I loved this book! So easy to read. This was one of those books where I felt like I was there, the descriptions were that good. Easy to follow the storyline. There was so much about this book that I liked, it’s hard to put into words. Can’t wait for this authors next one.

When We Let Go by Rochelle B. Weinstein, will capture your heart. Anyone with children will fall in love with this book! ❤

Avery and Jude live in Miami and are in love. Jude lost his wife and his three children are still dealing with the loss. Sixteen year old Elle is taking her dad's ongoing relationship with Avery very hard. Elle does not want Avery as her step-mom. She wonders why Avery has the right to walk into their family and take over the parenting responsibilities. Elle deeply misses her mom and wants her back.

Elle acts out her pain by drinking and smoking pot. One night Elle gets drunk and falls asleep in the back of Avery's car. Unbeknownst to Elle, there is an emergency. Avery's dad is in the hospital and Avery quickly leaves and drives to her childhood home in North Carolina to be by her dad's bedside. Both ladies soon discover they are hilariously confined in the car together. Will this be the trip of a lifetime or end in disaster?

When We Let Go is a very sweet story with humor generously sprinkled in. The story discusses tough topics such as grief, loss and mental illness. This novel would make a great Hallmark movie!

When We Let Go is available on May 17th. (4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐)

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, for allowing me to review this heartwarming book. I truly appreciate your kindness.

I am a huge fan of Rochelle B. Weinstein and this one did not disappoint! I love the depth with which she develops her characters and their back stories. It’s deep enough that you’re really intrigued but not so deep that it’s dark. The plot of this one had some interesting twists that I didn’t see coming which differentiated it from more fluffy HEAs in a really good way. In true Rochelle fashion there’s a great story with the accompanying HEA that you almost don’t think is coming!

Rochelle Weinstein’s books always resonate with me, they don’t feel like fiction, because the characters are flawed, human, hurting, forgiving, healing, trying to move on. A touching and moving read.

3.5

Read this book if you like: Mother daughter relationships, second chances, small towns

Avery Beckett has been proposed to by Jude Masters, a widowed father and the man she loves. She should be happy but instead, she 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. She leaves behind her boyfriends and returns to her childhood farm in the North Carolina mountains. Soon she has a companion: Jude’s teenage daughter, Elle, who’s grappling with the loss of her mother and the complicated emotions of first love.

This is a good book. It hits hard on grief, healing, secrets, relationships, and more. This story was a lot of up and down for me. I really loved parts and was really annoyed by other parts. The pace isn't very steady. The main character, Avery, had to grow on me. I wasn't a fan of her hiding a huge part of her part from her boyfriend and his family. I enjoyed the relationship between Avery and her step daughter. It was a good read! Go get this one tomorrow!

Check the triggers*

Thank you to NetGalley, the author Rochelle, and Lake Union Publishing for my gifted copy. ❤

Thank you to the author, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I realize I am an outlier here, but I had real problems with this book. The good intentions to tackle difficult issues were apparent, but unfortunately it all become a tragic soup that did not appeal. Not only could I not warm to any of the characters, but the overwrought drama of every dialogue and every plot development, the emotional hand-wringing while at the same time the complete incapability of simply opening their mouth and sharing that they have a problem made for an exhausting and tedious read. The vaunted twist was clear to me pretty much from the start, and I was glad to be done with it.

Unfortunately, I did not love this one. I wasn’t a huge fan of the writing style and the beginning was a bit to slow for my liking. It’s a sad story revolving around loss and grief, however at the same time it’s heartwarming and can see why people are raving about this one.

When We Let Go is the first book I've read by this author. I've heard people praise her for the emotional stories she writes. I must say I agree.

When Jude proposes to Avery she doesn't know what to say. She loves Jude but is afraid.

A story of grief, holding onto the past, love, healing, family and finally letting the past go.

I loved the relationships of the character, even though some were not exactly healthy relationships.

Thanks to netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the arc.

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!

Emotional Tale Of Loss And Recovery. This is one of those tales where you know up front that it is dark... and then it gets darker. And darker. And darker. With just enough humor to lighten things up a bit... and then a gut-punch of a form that may be used a bit often (as another reviewer claimed), but which works within the tale being told here. Similarly, as this is ultimately a tale of *recovery* from such devastation, one element of the epilogue that I've panned as unnecessary and even detracting from other books in other reviews actually works in this particular tale. And it works *specifically because* of the tale told up to that point. Truly an excellent work, and very much recommended.

Another excellent story about family and love from Rochelle Weinstein! When We Let Go deals with love after loss and the bonds of family - both blood & chosen, romantic and familial. Weinstein's books are always so moving and When We Let Go is just as powerful and captivating as her other work.

