Another heart wrenching story in this series. Jamie Beck really knows how to get you to care (deeply) about her characters. She puts them in extreme situations that could easily teeter into “over the top”, but never do. That being said, I would be remiss if I didn’t give some content warnings here. There are a lot of issues being dealt with in this story, one of them being cutting. Along with that goes depression, anxiety, and other emotional issues. While I think this book tells an important story, I know there are certain people that should skip this one.

Although this story is the second in a series, you absolutely do not need to read one in order to understand the other. The stories share a town and an overall feeling, but they are truly standalone books.

The author does a beautiful job capturing a mother’s worries when it comes to her teenage child. Anne has made some missteps in her life, but she has done her best to be the model mom and wife. Everything falls apart when her husband leaves her for another woman, so she decided to move to her grandmother’s house in Potomac Point, a place of fond memories and feelings of being loved. That’s where our story picks up. It’s very evident Anne does all she can to be a neutral spot for her daughter to land. Of course Katy is upset her parents split, not to mention the way her dad went about everything. But Anne is determined to take the high road. The more she bites her tongue, the more she bottles things inside, the more stressed she feels.

As for Katy, she has always tried so hard to live up to her dad’s expectations. He’s not a bad father, but he’s not great. (The cheating and leaving his family aside.) He really doesn’t see how much pressure he puts on Katy, he’s in his own bubble where his daughter earns top grades, is a top athlete, and doesn’t get into trouble. He doesn’t look outside that bubble to see how much of a toll keeping it all up takes on Katy. But Anne sees, and Anne worries…with good reason.

Watching this family navigate the roller coaster that is divorce broke my heart. Along the way Anne is also looking in on her grandmother who is not in a nursing home due to memory issues (dementia, possibly Alzheimer’s) and learning some family secrets. Things that could effect Katy and the way she’s handling the divorce.

Don’t worry, it’s not all doom and gloom. Anne reconnects with an old crush, Dan. He’s often the voice of reason and reassurance for Anne during the turmoil with Katy. They decide to be friends since she has so much going on her life and isn’t ready for more, but she can’t seem to stay away. He’s just too nice and too good of a person. Anne has spent all of her adult life taking care of everyone else. Having someone attempt to take care of her is almost irresistible for her.

I know one of the reasons this story hit me in the gut so hard is because the situations are so real. The oblivious dad, the “evil” stepmother, the first wife and mom that’s trying too hard to keep things “normal” while her world is falling apart around her. I have to remind myself, next time I’m going to pick a Jamie Beck book up, to be in the right emotional head space before beginning. She gets me every time.

Jamie Beck has written about many issues that effect woman/girls in today's world. The poignant memories of three woman are brought to light by one woman getting a divorce, one losing her memories, and a teenage girl "losing" her father to his other family. All three look back to see how things could have been different if they had made different choices. We all have experienced this at some point in our lives but we must move forward along with whatever mistakes we made. I highly recommend this book.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An emotional story of pain and secrets.

I love how this story is told from 3 POVs ... Marie the great grandmother, Anne the mother and Katy the daughter. I can just feel Anne's pain and devastation from her husband's betrayal of not only her but the hurt he has caused their daughter. This book deals with real life problems ... dementia, divorce and self-harm. The author does an amazing job of portraying each character's deepest thoughts, hopes, pain and dreams.

Anne was blindsided when her husband of 17 years leaves her for a younger woman. She doesn't want to run into her ex and his lover, so she decides to move into her grandmother's house at Potomac Point. Plus, she can be closer to her grandmother who recently went into a care home because of dementia. This was the house she has her best memories from, but it needs updating. The contractor she hires finds a box with odd things inside ... but they must mean something if they were saved and tucked away for no one to see. As Anne investigates the box and its contents, she finds out things that will change the past and the present.

