This was such an enjoyable and cozy read--perfect for curling up with by the fire or even toting to the beach this summer. Gina is a widower with one daughter, and she runs a grilled cheese food truck in Wisconsin. She and her mother, Lorraine, have never been especially close. When Lorraine has a stroke, Gina finds some paperwork in her mom's house that makes her question everything she knew about her childhood. The author slowly reveals the backstory to both Gina's and Lorraine's great romances in a series of flashbacks. A great mother-daughter story about three generations--highly recommended for those who enjoy light, family sagas (and for foodies, too!).

I wanted to like this more than I did, as I loved the previous author's book. With three generations of women, the flashbacks to the past with remembrances was a good device, but I just didn't connect to these characters as much as I did with The Simplicity of Cider's. Maybe because the latter focused on one woman pushing through grief and had a bit of romance and magic. However, it was a pleasant read and it is a great book for a good cry.

Gina and her mother had a love/hate relationship. She tried calling her mother one day and there was no answer so she went to her house and found her unconscious on the floor. Her mother was rushed to the hospital after a stroke with leaves her semi-paralyzed and unable to talk. While Amy is searching for her mother’s medical records, she comes across something that will change her and her sister's lives forever- a secret her mother has kept and now can’t tell her about.
But as they say, maybe the truth will set you free and bring you all back together and will also explain a lot of things that have always been off.

This was the best mother/daughter story I've read in a long time! I love food trucks and food festivals, grilled cheese, and making lists - and so I really loved this story. I identified with Gina and May - we lost our dad to cancer in November. Even though he had about double the time that Joe did, it was still not enough, never.

I loved how the mother/daughter dynamic was explored via Gina and May, and how a great sister/sister relationship was portrayed with Gina and Vicky. In this you even see father/daughter love... how Drew spent time with May. And I think Floyd loved Gina and Vicky in his own way, how he provided for them and passed down his business sense and skills to Gina.

The bulk of this book takes place between Christmas and New Year's... it's a great winter read. I love how the last chapter is full of spring and hope... and moving on. I would love to visit the Grilled G's food truck! Cheese makes everything better <3

This may be the best book Amy Reichert has written yet. I highly recommend this one!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

This story is all about family secrets and dealing with grief. I really enjoyed the interaction between the two sisters Gina and Victoria. I wish there had been more of their story together. I also thought the author handled the topic of grief and how everyone reacts differently well.

I don't want to talk too much about the story because it's a layer of well kept family secrets that unravel pretty quickly. I did not like the ending. I felt Lorraine deserved a better fate than what the author gave her. I was left with hope for the other characters to move on and have fulfilling lives even after all their losses.

This is a book to read in one day. The plot is believable and the characters well-drawn. It's amazing that the protagonist can remain optimistic when her mother is so judgmental and her teenage daughter is so sullen. It was a pleasure to read.

As a list writer myself, this novel really spoke to me. I am a big fan of Amy E. Reichert's books. Each one of her novels gives the readers likeable characters and plot that is real and easy to read. This one is no exception. While a bit slow at the beginning, the novel really picks up and is very enjoyable. Reichert's fans will not be disappointed.

Gina and Vicky have a very critical mother and this has been a problem as long as they can remember. When Lorraine, the mother, has a stroke, secrets are revealed, which leaves them all to understand each other in healthier ways.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy in exhange for an honest review.

The Optimist's Guide to Letting Go is reading comfort food. It left me feeling happy and satisfied. I enjoyed the relationships between the characters, especially those between Vicky, Gina, and May. I think The Optimist's Guide would make a great book discussion selection, and I can also see it as a movie.

**Big, big thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to review this!**

This beautiful story spans 3 generations of women. Regina is in the middle, daughter to Lorraine and mother to May. Lorraine suffers a stroke and some of the things she has worked so hard to keep hidden, come out. I feel for her, because all she can do is watch the fallout.

