To Have and Let Go

The Woman of Boone County #2

by Julieann Dove

Chelsea Hayes is no stranger to running away from her problems. That could explain why she moved six states away from Boone County. And the reason she works a second job to go talk in circles to a therapist bi-weekly, to avoid hitting the dead end and facing her demons.

Unfortunately for Chelsea, a call from back home forces her to hang up her running shoes and return to face some ghosts that never left, even if she did.

Patrick Jergan is new in town. Someone to take away some of the tension from all the things spinning out of control in Chelsea’s life. But like Chelsea, he’s fighting his own set of problems. The two might make a good match, except for one thing…or one person. He’s the topic her therapist knows nothing about. In fact, no one in town knows of their past. If they did, there would be no end to the tongues wagging.

312 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 9, 2024

About the author

Julieann lives in Virginia, yet longs to live everywhere else. It doesn’t come as a surprise that along with her gypsy soul, comes an active imagination. That’s why she loves to write and invent worlds and people, so that she can formulate their happily ever after. Hobbies include cooking new recipes, sewing, and spending time with her cute boyfriend/husband and eight fabulous children. Vacations happen in Nantucket or the Carolina beaches—anywhere there is inspiration for her next book. One day she hopes to travel to Italy, drive one of those little cars around the countryside, and speak the language fluently!

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

While reading TO HAVE AND LET GO I became emotionally invested in all of the characters. They are all flawed, real and lovable! Chelsea is going back to Boone County to bury her mom. She is struggling with the somewhat distant relationship they had. She also finds a stranger living in her mother’s home, Patrick. While cleaning out her mother’s home, secrets are uncovered. Holy cow people, you are not going to believe where Chelsea’s story goes! Once I started reading, I was instantly hooked. I devoured every page and could not wait to see what was going to happen next.

Do yourself a favor, grab this wonderful book, your favorite drink, and get on your couch and read it. It’s the perfect way to spend the day!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Fresh Fiction. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

You can read my full review at:

https://freshfiction.com/review.php?i...

[KS · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's starting to come together...

So I definitely think this series is best read from the beginning. There was something lacking in the ending of Book 1 and it becomes more clear in Book 2.

Chelsea has returned home - a place she escaped from - due to the loss of her mother. She walks into a bit of a mess, but seeing as she is a mess herself - it all fits. Patrick is a relative newcomer, but someone who had been helping out Chelsea's mom and is now there to help her out - at least for a bit. He has his own past he is dealing with.

Let me tell you that once I made the connection of some side characters - my jaw dropped. Then, of course, my jaw dropped again towards the end which I am learning is a favorite technique of Ms. Dove's.

This one ends in a satisfying way and I am looking forward to Book 3 and what else Juliann Dove has in store for us. Therapy again has a prominent role as well as learning to lean on others too.

Although this one did take me a bit to get into, overall a satisfying read and looking forward to more.

I voluntarily requested and read an advance reader copy.

[Patty Duplechin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chelsea Hayes has returned to Boone County because of the death of her mother. It was a love/relationship. She just didn’t feel loved and supported by her mother. As she clear out her mother’s things she discovers secrets that was kept from her. Patrick Jergan is a recent newcomer to the town of Boone County and has been helping her mother, and Chelsea knew nothing about him. He does try to help Chelsea a little but he also has to deal with his problems. What are the secrets? Will Chelsea find them out? What will she think about everything? What will she think of her mother? Will Patrick settle his own past? Patrick and Chelsea seems to make a good couple but something or someone could get in their way. Who or what could it be? If you love a mystery and romance, this one’s for you. The characters are wonderful but both struggle. Can they finally get their lives in order or will they continue with struggles. Worth the read. My first read by Julieann Dove and it won’t be the last. I received this book for my honest review. I give it voluntarily.

[Vickie Chaisson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a jumble of secrets, falsehoods, angst, growing up, dna family and found family and all the feels that go along with that. This is the second book in the series and I do think reading book one would have made a difference as they are interconnected. The story seemed slow to start but thst being said once the characters all made their appearance it made sense. The storyline is a convoluted mismatch of past and present. Character development is well done and the emotions felt are succinct. Be prepared for secrets to come to the surface and how they are handled makes a beautiful story. This is the first book I have read by this author but won't be the last. I will be downloading and reading book one and the rest of this series. This author holds her own.