I received an early copy courtesy of Montlake Romance through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

When Anna's marriage falls apart, she takes her teen age daughter Katy and heads home to her grandmother Marie's house in Potomac Point and finds a family secret she never expected. Told alternately by Katy, Marie, and Anna, this is the tale of three women struggling with a new reality. Katy's terribly unhappy and actually depressed by the changes in her life. Marie has dementia. Anna, well, Anna's trying to hold it together. Who is the man in the photos with Marie? The quest for that answer leads Anna to a new place and new information about her family. No spoilers from me but this is a well written domestic novel with good characters who feel very real. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Excellent read.

This book brought me to tears and astonished me with its complexity. From the pains of divorce to the need for mental health counseling through recalling and sharing past events of a mother/grandmother in the early stages of dementia, TRUTH OF THE MATTER is not your ordinary book. It is a glimpse through the window into family dynamics and how the decisions made by each family member effects the present as well as the future. Through all of this, the author weaves feelings of hope and healing, and I found myself longing for second book which follows the characters further on their life's journey...hint, hint, hint.

TRUTH OF THE MATTER is a book many will definitely want to read. It is one of Ms Beck's best accomplishments and one which will leave an indelible mark on reader's hearts. Don't miss this one; it is exceptional!

Messier And More... Real. Beck continues to show the true strength of her storytelling in her sophomore effort in the women's fiction genre after breaking out from exclusively writing romances. And here, she brings quite likely her most real - and messiest - story to date. Life is full of complications, and while Beck tends to bring some of them out even in her romances, here we get a much more real look at just how messy things can be - and an intergenerational tale of struggling to be yourself even when others tell you not to. One of - if not *the* - Beck's strongest works to date. Very much recommended.

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Anne is returning to her roots, to a place where she was truly happy, after a difficult divorce. Her ex-husband has a new family and Katy, their daughter, is understandably resentful of the new woman in her father's life. Katy does not handle the emotional upheaval well. She resorts to cutting and other harmful behaviour as an outlet for her anger and feelings of betrayal and loss. When Katy suspects that her mother might be attracted to Dan, who is helping them restore her grandmother's house, she doesn't bother to hide her disgust. Anne protests that the ink is barely dry on her divorce, but Katy is quite the handful and poor Anne, who has willingly put aside her artistic career in order to raise Katy, is forced to put aside, once again, her own needs in order to help Katy deal with all the emotions that are leading her down a perilous road. Very emotional, with quite a lot going on. Anne comes out a very strong, confident woman in the end. The only reason I am lowering my score to a 3.75 is due to the fact that both Katy and Anne find potential love-interests at the end of the story, as if they could only truly be happy now that they have boyfriends on the horizon. They are all healed up and ready for love, so to speak. An involving, well-written story for readers who like "family drama" genres.

Jamie Beck’s second book in her Potomac Point series deals with many subjects that we deal with every day, so it’s a story a lot of women or men reading this book can relate to, divorce, teenage anxiety, new starts, Alzheimer's, mental health concerns and family secrets and getting a new normal. That’s a lot for anyone women to deal with.

Anne Sullivan is still reeling from the end of her marriage and starting over in the house that once belonged to her grandmother. She has taken her daughter from her friends and her father and is staring over. She has devoted her life to her daughter and was a stay at home mother and now she is going to get back to the art that she gave up to do so. But first she has to deal with the renovations of the house, her grandmother who is in a Long-Term Care facility and her daughter who is not dealing with life and the divorce in a good way. An ex-husband and the women who come between them along with her children. She also did not see herself becoming attracted to the guy who is renovating her home.

There is a lot going on in this story and Jamie Beck has done what she always does and crafts a story that will keep you turning the page. It is a story of strength, love of family and finding out what you really want in life to make you happy as well as to help other’s find their happiness too.

I really loved this book and it moved me so that I had to keep a Kleenex handy.

Thank you Netgalley and Montlake for allowing me to read this wonderful heartfelt story.

This is such a moving and emotional story. I would recommend reading IF You Must Know first to get to know the characters and how they blend into this story but you can still read it as a stand alone and enjoy it. It starts out with a divorce, moving and romance with a bit of everyday problems we all encounter... I really enjoyed both books in this series and am waiting for the next one. Thank you to the publisher , NetGalley and Jamie Beck for a Advanced Release Copy and this is my honest and voluntarily review.

