When We Let Go

by Rochelle B. Weinstein

A moving novel of family and forgiveness and of hope and healing by Rochelle B. Weinstein, the USA Today bestselling author of This Is Not How It Ends.

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. She’s wary of the idea of family, doubtful of happy endings, and too afraid to take the leap. It’s 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, she’s surprised to be saddled with a companion: Jude’s teenage daughter, Elle, who’s 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. It’s 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, When We Let Go is about the lessons that come from heartbreak and the healing it takes to embrace the joy of a second chance.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Book Club, Audiobook, Womens Fiction, Ebooks

312 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 17, 2022

About the author

Rochelle B. Weinstein is the USA Today bestselling author of multiple contemporary fiction novels, most recently We Are Made of Stars. Her work has been featured in People, Deadline, Entertainment Weekly, Country Living, Woman’s Day, Woman’s World, First for Women, Kveller, Totally Booked with Zibby, BookBub, and more. Rochelle is the book columnist for AQUA Magazine and a frequent speaker and workshop instructor. A former entertainment industry executive and NBC-6 Miami book correspondent, Rochelle splits her time between South Florida and the mountains of North Carolina.

Reviews

[Elyse Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update….
This is such a wonderful book by Rochelle Weinstein….
—on sale today : it’s an ebook Kindle Unlimited- with an audiobook option - or $3.99.
Great price - enjoyable women’s fiction… great female characters—- love the storytelling…
love all of Rochelle’s books!
Pure enjoyable reading.


TODAY’S tiny tidbit update share…


“I wonder why the ones who need love the most are so difficult to give it to”.

🎶 “Can’t Help Falling in Love” 🎶
—Elvis Presley


TODAY’S TIDBIT update NEW-NEWS

🌸Vizcaya’s gardens -[gorgeous photos]- in Miami Florida!!!

Go visit Google and look at the images of this amazing nursery!!!!
It will wet your appetite to read this book!!!



Update....
I can't remember taking this long to write a full review after finishing a book
...but today....while on the phone with Cheri,
I think I've figured out why:
My fear is that if I write a review -- I've said goodbye to the book -to the characters -- I don't want to.. I WANT TO HOLD ON........
I DON'T WANT TO LET GO.....(I'd like to read more about the three women we meet: Avery, Elle, and Willow)...
....I'm already writing book 2 in my head.
..........I'm also hoping for a movie or series!!!!

2- The other reason --I HAVE NOT LET GO is....
On a personal level, I took so many things deeper than deep....
to the point of being embarrassing -- (I'm a woman who seeks out vulnerability and intimacy)-- but whoaaaa -
This book opened A LOCKED DOOR .... of vulnerable emotions.
I CRIED HARDER THAN I HAVE IN **YEARS** .....
alone in our guest room - on the premises of 'Construction Camp' ....
I call my cozy r0om my 'ME-SHACK'.
Its equipped with all the comforts anyone could want for a *MY ROOM*

So here is my REVIEW SOLUTION....
I'll share something new about this book today. I'll share something else on another day!
Little 'drop-in' quickie 'new-Review-news' of the day -or week -

Here is todays' 'NEW TIDBIT REVIEW

"The Three of us down there in the garden, so much destroyed, too much to fix"

"You'd make a ridiculously nervous mother, you know that, Avery? Like the worst of the helicopter's

OLD REVIEW: (or first one)
REVIEW in a day or two or three….
Busy times here at Construction Camp

Until I return …
Let me say this…..
“When We Let Go”…. is a NO NONSENSE WONDERFUL NOVEL…
for ‘willing’ readers to peel back the protective shields that cost us to hide our pain….to shut others out for fear of loss, being hurt, or hurting others.

MARVELOUS AUTHENTICITY…
Page turning story.

Yeehaw!
Welcome to the Beckett Farm…..in Crystal, North Carolina —
from Miami….
…. Get ready to shovel shit and milk cows….
“The day is the kind worth bragging about: clear skies, lots of sunshine, and a mild breeze.
Our land is like any other farm in the area, sweeping fields for the animals to graze lines of crops, a nursery with fruits and vegetables, and a distressed, rusty-red
barn. There are chicken coops, pigpens, and a newly renovated horse stable. It feels good to go back, strolling the fields that had raised us, our childhood knotted in the hills”.

