All I can do in reviewing this book, is say that I echo the raving reviews & accolades everyone else is so eloquently sharing. Kennedy Ryan is one of my favorite authors, and I am so glad she finally decided to publish this book to share with us. The second change romance was stunning, the themes of grief were raw & honest, and the touches of food & culture made the delightful to boot. I cannot recommend this one enough!

What happens when your world falls apart and you push away the man you love thinking it’s for the best? Before I Let
go examines the heartache and aftermath of divorce and the possibilities of reconciliation when that love never truly was extinguished. Told in a way that makes you care for the characters and truly understand their pain, it’s romance story but also a journey to learning to love yourself.

This story was an emotional rollercoaster through what it’s like to survive losing a child in an unthinkable way and what it’s like to try and rebuild a life that was once a so called perfect marriage. I loved the close friendships and the themes around not being okay and needing therapy to help understand the feelings being experienced. Kennedy Ryan is an absolutely beautiful storyteller and Before I Let Go was an amazing experience!

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💕 Review: Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan

First, a round of applause for this cover please. It may be the most beautiful cover ever of all time.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I don’t really enjoy second chance romance. The reconnection between Yasmen and Josiah was a relatively unique take on the trope but I still found myself wanting to rush through the pages until I knew exactly what happened between them.

There’s no doubt that Ryan’s writing started out as incredible and has only improved. (That became even clearer after yesterday’s reread of Long Shot). I did think some of the plot points here fell a little flat and could’ve been used for more tension throughout. I don’t know if I’ll reread this but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I appreciated the inclusion of a difficult teenager - too often romance novels only have Perfect Little Angel Babies.

I let this book sit on my shelf for quite a while before reading because I was trying to conceive and I had heard that the content was probably too much for me then. After reading, I think I would’ve been okay while TTC but I’m glad I didn’t read while pregnant, because stillbirth is a major part of the plot.

Kennedy Ryan is an auto buy author - if you haven’t read anything by her, this would be a great one to start with, but really you can do no wrong when you see her name on the cover!

I was hoping to love this one but unfortunately it wasn’t for me, I was happy to characters reconnected by the end but their conflicts while having two kids in the mix just left me feeling frustrated

So. Emotional. I wasn't ready for the rollercoaster ride. Ryan is so skilled and this story will touch many lives.

Raw, emotional, and breathtakingly honest, Before I Let Go explores the complexities of love after loss with grace and heart. Kennedy Ryan delivers a masterful story of Yasmen and Josiah, two people who are trying to heal individually while wrestling with the embers of a love they thought was lost forever.

This is not just a romance; it’s a journey through grief, healing, and the power of second chances. Ryan’s writing is poignant, and every page is infused with depth and compassion. A must-read for those who crave heartfelt, soul-stirring stories.

Kennedy Ryan is a master storyteller. No notes. This book took me on an emotional journey. I remember saying I wanted to read before bed and the next thing I knew, the clock said 4:00 am. I was tired and grumpy the next day but it was so worth it. Second chance romance is a trope in books that I don’t always like, but the way this was written made me rethink that. This story was raw, heavy and dealt with grief. Filled with heartbreaking moments and angst, you can’t help but root for their happily ever after. The cast of supporting characters shines a light on the importance of having your friendships through these trials and this book also shows mental health representation. This was just an amazing book.

Yasmen and Josiah get married after college. They thought they could get through anything because of their love. Still, when two consecutive tragedies strike their family, their relationship dissolves due to the lasting impact of said tragedies, and they get a divorce.

Two years later, they are co-parents and business partners. You can see that Yasmen and Josiah still have lingering feelings toward each other and unresolved issues. They even try to see other people, but they know other relationships will never work because they are each other’s soulmates. They are scared to admit their feelings to each other.

They have to take a business trip together. That is when they realize they still have that physical and emotional connection with each other. When they get home, they have to face the ghost of their past and see if they can start something new or walk away entirely.

This book had me in tears. Kennedy Ryan has done it again. Before I Let Go is a heartbreakingly beautiful Second-Chance Romance. I was rooting for Yasmen and Josiah to break free from the shackles of their past trauma. The ending was everything. I give this book six stars. It’s one of my favorites of the year.