Anne and Katys lives have been turned upside-down after Annes husband has an affair and everything mother and daughter thought the knew is turned upside-down. Moving back to the one place she felt safe and happy Anne hopes to recreate that feeling again, for herself and her daughter. But Katy is struggling, in more ways than Anne was aware of and it's going to take everything she has to help her daughter while she still can. The grandmother who loved her and cared for her every summer is losing her mind and her secrets, the life she always thought was happy and perfect are so far from the truth. Appearances aren't always everything and sometimes looking beyond what we want people to see is key to truly knowing a person and what they have experienced. It's beautiful and poignant and such a great read!

Truth of the Matter was a very enjoyable and emotional read. Anne Chase, Anne Sullivan, is certainly in an emotional journey after a shocking split from her husband. Her teenage daughter, Katy, didn't handle the split well at all or had dad's new flame. The navigation of grief, anger, hurt and eventual healing was a rollercoaster and brings anyone with a teenager close to a reality check raising teens that are emotion filled and to young to handle those powerful feelings.

This story made me truly delve into my own parenting and the angst I always faced attempting to get it right, which always felt like never. I feel like Jamie Beck writes this from the emotional place I find myself in with older children where you realize you can't control your child's happiness or fulfill them in every aspect. The hardest part in being a mother, well a parent, is letting go of the control you once had over the toddler or preteen to allow that teenager to grow and become their own, independent adult. The Truth of the Matter is that revelation is heartbreaking, yet freeing.

Thanks NetGalley and Montlake for the advanced reader's copy.

A great addition to Potomac Point series. I loved that Jamie Beck is going in a new direction with her writing. I am enjoying more sisters and their journey.

I voluntarily reviewed this book.

Jamie Beck hits the mark with this book about divorce, loss and starting over. Divorce is tough on everyone involved whether you are the one initiating it, blindsided by it or caught in the middle. This book shows an honest and realistic view of how divorce effects everyone in the family.

Depression and anxiety is handled with dignity, and should not be hidden as a family secret. We are so lucky we are not living with the horrors of the treatment in the 50s. Therapy should be sought and the stigma removed. Kudos for this strong message.

Throw in a beautiful grandmother/granddaughter & great gd relationship and there are two intense stories going on, that work together beautifully. As someone who is watching her mother quickly fade away, I so loved the part of Gram working thru her heartbreaking memories coupled with trying to hold on to the present with Anne and Katy. Gave me a glimpse, and made me shed a tear or two, of what it could have been like for my Mom going thru this.

If you are looking for a light romantic read, this isn’t it. But, if you are looking for a dramatic read about a hurting family working together to heal and rebuild their lives, I highly recommend this book. It was so much more than I expected. The characters are great, so raw and real.

Thanks to Ms.Beck, Montlake Romance and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

This story hit close to home for me in many ways and many aspects are all too familiar.

With an unexpected and heartbreaking split from her husband, Anne decides to move to where she spent many summers with her grandparents. Anne, unlike many women, has enough money to move, make a new life for herself and not rush into a job just to make ends meet. She still has to interact with her not-yet ex-husband who is engaged and living with the woman he left Anne for and her two young children. Richard and Anne have a teenage daughter, Katy, who understandably wants her parents to stay together and live under one roof.

I did not care for Richard with his attitude, the expectations he placed on his wife and daughter, his affair and quick decision to leave his marriage and child. He worked hard in his career and made a lot of money but as time went by, had less and less time for his wife and child. They were much happier when they had less. As seen in this story, many times the man wants his life a certain way but when moving on, will accept different things in a new relationship. Katy feels like she’s been abandoned and for a father that was too busy to attend her activities, he seems all too happy to be present with his new family. He did make a seemingly heartfelt apology when he, Katy and Anne are all in crisis mode and overwhelmed, which was quite emotional.

The story was interesting in the generational aspects and bits of a mystery with Gram, who is suffering from dementia. Anne is lost and having given up so much of her life to be a mother and wife, is struggling to figure out her new life. Katy, who suffers from anxiety, is thought to be so strong, talented, pretty and more and yet no one sees her inner struggles. That seems to be the case for all of the women in this family.

