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esmekizer's review
adventurous
challenging
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
judithdcollins's review against another edition
5.0
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.
"It's never too late to forgive the mistakes of the past."
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.
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.
"It's never too late to forgive the mistakes of the past."
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.
julieb118's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this book SO MUCH. So so much. Yes I found Elle worthy of “shoving off the side of the road” (don’t hate on me. That was another readers comment). BUT I also don’t think her moods and attitudes were necessarily that unbelievable. She was a 16 year old girl who’d unexpectedly lost her mom. I found Avery’s guilt and “how can they ever forgive me” for what was clearly an accident to be very over the top and ridiculous. Until I kept reading and got to the twist. Which I did NOT see coming (another reader mentioned the twist as obvious and “seen it a hundred times”- I didn’t at all expect or predict it). Once I got to that a lot started making sense. Enough so that I went back and re read parts of the book to see if the experience changed knowing what I then knew.
Overall just a really really satisfying read.
Overall just a really really satisfying read.
hdub5's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bookswritingandmore's review against another edition
4.0
Picture this. A beautiful garden scene. A gorgeous man on one knee. A heroine who is frozen in place. How did we get here? Well you'll have to read this stunning and emotional book to find that out. Avery has pushed past her shattered past but she's still not over it and she is definitely not ready to tell Jude about it. So she says nothing and Jude takes this non answer as his answer and walks away.
This novel of secrets, self reflection and family dynamics was incredibly written. The story flowed so well, I barely realized it was coming to an end. I.felt sad to leave the world of Avery and Jude. Rochelle always does this to me. She makes me fall hard and fast for her characters. I have trouble letting go.
This novel of secrets, self reflection and family dynamics was incredibly written. The story flowed so well, I barely realized it was coming to an end. I.felt sad to leave the world of Avery and Jude. Rochelle always does this to me. She makes me fall hard and fast for her characters. I have trouble letting go.
alohabooksandbujos's review
5.0
Avery has a dark past that is fighting to come to light when her boyfriend proposes and after hesitation, maybe she’s been right to hide it. Finally facing home and her secrets, will it be too late to reconcile all the hurt she’s caused by hiding herself?
I cried, I laughed, emotions ran high. Weinstein does an amazing job at creating the complex family dynamics we all have. Pseudo step-children, former loves, relationships with your own self. This novel showcases how bland and hurt can hinder happiness even when we believe we’re protecting those we love. The depth of characters and love I had for each, grew with each chapter.
I cried, I laughed, emotions ran high. Weinstein does an amazing job at creating the complex family dynamics we all have. Pseudo step-children, former loves, relationships with your own self. This novel showcases how bland and hurt can hinder happiness even when we believe we’re protecting those we love. The depth of characters and love I had for each, grew with each chapter.
melknickerbocker's review against another edition
5.0
Y’all get your tissues out.this book is such an emotional journey, beautifully written. I felt this deeply since the first page. Parts seemed slow but they flowed so good. I felt love, heartbreak, trauma, grief, fear, anger, sadness. But it’s the journey of healing and forgiveness.
machadofam8's review against another edition
3.0
Good but I found the characters weren't very likeable.
martie1985's review against another edition
5.0
HEA
TEAR-JERKER
EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER
LAUGH-OUT-LOUD MOMENTS
It is been a long time since I have read a book that I can say I could not put down, I started yesterday night and stopped at the last sentence in the book around midnight.
I had a baby who died a few hours after I gave birth his name was Jacques he would have turned eleven this year. Nine years back my sister and her small family all died in a car accident...she was my best friend. I cannot Imagine not having her memory in my life and sometimes I still talk to her in my thoughts. Quote: She is my home, my earth, and I’m not sure how I let this go as far as I have. I want to pull away, I should pull away, but I also want to fall deeper. I want to close my eyes and collapse there in her arms. She would know what to do with the scary feelings; she’d protect me. She always knew how.
