When We Let Go by Rochelle Weinstein โ 316 pagesย
ARC from Amazon Publishing, Getred PR and Netgalley for an honest review
Book Blurb:
When We Let Go by Rochelle Weinstein: When Avery Beckett is proposed to by Jude Masters, a widowed father and the man she loves, it should be a time of great joy. Instead, Avery is on edge. Sheโs wary of the idea of family, doubtful of happy endings, and too afraid to take the leap. Itโs the kind of fear that comes from having secrets.
Before Avery commits to a new life, she must reconcile with the one she left behind.
When Avery returns to her childhood farm in the North Carolina mountains, sheโs surprised to be saddled with a companion: Judeโs teenage daughter, Elle, whoโs grappling with the loss of her mother and the complicated emotions of first love. On a path of mending wounds and breaking down walls, Avery and Elle form an unexpected alliance. Itโs giving them the courage to move forward. And for Avery, everything she needs to confront the past.
An emotional tale of mothers and daughters, loss and acceptance,ย When We Let Goย is about the lessons that come from heartbreak and the healing it takes to embrace the joy of a second chance.
My Review: 4.5 stars
When We Let Go by Rochelle Weinstein is a pull at your heart-strings story about loving yourself enough to let go of your past. Itโs also about mothers and daughters, love with a romantic partner, sisterly love, accepting loss, grief, mental illness, forgiveness and moving forward. Iโve yet to read a book by Weinstein that doesnโt leaves me in a pool of tears that also fills my heart with hope.ย
This story starts with what should be a perfect proposal, but we soon learn that Avery has a secret from her past she that canโt let go of. How can she marry a man that isnโt aware of her secret? Itโs a heartbreaking choice because she hasnโt only fallen in love with Jude, but also his three kids. Many people carry secrets (baggage) with them and this book, as the title suggests, reminds us to let go. Letting go of regret, shame, hurt, fear or whatever it is that holds us back is crucial to move forward. This story thrums with this theme throughout the book.ย
When Avery travels to the North Carolina mountains to be with her ailing dad, sheโs aware that going home will kick her in the ass. Memories and the secrets that she wants buried are sure to surface and like all good fiction, they pop up with twists and revelations that kept me flipping the pages. This is a testament to Weinsteinโs pacing, knowing when to drop bits and pieces of past history to keep the present moving forward.ย
The major and minor characters are relatable, flawed and fleshed out just enough that the reader truly cares for them. Weinstein can impart a lot of wisdom through her conversations with her dad, her sister and surprisingly with Elle. I hope to see some of these characters make a cameo into another of Weinsteinโs books. I will miss them.ย ย
Overall, this is the perfect anytime read, itโs excellent storytelling and will keep you hooked from start to finish.
Quotes I liked:
And I wonder why the ones who need love the most are so difficult to give it to.โ
โThatโs what happens to people when they visit the mountains, ground themselves in the earth. Simplicity spreads through the limbs, like stems bending in the wind, flowers scattering their petals.โ