This was a beautiful, and heartbreaking story that also has a wonderful, well deserved HEA. Anna has been through so much, as well as Mason and the rest of the family, but it is so difficult to navigate grief and guilt and new feelings! However, the author wrote this story with all her heart and was able to convey the feelings of each character accurately so the reader could feel everything. Wow! LB definitely only gets better as a writer with each wonderful new book. I loved the fact that we knew about Mason from other books and his story here was consistent with that. Also, liked to see other characters again and know what’s new in their lives.

This is a story about love and loss, and finding love again. The beginning had me sobbing for the loss of Ben, and how that hurt everyone that loved him. It’s already unimaginable with a wife, but there’s also his 3 kids and his close friends. I question my sanity reading a book like this, making me bawl my eyes out. But after the first few chapters, things get better and the words were easier to read.

Anna’s husband, Ben is diagnosed with prostate cancer and given a year to live. He calls his 3 closest friends together at his wife’s lake house to break the news and make his final requests.

Mason, the first of Ben’s best friends, has been in love with Ben’s wife, Anna, since their childhood. Never thinking he’s good enough, being the man whore that he is, Mason thinks that Anna would never love him. Ben sees the beautiful heart that Mason has, though, and he knows his wife has enough love to give.

This was different from what I’m used to reading. My main genre is dark romance, so whenever there’s an issue, I’m used to the hero throwing the heroine over his shoulder and making things right. This was not that. Anna has grieving to do and she has to come to terms with being attracted to, and starting a relationship with, her deceased husband’s best friend. Mason has to “let go” and realize that he is good enough for Anna, his young daughter Lynlee, and his group of friends. These problems are not solved overnight. There’s communication that needs to be had, hearts that get broken, and pieces that need to be put back together.

This was a beautiful story of second chances and grieving. What comes after you think it all is over. I enjoyed it and I’m looking forward to reading more in this series.
4 Stars

I cried the first 80 pages, bc I was just so sad reliving Ben’s death. I love that the book spanned over 2 years and saw all the couple stories in there.

I just love this group of people.

I def would love more or a new series. I love this author!! Thx for giving us ppl in their 40s+

Thank you to @greyspromo for the advanced reading copy, receipt of which did not impact my review.

Letting Go at 40 is book four in the Lakeside Cottage series, which follows a group of friends that vacation together each year in honor of one of them, Ben, that passed. This book follows Ben’s widow, Anna, and his best friend, Mason.

This book was hard to read at times, all! The first ~40% covers the time leading up to and including Ben’s death and was so well written. I ached for Anna and Mason both as they lost the most important person in their lives. After time passes and they become closer, can they let go and be what the other needs?

Like many good characters, I didn’t agree with multiple things that both Anna and Mason did - they were definitely flawed and grieving. But their growth and fight for their own lives and each other was lovely to read. A great ending to the series!

However, I do not think the cover models look anywhere near 40. They are both gorgeous though!

The final book in the Lakeside Cottage series features reformed bad-boy Mason, who has always loved Anna from afar. Watching his friend to marry her, he watched their relationship and was there when Ben died. He cared for Ben and never left, spending his time supporting the family, and a hoping for a chance with Anna.

Anna isn't ready, and despite her attraction to Mason, feels the guilt of moving on. The discovery of the "rocks" makes her realize that she's been cared for and ready for a different kind of love than she had with Ben.

I wouldn't call this a "second chance" romance, but rather a complex portrait of love, loss, and finding a second relationships. This was the best in the series!

Emotional read at its finest! I knew this was going to have me in all my feels. LB Dunbar really perfected this story and tore me up and pieced me back together! Anna lost her first love and you experience her journey of life now. Mason has always loved Anna and now he has to live with the loss of his best friend and taking care of his best friends wife. They both have experienced loss and now dealing with the feelings for each other. It made me nervous to see how it would flow for these two to find their HEA but this story was beautiful. I was sad for both Anna and Mason and their loss but happy to see how they healed together. Really loved this story but have the tissues nearby!

More reviews posted at Tales of Love, Life, and Murder

Anna and Ben have a wonderful life together with their three children. At forty, they should be planning the rest of their happily-ever-after, but it’s all ripped away from them with Ben’s diagnosis. Anna is struggling to accept their new reality and unsure how to face life alone when Ben invites their closest friends and asks Mason to take care of his family. Anna doesn’t appreciate Ben’s gesture because she can’t stand Mason and he’s the last person she wants around, especially at such a difficult time.

But Ben wants Mason around right now, to help him in his last days and spare his family any further suffering. Mason drops everything to move in with his best friend’s family because he’d do anything for Ben, which he’s proven by ignoring his love for Anna all these years. This is a tough read, full of grief and self-doubt but still a beautiful story full of hope with a HEA of it’s own.

I like stories about people - how they meet, the history they build, their friendships, and how they love each other. This story was a tender look at all of that. So much so that it didn’t feel like it needed the number of intimate interactions (or at least not the kind of description they were given.) I mostly flipped past those to get back to the journey of recovery from grief the characters were on.