5 amazing stars!

Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

When I read "This is not how it ends" it wrecked me and I thought / hoped this would be similar but unfortunately not. I can tolerate a certain amount of secrets in a story until I just can't take it anymore! Avery was too frustrating to be liked by me and she tanked the whole story for me.

What a captivating story! One filled with secrets, loss and love! The longer Avery held on to her secrets, the harder it was to share even when it means that she will loose Jude and all that love has to offer. This story has all the feels and absolutely a must read!

Extremely emotional, beautiful but tough journey of letting go - When We Let Go will be out on May 17th and you won't want to miss it!

Avery Beckett is terrified to cross the line of happiness as guilt holds her back at every turn. And even the love she feels for Jude is not enough to release her. She's learned to live with it, along with the grief, self-deprecating, unwilling to open her heart fully. How can she, when she's done such a terrible thing in the past? She believes herself a monster, unable, and broken. So when she is forced to face her past in the worst possible moment, there are only two ways this could go - either heal or break her whole.

Rochelle B. Weinstein won me over with blatant truth, incredible honesty that radiated from every character in this story, relatable emotions, and realistic hardships that one could face while dealing with trauma. I am in no position to speak from experience, I only relate to the empathy I feel, because I cannot even begin to imagine how I would deal with the situations presented in the plot. What I know is that it felt natural, like I could imagine a real person telling this story as their own. The happy ending is really awarding after such an emotional read.

I recommend checking trigger warnings beforehand, but you should definitely read this book if you like:
- the imperfect art of letting go
- the power of first love
- adolescent love
- second chances
- gardening
- countryside and its healing abilities
- family's support
- adult vs. teenager
- generation gap

Avery suffered a horrible tragedy and fled from her past. But she keeps most of herself closed off, while burrowing past secrets. She hasn’t been honest with her boyfriend and it sort of wrecks their relationship. She’s forced to return home and face her demons. Along with Elle, her boyfriend’s daughter. I thought Elle was a brat for most of the book. I thought Avery should have divulged the truth long before she did.
The ending was good. Coming clean sometimes is the best answer.

This isn’t my usual book genre but I heard great things about it and wanted to give it a try. I really enjoyed it overall even though it was so emotional.

This story of second chances is Weinstein's work at her very best, in my opinion. I was "all in from the beginning".
I did not want to part company with these characters, who are so real...sharing their losses, loves, family drama, and my favorite part - second chances. Avery is forced to confront her past - and at times, aren't we all in that situation in one way or another? This book is so relatable in so many ways. I love books with those unexpected twists and turns that hold on to us with every breath!
In fact, I am going to read it again.
Rochelle Weinstein is a masterful story teller - this one should not be missed!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the honor to read this book.

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.

When We Let Go by Rochelle Weinstein is a pull at your heart-strings story about loving yourself enough to let go of your past. It’s also about mothers and daughters, love with a romantic partner, sisterly love, accepting loss, grief, mental illness, forgiveness and moving forward. I’ve yet to read a book by Weinstein that doesn’t leaves me in a pool of tears that also fills my heart with hope.

This story starts with what should be a perfect proposal, but we soon learn that Avery has a secret from her past she that can’t let go of. How can she marry a man that isn’t aware of her secret? It’s a heartbreaking choice because she hasn’t only fallen in love with Jude, but also his three kids. Many people carry secrets (baggage) with them and this book, as the title suggests, reminds us to let go. Letting go of regret, shame, hurt, fear or whatever it is that holds us back is crucial to move forward. This story thrums with this theme throughout the book.

When Avery travels to the North Carolina mountains to be with her ailing dad, she’s aware that going home will kick her in the ass. Memories and the secrets that she wants buried are sure to surface and like all good fiction, they pop up with twists and revelations that kept me flipping the pages. This is a testament to Weinstein’s pacing, knowing when to drop bits and pieces of past history to keep the present moving forward.

The major and minor characters are relatable, flawed and fleshed out just enough that the reader truly cares for them. Weinstein can impart a lot of wisdom through her conversations with her dad, her sister and surprisingly with Elle. I hope to see some of these characters make a cameo into another of Weinstein’s books. I will miss them.

Overall, this is the perfect anytime read, it’s excellent storytelling and will keep you hooked from start to finish.

Avery should have been thrilled when Jude proposed but there's a secret she hasn't shared with him. Then there's his daughter Elle. When her dad falls, Avery heads for North Carolina not suspecting that Elle for her own reasons, has more or less stowed away in her car. This is very much about the family we make. There are nice small town atmospherics (the gardens!) and the characters (especially Elle) are very realistic. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. The twist is a tad trope-y but this is still a good read.