Harriet Klausner's Review Archive
Six weeks later, Marla Cahill remains in a coma at San Francisco's Bayview Hospital. Although comatose, she can hear her spouse Alex, her mother-in-law Eugenia, and her teenage daughter Cissy talk. She recognizes no one and is shocked to learn she has a newborn. Alex turns to his brother Nick, who fled his relatives for Oregon, to help with Marla and the failing family business. Nick reluctantly agrees though he hates seeing his former lover even if fifteen years have passed since Marla dropped him for Alex. As Marla regains consciousness, she begins to regain her memory, but none of it coincides with what her family believes. Worse yet, she is falling in love with Nick even as someone plans to finish the job that failed on the road.
IF ONLY SHE KNEW is a taut romantic thriller that proves how talented best-selling author Lisa Jackson is. The story line has been used many times before, but Ms. Jackson injects freshness through Marla's behavior. The climax is also obvious, but does not take away from a strong, suspense-laden tale starring an intriguing cast of characters.