Shining star of women's fiction, Kristan Higgans continues to wow me with her relatable stories of strong women with real issues- and the many dynamics in a family's life. I've read all of Higgans' novels and am more impressed each book with her character development. Every book that she writes feels more intimate than the last, with more POVs of characters, more internal struggle, more heart. I couldn't put this one down.

For those who think women's fiction is just fluff, be ready! You are about to experience infertility, loss, grief, and most importantly, joy and resilience. I hope you love the book as much as I did!

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to finish this before it was published. I enjoy Kristan Higgins' work, but I do long for the days when her writing was a little bit lighter. The last few books have been very heavy, so it's harder to use her writing as pure escapism. That said, she's a talented writer, and her work often speaks for itself.

This book will have appeal to many of my patrons! Family drama - husband, wife, parent, child and how they all relate to each other - told from 4 different perspectives. So much going on in this book. I really enjoyed it,

Always the Last to Know was equal parts heart warming and heart breaking for me! And I truly adored it.

Kristan Higgins knows how to write an intense and powerful story that delves in to some hard truths about family relationships. The book is full of difficult topics and I think that I read it slower than usual because it was so much to take in. And I mean that in a good way! I enjoy a book that is so well written that it takes me time to process it all. The topics that really struck me the hardest were the parent/child relationships and favoritism, and the voice of John after his stroke with this feelings and struggles.

I found my self having a love/hate thing with everyone in the Frost family at some point while reading this! It is perfect example of that you never know what someone else is dealing with, because we all have our own demons and struggles.

This book is perfect for anyone that enjoys an emotional story about complex family relationships told in multiple points of view, and a big kick in the feels!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Kristan Higgins book and it is definitely not my last. The book can be classified as contemporary women’s fiction with a huge helping of drama and romance. Focusing on the lives of the Frost family of Stoningham, Connecticut, the novel features interesting characters.

This is an enjoyable and pleasant story that delves into relationships between couples, siblings, and parents and their children. It also shows the problems that women face in male-dominated professions, as shown through Juliet’s work as an architect. Sadie’s struggle as an artist shows how flawed the art world is. Lastly, Barb’s relationship with John and her best friend, Caro, are realistic and believable. Despite being a novel that focuses on women, the characters of John, Noah, and Alexander, Sadie’s boyfriend, are not caricatures but well-portrayed. I also enjoyed the descriptions of Stoningham as seen through Sadie’s eyes.

If you want a novel that is warm, fuzzy, enjoyable, with good doses of romance, family dynamics, and realistic portrayals of professional goals and politics, then this is the book for you.

Original review on Feminist Book Club blog.

A book that focuses on a couple who have grown old together finding themselves with nothing in common is a story that holds true for real life couples... it’s also one I think we always hope to avoid for ourselves.
Barb and John have drifted apart after raising their two very different daughters. They’re at a point in their lives where they don’t know if they can continue or whether they have anything left in common. Enter fate who gives John a stroke that brings all 3 women back into the fold. Each voice has their own inner dialogue of loss and pain; mixed with a whole heck of a lot of confusion. Which is of course what all families have.

I loved this one. Each of the voices brought a different emotion to the novel. But have to say I didn’t much care for John to start. He was everything I dislike in a father figure. But slowly we “hear” him and he becomes a man that has his own demons and regrets.

4 star read

I really enjoyed this novel covering the topics of family and love, as well as the messy life that comes with a major medical condition and the way it stretches a family to the very limit. The Frost family is on the breaking point even before John has a stroke leaving him unable to speak or take care of himself. Barb resents that he was keeping a secret from her, but also feels guilty that she wanted a divorce and now she can't have one (though she still wants it) since he is incapable of signing such papers. Then her daughters, who are polar opposites of each other, come home to help with John's care. The whole house of cards the Frost family has been trying to keep standing will soon come tumbling down in a way that will make you have all the feels. This one is a story you don't want to miss.

Classic Higgins writing!

The internal narration is hilarious and honest.The plot setup is always hilarious and true to life.

The multiple view points is new for her, but I think that she pulled it off. Each characters internal narration is unique to themselves and therefore it is easy to follow the view point changes.

4 1/2 STARS!

An emotional journey of strength, love and family connections. ALWAYS THE LAST TO KNOW by Kristan Higgins delivers a poignant story of a family coming together over a health crisis and picking up the pieces of how to move forward. There's a bit of a disconnect in the layout because it switches between character points of views and goes back in time periodically, but as long as you pay attention to the details, you will keep track nicely.

When a family is faced with the patriarch of the family having a debilitating stroke, they must put aside their own lives to come together to be by his side. His wife has to rally to his side though their 50 year marriage is in crisis, their oldest daughter has to force herself to muster through the panic attacks her life has turned into as her job is being overtaken by youth and their youngest daughter must put aside her art teacher job and life as a struggling artist to return home to her beloved father ... and encounter the man that got away.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a delve into family dynamics with honest interpretations of the ups and downs of life along the way.

This book was Great from start to finish!! I could not put down! Kristan Higgins never disappoints! I love her storytelling!

I love Kristan Higgins, but wasn't sure if I'd enjoy this because it focused on not one main character but 3. But I didn't enjoy how the three women who were at different points in their lives developed and grew.

