Let It Go by Brooklyn James I was asked to do a review for Let It Go and at the time it just so happened that it was next on my TBR list so of course I said yes. I had heard of Brooklyn James’ earlier novel The Boots My Mother Gave Me and remember it being very popular so I was quite keen to get into Let It Go.This story follows Savannah Bondurant, a marriage and relationship columnist for the Savannah Sun Times and Brody McAlister, the elusive and smoking hot gym boy. Savannah has just signed her divorce papers and Brody has finally recovered from his divorce three years ago. What starts out as a one night stand quickly develops into something more. Add to that a pesky ex husband, a socialite cougar, along lost brother and older advice giving sisters and you get this novel which explores the notion of moving on after divorce.Firstly, I really liked the main characters, especially Savannah. She is a great role model for all ladies out there being strong and independent. She is intelligent and dedicated to her work which points out that there is nothing wrong with a women having a high demand career. We also see her be extremely mature about her divorce and even though we have her ex husband Jack being extremely immature she still holds her own and is able to keep her maturity in tact.We first see Brody described as the smoking hot gym boy and so I expected him to be just another ‘jock’ character, however he was far from it. In Brody we see kindness and a lot of charisma, whilst at the same time having a playful and sexy side. Brody is evidently Savannah’s equal and his level of maturity obviously matches hers. He is hard working, yet still family orientated.Overall I think that once you put the elements of her job as a columnist, two divorcees and a lot of people willing to give advice you get a novel that acts as what I would call a modern day relationship guide. I found that a lot of material in the novel was examining relationships and the do’s and don’ts for life after divorce. There was the growing of the relationship and often a steamy sex scene or two but refreshingly at the same time I found that we were constantly learning about society and our interaction with each other.Whilst there is that serious side to the novel, it also incorporates alot of humour especially through the secondary characters. I enjoyed the secondary characters especially Tami Lynn and ‘Scary Larry’. I have to says that every scene he appeared in had my in fits of laughter, every time I saw him call her Raven Queen I just had to smile. I think the sisters were perfectly written and the relationship between all three of them reminded me of a real life family.An issue that I had with the novel was the secondary characters’ POVs. Throughout the novel the POV changed very quickly between characters and sometimes I found it a little hard to keep up with who’s head we happened to be in at the time. I did like the side story of Tami Lynn and Scary Larry, however I don’t know whether a POV from each character was necessary. The only other thing I found to be odd was how much infidelity seemed to be in this novel, I know that it seems to be an issue in modern society, but here I found that every time we turned a corner someone was cheating.Lastly I just want to mention the ‘shag shirt’, I did not know what this was and didn’t know that people actually wear their ‘shag shirt’ to work the next day so I definitely found this hilarious! All in all I really enjoyed this novel and loved all the knowledge that James gave us on modern day society. Is there a happy ending? Yeah there is but it’s not the traditional one, I would describe it more as a natural ending and opens up all possibilities for the future. I found this extremely refreshing as it wasn’t just the usual wedding and kids ending. Brooklyn James you have created a beautiful novel and I will be keen to see what other adult contemporary romances you come up with!! Review provided by Amazon Reader Review:"I like Brooklyn James's writing. There is a realness to her dialogue and characters; the interchange seemingly something I might hear a friend say or do. The witty repartee between sisters, co-workers and lovers in Let It Go is something I might see in a romantic comedy film. I laughed out loud several times while reading this book.'Did you know that primates, female monkeys…their bums turn red…signifying to males that they're ready for action,' Savannah whispers, her eyes as big as flying saucers at such a direct, non-wooing required approach. -Savannah, researching piece for newspaper column'I think we come equipped with the same shading factor. It simply displays itself on our face rather than our ass.' Tami Lynn laughs. 'Think about it. First time gym boy ever talked to you, did you blush?' -Co-WorkerI can relate to Savannah, being a career-driven individual myself. Savannah wants to have it all, although unsure if she can have it all. Can anybody really have it all? Her career always wins out, especially when her ex-husband continues to push with his antics, 'You don't have time for me.' Enter Brody McAlister, gym boy - holy hotness at the gym! Brody is swoonworthy with his logical, direct and quite debonair approach to life and love. And it doesn't hurt that I read a blog post where Stuart Reardon was cast as Brody. That man is fine! 'What's all of this man talk?' Savannah's voice matching his in its come-hither delivery, she returns his affection, her lips now playing softly upon his neck. 'Are you some sort of closet caveman?' -Savannah'No woman wants a man she can walk all over. No more than she wants one who will walk all over her. It's my position to stay true to myself while becoming the man she needs.' -BrodyTheir journey is a very real take on seizing second chances at love - fear of repeating past mistakes and behaviors, guarded hearts so as not to get hurt or hurt someone again and most importantly letting go of the past's baggage. The way Brody and Savannah talk about and work through things is inspiring and mature. I enjoyed that aspect of the story. It gave it a bit more depth than simply just focusing on the two of them being overly attracted to and hot and bothered for one another. And the sex scenes were HOT! As a reader, if you enjoy sitting down with a medium-paced HEA romance, you'll likely enjoy this novel. Let It Go doesn't have a lot of twists and turns and shocking revelations. If that's the type of read you enjoy, maybe this isn't the book for you.The writing is savy and quick. There are a lot of supporting characters. So, it's not a read to simply fly through because it might get confusing. But the supporting characters made it more real for me. It gave it a very familiar feeling, having family members and co-workers offering their two cents. Everybody has an opinion! That's why I really liked this book. There was a lot to take away from it, and it was very realistic."
What do You think about Let It Go (2013)?
I liked this book but it took a couple of chapters to get into it. All in all I liked it.
—amy
Yikes, I could not get through this. Gave up about 30% in.Making it as DNF
—snow
it was a good book. just wish there was an epilogue
—parna
