A feel good contemporary romance/romantic comedy with a 'sweet' steam factor about second chances at love.
Savannah Bondurant, a marriage and relationship columnist for the Savannah Sun Times, just signed her divorce papers.
Brody McAlister, the elusive and smoking hot gym boy, has finally recovered from his divorce three years ago.
Be it spurred by loneliness or sheer attraction, the two slip into the sheets for a memorable one-night stand.
Savannah's pesky ex-husband continues to try and worm his way back into her life, insisting they remain friends, even though he is living with his jealous new girlfriend.
An up-and-coming woodworker artist, Brody has every socialite cougar in town promising him success and riches, for a price, of course.
With two advice-giving older sisters, one fiercely single and one seemingly happily married, Savannah learns her parents' long and successful relationship does not come without its own secrets. Why should she believe in happily ever after?
Her constant overanalyzing and skepticism bodes well in her profession as a journalist, but proves counterproductive in her personal life. Divorce, guilt, suspicion, holding on to the past—can Savannah trust in Brody to help her Let It Go...
Brooklyn's first novel, The Boots My Mother Gave Me, has an original music soundtrack, making for a unique Audible experience. Out of Boots grew a platform where it was her honor to serve as a guest speaker with a focus on awareness and prevention of domestic violence and suicide.
She holds an M.A. in Communication, and a B.S. in both Nursing and Animal Science.
This contemporary-romance borders on chick lit at times with all its talk of men vs women (Men simplify, women overcomplicate). Took a while for me to warm up to long separated but newly divorced Savannah, from Savannah Georgia, but no time at all for me to adore Brody. He’s talented, intelligent, charming, affectionate, achingly sweet and knows what he wants. Ok, yea, he’s gorgeous, built and HOT too. Brody’s the kind of guy I’d want pored slowly all over me. ;-) Definitely adding Brody to my Book Boyfriend List.
I do LOVE a Georgia accent and wished I could have heard this as an audio bk. All that southern charm and mannerly “yes Ma’am”, and “Miss so and so”. Then there were the witty phrases, like…”wondering when her cheese slipped off her cracker”. LOL!
This almost sounded like a fluff read when I read the blurb for the bk. But not so…this is more than just a contemporary romance it’s a family story with the theme of letting the past go and embracing the future as it pertains to several of the story’s players. Love the side characters – Savannah’s colorful family and her co-workers but most especially Savanna’s oldest sister Jac..the roller derby queen “Jac-You-Up.” LOL!! You definitely want this girl on your side.
When you’re in the mood to be charmed by a romance…read this one.
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!!
The chemistry between Savanna and Brody was swoon worthy. Their story was definitely 5star. However,there were just too many characters in this book. I wanted all Savannah and Brody and they were probably in only about 1/4 of the book. Way too many secondary stories that I really didn't care about. SO I rate this a 3.
Now that's how you use fonts on a cover! Hot, hot, hot using one hard and one soft font with the red, it speaks volumes. Love the way you entwined it through your name. You've sold me...count me in!
We meet sweet, sassy Savannah Bondurant an hour after she's signed the paper to officially free herself from Jack Brigant, the man from whom she's been separated for the past year and a half.
Has it escaped your attention that you are a marriage columnist? -her quirky boss, Willow, exasperates upon hearing the news.
Savannah creatively decides to use this new development in her life to appeal to those who've gone through, or are going through, the same thing. She's excited to share with her readers her experiences as she begins this new, unexpected chapter in her life. You see, there was no huge, explosive breakup. No cheating scandal. No sordid affairs. Savannah and Jack simply grew up and grew apart.
People grow, they evolve, and not always in the same direction. -Savannah tells Jack, after he shows up, in shock, that she's actually signed the papers.
It simply just wasn't working anymore, and Savannah refused to spend her life in an unhappy marriage. Savannah, although nervous, is eager to move on begin this new journey, adamant that she's not looking for anything other than friendship.
I'm not going to be that girl, hopping out of one relationship and right into another. I am not afraid to be alone.
Famous last words, right? Enter Gym Boy, the smoking hot stranger that Savannah's secretly noticed at her gym four days a week, every week, for the past year.
Standing about six-foot-four, weighing in at two-hundred-twenty-five pounds, with a chest and shoulders out to there, his waist and hips narrow, chiseling his form into a delightfully attractive V.
There's this guy at my gym. I swear it's like an episode of Clash of the Dinosaurs: Mating Season on the Discovery Channel every time I'm near him. -Savannah hilariously reveals to her sister, Jac.
