So of course when I got the arc for If You Only Knew (Thank you so much NetGalley!!) I had to drop everything else I was reading and dive right into this book. I tried to wait, I really did. The book doesn't come out until the end of August. But it's Kristan Higgins; who is by far my favorite contemporary romance writer. So the term wait does not apply here. 
 If You Only Knew takes readers away from Higgins' Blue Heron series (first book The Best Man) that we've been following for four books now and instead she gives us a stand-alone book about sisters Jenny and Rachel. Higgins throws in another new aspect in that the book is told not from our heroine and hero's point of view, but from the POVs of both Rachel and Jenny. 
 I would say Jenny's POV follows the standard Kristan Higgins formula. She's divorced (yet somehow still good friends with her ex and his new wife) but she's still looking for that right person. A good man who could potentially be a good husband and father. She's not given up on her dream of a family. Jenny designs and makes wedding dresses. She's just decided to move out of Manhattan and open her shop back in her hometown. Upon moving into her new rental she meets the building super Leo who immediately grabs Jenny's attention and there's definitely a spark between them, but Leo firmly lets Jenny know that he cannot be what she wants. Despite his warnings, he and Jenny form a friendship, and Jenny doesn't believe for a second that over time things could become more between them even if she knows there are things in Leo's past he is intentionally not sharing. 
 I love, love, loved ALL scenes with Jenny and Leo. The zingers that flew back and forth between them (off the page) were so effortless, it was great. It made me wish that Kristan Higgins had followed her pattern of late and we got Leo's POV because there are times I would have loved to have read from his perspective. With the way the book starts off, which felt a bit more serious in tone, I was a little worried that would carry over the entire book. But the moment Leo steps on page with one of the first things he says to Jenny, I laughed out loud and I knew I shouldn't have worried, that Ms. Higgins would still manage to make me laugh (and cry) within the pages of one of her stories. 
 I also couldn't help but like Jenny. She's the younger (albeit slightly more carefree) sister. Yes, she wants a family. Yes, she was heartbroken that her husband didn't want a family, divorced her, and then quickly remarried and became a father with someone else, but she doesn't ever come across as bitter or maudlin. She still hopes, she still loves. 
 One the other side we have Rachel. Here Kristan Higgins throws yet another newby in for us readers in that Rachel's story focuses on her marriage, and its potentially falling to pieces. If you are a long-time reader of Ms. Higgins' work you will know that she hasn't featured a married couple in the spotlight (that I can think of, if I'm incorrect please someone tell me). Usually our main couple are just getting together or working their way towards each other. Any married couples are usually secondaries within the story. 
 I liked the spotlight that Kristan Higgins places on marriage in this book. Sometimes marriages are not perfect, regardless of what it looks like to the outside viewer. Sometimes they need work. Sometimes an event happens that changes the way you look at someone or look at yourself and you need to figure out where you go from there. That's Rachel's story. She's living her dream. Devoted husband, mother of triplets, stay-at-home mom. All things she's worked very hard for and in one moment everything changes and Rachel's not quite sure how to change (or stay the same) with it. 
 Rachel's story broke my heart in a few places, but I was always on team Rachel. She's a self-admitted shy person who does not do well in social situations and doesn't do well with confrontations. And I loved seeing her become what she calls "New Rachel" over the course of the story. Because Kristan Higgins wrote Rachel's story so well, I was seriously on board for any decisions Rachel decided to make during her journey. She has some difficult things to deal with and I admired the way she didn't just jump to extremes but really took time to figure out what was best for her and no one else (I say no one else, but she does consider her children of course). Even if her decision was something I personally wouldn't have done, Kristan Higgins did a great job of making me understand why it may have been right for Rachel's character and for that I couldn't fault her. 
 I know the blurb mentions things about sisterhood, and while we do get moments between Rachel and Jenny, I read it more of their own personal journeys. As I was reading I often wondered if I could do a re-read where I only read Jenny's chapters (they alternate between sisters) or vice versa with Rachel and I think you could because while, yes, they are family and they are supportive of each other, the book is really a turning point in both of their lives separate from one another. This is especially clear in Rachel's case where her decision has to be one she makes on her own and not with the influence of her sister. 
 What can I say? I think I've pretty much loved all of Kristan Higgins' books. While I felt this one had a few more somber moments than others of her books, I still loved it. If you're already a fan of Kristan Higgins I think you'll enjoy this story. If you're new to Kristan Higgins, I think this is as good a point as any to start of reading her books.