When Girlfriends Let Go

When Girlfriends #6

by Savannah Page

A novel about love, self-discovery, and realizing sometimes you have to let go.

Jackie Kittredge is the consummate drama queen living the charmed life. She's enthusiastic, outspoken, and is always looking for a good time. At twenty-seven she's got a swanky Seattle townhouse, a wealthy husband, a designer wardrobe, the best of girlfriends, and a calendar filled not with meetings and deadlines, but spa appointments and happy hour reminders. On the outside, she's got it all.

On the inside, though, Jackie's charmed life isn't as it seems. She's seeing a therapist, battling the demons of coming from a broken home and a past of promiscuity and heavy drinking. She can be selfish and demanding, sometimes even wearing her best friends thin. And now her marriage--what she thought could be her solid foundation--is on the rocks. Her husband Andrew spends nearly all his time at the office (and possibly with his secretary), and apologizes for his absence with lavish gifts and empty promises.

Miserable and desperate, Jackie questions if her marriage is worth fighting for. Then a string of events begins to put things into perspective...into a perspective she didn't quite anticipate. With her best friends by her side and some tough love, Jackie finds herself not only asking if she's where she belongs, but if she's who she's supposed to be.

This is a passionate story about having to answer some of life's most important and difficult questions. It's a story about fear, courage, and personal growth. About what happens when girlfriends let go.

Genres: Chick Lit

480 pages, Paperback

Published December 19, 2013

About the author

Savannah Page is the author of Everything the Heart Wants, A Sister's Place, and the When Girlfriends series, heartfelt women's fiction. Sprinkled with drama and humor, her writing celebrates friendship, love, and life.

A native Southern Californian, Savannah lives in Berlin, Germany, with her husband, their goldendoodle, and her collection of books.

Savannah loves to hear from readers, so feel free to shoot her an email, stop by her Website, or connect with her on Facebook and Instagram!

Reviews

[Chrissy (The Every Free Chance Reader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did I enjoy this book: I enjoyed parts of it. Other parts, not so much.

I have come to love these girlfriends. And I couldn’t wait to catch up on the lives of Lara, Claire, Robin, Sophie, Emily, and Jackie. These are girlfriends that you want in your life. They all get along, but they aren’t afraid to tell you how it is, even if it will hurt you. They are there for each other. They get together and share laughs. They are a great bunch of women. And when I found out this book, When Girlfriends Let Go, was about Jackie, I was extra excited. I wanted to know more about her.

Jackie’s story was a hard one for me to get behind. Granted, Jackie was my least favorite girlfriend from the beginning. For most of the book, I thought she was a spoiled brat that needed to get over herself and wake up. I had a really hard time rooting for her, caring about her, or even feeling sorry for her. I felt sorry for her past, but not her present situation. I thought she was immature and rather annoying.

So, why did I keep on reading? That’s a good question. There were a few times that I wanted to give up, call it a DNF, and move on. However, I kept on reading because I wanted to know what was going in the lives of the other girls. I wanted to see how they would help Jackie. I wanted to hear the advice they gave her and whether or not it would have been the advice I would have given her. It was because of them that I finished this book.

I’m glad I did finish this book. I liked the ending, a lot. It was a bit predictable for me, but I liked it nonetheless. I’m looking forward to the final story in the When Girlfriends series, When Girlfriends Find Love.

Would I recommend it: Yes, if you have read the first books in the series. If you have not read them, do not start with this book, read the first five books first.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

http://everyfreechance.com/2014/08/bl...

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted to Jen in Bookland

Oh, Jackie. You are a mess and the girlfriend I was most looking forward to reading. Jackie is married, she found the love of her life, only things aren't working out the way she had thought. She is still lonely and tired and doesn't know what to do to make things better.

