THE OPTIMIST’S GUIDE TO LETTING GO BY AMY E. REICHERT BOOK REVIEW
I am a huge fan of Amy E. Reichert. Reading The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go is like slipping back into my favorite shoes. No matter where I’m going, the walk is more enjoyable.

What’s great about being familiar with an author’s work is I have an idea where Amy will take me. See, with Amy, there’s always food. To me, food is love & I get that from Amy’s writing. Featured in The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go is a grilled cheese food truck & dammit if I don’t want some grilled cheese – now!

MOTHER-DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIPS
The central theme of The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go is mother/daughter relationships. I really love how Amy features three generations of mother/daughter bonding & all the layered & interwoven history shared between these 3 women. There’s a part in the book where Gina finds behavior too similar to her mother, Lorraine. I’ve been there finding myself saying the same phrases with the same twang. I cringe a bit at these moments, but I also laugh. No matter how we try, our mothers are a part of us all.

There are a few pieces of The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go that really clenched my heart. Growing up, my mom told me that in my family when a woman is nearing the end of her life, the next generation gathers with her. At this time, a woman passes any secrets & stories she feels necessary to carry on into the next generation. The women are the keepers of knowledge. Once you read the book, you will know exactly what part I’m talking about & why it hit so close to home for me.

THE VERDICT
I am Really Into This book. Knowing Amy’s work, I knew The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go would be heartfelt, enjoyable & feature some delicious food & memorable relationships. I didn’t expect it to grab my heart & make me rethink a few things with my own mother, but it did. I’m grateful to Amy for that.

Regina is a young widow caught between her feisty, rebellious teenage daughter and her aging hyper-critical mother but she keeps her sanity by making lists. When her mother suffers a debilitating stroke, Gina and her sister need to go through her papers and are shocked to learn their mother has been keeping a huge secret. What impact will the truth have on their own lives at this point?

Amy Reichert deftly handles the family dynamics between mothers, daughters and sisters. Can Gina keep her optimism in the face of so many problems? As always in Reichert books, food also plays a big role. In this story, Gina runs a food wagon specializing in gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches while her daughter May creates drool-inducing brownies. When times get tough, get cooking!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for granting access to an arc of this book for an honest review.

Gina finds her mother in the floor after a stroke. After the frantic rush to the hospital, Gina is going through her mother’s papers. She finds a picture of her mother with a strange man. “What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.”

Gina is a hard-working mom. She is trying to overcome her husband’s recent death and to basically survive in her life. She finds her mother incapacitated, then her daughter in a compromising position with a boy, she is about done! Then, on top of all this, she realizes her mother is harboring a secret. But like most strong women, she does not give up.

I fluctuated between 4 and 5 stars. I settled on 5 because this book dang near made me cry…TWICE. Plus, Gina is one of my favorite type characters….strong woman! This is a powerful novel about surviving death, overcoming hardships and accepting family for who they are.

This is the best Amy Reichert has ever written and I have read them all.

I received this novel from Netgalley for a honest review.

This is my first book by Amy Reichert but it won't be my last.. I loved all three characters that narrated and the food descriptions were perfect. There weren't too many and it helped the book flow well. All three characters grew and changed throughout the book, I loved the relationship of May and her mother Regina (Gina) as well as how Gina and her mother's relationship evolved. Family dynamics were unique but very relatable at times. This was a fun and enjoyable read although the topics were tough (grief), it was written in a positive way. I can't wait to read past and future books by this author!

4 positively optimistic and heartwarming stars to The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go is a special, endearing book. I finished this on Mother’s Day, and I think it would make the perfect Mother’s Day gift because it’s all about mothers and daughters.

Gina’s mother, Lorraine, is harsh and at any given time can offer a laundry list of Gina’s faults. She also has a teenage daughter, May, who is sullen and struggling with her father’s (Gina’s husband’s) death. Nonetheless, Gina has a positive, cheery outlook that annoys Lorraine and May to no end. I love that Gina owns a grilled cheese food truck business, and all the yummy references to one of the most perfect foods on the planet kept my tummy growling!

Tragedy strikes when Lorraine has a sudden stroke, and in the aftermath, a giant family secret is uncovered by Gina, shaking up all she thought was true.