I felt so much for Anne and after a therapist seems to tell her she did so many things wrong in raising Katy, that struck true for me too. We often want to protect our children from so much and yet we tend to learn more after we’ve made mistakes. It often seems that no matter what parenting decisions we make, we later find that we should have taken a different route. Anne was torn in so many directions between her own struggles, her daughter, her mother, conflicts with her husband and his fiancé, a potentially budding romance, and what to do with her life.

The story didn’t really focus on Anne and Dan much and the ending left me wanting something more. Dan briefly notes his younger life wasn’t as it seemed and yet it was never discussed. I don’t know the time period for a divorce in that state, but it evidently was quite a long time period. And for Richard to be engaged while still married was just odd and cruel. It ends on a positive note but had several slow sections.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this new work.

3.5 Stars
Jamie Beck brings much to this story. You have a woman who devoted her life to raising her daughter and marriage for it to blow up into divorce. She goes back to where she has positive memories thinking it will be a good place to restart her and her daughter's life, only to have more drama to handle.

I applaud Jamie on this book. It is an emotional read and as I devoured the layers of this story, I empathized with Anne and her daughter. When the contractor uncovers a box that exposes secrets from her grandmother's past, Anne realizes that her life mirrors her grandmother's and it helps her come to terms with her own by allowing her to revitalize and restore who she was prior to giving up on her dreams before she married. Katy also gets help from a therapist for depression and comes to terms with her parents divorce. This book was hard to put down and gives you something to think about well after reading it.

Truth of the Matter is truly heartfelt. I felt like I could empathize with both the mom and the daughter as they navigate their new world together. I also appreciated the way Jamie Beck got into the mind of the grandmother as she journeyed through dementia. I am looking forward to the next story in this series!

I loved this book, which had a more “romantic” feel than the previous novel in the Potomac Point series If You Must Know. While Truth of the Matter is clearly a women’s fiction novel, the romantic element involves the female main character, Anne Sullivan, while in the previous novel the minor romantic element involved he sister of the female main character. Anne’s growing involvement with the contractor (Dan Foley) renovating her house was integral to Anne’s story.

Anne has moved to Potomac Point with her daughter Katy following the breakup of her marriage to her husband Richard, an unlikeable character. Katy has trouble adapting to the move, and Anne’s grandmother, who lives in assisted living, is affected by Alzheimer’s disease. The story of Anne’s rediscovering herself is the basis of the story. Jamie Beck excels at this type of story, as I found myself rooting for Anne to uncover mysteries of her past, her grandmother’s past, welcoming Katy’s healing and maturing, rediscovering her artistic prowess, and acceptance of herself and her attraction to Dan. A hallmark of Ms. Beck’s stories is dealing with substantial issues, and she certainly hits that mark here with Katy's anxiety, depression, and self-destructive behavior, and the grandmother’s dementia. Grandmother’s story and the dementia are skillfully woven into the story. Also, I don’t think I’ve read another romance novel or women’s fiction novel that discussed the impact of male infertility on the guy, which Ms. Beck does here with Dan.

I heartily recommend this moving story of Anne’s discovery of past events, and rediscovery and appreciation of herself. A winning story!

I received an ARC from Netgalley, am voluntarily reviewing the book, and the opinions expressed here are my own.

When I started this book, my thoughts after the first bit were along the lines of “oh no, another divorce story, boo hoo”, but I’m glad I stuck with it, because this book is so much more!

Anne and Richard are separated, he has moved on with a new family, she has moved to her family home. Their daughter, Katy, isn’t taking it well and has some significant issues. I don’t do spoilers, so you’ll have to read it to understand.

This is a novel of family truths, courage, honesty and learning. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

This is the second book in this series. Truth of the Matter is about the life of Ann, a divorcee starting a new life with her daughter, Katy who is also struggling with her parents divorce. Finding herself lost in a sea of changes and challenges. Truth of the Matter takes the reader on a journey from sadness and heartache to strength and resiliency. The characters are well developed and easy for the reader to connect with. A well written story by talented author. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this ARC.