Just Let Go by Courtney Walsh (Review)

Just Let Go

(Harbor Pointe #2)
By Courtney Walsh
Christian Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 416 Pages
June 5th 2018 by Tyndale House Publishers

Summary

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.

Includes discussion questions.

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My Review

JUST LET GO takes readers back to small-town Harbor Poine and to a cast of characters easy to fall in love with. Two main characters who are deeply flawed, but who find friendship and the possibility of more with each other, are the focus of the story, as is the principle of letting go and turning control over to God. A beautiful story that will tug on readers' hearts and make them fall in love with this small town and its community all over again. Highly recommended to inspirational romance readers!

I have to be honest... it took me a little bit to fall in love with Grady. He is very rough around the edges and has a huge ego. His life is out of control when he shows up in Harbor Pointe, so initially, I wasn't impressed with him, even though I knew he had to have a heart in there somewhere. Then there's Quinn... she's rough around the edges, but in a completely different way than Grady is. She's reserved. A rule follower. She's hidden from the world and doesn't trust easily, if at all. She feels abandoned and like she has to prove herself to an estranged mother. I loved, loved Grady's and Quinn's interactions! The chemistry between those two was fabulous! And Grady and those kisses... swoon-worthy for sure! Grady is such a tease, but a very charming one. They both realize that for them to find happiness and their own worth, they'll need to open their hearts, make some changes, and trust in God. I loved seeing them both come to realize this and to see how they change, and how their happily-ever-after comes about.

There's also a whole group of side characters that prod these two along. I loved Grady's dad and his group of friends. I loved Quinn's friends. Quinn's sister and nephew were also favorites. Some of the dialogue and scenes between Grady and Quinn's nephew were some of my favorites. I appreciated how well done all the characters were. They didn't feel one-dimensional or cookie-cutter in any way. This story really came alive because of them.

Besides my initial struggle with liking Grady, which didn't take long for me to overcome, my only other struggle with this story was that the ending felt slightly stretched out. I also was worried that the author would tie up everything too perfectly. I really appreciated that it didn't go that way though. At the end of this story, there are still a few relationships unresolved, and I think that made it a better ending. At least for me.

In the end, was it what I wished for? I really enjoyed this one from beginning to end. I love this small town and the characters in it, and this second story set here just made me love it even more. I loved Grady's and Quinn's relationship and those who surround them. Definitely give this one a try!

Content: Some innuendo, some drinking, and references to past behavior, but clean.
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, which did not require a positive review nor affect it in any way.

Check out a guest post from the author here, as well as my review of the first book, Just Look Up, here.