The book, good luck with that, was the first book I read by Kristen Higgins and I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to find other books by her. This novel was a long the same vein and I also enjoyed the writing. I typically like more romance in my novels however women’s fiction can be just as entertaining- sometimes.

I found myself ping-ponging about being mad a John and Barbara, or understanding their relationship. The girls had issues, but rightfully so how their parents each "chose" one of them. I was never bored and happy with the way things ended.

This book was EVERYTHING! Do you have a favorite author that you feel just gets you? That is Kristan Higgins for me. She writes engaging stories about families with messy lives packed with relatable authentic characters. This is the story of the Frost family: mother Barb, father John, daughters Juliet and Sadie. Barb and John have been married for years and Barb is just about done, that is until John has a stroke. Juliet is the perfect put together daughter with the doting husband and adorable children, but beneath it all she is not happy and stressed out. Sadie is a free spirit a struggling artist still trying to find her way in NYC, but a big piece of her heart is still back at home in Connecticut.

The story is told from the perspectives of all four family members so you really get the true picture of what’s going on in this family. I thought each family member brought a much needed piece to the narrative, however I have to admit Sadie story stole my heart. Sadie’s Second Chance Romance with Noah had me so invested. I really love both of these characters so much and wanted so badly for things to work out between them. This is just one of those books that hit me right in the feels, I was seriously bawling like a baby in the middle of the night towards the end of this book. In my humble opinion KH can do no wrong and this was one of her absolute best!

This book in emojis 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 🎨 🏠 🤱🏻 🦋 🐶

*** Big thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

Always the Last to Know by Kristan Higgins is another one of her wonderful family standalone novels. Always the Last to Know revolves around three women in the Frost Family in a time of crisis that changes their lives. Barb is the matriarch, who is not happy in her marriage. Just when she is about to ask her husband, John, for a divorce, he has a stroke that will disable him drastically. We meet their two daughters, Juliet, a brilliant successful architect, who is very close to her mother; and Sadie, a struggling artist and teacher, who lives in New York. Sadie is her father’s favorite, and when she is told about her father’s illness, she drops everything to head home and help her him. The focus of the story is their struggle during this difficult time, as each has their own life issues.

The story is told by POV’s of the three women, and occasionally that of the father, who cannot speak, as well as having difficulty in remembering who the women constantly visiting him are.
Barb has been considering divorce for a while, as they are like strangers with nothing in common. When she rushes to the hospital, she accidently sees messages on his phone that prove he was having an affair. Despite her resentment, Barb knows she needs to hide this from her daughters, and to make matters even more difficult, John will eventually come home needing round the clock care. The prognosis is not good, but the family will continue to help him. John’s POV shows how frustrated he is, and he cannot even find how to say words, or remember things.

Juliet has a successful career, with a wonderful husband and two children. With all the pressure of the job and being there for the children, she finds herself suffering from anxiety attacks. To top it off, the young girl she hired to be her assistant at their firm, is slowly making moves to push ahead of her, causing her panics to rise more. In her busy life, she does her best to be there for her mother, and sister.

Sadie is the youngest child, who loves her life in New York, dreaming of being a successful artist. She rushes home to be there for her father, and despite her mother and sister trying to put him in a home where he can get constant care, she will not allow it and makes it her business to take care of her father. Where Juliet was her mother’s favorite, Sadie only wanted to be with her father. Once she returns home, she will begin to see her mother in a new light, trying to cope with what is happening. When things get stressful, it is Sadie who will force Barb and Juliet to take a weekend at a spa to rejuvenate. Sadie left town after she graduated to move to New York, and in so doing, she left her boyfriend, Noah, who did not want to move to New York. Slowly, Sadie and Noah begin to realize that they still love each other, but will either of them be able to move forward?
What follows is an emotional, heartbreaking story of a family in crisis, and how they find a way to come together. I loved the dynamics between Barb, Juliet and Sadie, especially watching them change their lives for the better. Barb to rise above her husband’s betrayal; Juliet to find the confidence in her ability and fight for her rights; Sadie to accept her dreams and challenges, as well to recognize her love for Noah. Though we see John improve a little, the prognosis is still dire, with no hope.

Always the Last to Know is a wonderful heartwarming story, filled with remembrances, lies, tragedy, hope, happiness, sadness and love. Kristan Higgins once again give us a beautiful family driven story that you need to read.

Excellent book, as always! Kristan Higgins writes beautiful stories about family bonds, and this one did not disappoint.

Kristan Higgins is one of my favorite authors and I have been with her as she’s transitioned from funny romance to more serious women’s fiction and family drama. This was firmly in the latter category, and I did enjoy it overall, although I felt there was a lot of backstory that felt repetitive. But as usual, her characters were vivid and heartwarming and there’s a nice little love story. Enjoyed this one!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for my free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Kristan Higgins never disappoints, and this book is no exception. I liked the multiple voices and thought the family dynamics were interesting and real. I both laughed and cried while reading this women's fiction novel. Highly recommended.

This is such a good book! I really didn't expect anything less from Kristan Higgins. This book is focused on Barb and her two daughters Sadie and Juliet. i liked the different points of views changing. It kept the story moving along very quickly. Highly recommended!

Special thanks to Berkley for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

Kristan Higgins does it again. She continues to write female-centered narratives that are emotional, authentic, believable and you just root for the characters. I really loved this one and continue to fangirl over her work!