Letting Go (The Defiant Sisters Duet-Book 1)

Renee and Izzy are sisters who lose both their parents. Renee has returned home in the wake of her mom’s passing to help, but it seems the only one who wants her there is her little brother, Benjamin. Izzy is still hurt from the first time Renee left, and Simon, her one true love, has found love with someone else and is engaged. Renee is determined to stick it out and be there for her family – even though all she wants to do is run. But running is what she did in the past, and she knows it isn’t going to work this time. No one can heal unless they all start being honest and trusting one another.

**Trigger warning: this story deals with suicide and mental health.** The night Renee’s father committed suicide, she also lost trust in her true love, Simon, and ran away. When Renee returns upon her mother’s death, she is faced with so many feelings and the heartaches revolving around the people she loved and left. Renee, through therapy, has gained coping skills, but finds her sister, Izzy, has grown and found her own strengths while working to keep the family together in Renee’s absence. Simon and Renee’s instant chemistry when they reunite leaps off the page and straight to the heart. The story moves quickly, with the viewpoint switching between the different characters, making it harder to connect to the characters and invest in the story. A gripping plot with complex characters, the only thing missing is more—more of the story, more time with each character, and more of the chemistry when Renee and Simon collide.

Cara Cieslak