I loved reading Jackie's story. I can totally see why you might not, she is a mess and even though she is going to therapy she still has a ton of issues. She is immature and acts like a kid and hasn't had to be a responsible adult in a long time so she never really learns. Her girlfriends love her, but some of them enable her and my heart did break for her at times. She wants that loving, fun, happy marriage that she thought she would get, only her husband works all the time. He travels a lot for work leaving her home alone with fancy new bobbles to try and keep her happy. Only that doesn't work after a while. And Jackie gets tired of the ups and downs. The highs and lows of her marriage. It seems like no matter what she does she is never a priority for her husband.

Now man, Andrew, her husband, must really love her. And her girlfriends. Because Jackie would have driven me crazy at times and I am honestly not sure if I would be friends with her. Because she can definitely be too much and too insecure and too demanding of your time. But I get it and I loved watching her grow and figure things out. I loved watching her put her life in order and become the person she wants to be. It is not an easy road, but when you put in the effort it can pay off in the end. Jackie was the mess of the group, the one who would get in one crazy predicament after another, but she is super lucky she has so many people who love her that are there for her to count on when she needs them. I have been waiting for Jackie's story, wanting to see what would happen with her, and I was not disappointed. Such a great read.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a good little series. Total chic book with good life lessons. Fast read

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In When Girlfriends Let Go, the sixth installment of the When Girlfriends ... collection, author Savannah Page transports the reader back to Seattle for another visit with the six best girlfriends that we've come to know and love: Claire, Sophie, Robin, Lara, Jackie and Emily. This time it's finally Jackie's turn to tell her story!

Jackie Kittredge lives a charmed life: a wealthy husband, a swanky Seattle townhouse, and awesome best friends ... she's got it all. But this consummate drama queen can't seem to appreciate what she has because she battles demons from her past, which now has her marriage on the rocks. For Jackie, it takes a journey of self-discovery and putting her life in perspective, a bit of tough love from her best girlfriends, letting go over her past fears, and having the courage to embrace self-growth to accept happiness in her life.

I really enjoyed catching up with all six girlfriends, the author does a great job of intertwining all of the latest news about each of the girls within the main storyline. She has a smooth style of integrating snippets from the previous books' storylines into the current book that makes it easy for the reader to feel like they haven't missed a thing while waiting to read the next installment in the collection.

I loved each of the books in the series, but I have to admit that I really enjoyed Jackie's story the best, because I love how her journey of self-discovery and self-growth changes her into a better person. I loved how her five best girlfriends weren't afraid to call Jackie out and kick her butt with some much needed tough love. I loved the mixture of humor and drama, these six girls are a hoot to follow and they sure do keep the reader thoroughly entertained!

This is such a fun collection to read, the six girlfriends continue to show what true friendship is all about: through good and bad times, thick and thin, ups and downs, and every trial and tribulation that befalls them, these six lovely ladies are supportive and always there for each other. I am looking forward to reading about Sophie's story (part two) in the seventh and final installment in the collection, When Girlfriends Find Love.

If you are looking for a fast-paced, thoroughly fun and entertaining collection of Chick Lit stories that celebrates womanhood and the strong bonds of friendship, then When Girlfriends collection ... is a must read, you won't be disappointed!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours.

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[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite one yet

I've been reading the whole serious and have to say the dynamics of this one made it my favorite. So many ways one could relate even when they have a totally different life.

[Obsidian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really excited to finally get to Jackie Kittredge's story in the "When Girlfriends" series. Based on tidbits told from Laura's and Emily's stories it seemed that Jackie grew up poor and abused by her family and managed to graduate college with all of the other girls. The queen of bad decisions with regards to her boyfriends or jobs she always needed her friends to step in and bail her out.

With this story now focused on Jackie we have her providing details on her life married to her husband Andrew. Andrew is a wealthy man in his 50s and Jackie is getting sick of how much time Andrew spends at work and starts thinking he is having an affair. Combine that with the upheaval in Laura and Claire's lives along with Sophie trying to make her business work and Emily planning her next adventure Jackie is starting to fill left out with regards to her friends lives.

I only gave this novel in the series 3 stars since I felt it lacked background on Jackie, there was very little growth on Jackie's side until the very end of the story, and I honestly did not buy that she and her husband had some great love story going on at all.

