Julie's Review: This Is Not How This Ends

Author: Rochelle Weinstein
Series: None
Publication Date: January 1, 2020
Publisher: Lake Union
Pages: 342
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: A beautiful novel about love, loss, hope and forgiveness
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: When Charlotte and Philip meet, the pair form a deep and instant connection. Soon they’re settled in the Florida Keys with plans to marry. But just as they should be getting closer, Charlotte feels Philip slipping away. Second-guessing their love is something Charlotte never imagined, but with Philip’s excessive absences, she finds herself yearning for more. When she meets Ben, she ignores the pull, but the supportive single dad is there for her in ways she never knew she desired. Soon Charlotte finds herself torn between the love she thought she wanted and the one she knows she needs. As a hurricane passes through Islamorada, stunning revelations challenge Charlotte’s loyalties and upend her life. Forced to reexamine the choices she’s made, and has yet to make, Charlotte embarks on an emotional journey of friendship, love, and sacrifice—knowing that forgiveness is a gift, and the best-laid plans can change in a heartbeat. This Is Not How It Ends is a tender, moving story of heartbreak and healing that asks the question: Which takes more courage—holding on or letting go? ~amazon.com

Review: This Is Not How This Ends is a beautifully written story about what it takes to let go of the past and embrace the future. Charlotte has always put a wall around her heart since her dad left her and her mom when she was 7 but when she meets Philip Stafford on a plane from Miami to Kansas, something changes in her. To say that Philip sweeps her of her feet is to make it an understatement. I will admit that throughout the novel, I wasn't so sure about Philip and even in the end I still wasn't sure if he truly loved Charlotte or thought of her as another possession to collect.


Charlotte is the type of person who loves to take care of other people: her mom, her students and now Philip. She always puts other people first and her knowledge of allergies helps to save the life of young boy with a nut allergy. This bounds them together because she introduces them to a life altering treatment called NAET. As Jimmy goes through treatment, Charlotte gets to know his dad, Ben. Opening up to him in ways that she can't currently talk to Philip about. Except it gets a bit awkward when it turns out that Ben is Philip's best friend.

Charlotte and Philip are supposed to be planning a wedding, except Philip isn't in town long enough to actually plan the wedding. Instead of getting closer to each other, Charlotte is worried that he's pulling away and running himself down by traveling too much. He won't listen, he keeps traveling and she keeps worrying.

I loved the way that Ms. Weinstein wrote this novel and captured Charlotte's inner conflicts. She shows us how complicated life, love, loss and forgiveness can be. Love is complex and so is loss. The grieving process itself is long, arduous and complex which Ms. Weinstein writes deftly about in this novel.

If you still need to pick a book to start of 2020 with then you should pick up This Is Not How It Ends.