I’ll return with a more comprehensive review later
….
Or…. Just grab a copy of the book - go in blind!!!
I promise you’ll FEEL A RANGE OF EMOTIONS!!!

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded down
As a stepmother to girls (now women), I’ve always had a soft spot for stories that involve that perilous relationship. So, the story blurb here drew me in. I initially struggled with this book. I have problems with characters that profess love for someone but keep major parts of their history hidden from them. But the story gradually drew me in. Everyone has secrets they’re keeping and the suspense is seeing how they’ll come out and how everyone will react.
Sixteen year old Elle would test anyone’s patience. I found myself wondering if I wouldn’t have just dropped her off on the side of the road. At times though, she didn’t come across as real, but a little too naive and stupid for a 16 year old city girl.
And while Avery initially bothered me (as mentioned above), I warmed to her as the book went on. This was a woman struggling on multiple fronts. The book deals with forgiveness on many levels.
The big twist was a big disappointment and could be seen early on. To be honest, it’s one of those twists that has been overused. The ending was also predictable, which I guess is no surprise in what’s basically a romance novel.
Overall, this was a decent read but one I’ll have forgotten a few weeks from now.
My thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union for an advance copy of this book.

[TarHeelReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rochelle Weinstein writes books I look forward to each and every time. Oh, this is a gem!

About the book: “A moving novel of family and forgiveness and of hope and healing by Rochelle B. Weinstein, the USA Today bestselling author of This Is Not How It Ends.”

Avery should be happy. She’s just been proposed to by the man she loves, Jude, but instead, she feels nothing but worry. Part of the reason for that is the secrets she’s hiding, a whole other life.

Hello, North Carolina mountain setting. 😍 Avery goes home to the farm of her childhood, and along for the trip is Elle, Jude’s daughter. During this time, the two forge a bond, one that unexpectedly helps them both heal.

Love and loss, moms and daughters, past secrets and new truth, and hope and healing, When We Let Go is a rich story I fell into completely. What a journey.

I received a gifted copy.

Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader

[Cheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

This story begins in Vizcaya’s gardens with Jude Masters, Avery Beckett, and Jude’s two young sons as well as his teenage daughter Elle. Jude, a widower, and Avery, a woman who is still mourning a loss that she hasn’t shared with Jude. An event that occurred years prior that still haunts her days and nights.

She knows what he’s about to say to her, she knows she should do something to prevent the words she doesn’t want to hear, at least on this day. She loves him, but she’s not ready to have to share her past, especially today. The anniversary of that day that she can’t forget, the event she has yet to share with him. Surrounded by the scent of the flowers of Vizcaya’s gardens - Florida’s answer to the Palace of Versaille, Jude proposes. Soon after, she receives a phone call, letting her know she is needed at home. The home of her childhood, in Crystal, a small town in the mountains of North Carolina. The place she left to leave behind all the places that haunt her, the place where she will have to finally confront the memories, and find forgiveness.

She leaves the next morning, knowing that she’s hurt Jude, but is hours away from before she realizes that Jude’s daughter, Elle, has stowed away in her car. Phone calls follow and plans are made for Elle to be flown out of Charlotte Airport, but those plans soon fall apart, also.

This can be a time for bonding, or a time of torture for them all. Avery’s sister feels the tension between Elle and Avery, and after a quick shopping trip for clothes for Elle, Elle finds something about this small town that she likes enough to stay for, begs to stay for. Avery isn’t sure about this, and Jude isn’t either, but Elle gets her way.

Both Avery and Elle have lost their mothers. Elle has memories of the times they shared. Avery never knew her mother, but her older sister served to care for her in their mother’s place. Both will always grieve that loss, if in slightly different ways. Still, the loss they share begins to create a sense of understanding a little at a time. Elle’s experience between her time with Avery and her sister, as well as friends she’s made there begin to open her eyes.

A story of love, loss, forgiveness, finding and accepting hope in new possibilities for others as well as ourselves.

Pub Date: 17 May 2022


Many thanks for the ARC provided by Lake Union Publishing
#WhenWeLetGo #NetGalley

[Erin Clemence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.

