For Quinn Collins, buying the flower shop in downtown Harbor Pointe fulfills a childhood dream, but also gives her the chance to stick it to her mom, who owned the store before skipping town twenty years ago and never looking back. Completing much-needed renovations, however, while also competing for a prestigious flower competition with her mother as the head judge, soon has Quinn in over her head. Not that she’d ever ask for help.

Luckily, she may not need to. Quinn’s father and his meddling friends find the perfect solution in notorious Olympic skier Grady Benson, who had only planned on passing through the old-fashioned lakeside town. But when a heated confrontation leads to property damage, helping Quinn as a community-service sentence seems like the quickest way out—and the best way to avoid more negative press.

Quinn finds Grady reckless and entitled; he thinks she’s uptight and too regimented. Yet as the two begin to hammer and saw, Quinn sees glimpses of the vulnerability behind the bravado, and Grady learns from her passion and determination, qualities he seems to have lost along the way. But when a well-intentioned omission has devastating consequences, Grady finds himself cast out of town—and Quinn’s life—possibly forever. Forced to face the hurt holding her back, Quinn must finally let go or risk missing out on the adventure of a lifetime.



My Thoughts: What do an Olympian skier, a flower shop and a small town have in common? a storyline for a wonderful novel "Just Let Go". When Olympian skier Grady Benson comes to town no one knows the trials he has been going through, but like most people, they assume he lives and acts a certain way. With the help of a judge, a teenage boy and Quin, all help him realze what he's been missing in life. Sometimes God does put people in our lives to either help us or four us to help them. This s a story about not judging a book by its cover. Learning to take time to get to know someone. We all have a life, a past; burdens we carry with us and sometimes we have to learn to let it all go and move on with the future. That is the theme of this novel. Well written, and hard to put down. The reader can easily identify with the characters. The characters in the novel all work well and interweave in the storyline that compliments the narrative.


I truly enjoyed this story and Courtney Walsh's writing.

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I really enjoyed this romantic story. I look forward to more stories set in Harbor Pointe. I liked Grady from the beginning but am so glad that he learns to grow up. I love the name of the book because we do all need to learn to just let go in life. I had a hard time putting this book down. Everyone needs to learn to do what they enjoy not what you think someone else wants you to like. I received a copy of this book from Celebratelit for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will. ( )

I love reading books from this author because she takes everyday struggles and shows us how to grow from them. It was not easy for Quinn growing up without a mother. She longs to be wanted but sometimes puts a wall up for protection. The little girl in her yearns for her mother's approval and I think she wanted to hear her mother say how sorry she was for abandoning her. Quinn is very easy to relate to. I always wanted to be wanted by my parents as well. That dream of hearing them say they loved me never happened. The rejection caused me not to trust and relationships were non existent. Quinn shuts herself away from everyone and hasn't learned how to enjoy life. Will she ever learn how to have fun?

Grady is bigger than life as a very skilled and famous skier. He is well known but finds himself in the small town where Quinn lives. His fall from grace in the skiing world is hard on him. I loved how the judge made Grady stay in town and not be lenient on him as he breaks the law. I found it very intriguing when Grady and Quinn met each other. It is very obvious that Quinn doesn't like Grady and is not impressed with his star status. There are times when Quinn is pretty unfriendly towards Grady. They both have chips on their shoulders and it was fun to read how they each dealt with it. How many times have we judged someone and wouldn't let them have a second chance? Have you ever been judged before?

Quinn is really hard on Grady at times and I was a bit angry at her. The funny thing is , I am a lot like her. I have pushed people away, built a wall around my heart and felt unloved. Grady seems to deal with rejection as well. Will his father ever forgive him? Can Grady forgive himself for something he feels responsible for? The story is a wonderful look at forgiveness, letting go, swallowing our pride and allowing God to heal our wounds.

"Sometimes we have to get out of our comfort zone in order to see what else God has for us."

"Sometimes our biggest setbacks turn out to be our greatest blessings."

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion. ( )

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK

I loved this book. So much so that I hated having to put it down for the non important things such as cleaning house or cooking dinner! Just Let Go was so realistic, so much like people everywhere today. And I love the Title because letting go and Letting God in on our problems would be so much easier than trying to fix them ourselves.

Quinn and Brady both had so many issues to fight through. But first they have to like each other because they didn’t get off to a very good start. Both had anger issues caused by heir past and they just didn’t want to let the past go. Would a real relationship work for the two?

Along with my love of story, the characters are fantastic and they make the story so much more interesting. Ms. Walsh deals with a lot issuess that so many people face today, it’s hard to pinpoint just one. And the plot flows so smoothly. I appreciate that this book is full of love and redemption, caring and loving people. This is an amazing Contemporary Fiction for anyone looking for a good clean fun read.

A copy of this book was provided by Celebration Lit Tours and the author for me to read and review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions in this review are mine only. ( )

Courtney Walsh is a new-to-me author that I can’t believe I waited so long to discover! Her writing is smart with well-developed characters to fall in love with, perfectly crafted prose with just enough humor to bring some fun to the novel, and an underlying message that brings romance to a new level. I loved Just Let Go — highly recommended!

I’m not sure you could find two characters more opposite than Quinn Collins and Grady Benson. But they do have one thing in common — they are stuck in the past. Oh, they function in the present, but caution on Quinn’s part and recklessness on Grady’s keep them from really living the lives they could have if they just let go. Another altercation lands Olympic skier Grady in Harbor Pointe, Michigan, a quaint tourist town not known for skiing. Five weeks of community service gives him plenty of time to re-think his choices. And although Quinn can’t stand him, his constant presence begins to grow on her. But as in most romances, this couple’s course is not smooth. Grady wrestles with guilt, and Quinn craves validation, yet they cling to their pasts. The two are so real! Walsh gives the two characters great support in the friends and family this story is filled with. One character, 15-year old Jaden, is especially insightful — a fun surprise! I loved how Grady and Quinn’s story unfolded, but Walsh leaves a bit of their lives unfinished. But messy is certainly how real life looks, and Just Let Go is a love story set in the real world. As for the faith message, but characters finally get it. The finally surrender and just let God!

Just Let Go is book 2 in a series. I missed the first one, and while this book is easily read as a standalone, I am eager to make Harbor Pointe’s acquaintance again, the town and the people, through Just Look Up. I’m betting you will too. Don’t say I didn’t warn you! 😉

Highly Recommended.

Audience: adults.

(Thanks to Celebrate Lit and Tyndale House Publishing for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) ( )