If You Only Knew presents a captivating tale of love, secrets, and unexpected twists.

The author skillfully weaves multiple perspectives, keeping readers engaged in the characters' intricate lives.

The narrative unfolds with suspense, offering a satisfying blend of romance and mystery.

I found it a compelling read that keeps you guessing until the very end.

This book started off with so much promise I was hooked immediately. The story is told with so much feeling and angst and I completely understand Elizabeth and the difficult decisions she had to make. I loved the slow unfolding of Chloe’s case that she took on too and enjoyed getting to know Maya.

My only criticism is that the ending felt a bit flat after such a gritty book, so I was a bit disappointed.

Oh wow. This book has a strange way of taking the reader from the safety of their cosy reading chair and shoving them into the type of heart-pounding situation every woman fears.
The story follows Elizabeth, who ends up taking a ride with a stranger - with disastrous consequences. You can probably guess one of the things that happened that night, but maybe not the other.
Years later, Elizabeth has buried her secret and not told another soul what happened that night. She's a successful lawyer with a husband and kids - on paper, she's got it all. But someone knows her secret, and it could rip Elizabeth's world out from under her. I wouldn't call this a mystery as such - more a drama with thriller elements - but whatever it was, it kept me reading to the end! Elizabeth's secret felt like ours, and therefore her story - for better and for worse - felt like ours too.

Really enjoyable read. Good characters and a Good story. Well worth a read. Think others will enjoy.

This book was provided to me by NetGalley in exchange for a review. Don't want to give a thing away. Read this book. Now!! SO great! You won't be able to put it down! Loved! I'd give it 10 stars if I could!!

Are some secrets worth keeping secret even if doing so tears you apart each day?

Elizabeth Perkins is a barrister and is drawn to pro-bono cases where the accused has a tough story. But Elizabeth carries a secret that not even her husband knows about and she loathes the colour red, loathes it so much she goes to extremes to try to avoid seeing it. When she takes on the case of Chloe, a fifteen-year-old girl who is being charged with attempted murder after running over a guy and then fleeing the scene, her secret is threatened and she fears for the life that she has. Will her marriage and family survive the truth? And secrets have a way of repressing your being, making you feel stifled as if you are not yourself anymore. The longer you keep a secret, the more it crushes your soul. It’s the desperation of being alone, of knowing that nobody else can be told, that you cannot allow anyone to help you carry the burden.

This was one of those books that you are unable to put down, wanting to know what happens, sympathising with the character of Elizabeth while at the same time wanting to yell at her and tell her that she is being ridiculous. But we should never judge how people react in certain situations because we don’t know how we would react in the same situation. It is very different reading about something and thinking that you would react in a certain way and actually being in the situation in real life. Most times we don’t react the way we thought we would. Self-preservation is one of the most basic human instincts and everyone instinctively reacts differently.

Saphira

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

I loved this book! The only thing I can't believe is that it's a debut novel. WHAT? The writing was so good in this one, it was such a page turner, so easy to read. It kept me on the edge of my seat especially towards the end and honestly I have nothing bad to say. I really enjoyed it, here's to my first five star book of 2018.!

I'm also so mad at myself for not reading it sooner. I just loved everything, so I will not keep rambling here because this review makes no sense, but go and read it! You'll not regret it. At least I don't think you will.

+I really love the cover as well. It was actually a cover pick for me and I just got sooo lucky with this. Especially considering that it's a debut novel. It could have gone so badly. But it didn't. Again, highly recommend to everyone who likes the genre. Definitely will read this author again if I get the chance.

Thanks NetGally!

What would you do to protect the ones you love? For Elizabeth, her worst nightmare came true as she tries to run from a split-second decision she made at university, that changed her life forever.  Secrets are hard to live with, and the one that Elizabeth has been carrying around for years could rip her life apart, and destroy the lives of her family who she has tried so hard to protect.

As her secret is threatened to be revealed, If You Only Knew is a gripping tale that will have you dying to know more.  

I read this book in the space of two days, and I honestly struggled to put it down.  This is a great debut novel from Cynthia Clark that is full of twists and turns, with a fantastic plot.  