Expected publication date: May 17, 2022

Avery Beckett should be over the moon when the love of her life, Jude, proposes. But secrets and details from her past make it impossible to move forward, and she rejects Jude’s proposal, crushing him. When Avery’s father takes a fall and ends up in the hospital, Avery rushes to his bedside in her hometown of Crystal, North Carolina, a town she ran away from many years ago with hopes of never looking back. Avery is surprised when Elle, Jude’s teenage daughter, turns up unexpectedly, after stowing away in Avery’s car. Now, Avery is left with the bitter, angsty, teenage daughter of the man whose heart she just broke, for ten hours in a cramped car. But that’s not her only problem Avery faces as she is forced to return to the town where her life was drastically changed forever.

Rochelle B. Weinstein is the author of five previous novels and “When We Let Go” is her newest. A powerful story of love, loss, grief, guilt and step-parenting, it is heart wrenching, emotional, and utterly sweet.

“When We Let Go” focuses on female relationships (mother-daughter, stepmother-daughter and sister-sister). In fact, there are very few male characters in the novel (unless they are the partner of one of the female protagonists) and this is a unique feat Weinstein pulls off well. Avery, Elle and even Avery’s sister Willow, have all suffered immeasurable loss, at different levels, and each are affected in a different way. As the story unfolds and their bond grows, there is no heartstring left untugged.

The story is easy to read through, with each chapter leaving just enough bait for me to want to jump into the next. I loved the endearing, heartwarming plot, and although I guessed the twist with Ollie (Elle’s former partner), it did not make the story any less enjoyable.

Of course “When We Let Go” had a positive ending, although there was a moment there when I was worried it would run a different course. Weinstein highlights tragic loss with a realistic lens, and yet manages to keep the story itself uplifting and positive.

This novel was my introduction to Weinstein, and I am so glad I took a chance with “When We Let Go”. The beautiful settings, broken and flawed characters and flowing plot completely enraptured me and I so look forward to more from this author.

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Avery Beckett is in shock when Jude Masters proposes to her at work and she doesn’t know what to say. Jude is a widower, he has three children Elle, Henry and Milo and she didn’t think he was ready to get married again. Avery hasn’t told Jude about her former life, the longer she left it, the harder it’s become and how can she possibly marry him?

Avery has to return to Crystal in North Carolina Mountains, to see her father who’s had a fall and face her tragic past. Jude is confused by Avery’s behavior, he thought she would react very differently to his proposal and he thinks they should take a break. He’s a busy doctor, a single parent, his daughter Elle is being a real handful and getting into all sorts of trouble.

Avery begins the long car ride home, when she discovers she has a stowaway and it’s Elle. What is she going to do with Elle at the farm, Avery wants to concentrate on her father’s recovery and try and repair her relationship with her estranged sister Willow.

Avery and Elle’s relationship has been rocky from the start, Elle’s going through her teenage years without her mother, and she misses her and doesn’t know how to deal with her emotions and the last thing she wants is an interfering stepmother. Avery, Elle and Willow form an unexpected kinship, Avery decides to tell Jude what happened to her, things don’t go as planned and she's pushed him away again.

I received a copy of When We Let Go from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. A well written story by Rochelle B. Weinstein about loss, grief, mental health, secrets, being truthful, accepting, healing, finding the courage and moving on from the pain of the past. Five stars from me, I didn’t see the big twist coming in the story, I gasped in shock and I enjoyed this book just as much as This Is Not How It Ends.
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[Annie Mondesir · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so grateful I had the packages of tissues sent with Rochelle’s last book, because they are a must. Once again, Rochelle Weinstein takes us on an emotional journey with “When We Let Go”. Rochelle is like a painter; you must take time to sit, look at their work of art and soak it in. You must feel it. Rochelle creates stories where you need to do the same thing.
You become so moved you must sit and soak it in. I hated to get to the end and having to close it. I felt this story so warmly and closely, I almost felt like I could have been a character. That is a talent!
Waiting for Rochelle’s next novel is never easy. Here I go again…..I adore Rochelle’s novels.