Grandmother, daughter, and granddaughter; three women all feeling misunderstood.

What do they have in common? A deep love for one another, an unbreakable bond, and the yearning to heal. I love strong female characters! This story was moving, hopeful, honest, and in the end, left me feeling optimistic, too.

Thank you to Amy Reichert, Gallery Books, and Netgalley for the ARC. The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go will be released on May 15, 2018!

My reviews can also be found on my shiny new blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com

Many thanks to NetGalley, Gallery Books and Amy Reichert for the opportunity to read her latest book - a 5 glowing star read! And what a perfect book to finish reading on Mother's Day!

Three generations of women are having trouble connecting. Lorraine has always been the critical voice in her two daughters' lives. Those daughters, Gina and Vicky, are now mothers themselves. Gina and her daughter, May, are struggling to get on with their lives and their new relationship now that Gina's husband, Drew, is gone. When Lorraine has a stroke, it brings forth a long-held secret in the family.

This book will make you laugh and cry and leave you hungry (oh, those food descriptions!). It's the story of family secrets, family loyalty and love, and moving on after grief.

Highly recommended - loved it! And can I please have the recipe for those bacon caramel brownies?

This was the first book I had read of Amy Reichert’s, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. All of the relationships—whether sisters, mothers-daughters, cousins, Aunt-niece, or romantic— were believable and honest. I loved the different perspectives in the story, and I found all of the character’s stories to be well-crafted. The food descriptions? Delicious!

Three generations of women in one family have struggled to connect. Until now. An older woman’s stroke brings out a long-held secret and is the catalyst for healing to begin with her daughters and her granddaughter. It was heartwarming, bittersweet, and a family story that left me wanting to call my own mom and hug her.

Gina is a widowed woman of two years running her fantastic Grilled G’s food cart business (seriously, her versions of grilled cheese kept me salivating) and figure out how to get through her daughter May’s teen hormones and angry grief. She copes by making her ever present lists and trying to look on the bright side.

Lorraine is a starched up well preserved woman who is driven and drives her daughters especially Gina until she has a stroke and the family secrets are discovered. Now, when she has no way to verbalize, this is when real communication happens in her family and the healing and understanding can start.

Lastly, there is young May. She grieves for her dad and takes all her loss and anger out on her mom thinking her mom has moved on and seems to want to forget May’s dad. May isolated herself and now is slowly coming out of that and seeing her mother very differently.

I should also mention- mostly because she was my favorite character and made me smile often, giving some of the heavier moments more balance – Lorraine’s second daughter Vicky doesn’t have as large a role, but she is right in the middle of all the new-found family healing and togetherness.

Like many Chick Lits and Women’s Fictions, this one is easy-paced and takes it’s time. The story is told in flashbacks and the present. There are emotional moments and slice of life scattered through the story. Food is an elemental theme around which these women can and do connect. The ending was a little heavy, but still very satisfying.

In summary, this was my first book by the author and now I can see why folks rave about her writing. It talks about every day women, family, and food with a dash of humor and sadness. I will definitely be going back for more and recommend this one to those who enjoy stories that focus on multi-generational women’s stories tied together by family.

I rec’d this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy. This is the first book that I have ever read by Amy Reichert, and it will not be my last! I loved this book. Gina must deal daily with her shortcomings and never seeming to be good enough for her mother. Gina is also dealing with a surly teenager. A long held secret gets revealed and along the way, this family repairs some of their problems. A great quick read!

I really enjoyed Amy Reichert's new book, The Optimist's Guide to Letting Go. So much so that I finished it in less then 24 hours. I was already a fan of Amy's after reading The Simplicity of Cider last year, and her new book did not disappoint. Amy's writing style really grabs your heart and sucks you into the story early on. The characters are normal everyday people you can see yourself being friends with, the neighbors next door.
Gina own's her own food truck named Gina's G's, and sells delicious grilled cheese. She has recently lost the love of her life, her husband and best friend, and is struggling with her relationship with her daughter May. If this isn't enough, Gina's mother Lorraine suffer's a major stroke and end's up in the hospital unable to speak. Even though Lorraine has always been so critical and harsh of her daughter, Gina must step up and take care of all the paperwork and decisions that need to be made at the hospital. Gina and her sister Vicki lean on each other for support, and need to come together when information is found that reveals many family secrets. Everything that these sister's knew of their lives is a lie. How can they find out the truth when their mother cannot even speak? Love, loss, and a family coming together when they need each other most.