Fate. Coincidence. The universe aligning. Call it what you want, but there's something to be said for the fact that on this day, the first day of the rest of Savannah's life, Gym Boy, speaks to her for the first time, finally introducing himself as Brody McAllister. After a playful, flirtatious exchange, they part ways, but not before Brody can leave a note with his number inviting Savannah to join him for a run anytime she wishes. She soon finds herself contacting him, and they fall into comfortable conversation as they begin to get to know one another.
As there is an undeniable attraction between the two, Savannah and Brody quickly find themselves unable to fight the scorching chemistry that radiates whenever they're together.
His intuition magic, he reads her, every part of her like his favorite book, knowing exactly how to touch her, taste her, enchant her.
As they spend more time together, it becomes to clear that there are feelings between the two. Savannah's apprehensive to begin another relationship out of fear that she'll end up in the same spot again. For now, Brody's comfortable enough to let her set the pace, his own experiences having allowed him to understand the need for time.
We all have scars, Savannah. Wounds. They take time to close. To heal. But in the meantime, you'd be better off to stop second-guessing yourself. Beating yourself up over past mistakes. Trust me.
The question remaining is how long will it take Savannah to allow herself to give in to her feelings for Brody...and how just how long is Brody willing to wait?
Savannah: I really enjoyed Savannah in this book. She was so down-to-Earth and comfortable in her own skin. She had such a positive outlook on like that I admire, especially when she could be drowning in post-divorce blues. She knew what direction she wanted to take her life in and she made it happen, no matter how hard it hurt. In the end, she came out a better person, with a better relationship, and a more beautiful view on life, love, and the art of letting go.
Brody: Brody was a fantastic male lead. Three years after his divorce, Brody chooses to be picky about the woman he plans on settling down with. He has a "checklist" of sorts, and darnit if he doesn't find himself mentally clicking off items every time he's with Savannah. Even though Savannah is the relationship columnist, Brody is akin to a modern day love guru. Rather than wallow in self pity, he used his relationship experiences and let downs to provide the insightful, heartfelt guidance that Savannah needs as they navigate the unknown waters of post-divorce dating.
Jack: Jack Brigant is an irritatingly sympathetic character, and he's ultimately an understandably lost man who is having trouble coping with the fact that he's now divorced. Although he did nothing to try and keep her, he didn't want to lose her, and now he's wallowing in self-pity. He cannot accept that his marriage is over, or that he had any responsibility in the breakdown of it. I'd actually really be interested in reading another story with Jack working through his issues and finding the woman he'd actually be willing to fight for and do anything to keep her.
The supporting cast truly made this book remarkable. Every character was relatable in one way or another. At times, I had to set my Kindle down and contemplate on various situations with which I could associate some of my own life experiences to better understand the character. Throughout the course of the story, we're given an incredible group of women whose stories are woven beautifully with Savannah's. We have many interactions with her sisters, mother, and nieces. The female dynamic amongst the Bondurant women is beautiful, heartwarming, and at times, laugh out loud funny. The extraordinary display of love and affection between the three Bondurant girls brought tears to my eyes. They loved each other fiercely, creating an undeniable support system as each sister dealt with real life issues that had them questioning everything they've ever known.
Overall, this was a refreshing, realistic take on modern relationships. We've all known someone whose suffered through divorce, or perhaps you have yourself. It can be painful. It can be lonely. It can be so agonizing that you're filled with pain with every breathe you take. But it can also be exactly what you need. It can be revitalizing. It can rejuvenate your soul and revive your heart. That's the message I got from this beautiful story of taking the reigns and finding happiness if you can just find a way to Let It Go.
ARC was kindly provided by Ms. James in exchange for an honest review.
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This cover was amazing - being a complete cover whore, I was sold as soon as I saw it. Although I did expect a bit more of a steamy read, considering the cover; I was quite happy with the toned down coming of age story I found within its pages.
Savannah Bondurant is in her thirties, she writes a marriage advice column for the paper and when you meet her she has just signed her divorce papers. After eight years of being with Jack, it's just not working anymore. The year and a half separation did not cause her to go running back into his arms, but instead allowed her to see all the reality in a relationship where two people just really wanted different things out of life.
Jack is devastated, he doesn't want to let go of his wife and lover of the last eight years and the family he has grown to love. To say Jack had an odd way of showing his love for Savannah is an understatement - he was an ass, over and over again. But now a free Savannah has a chance to start over - to focus on what will make her happy. Enter gym boy.