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning and captivating, WHEN WE LET GO is a story full of heartbreak, renewal, and second chances. Rochelle Weinstein draws every emotion out of her readers and crafts characters you can’t help but fall in love with. Bring tissues and a smile for this novel. It’s a good one.

[Judy Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

EXQUISITE!

Master storyteller Rochelle Weinstein is at her finest with her latest novel, WHEN WE LET GO —from the stunning Vizcaya Museum & Gardens estate in Miami, FL, to the breathtaking idyllic family mountain farm in Crystal Spring, NC. A poignant story of grief, forgiveness, love, and second chances.

"It's never too late to forgive the mistakes of the past."

Avery Beckett receives a romantic marriage proposal. A built-in family - Jude, (widower) and his kids, Henry, Milo, and big sister, Elle. She can't. As much as she loves this man, she cannot commit. His offer and family come on the same date she lost both. It cannot happen again.

How can she tell him about her past? The hidden parts. Her secrets. Her shame. The fire, her child, Quinn, and Oliver.

Avery is then called home to North Carolina due to her dad's illness. A place she never wanted to return to. A place where it happened. Not only does she have to face her demons and tormented past, but she also has to deal with her estranged sister, Willow. After their mother died at a young age her sister was like her mother. But things happened.

On top of this, the problematic spoiled and rebellious sixteen-year-old Elle is hiding in her back seat and now she is along for the trip too. Let the adventure begin! I think I would have dropped her off at the little airport in Melbourne. 😎

Avery thought she was capable of erasing the past, guilt, and regrets, but now she is here and she has to face every emotion. She must let go of the pain to begin to live again.

However, amid the crisis, Avery and Elle bond, and the walls start breaking down. Elle begins filling the void and Avery, Willow, and Elle are learning from one another in ways they never thought possible.

Heartfelt, emotional, and beautifully rendered, a compelling awe-inspiring tale of family and the ties that bind, mothers/daughters—from loss, to hope, healing, and new beginnings.

I am a huge fan of the author and have read all her books and this of course is one of my favorites! I too have the NC/S FL connection and it was so much fun revisiting Blowing Rock and The Prayer Tree (and the new Dreaming Tree). I also enjoyed the fun and banter between Elle and Avery. The lyrical prose and beautiful metaphors of flowers, trees, gardens, and life are dazzling.

"Endings bring forth new beginnings, and letting go means you're alive."

If you have not read this author, get started! Highly recommend all her books. She has a talent for drawing you in immediately and hooks you from page one to the end. For fans of Colleen Hoover, Jodi Picoult, and Nicholas Sparks. An ideal choice for book clubs and further discussions. I cannot wait to see what comes next! Top Books of 2022.

Thank you to @getredpr #lakeunionpublishing #amazonpublishing for the stunning print signed copy and @NetGalley for a digital copy to read, enjoy, and review.

Blog Review:
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 💙💙💙💙💙 5/5 hearts
Pub Date: 5/17/22

#keepgoing #jdcmustreadbooks #romance #womensfiction #bookstagram #booksofig #bookblogger #may2022books #topbooks2022 #northcarolina #florida #rochelleweinstein #netgalley #bookclubpick #favauthors

[Momma Leighellen’s Book Nook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't sing enough praises for When We Let Go!! It's like a combination of second chance romance with a coming of age story woven through a family drama. It's beautifully written, poignant, and hope filled. It will make you cry but in a breaking free way, not in a heartbroken way.

"Holding on to something broken won't get you what you want. We may never understand, but we can't go back."

This story gripped me from the get go. It follows a woman named Avery who seems to have a wonderful life but also a deep secret. When her boyfriend that she adores proposes, she says no. It's confusing because she loves him, but clearly something is holding her back. Before she can move forward in her she has to reconcile her past first. I don't want to give anything away because part of the beauty of this story is the slow unfolding.

Instead, she heads back to her hometown farm that she hasn't been back to for many years. A surprise guest comes with her and adds a level of growing pains, but also reconciliation. They plant a garden and it becomes a metaphor for the character growth. The side characters in this are fully fleshed out and have their own storylines. They tackle a lot of tough subjects - loss, grief, remarriage, step parenting, and death as well as familial and relational issues.

"isn't that love, though? Finding the calm in all the chaos?"

