This is a story about love, loss, grief, and letting go. It is about second chances and growing as a person. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Elle quickly became my favorite character with her spunkiness. I would recommend When We Let Go to anyone looking for a good read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book is absolutely amazing. Such an fantastic story about grief, healing, forgiveness, and finding love after great loss.

We meet Avery as she’s living in Florida and it is revealed that she has a darkness in her past that haunts her and prevents her from truly living. Shortly after a messy proposal with her boyfriend, Jude, they take a break and she is called back home to face the darkness she’s been avoiding.

The story line pulls you in and keeps you by revealing details of her secrets gradually. We learn about her fears and why she kept so much hidden. And it all comes down in waves when she decides to let go.

This is a beautiful and heartbreaking tale of grief, forgiveness and letting go of the past.

I really felt for Avery, her pain and heartbreak were portrayed so well. The way she was terrified of opening up to others about her traumatic experience, keeping it all in and isolating herself from everyone, made me truly sad for her.

I found Elle incredibly irritating, she made me so, so angry for the majority of the book. Her growth was fantastic though, and I love how her relationship with Avery developed.

I also loved Avery's relationship with her sister and her father; I am a big fan of well-written family tales and this did not disappoint.

My favourite parts were the set on the farm, anything about nature, flowers, animals. It was all so therapeutic.

The ending was a little weird, I did expect what was coming but I feel like it all ended too perfectly. I also don't think Avery and Jude were ready for what happened, so this didn't quite work for me.

Overall this is a very emotional story, which will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this book early!

When We Let Go is as heartwarming as it is heartbreaking. This was a beautiful story about letting go of the past and forgiving yourself to be able to have a better future. As someone who has experienced grieving a close family member, this book dealt with grief in a uniquely excellent way. One of my favorite aspects of this novel was its focal point on the growth of a "stepmother"/"stepdaughter" relationship after death.

The start of this book was a little slow for me. It really picked up at the 20% mark for me. It also seemed to get a little repetitive, but I genuinely enjoyed the story.

By all outside appearances, Avery lives a charmed life in Miami. She works at a beautiful venue and is dating a handsome widowed doctor, happily playing house with him and his three children. When Jude proposes to Avery and she’s unable to say yes, she’s forced to reconcile with the past she has been running from. She returns to the farm she grew up on in North Carolina, and Jude’s temperamental daughter Elle joins her trip. The two of them navigate their pasts, and the ways in which their futures intersect.

A beautiful book about young love, loss, and motherhood. I gave this book 4 stars. I absolutely loved the imagery in the story, especially when Avery returns to the farm. As you read the story, you find yourself rooting for Avery and her shot at a new beginning. Would recommend this book to anyone who is ready to start over.

Oh God!!! This was an emotional read. I cried real hard. This amazing story of second chance, letting go, forgiveness with some amazing characters was just perfect. The setting of the warm farm was also always adding a charm. The cover was what actually made me download the book along with a promising blurb. Though I understand this is going to be an emotional journey I kind of underestimated the grip it is going to have on me. Each characters Avery, Elle, Willow, Jude, Cole, Oliver, Quinn... Everybody's so humane and has gone through so much in their life. Just loved the story and characters

A tragic past haunts Avery Beckett. When her boyfriend, Jude Masters, proposes she can’t say anything. Avery’s afraid that it just won’t work out, and she has not shared her true self with Jude. Then an accident forces Avery to return home, and she’ll have to face her past and fears. Hopefully, she’ll mend all the wounds she’s kept hidden and in the process help Jude’s daughter, Elle, as she’ll be her road trip companion.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when reading this book, but I wanted to step out of my comfort zone, and the beautiful cover captivated me. When We Let go dives deep into how grief and loss can shape the way we see ourselves and interact with others, even when we love them dearly. Avery bottled her emotions for years, while Elle lashed out at any and everyone. This book is a heavy read, but it shows how important healing is so that you can keep moving. There were parts of the story that dragged, and I did not like Elle’s attitude, but I admired how Avery freely loved her and kept prodding her to open up and be her best self. I don’t know how to feel about the ending. It felt fast and like it was just tying up everything neatly with a little bow, and I think the ending prior to the epilogue would have sufficed.

