ISBN: 978-1662501036
Publisher: Lake Union
Publication Date: 05/17/2022
Format: Paperback
My Rating: 5 Stars ++ (ARC)
From the Author
The story begins in South Florida at Vizcaya and continues in Crystal, North Carolina, a fictitious town modeled after my beloved Beech Mountain. But how gorgeous is this cover?! This has to be my favorite of all of my books, and kudos to my publisher for nailing it on the first try. Can you spot the butterflies?
Book Summary
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 the 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 the life she deeply wants, she must reconcile with the life she left behind.
Returning to her childhood farm in the North Carolina mountains, Avery is saddled with a surprise 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.
Praise
“In When We Let Go, Rochelle Weinstein writes of Avery, a woman who finds herself on a trip to confront the painful losses of her past while forging an unlikely intergenerational bond with her fiancé’s teenage daughter. With the strong voice and insightful prose for which she has become known, Weinstein builds a powerful and memorable story of homecoming, first love, second chances, the truths that set us free, and the families we find for ourselves.”
—Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Woman with the Blue Star
“When We Let Go is a story about a woman who needs to learn how to let go of regret and open her heart to the prospect of loving openly and fully again before she can move on from an unfathomable loss. This heartrending story grabbed hold of my soul and didn’t let go. Beautifully crafted, it was impossible not to be carried along on this remarkable journey of healing and self-forgiveness.”
—Suzanne Redfearn, #1 Amazon bestselling author of In an Instant
“Every one of Rochelle Weinstein’s novels is compulsively readable—but When We Let Go takes her enviable talent to the next level. Insightful, exacting, and brimming with empathy, this story of second chances is Weinstein at her very best.”
—Camille Pagán, bestselling author of Everything Must Go
“Poignant and heartfelt, this one truly shines.”
—Allison Winn Scotch, New York Times bestselling author of Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing
“Rochelle Weinstein creates compelling, authentic characters I didn’t want to let go of in this deeply heartfelt novel about love, loss, and the family ties that can break us—and make us whole. I absolutely loved it.”
—Colleen Oakley, USA Today bestselling author
“When Avery Beckett’s boyfriend gets down on one knee, it should be the happiest moment of her life. Instead, it’s a reminder of all she’s lost—and all the truth she hasn’t yet told him. Moving forward is hard, and Avery doesn’t believe she deserves a second chance. But the intersection of a surprise trip home, a moody teenage girl, and being forced to confront her past shows Avery that sometimes, it’s When We Let Go that we truly learn how to live. With vivid characters, perfect pacing, and unexpected twists, this story grabbed me from the first page and held my heart until the very end. Rochelle Weinstein has proven herself as a master storyteller.”
—Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Veil
My Review
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.
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.
"It's never too late to forgive the mistakes of the past."
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.
@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
About the Author
Rochelle B. Weinstein is the USA Today bestselling author of emotionally driven women’s fiction, including Somebody’s Daughter, Where We Fall, The Mourning After, and What We Leave Behind. Rochelle spent her early years in sunny South Florida, always with a book in hand, raised by the likes of Sidney Sheldon and Judy Blume. Upon graduating from the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, Rochelle moved to Los Angeles, where she handled advertising and promotions for major film studios and record labels at LA Weekly. After returning to Miami, she continued her passion for entertainment as a music-industry executive at the Box Music Network.
When she’s not writing, Rochelle loves to hike, read, and find the world’s best nachos. She is currently working on her sixth novel. Please visit her at www.rochelleweinstein.com.
