Thank you Brilliance Audio for the ALC and @GetRedPrBooks & Lake Union Publishing, #partner, for the finished copy of When We Let Go in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing / Brilliance Audio
Published: May 17, 2022
Summary:
A moving novel of family and forgiveness and of hope and healing by Rochelle B. Weinstein, the USA Today bestselling author of This Is Not How It Ends.
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.
When Avery returns to her childhood farm in the North Carolina mountains, she’s surprised to be saddled with a 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.
My thoughts:
This is another absolute gem from Rochelle Weinstein! I have come to love reading her books because she has such a way of creating characters that are both relatable and real, and she takes you on the type of emotional journey that sneaks up on you. You know it’s coming, you just aren’t quite sure when the emotions are going to hit or how strong they will be.
This story is about family and forgiveness, about learning to let others in when you just want to keep them all out and most importantly, it’s about healing. It may seem like it should be such a sad book because it deals with so much loss, but the way this is written, it actually inspires hope and that is why I love this book so much. The way the grief is explored through our characters and how they come to move through their pain is just awe-inspiring.
I’m not ashamed to admit that I had tears streaming down my face multiple times throughout this book – it’s just that kind of story that leaves you emotionally drained. I’m such a fan of a good family drama, but this one just tugged so hard at those heartstrings – can I just say that twist totally got me! I didn’t see that coming until right before the reveal…OMG! So good! Between the second chance romance and the other character relationships that develop, this one totally stole my heart and I will be recommending it to everyone! This needs to be part of your summer reading list…it’s just that good!
Audio thoughts:
I thought this was so good on audio. Amanda Leigh Cobb did a fantastic job bringing this story to life. Her characterizations were spot on and she infused just the right amount of emotion and tension into her voice as needed. I was glued to this audio and bonus to listening to the book – I didn’t have to put the book down when I had tears streaming down my face.