Through it all, Avery is able to dive into her past relationships. Her childhood romance, her mom's death, her falling out with her sister, her estrangement with her dad. By tackling each piece she slowly repairs her heart so she can move forward in life with peace.

"Endings bring forth new beginnings and letting go means you're alive."

This is such a lovely and heartfelt book about first loves, second chances, and family that you don't want to miss!!

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[Stacy! · Rating 5 out of 5]

After turning down her boyfriend’s proposal, a broken Avery returns to her family farm to relive, face, and finally let go of the grief and trauma that she endured 7 years ago. A horrible disaster caused her to flee her home and her family, left her a shell of a person, and made her afraid to love again. Can revisiting her trauma help her move on, let go, and to finally let love in?

I loved Rochelle B. Weinstein’s “This Is Not How It Ends” but this book was even better! The story was emotional from the jump and I was crying only 4 pages in. It’s a poignant tale of love and grief, growth and regret. Avery’s character goes through an INCREDIBLE journey as she learns to accept the past but to also let it go in order to move forward. I don’t think I’ve ever cried so much while reading before, but at the same time this story was so incredibly captivating I COULD NOT put it down! Rochelle B. Weinstein has a knack for writing emotionally cathartic stories like this-stories that make you feel so deeply as the words and emotions on the page are so vivid and raw. I’m excited to read more from her! This cover is also insanely beautiful and it’s honestly what drew me to the book before I even recognized that I knew the author!

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[liv · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was intrigued to request this ARC based on the cover and the description. I think that what I got was not what I was expecting. I had to push myself to finish this book, often getting frustrated with the characters and the writing styles. When I read I look for characters that I connect with and form a bond to. If I'm being honest there wasn't really a character who I liked in this book, Avery was so frustrating because she was pushing others away for no reason, the daughter was infuriating and I think so out of touch with how most teenagers really are. Jude seemed so unreasonable and I think that most of the characters just made choices that I could not justify.

I struggled with the writing style and the dialogue, I think that it was just not to my taste, and I found myself getting frustrated while reading at how quickly things would escalate and arguments would form out of seemingly nothing. I am glad I pushed myself through, and the twist at the end with Oliver is something that I honestly didn't see coming until right when it was revealed. The book had some redeeming qualities, but overall I think it was just not my kind of book.

[Eve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woman's Fiction / Contemporary Romance
Narrated by: Amanda Leigh Cobb
Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins

I really enjoyed Amanda Leigh Cobb's narration of A Day Like This, and that is one of the reasons I choose this title. And I'm glad that I did.

This was beautiful, touching and heartfelt story about loss, grief, guilt, love, sisterhood and second chances. There were many sad moments but funny ones as well. Sometimes Avery sounded so stuck with her grief, but the more I read on, the more I understood her. I disliked how she lashed out at her older sister - she was only trying to help. But I liked how author developed the characters and showed their growth throughout the story till the satisfying end. Definitely plan to check out other titles from this author.

[Susan Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

When We Let Go is a beautifully-written emotional story that I read with my whole heart. I was deeply involved from the very first page, caught up in the complicated lives of all the characters. Each one of them has been wounded by life and grief and tragedy, burying their true feelings and keeping secrets even from those they love the most, in the hopes that they won’t be hurt again. I felt all of their emotions—their fear, their sadness, their anger, and their love—and was with them on each step of their journeys to healing and forgiveness and happiness.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to get an early read of this beautiful book chock full of Weinstein's signature prose and plotlines -- love, grief, hope, forgiveness and how we can embrace the past to live a fully-realized future. Stock up on some kleenex and find a comfortable couch: you'll want to read this one in a single sitting. Bravo!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Delightfully Moving Story of Grief and Hopefulness.


SUMMARY
When Jude proposes to Avery Beckett in Miami’s Vizcaya Gardens, Avery doesn’t respond. She didn’t say no, but she certainly didn’t say yes either. She’s scare to commit when she knows she is carrying secrets on her heart. Avery know before she can commit to Jude, she must come clean about her past.

Avery is called to return to her childhood farm in the North Carolina mountains to help with her father who has taken a fall. She’s surprised to be saddled with a companion along the way. Jude’s angst-ridden teenage daughter, Elle, who’s grappling with the loss of her mother was hiding in the backseat. Avery and Elle unexpectedly form a bond along the way giving them the courage to confront the past and move forward.


