Review: The Secret to Letting Go by Katherine Fleet


Note: This ARC was provided by Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

It's been a few hours since I finished reading The Secret to Letting Go and I'm still feeling unsure about what rating I'm going to give it. Katherine Fleet's writing deserves to be commended because she's given readers a really good young adult (YA) romance about two eighteen-year-olds who meet over the summer and end up lightening the load bearing down on their young shoulders. Daniel Hudson and Clover Scott are as different as they are similar, both having experienced the kind of loss that has saddled them with guilt and they're both in transition, hoping for something better while their lives at home are nearly polar opposites. Clover has been sheltered, giving her an innocence that comes really close to naivete, and it's what initially makes her a source of curiosity that becomes a refreshing change from the norm for Daniel. 

There are quite a few twists in the story, with as far as Clover's past is concerned. She keeps her secrets from everyone in Florida, even Daniel, the boy she's falling in love with. She's such an interesting main character, experiencing so many things that people her age take for granted and showing an appreciation for it all. But as much as Clover was interesting, I found myself feeling really frustrated with Daniel. I get that he was eighteen and that the lose of his girlfriend two years ago was still weighing on him, but the guy seriously needed to do a better job of making a decision when it came to Clover and sticking to it. Instead, he came off as stringing her along, pushing her away with one arm while pulling her back in with the other. For all his heroic acts, his treatment of Clover later on had me shaking my head at him in disappointment.

Clover and Daniel may have been the lead characters in this story, but my favorite couple was Amelia Hudson, Daniel's twin sister, and Sam Garrett, one of Daniel's best friends. These two didn't just possess better sense but also made more sense than Clover and Daniel. They were also accepting of Clover and embraced her, perceived eccentricities and all. The adults here also more readily owned up to their mistakes, which was refreshing, leading to me feeling that the supporting cast of characters was more endearing than the two who headlined the book. And this is why I'm torn. I liked the story and most of the characters, but the lead male character was someone who came off as wishy-washy and played with Clover's feelings. All things considered, I've decided to give The Secret of Letting Go 3.5 stars out of five. ♥

Date Read: 02 February 2016

Learn more about Katherine Fleet.

Purchase The Secret of Letting Go on Amazon | B&N | Kobo.

Comments

  1. Unknown3/17/2016 06:19:00 AM

    Hi Jen, This is late, but I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to read and review my book. As a debut author, it really means a lot. Thanks again, Katherine

    ReplyDelete

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