Regarding the backstory on Jackie. We do get some details here and there but its all pretty much glossed over about her family. We do get to hear some stories about her back in college but once again it was just told as an aside to something else. I never felt as if I truly got to know Jackie.

Jackie's lack of growth as a friend and wife was rampant throughout 90 percent of the novel. We do finally have her showing some growth towards the end but not in a way that I thought was healthy. I really wish that all of the friends had verbally smacked her around since she reminds me of way too many ex-friends of mine who were constant drama queens. Being around that kind of person all of the time is draining.

Finally, as I said Jackie's marriage to Andrew was just not written to show why in the world either one of them were with the other besides money for Jackie to spend and Andrew being married to a hot younger woman.

It seems as if there is going to be one more story in the "When Girlfriends" series and I hope that one ends on a good note. Also it would be really great if Savannah Page actually has some surprises up her sleeve instead of moving two characters I really don't think belong together towards each other.

I would recommend to fans of the series who want to catch up with all of the girls.

[Tricia Drammeh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jackie's life is a mess. From the outside looking in, she seems to have more than a girl could ever want--almost unlimited money, a wealthy husband, a group of amazing girlfriends, and a closet full of gorgeous clothing. Her life is a nonstop party/spa session. But Jackie isn't satisfied. What she really wants is attention from her husband. She wants a satisfying marriage. In an attempt to get her uncommunicative husband's attention, Jackie pushes him too far. Suddenly, she's faced with losing it all. Can her girlfriends help her get her life together, or will Jackie's mistakes be too much for them to handle?

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, and at the time I signed up to read it, I didn't realize it was part of a series. Though it's not the first book in the series, I had no problem jumping right into this book. It can easily be read as a standalone, but knowing there are more books before and after this one, is a huge bonus. I love this group of girlfriends the author has introduced us to. Though different in many ways, they are held together by an invisible bond that sees them through a multitude of problems.

In When Girlfriends Let Go, we meet Jackie who is not immediately a likeable or sympathetic character. She's fun, but so delusional and so selfish. Throughout much of the book, I cringed at the decisions she made. Though some of the things she did were well-intentioned, she acted rashly and put herself and her lifestyle at risk. But despite Jackie's many faults, I found myself rooting for her. I wanted to see her grow up, get her life together, and succeed.

I hate it when authors try to force character development. This book is a prime example of character-development-done-right. Jackie's self-improvement isn't a quick fix. It isn't overnight. Her growth is earned because she really has to fight for it. She stumbles and falls, she learns some hard lessons, and sometimes she's dragged kicking and screaming into reality, but that's how people grow in real life. And that's how it should happen in a novel. Life lessons are painful. Just ask Jackie.

I loved this book. It was a real page turner, one I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys a fun, entertaining, well-written, captivating read.

[Edythe · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The best thing for that girl is to just move on—
and know we’re here for her.” –Robin Sinclair
“I think we should go find the bitch and key her car.” –Jackie Kittridge

Jackie Kittridge and Robin Sinclair have different views on handling the recent situation of their friend Lara Kearns and the devastating breakup of Lara and her live-in boyfriend. Lara believes something is missing in the relationship deciding to call it quits but before she has the chance, her boyfriend leaves Lara a note explaining he is seeing someone else and will move out by the time Lara comes home from work.

Lara Kearns is not the only one in the group with problems that need handling or decisions that need to be made regarding the current situations in their lives. Robin Sinclair is currently a pregnant single mom who has a wedding to arrange and Jackie Kittridge is second-guessing her marriage and the relationship she has with her husband. Claire Linley is married and trying her best to become pregnant to no avail while Sophie Wharton has her own bakery shop and soon will need help to run the daily operations and Emily Saunders who is single currently works for Sophie but will soon leave on a backpacking expedition for a while. All these women come together in solidarity to encourage one another in the name of sisterhood.

When Girlfriends Let Go is an adventure of the camaraderie of a group of women who support each other during their time of difficulty. The characters and problems written about in this novel are believable and many will identify with the situations presented even the spoiled and drama queen Jackie. I recommend to all chick lit readers, as it is an easy and enjoyable read over a weekend or beach vacation.