I adore Amy E Reicherts books and was so excited to get an early release of her newest. I thought the story was beautifully written and explored how complicated relationships between mothers and daughters can be. Of course the addition of yummy food just makes it all the better!

We are thrilled that author, Amy Reichert is doing a book launch at Elm Grove Public Library in Wisconsin (Mother's day weekend) on Saturday, May 12. It's appropriate that this new novel is all about mothers and daughters, the secrets they keep, and the love they share that transcends all challenges. Wisconsinites will appreciate the local setting of Wauwatosa, foodies will love the ingredients of grilled-cheese combinations served on the food truck menu, and readers will love the warmhearted journey of family. Recommended!

I really enjoyed The Simplicity Of Cider so I was hoping for another delightful read in The Optimist's Guide To Letting Go. Unfortunately, I had a really hard time getting into it and the story never really picked up.

The characters were messes in their own way, which could have led to some great redemption arcs but I never felt connected to them. Part of this may be due to the reliance on flashbacks. I wanted present day action, not lingering in the past. I didn't need to comb their memories to understand them better. In fact, many of the flashbacks only made me more confused about their behavior. While this is supposed to give us insight into the grandmother-mother-daughter dynamic, it might have been a stronger story had we gotten the perspective of only two characters, instead of all three. We never went quite deep enough with any of them.

Even though this one wasn't for me, I continue to enjoy Reichert as a writer. There were some really great lines and I even laughed out loud a couple of times. I'll certainly give her next book a try.

1. Get through to your daughter. 2. Buy more cheese. 3. Don’t forget to call your mother.

Gina Zoberski, food truck owner and list-maker, is recently widowed and struggling to make it from one day to the next. She desperately misses her late husband, and she can’t fill the cavernous hole he left in her family’s life. Her teenage daughter, May, is grieving just as much as her mom is, but they can’t seem to find common ground.

When Gina’s critical mother, Lorraine, has a stroke, the family’s secrets begin to come to light. Although she can no longer speak to them, Lorraine presses to communicate the truth of the past to her daughters.

Gina always tries to see the best in every situation, but her perpetually sunny disposition annoys her family and isn’t helping her move on. Can she confront the truth and let go of the past?

Lorraine realizes that the way she’s made choices, based on appearances and making few waves, may not have been the best way to live. In fact, it’s caused quite a bit of heartbreak. She’s carried a secret in a broken heart for many years. Can she find peace before her health fails her?

The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go was particularly timely for me. I have a daughter nearly May’s age, and we recently lost my dear grandmother. For that reason, I felt myself relating to Gina quite a bit.

A bittersweet story of mothers and daughters, the choices we make, of love and loss and letting go.

my Reichert is probably one of my favorite contemporary fiction writers out there at this time, and I look forward to eagerly devouring every one of her stories. The Optimist's Guide to Letting Go does things a little bit differently than her first three books, but kept the warmth and heart that is so engaging in the author's writing.

In The Optimist's Guide to Letting Go, Gina is struggling to keep life moving after the unexpected death of her adored husband, Drew, when her difficult mother has a stroke and suddenly needs more of her attention. Lorraine has been keeping some pretty major secrets over the years, and circumstances are going to require that she tell her daughters now.

Place is less of a character in this book than it has been in some of the author's previous books (The Coincidence of Coconut Cake and The Simplicity of Cider particularly), and while the Wisconsin settings have always been something I really adored about the author's book, I think that this book proves that Reichert could write a really solid book set anywhere (though I still really appreciated the references and nods to the Milwaukee/Wauwatosa area setting, and wouldn't be sad to see her continue to set her books in Wisconsin!). She writes characters that I truly feel like I know- the flashbacks to Gina and Drew's story in particular gave their relationship such life, even though the book is entirely set after Drew's death. There's so much heartbreak in this story, but ultimately there is closeness and growth, and, like the rest of Reichert's books, I wasn't ready to say goodbye to the story at the end.