[C.Y. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Astounding! The ending of this tale caught me off guard, and I failed to anticipate it. While it can be read as a standalone, I firmly believe that reading the initial book in the series is crucial to appreciate the full extent of the narrative and its characters. The story evoked a many emotions within me, and I found myself empathizing with Chelcie, as our experiences as mixed-race individuals with Asian mothers and white fathers resonated with me.

After reading this book, I appreciate what my mom does for me, but unlike Chelcie, I am grateful to have the opportunity to do something about it. I’m still trying to process everything.

I was given an advance copy of this book for free, and I’m leaving my review voluntarily.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a slow burn. It took a bit for me to get into the story but then I was sucked in and couldn't read fast enough to find out what happened next.

Even though we are left with a bit of a cliff hanger AGAIN (Clearly the author likes to torture us) all I can say without giving spoilers is Thank goodness for that ending. I was supremely concerned and really thought I was missing something there for a while.

Bring on the next Boone County tale!

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This being the second book in this series we find ourselves back in Boone County a place Chelsea really doesn't or didn't want to go back too. This is a slow burn story with secrets and small town gossips with whispers true and false. But the story grips you and again with each chapter your compelled to keep reading. This book however leaves you wanting more and the ending well cliffhanger makes you look forward to the next book in this series. Which I will look forward to reading

[LINDA MCCAULEY · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book!!!

I don’t think I can do Justice to a review of this book! I truly enjoyed it! It made me feel! When you go through ‘things’ in your own life, reading about others who also struggle helps deal with your own! I would recommend this book to everyone who reads ‘female genre’. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series. I kind of feel like I know some of the characters, but just like in real life, you only ‘know’ what people let you know.

[Roberta aka Bobbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chelsea's mom passed away from a heart attack, so Chelsea goes home to Texas. She hopes to sell the diner and her mom's house then return to New York. When she arrives in Texas she meets Patrick, the chef that was helping Chelsea's mom in the diner. She also learns her much younger brother was in rehab for a drinking problem.

That's basically the beginning of To Have and Let Go. From there the story gets complex with different characters and relationships. I almost quit reading but I'm very glad I pushed through. The ending was a total surprise!

To Have and Let Go is a clean - kisses only - story. There is a couple instances of heavy drinking but no swearing or nudity.

There's much more to this story. The author, Julieann Dove, has created strong characters and an interesting storyline with an unexpected ending. I definitely recommend it.

I was given an ARC of this story from BookSirens at the request of the author, Julieann Dove. All thoughts and comments are mine, given voluntarily.

[Elizabeth Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to BookSirens for an ARC of this book. I was sure I was going to give it five stars, until I got to the end. Based on that alone, I’d give it two. However, since I enjoyed the writing so much, I’m going with three and a half, which I’m rounding to four.

The story is told entirely from the POV of Chelsea Hayes, someone with a wry, self-deprecating humor who is told by her therapist in the first chapter that she needs to learn to love herself. She tells Chelsea that she has a tendency to find men who need fixing and begs her to look inward first. Chelsea thinks, “In my defense, I didn’t try to fix them; I just ended up with broken ones and decided to take the ride anyway. Sort of like knowing the car is a lemon after the test drive, but still going forth with the sale. You weren’t sure what all the rattles, knocking, and black smoke meant, but you’re willing to take it for a spin and see how far it takes you.” You may notice there’s a verb tense disagreement in the last sentence. I thought it was funny anyway and was willing to overlook it. There were some other errors, but since this is an ARC, I’m assuming they’ll be fixed.

