Let It Go on Amazon
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 breath 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.
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