Thank you to Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC!

5 stars..... When we let go is a very emotional story about family, love, loss, grief and forgiveness or I should say the inability to forgive one's self.. A book that will capture and keep you within its pages. We start off with jude proposing to Avery. Two people who have dealt with two very different forms of loss. But Secrets have been kept from jude about averys past. Things that avery has not yet forgiven herself for since the day it happened. She knows she has to tell him the truth before she says yes.. and her hesitation to say yes is instantly seen as a lack of love because avery just can't muster the words to tell him.

She needs time to think.. she needs to come to terms with what happened so she can move on and allow herself a happy life.
Avery ends up returning home to see her poorly father after jude decides a break would be good for them. she hasn't been home since she left abruptly and she hasn't spoken to her sister willow since that day either. During her road trip home she suddenly realises she has a stow away in the back of the car.. its elle judes eldest daughter...

From here is where the story really shines for me. The story continues around these three amazing woman, Who's lives have all been different yet they all have something in common.. loss and grief..
I Loved watching these three women grow and learn to love themselves and others. Each character was perfect to compliment the other.

But we will have to find out wether returning to the place of averys tradegy that haunts her everyday will help her come to terms with it and move on or not

I LOVED this book! If it were not for adult responsibilities I had this weekend, I would have finished this book in one sitting!

When Avery is proposed to by her boyfriend Jude, and fails to respond, her life is sent into a tailspin. Everything is in question and she’s teetering on the edge of a total breakdown. She has secrets, deep secrets she hasn’t shared with Jude, and she feels unable to move forward with him, when she hasn’t been open and honest about her past and the trauma she has faced. Jude is left unsure what to do and their relationship hangs in the balance. Both of them love the other, but aren’t sure how to proceed forward. Avery has become very fond of Jude’s children, mostly his oldest, Elle. When an unexpected trip draws Avery back to her hometown, unexpected twists and turns come into play and provide her a chance to face her past and leave it behind. This was a story of unimaginable loss and heartache, but also about second chances and the ability to find joy again, even admits deep pain.

I highly recommend this book. The characters were so likable, the story amazing and I honestly didn’t want it to end. This is my first book by this author, and I will picking up more of her books, soon!

Thank you to NetGalley + Lake Union Publishing for the ARC!

After experiencing a horrible trauma 7 years ago, Avery returns home and must face the past in order to move forward in her future.
This story was incredibly moving and emotional from the get-go. At its core, the themes of grief, reflection, and moving on were very powerful and cathartic. There were a few minor threads that felt a little unexplored and left me wanting more, but it was still a very satisfying read. The relationships (especially between the women) are the true star of the tale: romantic, sisterly, motherly, platonic, they're all created with such depth and care. The emotional threads are the true heart of this work, this needs to be on everyone's TBR. Forgiveness — of others, and of yourself— is so important, and Rochelle B Weinstein's tale captures that gravity with ease.

Highly recommend!! This book is a definite page-turner! You'll be left thinking about the story long after you put the book down. First book to read by this author but definitely not my last!

Thank you to #Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book! I loved Rochelle B. Weinstein’s previous books ‘What We Leave Behind’ and a personal favorite ‘This Is Not How It Ends’.

‘When We Let Go’ has now joined them in my heart!

This novel explores love and loss, but not just with the main romantic couple (Avery and Jude). I love that it explores how each character (young and old) experience major life events and how they move forward. It was a heartwarming story that evoked lots of laughs (particularly Elle/Avery/Willow interactions) and a constant flow of tears. There were a few twists in the story that I was not expecting which kept me flipping the pages as quickly as I could!

The way the author is able to describe the characters surroundings, I swear I could almost feel the Florida sunshine on my skin. Then we are transported to another world on the farm in North Carolina. I was completely immersed and all senses were activated.