Continuing the imagery of the lemon car, Chelsea observes that, “I enjoyed driving her (her therapist) around my warped mind, sending her on wild-goose chases for the reason I was so messed up.” Driving seems to be a theme with our Chelsea. Returning to her hometown, her car ends up in a ditch, not metaphorically. When she gets out of her car, she sees the right fender resting against a grassy barrier. “The shiny metal pushed into it, as if taking a break and leaning on it for support.” And it’s not the last time she mentions lemons either. Lamenting her hardships and decisions she might have made differently, she refers to, “...my life-sized slice of lemon that just keeps getting squeezed into the open lacerations of regret that cover my body.”

In a nutshell, Chelsea returns home to Boone County when her mother dies unexpectedly. There, she finds herself needing to take responsibility for the diner her mother dedicated her life to, as well as rebuild her relationship to her much younger brother. On top of that Ryan, the man she loved who disappeared from her life almost 20 years ago for reasons she still doesn’t understand (and who was also one of her best friends) has also returned and is set to marry someone else (his first girlfriend from high school).

Chelsea doesn’t know if she can handle being around them, seeing the man she still loves marry someone else, but she incrementally comes to terms with it. She thinks, “I wasn’t fully in the boat to send them off with rose petals floating around them, but I wasn’t busy drilling holes in the bottom and waiting for it to sink, either.” Compelled to attend the rehearsal dinner, Chelsea “...paid no attention to what was going on. Noises sounded like the mom from Charlie Brown.”

It doesn’t hurt that a man who arrived while she was gone and had been helping her mom with the restaurant for months has expressed an interest in her. He knows about her past and promises he won’t leave her, but it’s clear he still feels jealous of her feelings for Ryan.

At a certain point, I started to see where the story was going, but I couldn’t believe I might be right. To say Chelsea’s life is a mess is putting things mildly. But the people around her are the real problem. Dysfunctional relationships seem to define her life. The things she goes through would be enough to destroy a weaker woman.

Still, when the climax of the story occurs, moments before the ending, it’s clear the author didn’t allow enough time to resolve everything. The story ends so suddenly and so unexpectedly, I got whiplash. And I was left with so many questions. So many. Only one small part of her life seems to be resolved, with so many more things to address, but it just ended. I feel cheated. I’m really annoyed. I can’t even say if I’d recommend this book because I’m so disappointed.

[Shilo Goodson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is the second in the series. I read the first one about a year and a half ago, and I would definitely suggest that you read the first book first. I was confused in parts because I didn't remember things about the first story, but I would have been even more confused if I hadn't read the first book.

Honestly, I don't like pretty much any of the characters. I remember liking both Abigail and Ryan in the first book. If I had to pick a character to like, it would be Abigail, although she comes off as really naive. Ryan is a complete jerk from the first time he's introduced in this book. He feels like a different character than he was in the first book, and I can't help thinking that Abigail really deserves someone better than him. This might be a little bit of a spoiler, but both Chelsea and Patrick became less and less likable as the story progressed.

This is a hard book to fully review without giving away some parts of the plot. If you wonder why the first book ended the way that it did, reading this will make things clearer. If you liked the ending and the characters from the first book, I would definitely recommend not reading this book. It will ruin things for you.

This book has some swearing. When it comes to sexual content and violence, this book was clean.

There were quite a few plot twists. For me, it felt like too many plot twists for a book that's not a murder mystery or otherwise something where I feel like lots of plot twists are appropriate.

I received a free ARC from BookSirens, and I left a voluntary review.

[Rose Grabowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chelsea returns to Texas after getting word that her mother has died. She plans to sell her diner and her mom's house then return to New York. When she arrives in Texas she meets Patrick, the chef that was helping Chelsea's mom in the diner. She also learns that her much younger brother is in rehab for a drinking problem. So begins an intriguing family drama. It tied up some loose ends from the prior book.

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book two in the Women of Boone County was a little bit of a letdown for me. Throughout the book, you see a relationship growing only to have it destroyed in the last few pages. The ending felt forced and unnecessary.

I’m hoping the next book redeems the series.

I received an early read from Caffeinated PR in exchange for an honest review.

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chelsea never really recovered from losing her first love, after him she always seemed to pick guys that couldn't be in a normal relationship. When she returns to her home town for her mother's funeral she makes so many discoveries about her past, she realizes its time to make some changes for her future.