****stars from me!

(WARNING: The start of this novel is a bit graphic in content)

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was very intriguing. Kept me guessing all the way through! I want to thank Netgalley, C. Clark, and Aria publishing for the chance to read this book!

If You only Knew....Well if you only knew how great this book was you would get it. Highly recommend. Top of 2017

I definitely went into this thinking that it was a mystery/thriller, but was pleasantly surprised. We know right from the start what happened to Elizabeth but that is just the beginning of the story. You end up wanting to learn so much more about Elizabeth and her life, and there is so much character-development that you are on the edge of your seat the entire time.

This book took me a while. I just could not get into it. I really wanted to but just wasn't happening. I think the overall concept of the book was fascinating though but the delivery just lacked something for me. Thank you Aria and Netgalley for letting me get a first look.

Really easy read, not taxing and very enjoyable all round. Good debut.

It started with one mistake .... she got into a car with a man she didn't know. The reader can almost guess what happened next. Almost ... but not quite. She was assaulted and in her desperation to get away from him, she killed him. And in her fear and panic, she cleaned up everything, went home, and never told another soul what had happened.

16 years later, Elizabeth is a wife, married to her college sweetheart, mom to 2 wonderful children. She works as an attorney.

But now someone has found her and knows her secret .... and they're going to make her pay.

Elizabeth has fought so hard to get where she is .... but her past is catching up with her. And if it comes out, she will lose her family, her license, .. and someone else she has gotten close to. So what will she do to protect herself and all those she loves?

This is a terrific debut novel. Well-written character development. A story premise that had me leaking a few tears along the way.

Many thanks to the author / Aria Publishing / Netgalley for the digital copy of this thriller. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

What a fantastic debut! I was gripped! What happens when your whole life is based on a secret that happened years ago, when you can never relax for fear of being found out! Well that is just what this book explores! I was so immersed in the characters that I could not put this down until I Had finished it to see what happens!

IF YOU ONLY KNEW was a fascinating look at a young woman who has a life with a big secret. When Elizabeth was in college, she accepted a ride from a stranger, and that one wrong choice changed her whole life. The stranger ended up drugging her and raping her, and Elizabeth escapes with her life, but leaves behind a dead man. When she discovers that she is preganant, she flees to the U.S. to have the baby and put here up for adoption. Then, she goes back to the UK and pursues her law degree, attempting to get her life back on track and hiding the secret that is consuming her. Elizabeth is a very sympathetic character; the reader can imagine what happened to her could happen to anyone and is drawn into the story as she makes one decision after another that affects her future and that of her family. She is an excellent attorney who looks for ways to help others who cannot afford an attorney, with the thought always in her mind that she killed a man. The plot is intricate with a lot of characters interacting with Elizabeth who have something to do with her past . My least favorite character was her neighbor Ellen who is needy and whining and judgmental. Aside from Elizabeth, I loved the character of Maya, Ellen’s adopted daughter who is seeking her birth mother and who is a typical teen who is extremely bright. The reader will not be disappointed by this suspenseful tale of a secret that changes lives.

If You Only Knew shows how one wrong decision can impact your life for the rest of your life. Suspenseful, emotional, a great read.

Elizabeth has a secret. She's kept it to herself for many years. As as student one wrong decision shaped her whole life forever. Even her loving husband Miles doesn't know but someone knows her secret and lets her know they know... will she have to keep looking over her shoulder forever or will the past catch up with her?... An absolutely enthralling read which I really enjoyed.

I enjoyed this book!

I was hooked from the beginning. It opens with Elizabeth’s confession of murder, so I knew it was going to be good. Fairly early on, I learned the circumstances of Elizabeth’s crime, and it’s hard to blame her. I was sympathetic for her.

I liked that there were two perspectives from Elizabeth, from 1998 and 2014. I could tell that she was the same character but she was more mature in 2014.

I had figured out what was going on with Claire’s circumstances early in the story, but I was still excited about the story. I was very intrigued to see how it all ended.

I liked this story. It was an exciting thriller!