I can relate to the trauma and I could feel the grieve and slipping through the pages. The mentor/stepmom/teenager relationship in the book is spot-on and complex. If I could sum it up in my own words it would be teens can be assholes, but you love them anyway. This is exactly what I feel about my daughter sometimes, she just turned thirteen - wise beyond her years and such a little pain my in my ass but I love her to death. Quote: But Elle. She was an enigma to me. Her moods shifted like the wind. Surly and sarcastic one moment, then abruptly turning pleasant and mild. Some would call it emotional whiplash, how she lured me in with her full-toothed smile, only to bite me with her sharp tongue.
A story to about, sisterhood and motherhood, making mistakes and living with it, loving, losing and picking yourself up afterwards.
Quote: “Candles don’t just burn down houses. The wind could’ve blown the candle over. An act of God. It’s not your fault. You shouldn’t blame yourself.” And before her eyes close, she adds, “Whatever happens out here, Avery . . . I don’t hate you. I don’t hate you at all.”
TEAR-JERKER
EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER
LAUGH-OUT-LOUD MOMENTS
It is been a long time since I have read a book that I can say I could not put down, I started yesterday night and stopped at the last sentence in the book around midnight.
I had a baby who died a few hours after I gave birth his name was Jacques he would have turned eleven this year. Nine years back my sister and her small family all died in a car accident...she was my best friend. I cannot Imagine not having her memory in my life and sometimes I still talk to her in my thoughts. Quote: She is my home, my earth, and I’m not sure how I let this go as far as I have. I want to pull away, I should pull away, but I also want to fall deeper. I want to close my eyes and collapse there in her arms. She would know what to do with the scary feelings; she’d protect me. She always knew how.
I can relate to the trauma and I could feel the grieve and slipping through the pages. The mentor/stepmom/teenager relationship in the book is spot-on and complex. If I could sum it up in my own words it would be teens can be assholes, but you love them anyway. This is exactly what I feel about my daughter sometimes, she just turned thirteen - wise beyond her years and such a little pain my in my ass but I love her to death. Quote: But Elle. She was an enigma to me. Her moods shifted like the wind. Surly and sarcastic one moment, then abruptly turning pleasant and mild. Some would call it emotional whiplash, how she lured me in with her full-toothed smile, only to bite me with her sharp tongue.
A story to about, sisterhood and motherhood, making mistakes and living with it, loving, losing and picking yourself up afterwards.
Quote: “Candles don’t just burn down houses. The wind could’ve blown the candle over. An act of God. It’s not your fault. You shouldn’t blame yourself.” And before her eyes close, she adds, “Whatever happens out here, Avery . . . I don’t hate you. I don’t hate you at all.”
alliesrecentreads's review
4.0
No one warned me about how emotional this book would make me so if you get nothing else out of this review, let it be this - make sure you are stocked up with tissues and chocolate before you start When We Let Go.
This was a little outside of my typical wheelhouse, but as a young woman who lost her mother relatively young, I had a feeling I'd connect with the story so I decided to give it a shot anyway and I am so glad that I did.
Avery Beckett should be celebrating the beginning of her new life with Jude Masters and his children, but in order to move forward she must step back into her past and acknowledge the events that have led her to where she is now. After taking the leap to go home and reconcile with her past, Avery discovers Jude's daughter passed out in her backseat. Together, they form an unlikely alliance in their own individual grieving processes.
Overall, this was an incredibly emotional and insightful novel that I really enjoyed. My only complaint would lie in the pacing. There was a chunk in the middle where I definitely start to lose interest, but the last 25% of the book absolutely made up for it. This book has definitely left a permanent mark on me, and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone at any stage of the grieving process.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was a little outside of my typical wheelhouse, but as a young woman who lost her mother relatively young, I had a feeling I'd connect with the story so I decided to give it a shot anyway and I am so glad that I did.
Avery Beckett should be celebrating the beginning of her new life with Jude Masters and his children, but in order to move forward she must step back into her past and acknowledge the events that have led her to where she is now. After taking the leap to go home and reconcile with her past, Avery discovers Jude's daughter passed out in her backseat. Together, they form an unlikely alliance in their own individual grieving processes.
Overall, this was an incredibly emotional and insightful novel that I really enjoyed. My only complaint would lie in the pacing. There was a chunk in the middle where I definitely start to lose interest, but the last 25% of the book absolutely made up for it. This book has definitely left a permanent mark on me, and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone at any stage of the grieving process.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.