Cover Image: When We Let Go

When We Let Go

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

“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

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 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 raised us, our childhood knotted in the hills”.

I’ll return with a more comprehensive review ….
perhaps closer to the mainstream release date.
……
Or my suggestion— this book is sooooo emotionally felt - real - with characters we care deeply about —-
GO IN BLIND …. read reviews AFTER you read it — then have great book discussions- heart to heart discussions with book- buddies after.

I PROMISE you’ll feel A FULL RANGE of EMOTIONS!

Rochelle Weinstein is an incredibly insightful gifted relationship/oriented/ contemporary author …..
I’ll read any novel she writes!!!!

Was this review helpful?

This book by is an emotional wreck in itself.This book reinstates the well-known fact that the emotional boundaries that we make to protect ourselves from getting hurt also prevents the people who can help us recover from coming close.
This book revolves around the life of Avery Beckett who after suffering intense trauma flees from her hometown and family. But,due to certain circumstances, she is forced to face her feelings and deal with them head on after trying to subdue them for years. The trauma faced by her makes her a shell of the person she used to be.
This was my first book by this writer.Her writing is very similar to that of Jodi Picoult as her books also wrecks a person emotionally.
This book is suitable for anyone who wants to have a good cry and let oneself get rid of his/her emotions for a while.
Eagerly looking forward to reading other books by this author as well.

Was this review helpful?

When We Let Go brought me to tears again and again. This story not only dives deep into love and loss, but it’s also dives into personal growth and healing. Avery and Jude have both lost people close to them, but they have found each other. They are each struggling to move forward in different ways, will it hold them together or keep them apart?

The depth of the characters is very well done, especially with Elle. The story is raw and takes you on an emotional rollercoaster. I could not put this book down. I would most definitely recommend this book and I believe that it would work well in a book club setting. It opens many options for discussion questions.

Was this review helpful?

Three words to describe this book: emotional, moving, and impactful.

As stated in the Goodreads synopsis:

"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."

From there, the story evolves into an emotional and beautiful tale of Avery's healing, as well as the uncovering of secrets she's kept hidden from her closest family and loved ones. Rochelle B. Weinstein has created another masterpiece with When We Let Go. I read this book in only a few days, finding myself staying up late into the night to finish more chapters. Similar to her previous work of This Is Not How It Ends, Weinstein has crafted an impactful love story about loss and growth throughout the journey of life.

You will love this book if you enjoy emotional stories with strong character development and family drama. It's not just the main character, Avery, who makes a transformation from start to finish. Prepare yourself for multiple figures within the story to have a dramatic and relatable character arc.

This is one of my first reads of 2022 and I expect it to be one I remember for the rest of the year. This is also my first NetGalley book, I'm so thankful it did not disappoint. 5 stars!

Was this review helpful?

When We Let Go is an emotional story about family, love, loss, and learning to forgive in order to heal, not only others but ourselves as well. This book will hold your interest until the last page is turned. Thanks to author Rochelle B. Weinstein, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This book deals with some massive topics, with the story centering around maternal loss. It doesn't shy away from the impact that experiences can have on the individual.
However, for me the story was slow and the writing clunky. Possibly a good beach style read, but it didn't live up to its incredible cover for me.

Was this review helpful?

The book is about Character named Avery who had very tragic past and is having very hard time to move on. She is going through a lot of emotional trauma even after so many years of tragic incident in past. She's proposed by her love Jude which puts on her edge and she starts questioning everything from her future with the man she loves and the happy ending she was hoping. When something makes her to return her childhood hometown she's forced to face her demons with unexpected company of Jude's daughter Elle who lost her mother at very young age and having hard time to move forward.

Together they start unexpected journey towards healing and it's so beautifully written. How the physical scar can be mended easily but the one on your mind, the emotional one can only be healed when you have the right guidance and support. People take mental health for granted but it's not and there's a good example in this book.

There were parts were I thought the story was bit sluggish but otherwise the plot was strong and consistent. The book is high with emotions. Character arc of Avery is written so deep and her inner monolog helps you to understand the depth of emotional turmoil she's going through.I finished this book in one sitting and I'm glad I read it.

Thank you netgalley for providing review copy

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed the inclusion of childhood experiences and perceptions into the storline, as well as the responsive way in which the protagonist's personality is developed. Would recommend!

Was this review helpful?