4 stars instead of 5 just because while I adored this book and the story, there were some aspects where I felt like the flashbacks happened at times in the story where it felt a little disjointed to come out of the present time storyline, and I felt that the ending was a bit rushed. But, definitely a HIGH 4 stars for me!

This author is a must-read for me, and I'll continue to eagerly anticipate whatever she does next!

You'd think the title would have tipped me off but I was not prepared for the level of optimism that Reichert reaches with her latest release.

I really enjoyed the characters. I loved that Gina ran a grilled cheese food truck. I enjoyed Lorraine and her obsession with coconut oil. Even Daniel was a great secondary character that when he appeared, I smiled.

That said... the ending. Come on. It was over the top. You had me until the last ten pages.

Three generations of women, with a family secret that could possibly break the bonds they have shared for so long. It was emotional but so heartwarming too.

Gina has a pretty successful food truck and is raising her daughter alone, her husband dies just a few years ago. They are both still grieving, but in very different ways. Gina and her daughter May’s relationship is like most that involve a teenage daughter. Attitude and sass, but this is also May’s way of getting at her mother. Having lost my parents as an adult, I can sympathize but I couldn’t imagine going through it as a teenager. I did feel really awful for Gina.

Loraine is the grandmother/mother, she is one feisty woman and all full of upptiness. She comes across as the nagging mother, but I don’t think she really intends to be. Their family has been through a lot of loss, but Loarinee’s secret is what the story will center around, and it’s a painful secrets for her girls which only adds the pain and sorrow.

I enjoy the family bands that The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go explored. The sisterly bond was great, but it was the mother/daughter bond that made me have all the feels. It’s clear these very different women love each other, but they certainly show it is different ways. It’s the secret that Loraine has held on to for so long, that I was afraid would ruin it all. It was a long journey full of ups and downs, sadness and anger, but it was so beautifully written, it just pulled you in and didn’t let go, even after finishing the last page.

The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go was just a wonderful and was both heartbreaking and heartwarming story of forgiveness and love of family. The emotional journey was so worth it.

Gina is still mourning the loss of her husband, but she is making ends meet and trying to connect with her daughter, May. Early in the book, Lorraine, Gina's mother has a medical emergency and Gina, May and Gina's sister Vicky have to come together to help Lorraine and maybe put some pieces together as to why Lorraine has become the woman she has without her help. I may have completely confused you by this synopsis, but really there are sister relationships, mother daughter relationships and maybe a big discovery as to the things that happen to you in your past will define your future.

I loved reading about the girls putting together the pieces of Lorraine's past and how they inform the marriages that each girl went into. I thought it was so interesting how the author had the girls learn about their mother's past and how she couldn't help them through the puzzle.

I always love a book where the relationships seem real and authentic. All the relationships presented in this book felt like one I am in or one my friend is in. I laughed out loud a few times as the conversations between these women felt just so real. I love a book where there are both positive and negative relationships and life isn't all cloudy days or sunshine and rainbows!

Amy Reichert has three books on her backlist and this is my first time reading her. I will absolutely have to pick up one or more from her backlist soon because I loved these women so much!

Engaging look at the lives of these women, young and old, and the choices they make. From how they deal with their children, husbands, and work on a daily basis to how they cope with the more tragic events in their lives.

This book had so many things I love--food, lists, family relationships. I loved the mother/daughter relationships explored in the book between Lorraine, Gina, and Vicky, as well as Gina and May. I also loved the sister relationship between Gina and Vicky. These relationships, death, and grief were all portrayed in a very real way in this book, which I appreciated. I loved seeing the parallels between Lorraine and Gina's relationship and Gina and May's relationship. I related to so many characters in this book in different ways.

Because of all the family relationships, it is definitely an emotional book compared to what you expect with women's fiction, but it's so well written and so heartwarming. And the foodie fiction portion of the book (this book WILL make your mouth water for a grilled cheese!) makes the book a fun read too. If you liked Reichert's The Coincidence of Coconut Cake, I think you'll like this one even more!