REVIEW
When We Let Go is a delightfully moving novel about family, forgiveness, and is full of feelings of healing and hopefulness. Avery’s secrets started with Jude the day she dropped her purse in the hallway outside the grief counseling class. One lie led to another. Her truth was just to hard for her to admit, because admitting it would make it real.

The story is heartbreaking and emotionally driven. It’s relatable for anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one. Weinstein’s emotive writing makes you feel the various layers of grief portrayed in the story. The three main female characters, Avery, Elle, and Willow, Avery’s sister are the strength of the story. All three characters are well developed but Willow’s spunk in handing Elle’s rebelliousness was very much applauded.

Rochelle Weinstein Is a bestselling author of several novels including This is Not How it Ends (2020), What We Leave Behind (2020) and Somebody’s Daughter (2018).

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher Lake Union Publishing
Published May 17, 2022
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

[Patricia Sands · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I see a book with Rochelle Weinstein's name on it, I know that's a book I will move to the top of my TBR stack. Each of her novels has left me with much to think about and this one is no different. Difficult emotional issues are written with such depth of feeling the reader can't help but become completely engaged with the characters. In What We Let Go, Weinstein's exquisite writing confronts the deeply rooted challenges of grief, heartache, disappointment, healing and forgiveness. Secrets are revealed. Not only is Avery Beckett faced with the question of her true feelings for Jude Masters, there is also the secondary story of her relationship with his teenage daughter Elle and how they learn through each other to trust and move forward. Through a whirlwind of emotions this story takes the reader on a most satisfying journey.

[Andrea (Chicagobooklover) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, I was originally drawn into this book by the cover – what a pretty cover! Once I saw that is was a family drama, I was all in, and this book did not disappoint!

This is a beautifully written novel about loss, forgiveness and second chances. The characters are portrayed as flawed individuals dealing with pain and grief as they worked through their real-life problems which helped me to connect with them on a deeper level. This story though is also about compassion and understanding and what it means to get a second chance to make things right.

Weinstein’s writing drew me in from the start and held my attention throughout. I became easily invested in the characters as they learned how to forgive and let go in order to find love again. If you appreciate a good family drama I would definitely recommend this book!

[booksbikesbooze · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars!

The perfect book to start off the new year with! I couldn't find this book at my library, so I added it to my christmas wish list, and was so excited to receive it. After reading This Is Not How It Ends a couple years ago, I fell in love with Weinstein's writing. It is immersive, smooth, and lyrical, as it pulls you right in, and sucks you in to feel all the angst and the emotion.

When We Let Go completely followed suit with continued beautiful, poetic writing. This story not only had wonderful characters with depth, but also had many lessons and reminders (that we all may need). This book was perfect, but really hit home with its lessons as we're all starting a fresh new year.

I cried multiple times while reading and sobbed at the end. I really recommend this book!

[Kristen C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

When We Let Go is about loss, guilt, forgiveness, and relationships, specifically mother-daughter type relationships. Sometimes you’re in the mood for a book that promises a good cry, which was why I requested this book, and it delivered. The book covers a lot of heavy subjects, but does so in a thorough way, allowing us to grow with the characters in our perception of those topics.

Avery has moved to Miami to distanced herself from the loss of her daughter, the betrayal of her sister, and the home that only seems to remind her of everything she has lost. Hoping for a fresh start, she keeps her grief and the guilt she feels over it to herself, not sharing that part of her with her boyfriend. However, buried emotions that strong don’t stay buried forever. When her boyfriend, Jude, a widowed father of three, proposes, those buried emotions and the secrets she’s kept from him prevent her from answering. Then with two phone calls, one from Jude’s teen daughter, Elle, admitting something she did that landed her brothers in the hospital, and another from Avery’s estranged sister, Willow, telling her that their father fell and is in the hospital, Avery finds herself with an ex-boyfriend and a 10 hour road trip home to North Carolina in front of her.

