Member Reviews
Wow! Avery has secrets and they are affecting her relationship with Jude. This story was one that just made me ache along with Avery. I fought tears during many moments and laughter bubbled out from me in other parts of the story. I absolutely love these characters and the perfect ending they experienced!
This is a family drama that focuses on truth telling, soul searching, loss, and love. It is beautifully written with characters I feel are easy to connect with.
I loved every minute of this book and I’m not ashamed to say I cried big ugly tears during several parts of the read.
The book begins with a marriage proposal. Avery left her dad, sister, and family farm in North Carolina 7 years ago. She suffered from a great loss and felt anger and guilt.
Avery starts fresh in Florida and meets a wonderful widower named Judd who has three kids. Here comes the proposal part..
Judd asks Avery to marry him but Avery has secret that is holding her back from marriage.
Avery gets a call from her sister, Willow that their father has been hurt in an accident on the farm. Avery hasn’t talked to her sister since she left NC 7 years ago.
With Avery and Judd taking a break, Avery goes to help but she has an accidental stowaway in the form of Judd’s 15 year old daughter, Elle.
When Elle asks to stay and work on the farm, Avery must work through her painful past in order to move forward with everyone that is part of her life.
When Jude proposes to Avery she is expecting it, but in her heart she is unable to accept. It is at the same time she receives a call from home that her father is ill and she needs to return home. She apologizes to Jude and says goodbye, not really knowing where their future may lie. Unbeknownst to her, Elle, Jude's daughter end up sleeping off a drinking binge in the back seat of Avery's car. Avery doesn't notice until she's too far to return Elle. It sure doesn't help that Elle hates Avery with a passion. Thus begins a few weeks of Avery facing the sad reason she ran from home and is so closed off. It's the reason she is estranged from her sister. It's the reason she cannot commit to a relationship and will not allow herself to be truly happy.
This is a moving story of love, loss, grief, forgiveness, friendship, and looking toward the future. Rochelle Weinstein writes beautiful, emotional stories.
I enjoyed When We Let Go.
Elle - such a great character. She's a teen and of course, as teens do, she is struggling with her place in the world, with the loss of her mother, and love. Which of us hasn't been there? Even though she wasn't very likeable in the beginning, I liked her anyway.
The other characters were well done, but Elle touched my heart the most.
This book touches on some heavy topics, but they're well done and the story flows well. If you're read books by this author before, you should definitely pick this up and if you're a fan of emotional, family fiction, this will be one you enjoy.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for an ARC at my request.
A nice good read for me. The plot seemed interesting to and fortunately it went on great. There were some parts which were painful that's why the story seemed realistic. Overall it was an amazing read
Such a good book, I think people are gonna really love this one. Keep me wanting more the whole way through. Thank you!
Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!
This is another great read by Rochelle. The characters are all likable and developed so well. The complex relationship between Elle and Avery shows the difficulty of blended families. The end was heartwarming and emotional. Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read and review a wonderful book.
Working at the magnificent Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami, Avery Beckett is surrounded daily by beauty and calm. She focuses on the tours and gardens that need her constant attention. The day Jude shows up, on one knee, ring in hand Avery panics. As much as she truly loves him, she has not been honest and should have revealed her secret past long ago. Jude, a handsome widow, father of three and successful surgeon is devastated that Avery does not accept his proposal. After receiving a call that her father is ill, Avery heads back to North Carolina and their family farm. She has not been back in many years, has not spoken to her once beloved sister Willow in all that time. Avery realizes that to have any sort of happy future she must face the horrific past. Little did she expect Elle, Jude’s surly and difficult teenage daughter, to secretly hitch a ride and upend all of her plans. Battling her own demons, Elle’s outward anger is only masking her pain. Together these women form new bonds that teach them all a lesson about family, both the one you are born into and the one you choose. This beautiful, tender story is filled with love, friendship and hope. I was simple taken away by the stunning descriptions of the mountains and rivers of North Carolina. I even want to try fly fishing! (That’s a first!) Highly recommend this perfect summer read! Release date: May 17, 2022!
This book gave me ALL THE FEELS! It REALLY tugged at my heartstrings and it gets a solid five stars from me. You will not want to miss this beautiful story about second chances and so much more. This is my favorite read of 2022.
4.5 stars rounded up
This book was just beautiful and reminded me of romance novels by Colleen Hoover in that there is no beauty without pain. This book had so much pain. However it delivered it with grace and had so many important life lessons. I found it difficult in the beginning, not understanding the depth of Avery's difficulties but by the end I loved this story.
Thank you netgalley and suzyq book tours for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
When We Let Go, by Rochelle B Weinstein, is a literary drama with plenty of romance. I enjoyed this book, for the most part, but I felt like the main character's (Avery's) feelings of guilt were a bit overdone. The rest was interesting & well written.
Jude thought that proposing to Avery would be a joyful event but that's not quite how it's worked out. Avery's worrying about being a family, too much trauma has caused her to stop believing in happy endings. So, she's scared to take the risk of coming clean with her secrets.
Now Avery is going home to help with her injured father and to try and come to terms with her past. On her way to North Carolina, she realizes that she has an uninvited hitchhiker: Jude’s daughter, Elle, who’s been struggling with life ever since her mother passed away unexpectedly.
Together they're learning to heal and end up forming an unexpected bond. Now, they both have a way forward towards healing.