I received this book free through CLP Blog Tours in exchange for an unbiased opinion in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission guidelines.

[Annabel Krantz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another instalment in the “When Girlfriends” series, When Girlfriends Let Go follows the first five books that chronicle the lives of six girlfriends in Seattle. All very different, each book focuses on one girl and the dramas she is facing at the time. This book centred around flighty, loyal, self-involved Jackie – and her fear that the only solution to her marriage trouble could be divorce.

Having read and reviewed the fourth book in the series earlier this year, I’m glad that I was already familiar with the characters. Otherwise, the many distinct characters would have been quite confusing. That said, I didn’t really connect with Jackie. Throughout the series, she is described as selfish and spoiled, in part due to her difficult childhood. While I can empathise with her past and how it may affect her personality, I struggled to come to grips with her lack of desire to do anything other than shop and socialise. That frustration overcame my understanding of her desire to fix her marriage. All too often it seemed like she was being childish and creating drama for dramas sake.

My other issue with the book was its length. Page took a long time getting to the crux of the story, and was at times overly descriptive, describing every outfit worn, etc. I think the book could have benefitted from being a little shorter.

On the whole, as a part of a series, this book is a good chick lit read. I’ll be picking up the seventh and final instalment, as I really like some of the other characters and want to find out how the girls are going. But, as a stand-alone novel, I wouldn’t recommend it.

More book reviews at annabelandalice.com

[Samantha March · Rating 4 out of 5]

Savannah Page is on tour now with CLP Blog Tours and When Girlfriends Let Go
I’ve been following eagerly along with the Girlfriends series, and I absolutely think these books are must-reads. I’ve also found that I get along splendidly with author Savannah Page, and always look forward to our emails, which is just an added bonus! I was so curious to see how this installment would come out, because Jackie isn’t exactly 100% likeable. She’s a bit bratty, more than spoiled now that she has a rich husband, and more times than not pretty selfish. It’s always hard to root for a character that isn’t particularly likeable, so again, I was curious to see how this book played out and what my reaction would be.
I’m happy to say that I still highly enjoyed this book, and we even got to see some growth out of Jackie! Yes, there were several times where I slapped my head, groaned, and wanted to scream at her. But that’s what I enjoyed so much about the book – it’s realistic. Perhaps if this book was a standalone versus part of a series I would have disliked it, because I wouldn’t understand Jackie’s character. But because I’ve been following along and already know Jackie, I was just that much more curious how her novel would play out. In your group of friends, do you have one that you don’t always understand their actions or enjoy their personality? Probably, so again, the realism of the entire series and not just the book alone is part of the reason I love the Girlfriends. I sincerely hope you can read these books!

[Kelly Mccurdy · Rating 3 out of 5]

~~I received this in exchange for an honest review~~


I am giving this book 3.5 stars. It is a well written book, but I couldn't get through it. I stopped on chapter 5. Honestly, I got tired of reading about how Jackie is bored, and she isn't sure what to do about her husband. She is unhappy, but doesn't want to do anything to make herself happy. She is a total drama queen, and her girlfriends see it also. Lara (one of the girlfriends) just found out that her boyfriend is cheating on her. Jackie wants to go an key the guys car, but Lara, just wants to let it go. The other girlfriends, Claire, Robin, and Sophia are just as stuck up as Jackie is.

I'm sure that I will finish the book later, but right now, I was really annoyed with it. I know it is a book, and it isn't supposed to be realistic, but this is unrealistic. Criticize all you want about my review, but if someone is unhappy with their situations, they usually change is for the better. Not stick it out. This is the first book I have read by Savannah, I don't know if it will be the last. We will just have to see.

[Claire Brock · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK....Not great

The problem I had with this book was the pace and predictability. The whole story could have been cut in half and made a decent short story. The Jackie character was too ridiculous to see as a real woman. Admittedly this is the first if these books I have read, it is also the last.