First time reading this author, and I will certainly be reading more from her. Her writing style was beautiful, and this story was heart WRENCHING. While I didn’t love the way they talked about marriage, it was very, very realistic. And the way she handled depression, loss, healing and therapy was profoundly real, and while heartbreaking, also very beautiful.

I want to thank Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for allowing me to read a digital ARC of Kennedy Ryan’s “Before I Let Go.” Although I received approval to read this novel before its November 15, 2022, release date, I only recently had the opportunity to delve into it. I apologize for the delay in reading the book and submitting a review.

I truly enjoyed reading about Josiah’s and Yasmen’s courtship, marriage, break-up, and co-parenting of their two children. The dissolution of their marriage was heartbreaking, and I admired that they still found a way to manage a business together, a testament to their resilience and maturity. I also appreciated that Yasme and Josiah still loved each other and were willing to do the hard work to resolve past issues and heartbreaks through therapy to build a stronger relationship. The novel had many positives - the friendship Yasmen had with her best friends Hendryx and Soledad; those two sisters were extraordinary, and they never tore Josiah down when he and Yasmen were separated or during their discussions. I also appreciated reading about a black man, heck, a black family, seeking therapy to deal with past traumas. However, while I enjoyed the novel, I found the sex scenes to be too explicit, drug out, and, at times, unrealistic.

Overall, I will recommend "Before I Let Go" to others because of its strong character development and its exploration of important themes such as love, forgiveness, and healing.

4 out of 5 stars

I really enjoyed it. Although it felt more like a women's fiction than romance. The writing is a highlight along with the emotions it brings out.

If there is one thing Kennedy Ryan is going to do, she is going to rip your heart out and piece it all back together between the words of the book she writes. This one is just beautiful, heartbreaking and she is incredible.

A deeply emotional and compelling story about love, loss, and second chances. The storyl follows Yasmen and Josiah Wade, a divorced couple who find themselves drawn back to each other despite their painful past. Ryan masterfully explores themes of grief, mental health, and healing, making the characters’ journeys both relatable and heart-wrenching. The writing is eloquent and the characters are well-developed, making it a captivating read from start to finish.

If you enjoy stories that delve into the complexities of relationships and personal growth, this book is definitely worth checking out!

This was a great book!! I was a little hesitant to read it because I thought it was going to be too sad for me to read because of the storyline about grief, but it was well-written, and I really enjoyed it!! The topics were introduced at a good pace and was very relatable to everyday lives. There were happy times and there were sad times but the overall message of love, honesty, and trust shines through and can help people navigate their feelings and emotions in a positive way.

Before I Let Go is a beautiful novel about second chances, healing, family, and love. This story is so heartbreaking but there's so many beautiful moments that make the journey worth it. Yasmin and Josiah have gone through so much. But they're truly meant to be and they find their way back to each other. This book deals with some difficult topics that I think Kennedy Ryan handled with so much care. I also loved the mental health representation in the novel. Kennedy Ryan is one of the best writers and this story is truly unforgettable.

Was hesitant about this story but it blew my mind! Loved it. I was sucked in and truly felt what the FMC was going thru with her husband and kids. It was messy and not my usual preference (separated/dating other people) but has a happy ending. Emotional rollercoaster but I think that’s why it really stand out to me from other books I’ve been reading.

Grief is hard but grief with children and a spouse takes it to a new level. Ryan has written an absolute masterpiece that people married or single can relate to. Doing the necessary work to continue life after losing people close to you is challenging. While the story is fictional the storyline given to us mirrors a real day to day of a family struggling through grief.

Packed with love and emotion!

A beautiful and heartwrenchingly told story on love, lost, family and redemption. I enjoyed reading Wade and Yasmen's journey..about their family, their losses and then everything coming together in the end! Loved it!

Kennedy Ryan's writing beautifully portrays a poignant and realistic love story. The book delicately explores the struggles within a marriage that seems unbreakable but slowly disintegrates into a divorce after the couple loses a child. Ryan provides a refreshingly honest and positive portrayal of depression and therapy. I appreciate how the book sheds light on the fact that love alone cannot always save a marriage. Highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a thoughtful, emotional, mature second-chance romance.

This book exceeded all expectations. I’ve never felt so seen in a book. The real depictions of depression really hit close for me and seeing how this second chance couple navigated grief and loss was healing. Thank you Kennedy for this amazing story!