Official Review: The Art of Letting Go by Anna Bloom

S dot Lennon · Post by **S dot Lennon** » 13 Apr 2014, 13:52

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Art of Letting Go" by Anna Bloom.]

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Delilah McCannon has quit her job. After working at the bank with her father for years and being extremely unhappy, Lilah walked outside for a cigarette break and never went back. Instead she signed up for the Autumn term at Roehampton University. At the age of 25 this is Lilah’s attempt at growing up. She moves into the University housing even though the flat she shares with her twin brother, Tristan, is only a few miles away. She gives herself a set of rules that includes no drinking or smoking, befriends one of her roommates, Meredith, and then makes out with the lead singer of a band, Benjamin, even though she is engaged. Well, it’s complicated. The man she is engaged to, John, is one of the circumstances she is trying to escape from. She isn’t in love with him and was only with him to please her parents. Now that she is living for herself and not for her family he is another issue to deal with. The fact that she is extremely attracted to Benjamin only complicates matters more. Is this what life is about? A complicated mass of decision making? Lilah is confronted with more questions than she can imagine in her quest for independence. The most important concerning what she will do with the rest of her life.

The Art of Letting Go is a romance fiction novel about a young woman searching for her independence who stumbles upon love. The journey begins when Lilah realizes she is unhappy and spontaneously quits her job. Through a number of journal entries we learn of her life, the expectations that were put on her, the engagement that she wants to end and the life lessons she is learning as a student at the university. Benjamin and the relationship that grows between the two is the unexpected wildcard that effectively changes everything. Lilah struggles with self-confidence, something she tries to hide with alcohol consumption, and doubts her decision making process by lacking conviction. There are many things that she needs to overcome but her insecurity is by far the most pressing problem. As her relationship changes with Benjamin, Meredith, Tristan and her parents she begins to grow. The independence she has been yearning for is hers to own and attain.

Bloom was able to create a witty, funny, romance novel full of some of the teenage angst adult’s fear experiencing in their older age. With some humorous references to Taylor Swift songs, a cute guy with a guitar and lots of alcohol she produced a novel with relatable characters that moved well. I am usually not a fan of novels written in first person in the form of journal entries but it worked in this novel because Lilah would actually go through the entries and reflect on the decisions she made. This method added a layer of consciousness and responsibility to the character especially when it came to her love life with Ben. The characters were well thought out and developed. There were some heartbreaking moments that forced the characters to be strong for each other. While other moments were simply full of laughter and sarcasm. The combination made for an easy, relatable read.

There were a few areas where The Art of Letting Go could have been improved. It needed to be edited again just remove some of the minor issues within the story. More importantly there were a few relationships that I felt should have been explained and expanded on. Lilah’s relationship with her fiancé seemed to be referenced only in passing. That relationship was essential to Lilah, especially in the beginning of the novel, and would have helped with understanding the person that Lilah was in order to understand how much she has grown.

The Art of Letting Go was an enjoyable novel. I give it 3 out of 4 stars. If you enjoy a romance fiction with a touch of comedy then this is a novel you should give a try. Full of irresponsible moments, memorable breakthroughs, and laughs this is a good first novel in what will be a series.

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TrishaAnn92 · Post by **TrishaAnn92** » 24 Apr 2014, 07:18

Great review Stacy _c! It sounds like a good book!

gali · Post by **gali** » 24 Apr 2014, 07:24

A great review indeed. Thank you!

S dot Lennon · Post by **S dot Lennon** » 24 Apr 2014, 09:56

Thanks ladies!

theluxurious · Post by **theluxurious** » 26 Apr 2014, 10:05

Great review! I want to check this out.

Bookworm0266 · Post by **Bookworm0266** » 03 May 2014, 15:59

Sounds like a good read!

casper · Post by **casper** » 11 May 2014, 05:17

Thank you for your review. It sounds like a good first novel. Perhaps some of the relationships and characters will be expanded and developed in future books in the series.