If You Must Know

Former RWA Board Member Expands Horizons. Jamie Beck is so well known as a romance author that she actually served as a member of the Romance Writers of America - the major romance writer organization in the US, at least - Board of Directors for a bit. She has since left those duties and has now expanded her writing to boot. Her romances have always been solid, if solidly within RWA rules. Here, she leaves romance for the realm of women's fiction, focusing primarily on two sisters who could not be more opposite as they find themselves needing to learn to lean on the other. And she does her usual excellent work, despite the new genre. At times feeling like she might be trying to break into the mystery world, ultimately this has more of a feel of The Other Woman, the 2014 hit starring Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann, and Mrs. Justin Verlander's pre-baby boobs. (Ok, so that last is a bit of a joke - I am a guy, and I largely went into the movie for the one seen with Ms. Upton on the beach. It turned out to be an awesome movie, and this book is very reminiscent of its best parts.) I can't really say that this is a “bold” departure for Ms. Beck, as long time fans will feel very comfortable here even in the new genre, but it is absolutely a refreshing departure and a strong showing that Beck is Beck, no matter the genre. Very much recommended.

This book was a pleasant surprise. I didn't know what to expect as I have never heard of the author, but I ended up really enjoying this one. The characters and plot are both well developed, and the writing style is very easy to read. I'm giving this one a 4.5 star rating.

I really like the characters in this book. The plot revolves around two sisters and their mother. One sister, Amanda, has been duped by her husband, and his treachery is impacting the whole family. As they deal with the fallout from his betrayal, they must face their own limitations and learn how to be better versions of themselves. I particularly like the two sisters. Amanda and Erin are very different, and they have struggled to have a good relationship because of it. Their current struggles bring them closer and help them to recognize that their differences are not a barrier. In fact, they are able to make each other stronger. I do not care for their mother, however. She is overly concerned with appearances and gossip, so much so that she is willing to lose all her money and act illegally just to keep from being the center of scandal. I do not understand that. She frustrated me throughout the book.

By the end of the book, I felt attached to this family and their story. The story itself moves at a nice pace with no boring or tedious sections. The chapters are a little long at times, but it wasn't really an issue. It kept my interest throughout.

It looks like this will be a part of some kind of series, so I am interested to see what comes next. I will definitely continue to read books by this author.