“When We Let Go” is the newest novel by Rochelle B. Weinstein, author of great reads such as “This is Not How it Ends” and “Where We Fall.” We meet Avery just as Jude is about to propose to her. Avery loves Jude and his two girls, but cannot share a significant part of her past with him, especially on the anniversary of that day that she can’t forget. It’s because of the past that she cannot accept his proposal and soon after, a phone call sends Avery back to North Carolina, the place she’d been running away from, but with an expected stowaway—Jude’s daughter, Elle.
There is plenty of love in this emotionally-charged novel. The author handles the the topics of grief, loss, and survival quite eloquently. I especially enjoyed the bond formed between Avery and Elle. Ms. Weinstein is a master at immersing the reader into the chaos of family dynamics and clearly exemplifies why we love those who sometimes bring us the most angst. Be prepared to have the tissues nearby.
Thank you Ms. Weinstein, Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to give this an early read.
When We Let Go is a beautifully-written emotional story that I read with my whole heart. I was deeply involved from the very first page, caught up in the complicated lives of all the characters. Each one of them has been wounded by life and grief and tragedy, burying their true feelings and keeping secrets even from those they love the most, in the hopes that they won’t be hurt again. I felt all of their emotions—their fear, their sadness, their anger, and their love—and was with them on each step of their journeys to healing and forgiveness and happiness.
When We Let Go is a heartwarming story about how we are connected to each other through our past, present, and future. Avery finds herself navigating a breakup while spending the summer with unexpected companions - her ex's teenage daughter, her estranged sister, her aging father, and her first love. The secrets of Avery's past are gradually revealed as variations on the mother-daughter relationship are explored.
I enjoyed watching Avery grow throughout the book, as she reckons with her past. The developing relationships between the women in this book are relatable in both the ups and downs. When We Let Go is an easy read that still hits deep. And while there is some romance, Avery's love life is not the central content. This book is more about Avery growing in herself than finding a happily ever after relationship. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys female character-driven stories, and anyone who has or who has been a mother or mother-figure.
“When We Let Go” by Rochelle B. Weinstein is an emotional, thought-provoking, and memorable novel that I highly recommend to other readers. The genres for this novel are family fiction, domestic fiction, and fiction. The timeline for this story takes place in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters and events. The story takes place mostly in a small town. The author describes her characters as complex and complicated. In this story, there are themes of secrets, betrayals, forgiveness, second chances, healing, hope, and love. The author describes the importance of family, mother-daughter relationships, and friendships.
Avery Beckett has been living in the past with tragic secrets, shame, and remorse. When Jude Masters, her widowed boyfriend proposes, he doesn’t get the answer or response he wants. Avery has not shared a part of her life with him, and before she can have a future she has to revisit the past. Jude has one teenage daughter, trying to find herself, and two sons. He also has problems letting go of his late wife’s memories. Both have had significant losses.
The opportunity arises for Avery to go back to her home when her father is in the hospital. It is up to Avery to deal with the past, so she can let go and have a future.
Rochelle B. Weinstein has an amazing way of drawing the reader into the story. There are some unexpected twists and turns. This was a touching, sensitive, and heartfelt read.
This put me in allllll my feelings. Really enjoyed the cover and the story! Highly recommend for a book club.
When We Let Go is a moving story about two women who grieve in their own way. Avery Beckett meets her new boyfriend at grief counseling, but she is too embarrassed to admit why she is there. Jude is mourning his wife and the mother to his three children. They hit it off and continue their relationship, but when Jude proposes to Avery, she doesn’t handle it well. During this time, she also gets a phone call from her estranged sister that her father is sick and needs help.
Avery drives from FL to NC and discovers along the way that Jude’s eldest child Elle was drunk and hid in her car. They are hours from FL when she realizes and takes the mischievous teen along with her. Elle very much misses her mother and has been acting out since her passing. Avery is mourning the loss of her baby and also has not full grieved the loss.
This book is so emotional and very sad at parts. But it was fascinating to see how they both needed each other at different times. They both push Jude away for different days reasons and he himself is still grieving. He can’t bear to part with her clothes and he expects Avery to move in and take over the mothering of his children. In fairness to Jude, Avery never shares that she lost a child so he’s unaware of her loss.
This book packs a punch, but it’s very heartwarming to see the families reconnect. Elle is a teen in pain, but I was appalled at her bad behavior and mean comments to everyone, especially Avery. I did love Avery’s family farm and seeing how they can make something beautiful with their pain. Avery had a beautiful garden tribute to her lost child and it became overgrown when she left. She and Elle rehabilitate the garden back to its glory.
𝘊𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤!
I love when a story takes me by surprise! I wasn’t expecting this amazing story at all. Beautifully written, this story about loss and second chances captured my heart completely. I’m sure I’ll re-read it soon, loved it so much. All the stars.
You need to add this book to your tbr.
Thank you Suzy Approved Book Tours and Lake Union Authors for this gifted copy.
When We Let Go by Rochelle B. Weinstein releases May 17, 2022.
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If you are looking for a heart-string-pulling read filled with secrets, family, mother-daughter relationships, and moments to make you cry and ones to make you smile, look no further!
I really enjoyed the relationship between Avery and her soon-to-be stepdaughter, Elle. The bonding that takes place between them is beautiful, and rich in emotional descriptions. They both have things in common, if only they could find them! I loved the journey for both of these women, and it was really my favorite thing!