Brody McAlister has been watching Savannah at the gym for some time, and boy did she notice him. Having just watched her from afar for the last year and a half he finally approaches her. Savannah isn't ready for a relationship, she expects that the right thing to do in her newly divorced state is to slowly date and not just dive in. But Brody, who has now been divorced for the last five years has other plans. Savannah gives into a casual date to go running on Sunday morning, and as they talk about their failed marriages Brody starts to check off each must have quality. He is finding that Savannah is a perfect fit.
We are introduced to their families, all southern and proper with yes ma'ams and sweet drawls. I loved the sassy Jaq and her strength, she was the oldest sister and would protect her two younger sisters at all costs. Vangie was the middle sister, who much like her mother fought for perfection, but what is later realized might come at a cost. To say this story was just about Savannah and Brody is an understatement. You get to watch the entire Bondurant clan let it go. The moment when Vangie's world comes crashing down around her was the most moving part for me in the book. Her mother's need to let go of a ghost to move on was written so simple - but choked me up completely.
Brody proves to be so much more than a guy with a hot body and beautiful face. He teaches Savannah how to fight for what she loves, to let go of the past and that she can find love and still have the life she wants. She doesn't have to compromise one for the other. She can retain her independence and still need a man, to allow him to protect her and care for her.
It might have been all the southern charm, but I felt like this had such a Hope Floats & Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood feel to it. It took a while to get into the narration type read of the book, I have been so used to the first person POV that it took a while for the story to flow for me. But once the middle was hit - I was indeed hooked. I would have liked to have had an epilogue rather than just have it end. But I have a feeling that Brody and Savannah will make this last.
"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-Worker
I 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.' -Brody
Their 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."
Samantha and Brody - two lost souls not sure where their destination lies. Brody's been divorced for a few years and he isn't keen on getting burned again. He doesn't want commitment, but he doesn't have any trouble getting the ladies - especially with his good looks. Samantha is recently divorced and isn't looking for any relationship at this point in her life. But she can't help but admire the hunky man in the gym and when he leaves his number on her windshield, she's very tempted.
It's quirky that Samantha is a marriage and advice columnist. But they say a doctor is his worst patient, and that same adage seems to be the case with this particular advice columnist because she throws caution to the wind and winds up with a one night stand with Brody. However, she can't get him out of her mind, nor he her. But Samantha needs to let go of the past if she is to have any sort of future with Brody. But can she? Or will she her past rule her future?
Let It Go is a steamy romance with realistic characters. James has a gift with writing that will pull you into the lives of these two wandering souls. I have read James' work before, so I knew I was in for a treat, and I wasn't disappointed. The pages just flew by! If you enjoy some spice with your romance, definitely pick up Let It Go!
This is the first book I've read by Brooklyn James. I have to say the story line and writing pulled me in; I like stories with conflict straight out of the gate. I also enjoyed that these characters were closer to my own age (I've been reading a lot of New Adult lately), so it was a nice change of pace for me. I really enjoyed the story behind the love story involving Savannah's family. Her sisters are a hoot and her nieces are adorable.
Then there's Brody. Whoa. You can't help but fall for this guy. He says ALL THE RIGHT THINGS. That's why, a few times, I was confused as to why Savannah kept doubting him. I know she's fresh off a divorce and has trust issues, but the cheating with her husband was never substantiated. Yes, he called a few women. Would I be upset? Yes. Would that make me doubt every man? No. I know Savannah felt she couldn't trust her heart, but I got the impression she was never really in love with Jack, even while they were married. The feelings she felt for Brody were there from the get go!
Overall, I enjoyed the story and devoured it in two days. I would recommend it for a fun vacation read!
Ok so your separated your husband moves out and your trying to work it out with no hope of reconciliation in sight. This is what happened to Savannah for 2 years then she got sick of it and filed for divorce and now her ex-husband is pissed she just gave up even though he moved out. Then she meets gym boy he has been checking her out for the better part of a year. She knows he is interested but with a divorce just happening she feels it would be safer if they were friends with benefits however he wants her and he definitely wants more.
This book is about realtionships and not about guy found girl and marries girl they live happily ever after. No way this is about the nitty gritty reality that marriages take work and sometimes even you can't save a marriage by yourself.
My opinion is I loved it and being married I can relate and admire the author's view on the struggles of marriage. No matter what there will be feelings being stepped on and even conclusions to be drawn without knowing everything the thing is can we put forth our ego and pride to have or to be a part of an everlasting relationship.