A fun thing I pick up on is her choice of song/artist references! I hummed Sweet Caroline for a few moments and spent a few minutes debating which John Mayer song Avery heard on the radio. I’m thinking it would’ve been “Your Body is A Wonderland”.

Don’t let fear or grief consume you forever. Don’t forget to keep dreaming. Don’t waste second chances! And in the words of a wise teen, “Keep F*cking Going”! Cannot wait to read what Rochelle writes!

This. Book. I was not expecting it and I absolutely loved it. This is an amazing story about the relationship between a (possible) step-mom and a child. Both are dealing with deep rooted pain that they have yet to face. The story is told from Jude’s point of view but it still is able to capture the story from both angles. There is a twist for one of the characters that I did NOT see coming and broke my heart. This book will definitely give you all the feels.. I could not put it down. After recently reading books by Colleen Hoover and Kristin Hannah, this story was right up my alley. I highly recommend this one!!

Thank you to NetGallery and Lake Union Publishing for this eARC!

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.

What an absolutely brilliant book. First of all, I chose it because of its cover, and glad that that was a good judgement! I'd never read any of this author's books before so I didn't know what to expect apart from the cover.

I'm going to try and review this book without spoilers, but I will be mentioning some of the characters and how they relate to each other.

This book is much more about the emotions and complexities of humans and relationships than it is about a specific plot and storyline. It goes into avoiding emotions, avoiding hard things, avoiding maturity and growth, but then explores delving into the past and facing the reality head on, and how, although extremely hard, it can be healing, both mentally and emotionally, and can provide space for life to flourish.

Elle is my favourite character - she's a complex concoction of sass and humour, pain, grief and love, immaturity and wisdom, and it's so brilliant to see her grow throughout, but also see her be such a poignant person for Avery's moving forward.

I would 100% recommend this book, and thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this e-ARC version.

A beautiful story of love, transformation, forgiveness and grief. Watching each character, grow and learn to forgive themselves and life, was inspiring. I loved the development of the relationship between, Elle, Avery and Willow. The story was relatable and impactful for anyone who has experienced loss.

This was my first read from Rochelle B. Weinstein and I found myself hooked into the story from page one. When We Let Go is the story of Avery Beckett, who we meet as she is being proposed to by her boyfriend, Jude. There's only one problem - Avery can't say yes which turns her life upside down. Avery hasn't shared a dark part of her past with Jude, or his three children, and now she's afraid he'll never understand. She returns home to care for her father and face off with her estranged sister while grappling with past and how to move forward. Can she be honest? What will she have to let go of in order to start over?

When We Let Go grabs you immediately and keeps the story moving with twists and turns revealed about Avery's past along the way. I liked how the back story was revealed in pieces versus all at once. And things unravel and then reconcile in a realistic yet unpredictable way. What didn't work as well for me was how much the tension relied on characters just not communicating well. The whole problem really is that no one is fully honest with anyone so it can feel a bit drawn out when characters keep refusing to say what they really mean. There is also a lot of telling, not showing, in Avery's narration. She fills the reader in on what she's thinking and feeling through words alone, not leaving much up to us to fill in for ourselves.

Overall, it's a quick read that takes you on an emotional trip as Avery deals with loss, heartbreak, and new beginnings.

One day I'll be better at these reviews. To capture the right words to by feelings. But for now, I truly loved this story! So much loss and pain...and then so much love. One twist made me gasp, but it made the story fall perfectly into place!

Definitely excited to read more from Rochelle.

Avery’s story opens with turning down a proposal to to the perfect guy because she is not ready to put her tragic past to bed.

Avery then leaves town to care for a family member and comes to terms with all she lost.

Decent read, similar trope I’ve read many times before, but still enjoyable.

An enjoyable read, I finished this book in one sitting, I would definitely recommend this if you are looking for something to take your mind off the world as it stands right now. I give it five stars

If you are hesitating then please don’t