Elle lost her mom only a few long years ago and has still not dealt with her grief. She acts out in ways that perplex and anger her father and cause her grandparents to talk about her out of ear-shot. She’s known nothing but upheaval, and with her dad’s and Avery’s breakup, the scare from her latest screw-up that landed her little brothers in the hospital, Elle sneaks out, goes on a bender and then crashes in Avery’s car, only to wake up four hours from home when Avery leaves the next morning for North Carolina.

The next few weeks are nothing but trials, tests, arguments, and emotions as Avery and Elle navigate their fledgling relationship, a girl who longs for her mother and a mother who longs for her child. But as time goes by, they begin to heal one another, help one another deal with their grief and the guilt that accompanies it, and explore the possibility of a future.

There were so many times I wanted to smack Elle for her antics, but Avery’s unique perspective allowed her to see past the problem-child to the sad and grieving child beneath. I truly enjoyed watching the relationship between Avery and Elle, and Willow, too, the three of them forming a tribe of women that can rely on one another. It was beautifully executed.

I’ve never read anything by this author before, so I’m not sure if the writing style was a result of this being an uncorrected copy in need of polishing or not, but at times the writing felt a bit choppy and lacked finesse. Going into this sort of book, chick-lit as it is called (and who came up with that genre name, anyway?), I expected the writing to be a bit softer than the hard edges of the lines of this book. That strikes me as being a product of this author’s style. I wouldn’t say that it was bad writing, that’s not what I’m getting at at all. I’m just saying don’t go into this expecting flowery language. Side note, there are lots of flowers, though, LOL. Anyway, this struck me as a pull-no-punches style, kind of like Colleen Hoover, but the content was much more Marisa de los Santos.

My only real gripe with the book is the final scene at Willow’s wedding in the Spring. I know that this was an attempt at a HEA for the readers, but the HEA had already happened and this scene felt trite and silly in comparison. And given the heavy emotions they were all dealing with, particularly the kids, it felt wrong. I won’t say more because I don’t want to give it away, but if you read this, I hope you’ll let me know what you think of this final scene.

Still, if you enjoy books that focus on the intricacies of relationships and how they evolve, I think you’ll enjoy this book. It was definitely giving me Marisa de los Santos vibes, writing style aside.

This book is due to release on May 17, 2022.

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[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rochelle Weinstein hits it out of the park with this one. In a story that is touching, suspenseful, and insightful, she weaves past and present so that the reader gradually understands what happened in main character Avery Beckett's past that is holding her back from a full and rich future. This is a love story on so many levels of that term: parents and children, blended families, sisters, romantic love. Heartwarming, tragic and ultimately hopeful, this is a novel the reader will think about long after the final page.

[Lisa Barr · Rating 5 out of 5]

USA TODAY bestselling author Rochelle N. Weinstein does it again with her new page-turner WHEN WE LET GO. It has all the feels, so bring your tissues … A young woman, Avery Beckett, possesses a painful secret from the past that destroyed her hopes and dreams. She lost the love of her life in a terrible accident, and SHE was the culprit. Can she ever forgive herself? Faced with a promising new relationship, she falls in love again … but also falls apart. Her first reaction is to run away, only she doesn’t bargain for her new love’s teenage daughter joining her on this getaway journey -- crossing the fine line between anger and pain to the other side: healing and forgiveness. Weinstein doesn’t miss a beat: teen angst, unrequited love, trauma, grief, and ultimately hope. This novel is heartwarming, a tearjerker, and a guide, as the author seamlessly explores the poignant powerful question: How do you forgive someone when you can’t forgive yourself? A must-read, WHEN WE LET GO is a book you want to hold onto tightly.

[Kate Vocke (bookapotamus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one opens with a proposal. Yay right?⁣
⁣
She loves him. Their relationship is pretty wonderful. ⁣But… she says no.⁣
⁣
Avery knows that she can’t commit to Jude. She still hasn’t told him about her past - the secret life she left behind.⁣
⁣
But when she returns to the family farm for some space and to help her ailing father she discovers a hitchhiker in her car - Jude's surly, cranky, teenage daughter. And these two could not butt heads worse.⁣
⁣
I love Rochelle Weinstein’s stories because they are such compulsive reads and you can’t bear to put them down until the very end. And by then - you just don’t want to. The way she connects her characters, the relationships, the relatability - make her words joy to read - even with the most emotional of stories.⁣
⁣
I loved the relationship that forms between Elle and Avery and the snarky banter between these unlikely allies. It’s a great balance of heartbreaking and heartwarming moments, with just the perfect amount of sassy teen sprinkled in - that any mother or daughter can relate to.