Let it go. That's a phrase many of us hear quite often. Even when we know it's what we should do, we find ourselves stuck and unable to actually do it.
It is interesting to see how the characters deal with issues in their lives, and when they reach that 'let it go' moment,' which path they choose. Some characters carve out new paths, while others follow the same ones, around and around.
Savannah has made the decision to sign the divorce papers. Her ex, Jack, can't let it go. Her job is writing a relationship column. With her marriage ended, Savannah's boss questions her ability to continue in that position.
Let it go doesn't erase your past. It lets you move on to your future.
Sexy, alluring and ending leaving me shocked... "That was the last page?!?! What?!?!" I'm hoping there's a sequel :-). I'm not a romance novel fan by nature or persona, but I couldn't resist reading another Brooklyn James novel. The family closeness, heart-to-heart relationship questions, issues, and resolutions.. it's all close to home for so many, there's bound to be a topic that hits every reader at heart. I love that the sexy guys and girls have substance; athletic, appealing, something to hold onto... yes, yes, yes... lol, It's all about the mullet... Read it, want it, and look for more by Ms. James; I know I will be...
I love a strong female character in a book and Savannah is just that, "you sit here and call someone you don't even know names. You chastise me for dating, when you're moving in with your girlfriend of a few weeks." I love Brody and Savannah's relationship all the ups and downs and just everything, "I don't think he wants to talk," Savannah dismisses, her hand trailing below to Thor, his engorged, erect form awaiting her feminine attention." This book is about two people trying to find themselves and end up finding each other along the way, it's about second chances and everyone knows I love a good second chance story.
This book was written in third person present tense which really threw me off. Because of this, I felt disconnected from the book and could never really get quite on track. I so wanted to love this, but it just seemed a bit too all over the place. Too many different stories, and the narrative (or even thoughts) drifting to random people made it difficult to really concentrate on the main characters. If it was edited and maybe written in the past tense, I think I would have enjoyed it much better.
I liked this take on second chances. It spoke to really discussing life, love, mistakes and learning from them. It was not about the crazy falling in love but more about how to build on life's lessons in order to to move on to a stronger relationship. It was refreshing and not all about the bedroom. I liked the fact that Brooklyn put thought into the other characters in the story and made their relationships part off the plot giving them solid parts in the story. It was good,Brooklyn, really good!
A very cute light read about family and second chance at love. I find it great that a guy like Brody knows a lot about relationships. Being all logical and throwing the man card into Savannah's way. They both complimented each other. It was fun to read especially the fact that all the characters were loveable and interesting as well as the main couple. I now sure have my own 'must have' checklist right now :)
I really enjoyed the beginning and middle of this book. The characters were well developed and the story was interesting. It started to lag at the end. It should have had a tighter ending with things wrapping up a bit sooner. I started to skip pages to relieve the boredom. If the ending not as drawn out I would have rated 4 stars. Worth a read though and doubly so with it being free.
I wasn't sure where the book was headed the first couple of chapters, in fact, at one point I believe I was ready to set it aside and pick it up at a later time. I believe it had more to do with the theme or tempo (not in the frame of mind). I continued on and when I finished I was pleasantly surprised. I really ended up enjoying the read and the characters. I truly enjoyed the format in which it was written as well.
I enjoyed this contempary romance novel. Savannah was a great character, and I loved how independent and strong she was. I must say that her ex-husband and his new girlfriend were a pain in the ass. Jack really needed to get a clue, and Daisy just needed to fuck off, the wise words of Jac. The chemistry between Brody and Savannah was great, and definitely hot.
I thought this book was very good. It deals with a lot of issues that exist very frequently now. Love, loss, divorce, family and starting over. I thought it was great and I'm glad Savannah was able to finally "Let It Go!" Loved Brody....hot hot hot! And don't we all wish we had a nice, strong, determined "mullet" to love and cherish and fight for. Great read!!!!
It was cute. I very much liked the reference to Thor, lmao. My only hang up was the whole thing with getting everyone's views and it threw me off a bit trying to figure out who's head I was in. But overall it was a good read.
Loved this book!! Thought it was cute and funny!! I only wish it felt a little more complete, like it needs an epilogue or a follow up book to show where life takes all the characters, which are all likeable
This was a very enjoyable story to read. A little romance, a hot sweet sexy man, some humor, forgiveness, fighting for what you want and deserve, and learning to just Let It Go!!! I would most definitely without a doubt recommend this story. Loved it!! :)