The Secret to Letting Go

Haunted with guilt after his girlfriend’s death, Daniel Hudson has no interest in committing to anyone. At the end of the summer, he’ll be leaving Florida for a new start in college. If only he could avoid the mysterious new girl in town, who seems every bit as naive and eccentric as she looks. Trouble is, she’s hard to ignore, with her beautiful piercing eyes, pitiful-looking dog, and unsettling tendency of finding trouble.

Clover Scott lived her whole life off the grid and arrives on the Gulf coast in search of her grandparents. She never expected to nearly drown, or get caught in a hurricane, or fall in love with the boy who rescues her. Now, she has a chance to rewrite her life’s story, to finally fit in somewhere, but Daniel wants answers about her past. When the police start asking questions about the disappearance of her parents, she must make a choice: go to jail or confess her secrets—even if they might destroy her chance at a happily-ever-after.

PURCHASE OR FIND OUT MORE >

Recognition and Awards

International Digital Awards (Sponsored by OKRWA): First Place in YA Novel Category

Judge a Book By Its Cover (Sponsored by Houston Bay Area RWA): First Place in YA Category

Write Touch Readers Award Contest (Sponsored by Wisconsin RWA): Second Place in YA Category

Aspen Gold Reader's Choice Award (Sponsored by Heart of Denver RWA): Finalist in YA Category

What Reviewers Are Saying

Five Stars: "The year has only just now begun but I feel like this is a top candidate for my favorite book of the year." - Nicole , Bookish Thoughts

Five Stars: "This book deserves high praise. I literally couldn’t put it down and was insisting that I had to finish it before I could get on with my day. You'll laugh, you'll feel like crying--and might actually cry--and you'll have chills. Most importantly, you'll discover a peculiar girl and a broken boy that will steal your heart before you even know you were willing to give it to them." - Moriah, A Leisure Moment

Five Stars: "I can't seem to wrap my head around the awesomeness that is this story... This book will be a book that will stay with you for quite some time. It's not light-hearted. It's not funny. It's not uplifting. It's deep and raw. It will have you an emotional mess from start to finish. It's definitely in my favorites for 2016!" - Amber, Up All Night Book Addict

Five Stars: "...it made me cry FOUR TIMES. I’ve NEVER CRIED SO MUCH FOR A BOOK... I’m so impressed that this is Katherine’s debut. She has huge potential." - Rachel, Rachel's Book Reviews

Five Stars: "This book is a MUST READ for any fan of YA contemporary romance. It has all the right things to make you fall in love." - Cynthia, Book Reader Addicts

Five Stars: "Is Clover prepared for the truth to be revealed? Is the Truth really The Secret to Letting go and moving forward with the future? Find out in this awesome YA Book that I think everyone should have on their reading lists for 2016." - Paula, The Phantom Photographer

Five Stars: "The Secret to Letting Go was an unexpected delight...This story is also really emotional. I finished it while I was drinking tea at a coffee shop, and I had to wipe away tears. Tears!" - Chelsea, To Each Their Own Reviews

Five Stars: "I have to say I started reading this book expecting something completely different, while there was romance in this book there was also mystery, and it was like I HAVE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. I just couldn’t book this book down." - Codie, The Reading Worm

Five Stars: "A brilliantly written story that draws you in and keeps you with the love, kindness, secrets and learning to let go. Katherine Fleet gave us a wonderful first book and I look forward to more of her infectious insightful writing and stories." - Melissa, Hello Booklover

Four and a Half Stars: "I really enjoyed and loved the story, the author’s writing, the way she makes you that even when you’re reading about bad, sad things, you can connect with the characters, and also it being an easy way to follow; because we can understand their personalities, their past, and why they do what they do. For a debut, I think it’s a wonderful start." - Nicole, Between Books

Four and a Half Stars: "The Secret to Letting Go is one of those books you can’t put down, and once you finish them, you wish there was more." - Hristina, Books and Tea

Four Stars: "Emotional and genuine, Daniel and Clover’s story of young love amidst chaotic circumstances is sure to pull at your heartstrings. Such a fantastic debut YA from this new author! If you’re looking for a YA different from the “norm” then you should give The Secret to Letting Go a shot." - Bekah, Will Bake For Books

Four Stars: "So, this book has a lot of great things all mixed up together... you’ll find yourself entangled with a million feelings every time Clover is present in a page. Ah! And it has a very clever, and truly unexpected, plot twist that will have your jaw hitting the floor. I can’t stop fangirling over this book! To me, it was a nearly perfect read..." - Anneliz, Read Between these Lines

Four Stars: "In conclusion, the story was intriguing from start to finish... The writing's good too; fast and fluid. And I loved the way the author pulled me into every scene. I could smell the salty sea and felt like I was in Florida. This is definitely a great debut and I look forward to reading more from Katherine." - Shane, Itching for Books

Four Stars: "And there lies my favorite part of the book. The depth. The unexpected dealing with loss and overcoming the past. It's beautifully done, incredibly moving and yet wonderfully uplifting." - Deniz, Closet Geeks and Slow Mo

Four Stars: "This book definitely surprised me with how much I loved it. I fell in love with the people and the places and their pasts, and I'm glad that I took the time to read this book for the tour." - Nicole, The Reader's Antidote

Four Stars: "The Secret Of Letting Go was a beautiful story about two young people whose life turned upside down after they both go through two tragedies." - OaNa, Magic World of Books

Four Stars: "The Secret to Letting Go is truly a touching tale of two teenagers that each have had tough times in their past to deal with that somehow end up in each other's lives." - Carrie, CarriesBookReviews

Four Stars: "Overall, I really did enjoy this book and even more than what I was expecting. I'm pretty sure that after this I'll keep Katherine Fleet under my radar because I want to read her next books." - Catia, The Girl Who Read Too Much"

Four Stars: "OMG. This story hooked me in since the first page." - Carolina, The Book is on my Table

"The Secret to Letting Go has a strong emphasis on friendship, family and forgiveness. The way these families came together, despite their pasts, was very sweet and made my heart happy." - Lisa, Lost in Lit

"The Secret to Letting Go is a perfect novel for teenage romance enthusiasts. From the moment Daniel and Clover meet until the novel's end, the whirlwind of emotions never dies down." - Brynn, The Literary Maven

"I like the angle Katherine Fleet has chosen. It's original and for me it worked very well. I was both curious and intrigued." - Suze, With Love for Books

"Emotive and honest, Daniel and Clover’s story of young love amongst hectic environments is sure to really make you feel. I also have to give praise where it is due, The Secret of Letting Go is an eccentric debut YA from a new author!" - Gabby, Wildishly

"This book was so. Darn. Good. I could not put it down, no matter how hard I tried." - Bailey, Riddle's Reviews

"I don't know about you, but I love mysterious books. That's what really drew me into this wonderful story!" - Krystianna, Downright Dystopian

"The Secret to Letting Go is a story about facing your fears, putting the past behind you but not hiding from it, and sacrifice. It’s fast paced and hooking so you will not be able to put it down, nor will you want to... I highly recommend this book to everyone. We can all learn a thing or two about life from Clover and Daniel." - Tasha, Head in the Clouds, Heart in the Books

"This was so unbelievably cute. From the very first page I knew I was going to fall in love with these characters, and I did! I sobbed and laughed and felt every emotion they felt, on their path to forgiveness and happiness." - Paein and MS4 tune