[Liza · Rating 2 out of 5]

I almost gave up on this book many times, for many reasons. I found it so unbelievable that Avery could claim to love Jude but not tell him about the most significant thing in her life. Her seriousness was jarring, as was the earnest way in which she described her childhood romance. It was downright creepy that they’d known each other as babies …

None of the characters were particularly likeable and I couldn’t relate to them or their motivations, but maybe that’s just a me problem?!

I also found the writing cliched and just plain bad in some places. Reading the phrase “we explored each other’s bodies” twice within two pages was the closest I came to quitting, and there were many other examples that I’ve thankfully forgotten.

I only persisted because I sought out reviews on here which had similar complaints, but said they were glad they continued because of the twist. It definitely wasn’t an especially shocking revelation and I figured it out fairly easily.

I’m glad I finished it as I don’t like giving up on books, but ultimately I’m really I’m sad I wasted my time!

[Laura Solar · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is tricky for me to review. It definitely has good bones, and the message of the story is beautiful, but I found the pacing and execution to be lacking. There were parts I found to be full of melodrama, and while I recognize teenagers can be awful, Elle was just out of control. I’m not a parent, so maybe I’m being too harsh, but I feel like she was never disciplined and it was incredibly frustrating to watch her be such a brat and get away with it. I did figure out the big twist early on, but I still think it would shock a lot of people. I enjoyed the scenes that showed how a farm is run, because it’s something I have never given much thought to. I also loved reading the Miami setting, as I used to live there and had fun picking out locations I know well. While this wasn’t a new favorite for me, I do think it will easily find an audience, and I hope all who choose to read it will get something out of it!

[Marianne]

DNF 7%
I don't know but I can't continue!
Maybe I'll give it another go sometime in the future.
But for now I'm DNFing.

[Nádia (weebna) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5⭐️

Okay, so this one was a surprise. Not sure if I expected it to be as devastating as it was at the beginning but wow. This was a roller coaster of emotions.

The best way to summarize it: a beautiful story about loss, grief, forgiveness, acceptance and moving on to something great that is waiting for you.

I’m sitting here while thinking about the lesson this book gave me.
It’s not for everyone. Please check the topics of this book before reading it.

Many thanks to NetGalley for sending me an arc of this in exchange of my honest review.

[Destiny || readingisyourdestiny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really took me by surprise in the best way. I had never read anything by Rochelle Weinstein prior to this one and pretty much was only drawn to it because of the beautiful cover.

I don't even know how I'd categorize this book other than just a great story. There was heartbreak, romance, family drama, hilarious one-liners, and heavy grief all somehow blended together perfectly in an honestly moving and heart-warming story.

I recommend going in blind and just letting the story unfold. I was hooked by the first chapter and felt the pace was pretty even. There were a couple surprises that I wasn't expecting and the ending had me tearing up!

If you enjoyed Things You Save in a Fire, this would be the book for you. She gave me Katherine Center meets Kristin Hannah vibes.

Thanks so much to Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book will be available on May 17th!

Rating: 4.5 Stars

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly, i didn't know what to expect going into this book. I've never read any of the authors other works but now I must. The plot line is filled with emotions about moving on, self healing and finding ways to live with ourselves as people.

This book has a good mix of side characters who move the whole story along at a perfect place, Elle has a special place in my heart. I loved how this book ended and there were a few plot twists that absolutely broke my heart. The story is raw and shows you the best way to help your fears is to face them, head on.

[megkreads (Megan) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn’t my normal genre, but sometimes I need to take a break from my usual doom and gloom thrillers and mysteries, and this book was just the thing I needed.

By the end I had felt every emotion possible. Sadness. Heartbreak. Relief. Happiness. Confusion. And finally, uplifted. This was a beautiful story about mothers and daughters and the bonds that form a family, blood or not.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Rochelle B Weinstein for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

When We Let Go will be released on May 17th 2022.