Hello my friends! I am excited to share the latest from the lovely Courtney Walsh with you today. I’ve always known she was a talented writer, but this novel kind of blew my socks off!
He broke her heart. Now, he’s back, and he’s determined to show her what they had isn’t over. . . and he can prove it with just one kiss.
Single mother Carly Collins likes predictability. However, when her son Jaden’s health is threatened, her neatly controlled world is tossed into a tailspin. Nothing is certain anymore, especially her feelings for Josh Dixon, Jaden’s father, her first love and the man responsible for shattering her heart sixteen years ago.
When Josh Dixon walked out of Harbor Pointe, he left behind his only shot at a real family. Now a successful tech mogul, the town rebel has found a cause—ensure his son’s recovery and prove to Carly and Jaden that he’s not the same guy he was back then.
Carly and Josh are forced to wade through messy emotions and questions that have gone unanswered for years, which would be easier if not for the pesky feelings, every bit as strong and impossible to ignore as they ever were.
Will forgiveness win, giving Carly and Josh a second chance at love . . . or will the past prove too much to overcome?
A small town romance about first love second chances and how our most beautiful life might look nothing like we planned.
Amazon / Goodreads / Bookbub / B&N
Real. Wholesome. Relatable characters. Swoony kisses. Pull at my mama heart-strings. Second chances. These phrases and so many more are the first things I think of when trying to describe this book. Oh my word this was a good book. First of all, I know Courtney Walsh is an amazing writer. She has a talent in grabbing your attention, making you fall in love with her characters, and putting some amazing stories together. But this? This surprised me in so many ways.
Let’s start with Josh. I tried to dislike him so much. And I think to start with, maybe Walsh wrote him in a way that she expects readers to do that. Then gradually you learn little bits of his past. You see a human side to him. You see him actually keep promises. Then all of a sudden, BAM. Yeah, he’s a dreamy character. You’re cheering for him, waiting for him to mess up and make up for it, and anticipating that moment when he finally gets the girl. You almost forget why you didn’t like him to begin with. Almost.
Then there’s Carly. She reminds me so much of myself at times. The worrier – wanting to keep her child in a bubble, scared of what the world will do to him. When there is a tragic accident (sorry no spoilers), I literally cried. I could feel Carly’s emotions, all of them. I could easily imagine my family in a similar situation and it was absolutely heartbreaking. But then Walsh does her magic writing again, and you see the hope. You see the power of prayer, the importance of second opinions and research, and ultimately the need to let go. This one is going to get to you folks, I can promise you that.
Amidst this tragedy is the emotional roller coaster of two people who should obviously be together, but have such a giant hurdle to overcome. Walsh revealed at just the right moment why they had split in the past to begin with. It was something that was bothering me for a long time – wanting to know what had happened. But timing is everything. If she had revealed it too soon, you couldn’t have formed all these opinions about this couple like you did while you were waiting. It certainly wouldn’t have had the same impact to the story either. Have I mentioned Walsh is a champ?
At the end of the day, all you need to know is that this is a book you need to read. So many couples out there could benefit from it as well. We all have our problems, and we all have a past. The important thing is to concentrate on today, and let the Creator help you along the way. Yes, this is a book that I’ll be keeping close by. I have a feeling Josh and Carly will be seeing a lot of me in the future.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
” – that woman could hold a grudge like a toddler held a kitten, tightly and around the neck – “
“And whether he wanted to admit it or not, she’d stolen his heart the day they first met on the playground in third grade.”
“And more than anything, Josh wanted to be a better man. Because of Jaden. And because of her.“
“God, if this is a mistake, please stop me,” she said aloud. “Let a comet fall out of the sky or put a giant sinkhole right here in front of me before I make an even bigger fool of myself.”
Courtney Walsh is an author, artist, theatre director, and playwright. Just Let Go will be her eighth inspirational romance novel. Her debut, A Sweethaven Summer, hit the New York Times and USA Today e-book bestseller lists and was a Carol Award finalist in the debut author category. A creative at heart, Courtney has also written two craft books and several full-length musicals. She lives in Illinois where she and her husband own a performing arts studio and youth theatre. They have three children.
Connect with Courtney online at her website (courtneywalshwrites.com) or on any of these social media platforms:
Facebook.com/courtneywalshwrites
Instagram.com/courtneywalsh
Twitter.com/courtney_walsh