Trigger warning— Loss. It’s at the very beginning of the book and is never far away.
This book had a huge trigger so I had a hard time reading it without feeling like crap. For me personally, this was too hard of a subject to casually read without feeling my own grief. Mothers that have experienced a loss like this should be equipped with the warning first. It’s the entire basis of the book.

With that said: I did get through the story. The main character is pretty mopey, but her emotions read clearly and as a reader you can certainly jump into her character easily. The first chunk of the book moves a little slow. After chopping through the gloom, it does get better.

3.5 for me, but I’m giving 4 to support the author and that cover is amazing. Also to be fair since the subject is just tough and I personally would have loved a fresher approach to this kind of grief.

Was this review helpful?

What a powerful and moving story about
Love, life and moving on when it feels impossible.

Avery and Jude have both lost the most important people to them, but they’ve found each other. Is their love strong enough to weather the storm of secrets?

I don’t know how to write this review, When We Let Go has rocked me to my core and filled me with hope. Absolutely stunning writing!


CW: infant loss, spousal loss

Was this review helpful?

Wow, what an rollarcoaster of an experience!

This book starts off a little slow, and slightly underdeveloped, however as the plot progressed the author really hits her stride in developing the characters and the psychological experiences are extremely well portrayed.

When We Let Go presents like a more complicated Sweet Home Alabama, adding the complexity of family and children's experiences to the plotline. Initially, this book presents as a "chic lit/beach read" however tears were shed at various points of reading, which is something I try to avoid while reading on the beach!

Thank you for this advanced readers copy, I'm excited to read other reviews!

Was this review helpful?

What an absolutely lovely book. All of the characters were well done, and you could just feel the misunderstandings and hurt coming off the page. We all carry baggage, and when we aren't honest about what the problem is, it all falls apart. This book does a wonderful job of showing how this happens. Avery is building a new life, but she has to come to terms with the love, and life, she left behind. Along for the ride is her boyfriend's teen daughter, Elle, who also has concerns and hurt, having lost her mother. They began a journey toward each other, and they have to learn that our pasts are always with us, but they can build a bridge to the future. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an e-ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

The thoughts and ideas expressed in this review are solely my own in response to a copy from NetGalley.

This was a deep dive into moving forward from hurt in your past. Avery Beckett has experienced a great loss in her life. She chooses to believe that love is not something she deserves due to her past. When Avery travels home, she is forced to face her past and try to move past it for her future. Avery and Jude have met when Avery has moved to Miami from her North Caroline home. Jude has lost his wife and is the widowed father of three children. His oldest, Elle, has also experienced loss and is trying to figure out how to deal with her loss. Elle and Avery share many experiences and a relationship develops that helps both heal.

This book was written very well. The depth of characters drew them together and allowed them to share in a common issue, loss. The family dynamic in this story is superb. As each character has to deal with the way loss has affected them, they can find healing. I enjoyed the feelings that each felt, fear, sadness, coping, and brokenness. I would recommend this book and feel that it would be an interesting read for a book club. I think diving into connections with various characters identities would make for interesting conversation.

Was this review helpful?

This book outperformed Rochelle B. Weinstein's "This Is Not How It Ends." I was in tears after only four pages because the plot was so emotional from the start. It's a moving story of love and loss, as well as growth and regret. Avery's character embarks on an AMAZING journey in which she learns to accept but also let go of the past in order to move forward. This novel shows how dull, boring, and hurt can suffocate happiness, even when we believe we are protecting those we love. With each chapter, the characters' depth and my affection for them grew.
Overall it was an amazing book!

Was this review helpful?

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.

Was this review helpful?

This was such a great read! The characters were complex with painful pasts that they clearly had not worked through. It was inspiring to follow their journeys and see them grow.

This book was beautifully written, with plenty of emotional highs and lows. I really just wanted to give each of the characters a hug, and find them a therapist to talk to. I finished reading this book in a day because I couldn’t put it down!

(I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.)

Was this review helpful?

Avery has a dark past that is fighting to come to light when her boyfriend proposes and after hesitation, maybe she’s been right to hide it. Finally facing home and her secrets, will it be too late to reconcile all the hurt she’s caused by hiding herself?

I cried, I laughed, emotions ran high. Weinstein does an amazing job at creating the complex family dynamics we all have. Pseudo step-children, former loves, relationships with your own self. This novel showcases how bland and hurt can hinder happiness even when we believe we’re protecting those we love. The depth of characters and love I had for each, grew with each chapter.

Was this review helpful?

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 incredible 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.

Was this review helpful?