charmingly self-aware and wry." -RT Book Reviews, gold review
"The kind of book I enjoy the most-sparkling characters, fast-moving plot and laugh-out-loud dialogue. A winner!" -New York Times bestselling author Susan Elizabeth Phillips on If You Only Knew
"[An] emotionally compelling story [and] perceptive study of love, marriage, sisterhood, and loyalty. A powerful, emotionally textured winner." -Kirkus Reviews on If You Only Knew
"Poignant, funny and richly entertaining." -NPR on If You Only Knew
"This emotional journey is filled with drama, laughter and tears and squeezes the heart. It should be on every bedside table in the country!" -#1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr on If You Only Knew
"Oh, what a satisfying and delicious read! I admired the writing, the wit, the keen eye at work here. Thank you, Kristan Higgins." -Elinor Lipman on If You Only Knew
"Higgins' tender, heartfelt If You Only Knew bridges the gap between romance and women's fiction." -BookPage
"Hilarious...Kristan Higgins is spot on with her dialogue and characters. A fantastic story." -Fresh Fiction on If You Only Knew
Library Journal
★ 11/01/2016
Half sisters Kate and Ainsley aren't as close as they could be, considering they live in the same town of Cambry-on-Hudson, NY. Photographer Kate has been married to architect Nathan for four months and is spending a fortune on pregnancy tests. Ainsley writes for Hudson Lifestyle magazine after an unfortunate incident at NBC and has been dating Eric for ten years. Ainsley thinks tonight is the night Eric will pop the question. It's his postcancer celebratory party after all, a time to focus on living life to the fullest. What better way to move forward than with an engagement? Just as Eric is about to make Ainsley the happiest woman he knows, a terrible accident changes everything, especially for the O'Leary sisters. VERDICT Higgins (If You Only Knew) has perfect pitch when it comes to her upstate New York protagonists and their expanded worlds that even extend to Brooklyn. Emotional depth is seared into every page along with wry banter, bringing readers to tears and smiles. Another hit for Higgins.—Bette-Lee Fox, Library Journal