Regina and May are both still trying to recover from the loss of their husband and father. He died unexpectedly 2 years before. Both are being told by people to move on and both are alone in their grief.

I feel like Amy loves food. There's always something that the story revolves around. In this one, Regina or G, runs a food truck named Grilled G's. Guess what she makes? Grilled cheese. And May, experiments with brownies. I really, really wanted to try May's bacon caramel brownies.

I feel like there is less romance than love. The love of families, the true love that sometimes happens, and the new love that is sweet and shy. She works her way through all of them and you just finish the book with a sigh and maybe a tear.

Please, keep writing, Amy!!!

Gina is struggling with the lose of her husband, her daughter May doesn't know how to talk to her, and her mother Lorraine has a stroke and is full of secrets about Gina and her sister's lives. A novel of love and friendship.

Amy Reichert’s first book really stood out for me, I just loved the sweet story and her writing style. I loved her second book too. All of her books center around food so I pretty much read her books craving things and feeling hungry!

In The Optimists Guide to Letting Go, she builds her story around what else, food! Prepare to crave something…her food description will have your mouth watering! She also has a great way of creating relatable and sympathetic characters.

Take a look:

Grilled G’s Gourmet Food Truck is where chef, owner, obsessive list-maker, and recent widow Gina Zoberski finds the order and comfort she needs to struggle through each day, especially when confronted with her critical mother Lorraine and sullen daughter May.

Image-conscious Lorraine always knows best and expects her family to live up to her high expectations, no matter what. May just wants to be left alone to mourn her father in her own way. Gina always aims to please, but finds that her relentlessly sunny disposition annoys both her mother and her daughter, no matter how hard she tries.

But when Lorraine suffers a sudden stroke, Gina stumbles upon a family secret Lorraine’s kept hidden for forty years. In the face of her mother’s failing health and her daughter’s rebellion, this optimist might find that piecing together the truth is the push she needs to let go.

This novel pulled me in from the very beginning. Once I started I didn't want to stop reading. I loved Gina, Vicky and May. I learned to love Lorraine as more of her story unfolded. I loved the recipe ideas that Gina and May were creating and how they learned to rely on each other and move past their past differences. I don't know if I could go through what Lorraine and Gina did, becoming widows at young ages and move past it, but they both were strong for their children and did what was needed.
I didn't like how the past Lorraine treated her children and expected them to marry into money and not necessarily be happy. I was glad that they realized that she and Gina were very much a like and realized that she was happy that Gina had married the man she loved.
A beautiful novel of reconnecting with your family and moving forward.

I love this author's books because she is very creative with food, as well as with characterization and family relationships. This book did not disappoint! There are many creative variations on the Grilled G's (grilled cheese) food truck owned by the main character! And the main relationships among grandmother, daughter, aunt, and granddaughter were portrayed realistically and with love. If you like stories where family secrets that have been hidden for decades come to light and transform all those involved, then this one is for you!

What a fantastic read!!! You’ve heard of comfort food for the soul, well Amy E. Reichert’s books are complete comfort reads for soul. I never even read the synopsis on her novels because I simply know I will love them. The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go is officially my favorite from her so far!!! Amy delves into the complex relationships between mothers and daughters with the such honesty and realism that you can’t help but get pulled in immediately. I found so much in this novel relatable (which I have found is one of Amy E. Reichert’s superpowers), even if you haven’t experienced the same situation you will see yourself or someone you love in the characters. The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go is a 5+++ star read that EVERYONE should check out. MUST READ!!!

We really have loved everything from Amy Reichert! Her writing is so original and fresh! This story was surprising, heart-warming, and emotional. Just what we were looking for.

We look forward to more from this author!

Just when you think an author has topped herself she comes out with her best book yet! I read this book in an evening I could not put it down! The characters are multi-generational, complex and remind me of my Mother, Daughter, Grandmother relationships. This book will appeal to everyone. And bonus you get ideas for grilled cheese sandwiches! Pick this book up I promise you won’t be sorry