This was gorgeous and tender, and managed to capture the frustration and trust that (for me) only comes with the closeness of a partner relationship. A lot of people have said that some of the themes are brutal, so I was a little tense going in, but luckily I have not had to deal with a lot of the things that Yasmen and Josiah go through, so I didn’t struggle with it. I did however, emotionally connect with the mom struggle over parenting a strong-willed teen daughter — just things I worry about! I loved how brightly draw the details of their lives were, and watching them navigate through the trials that life brought them and rejoice in their victories was extremely rewarding.

Sheer and utter devastation. That's how I feel right now after finishing this book, and somehow I'm wishing that I'd read it sooner? This story heavily features death, divorce, and depression yet is able to also focus on hope and honesty. Yasmen and Josiah's love story is hard to read at times, but they show such growth as characters throughout. Kennedy Ryan focuses on the stigma around therapy for Black men, the tragic grief that comes with losing a child, and the feeling of fighting for yourself against waves of depression. It's painful and tender, and I need the next story in the Skyland Series 10 minutes ago, thank you.

*Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Yasmen and Josiah were the kind of couple that were destined to be together forever. Then tragedy struck home and things changed. Suddenly being in love just wasn’t enough and their forever ran out.

Though they couldn’t save their marriage, the exes knew they had to come together to co-parent their two young children. Co-owning a restaurant, they had a professional relationship to maintain as well. It wasn’t easy, but a few years later, things are as normal as they can get, all things considered.

But when both Josiah and Yasmen attempt to move on separately in the present, each realizes a part of their hearts still remain in the hands of their former partner. Before long old wounds are reopened and heats are once again, on the line. They say old habits die hard, but what about a love that never really died to begin with?

Before I Let Go paints a powerful and achingly authentic portrait of the complexities of modern day marriage. It’s a love story that tells it like it is- warts and all, reminding the reader that love alone isn’t always enough. Though an emotional read, it’s well rounded with fleshed out supporting characters and a relevant backstory.

Fans of heart wrenching second chance love stories shouldn’t let Before I Let Go pass them by.

This was my first book by Kennedy Ryan (I KNOW 🙈). My romance reads have tapered off in the past few years but I really enjoyed this one! For me, this story was an emotional one as the two protagonists are already divorced. Yasmen and Josiah are older main characters who have two children, a thriving restaurant and a close group of friends. The story unfolds slowly to give a full picture as to why this couple - who still care about each other - actually divorced.



The author treats depression and grief with a careful hand but balances these themes with humor and great sensitivity. Both characters have their hands full with parenting, their business and trying to date again. Their chemistry together seemed very natural and although at times they did not seem as though they could find their way back to each other, rest assured this book has a beautiful ending.



There was no unnecessary drama and both parents put their children first no matter what was going on between the two of them. I also loved how the city of Atlanta was almost another important character in this book.



If you like contemporary romance, then you will love this book. There’s lots of good banter, steamy chemistry and a storyline featuring characters who have lived a little. Many thanks to the publisher for providing a digital review copy! All opinions are my own.

Kennedy Ryan is such a talented author and this was a very well written work. I enjoyed it immensely even if I didn't connect with the characters and story as much as I wanted to. Still a solid recommend!

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me.... I have seen so many raving reviews for it. I was excited about the premise of second chance romance after everything they went through. I kept pushing myself till over the halfway point, but it was just not doing it for me. I'm sure it will be a hit for a lot of readers, but it was a miss for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book right here is a beautiful piece of work. I had to take my time reading this book even though I wanted to know what would happen next. There were so many emotions that came up while reading this book, because I could relate to some of the situations. I needed that, because let me know that there are somethings that I need to do.

Great Job KennedyRyan. I know you stated that it took 15 years to write this book and I'm here to tell you that it was worth it. I don't normally reread books, but I will most definitely read this one again. I can't wait to listen to the audiobook. ❤💐❤💐❤💐

Whew Chile, this is a romance of all romance novels for me. I have not read anything like it. I recommend everyone to read this book.

Read if you like: second chance romance.
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Yasmen and Josiah used to be young and in love, but now due to traumatic events, they are divorced and trying to co-parent and run a business together. But things don't seem to be over between the two of them.
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This book was heartbreaking and beautiful, but there is a lot of trauma wrapped up in this book. I really liked the story and the characters were very well-developed, but I think I wasn't in the right headspace to read about this much trauma.
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CW: miscarriage, stillbirth (described in a lot of detail), divorce, death of a loved one, depression.

This is my first Kennedy Ryan book and she did not disappoint! This was such a beautiful story. I definitely teared up a few times. For Yasmen and Josiah to go through everything they went through and still finding their way back to each other was something. I like the way mental health was handled and talk of seeing a therapist. I'm so happy Josiah ended up getting therapy because he had a lot to work through in regards to his parents dying when he was young and the deaths of Henry and Aunt Byrd still weighing heavy on him.

She seemed sweet but baby I did not like the woman Josiah was seeing that worked in the restaurant! Vashti. I was a bit mad at him for even starting a relationship up with someone who works with him. Like dude find someone who doesn't work with you. I'm glad Vash ended up going to Charlotte. Also it was so cool to hear them talk about Charlotte and Noda. I'm hoping one of the books in the series will be set there :)

I'm just rambling now but this was so good and I'm glad the relationship with Yasmen and her daughter started to improve. I wanted to strangle her daughter early on in the book. Smiling all in Vashti's face while being rude to her mother. I understand why she was like that but still. Her mom did the best she could during one of the darkest times in her life. Show some respect!

Oh and I absolutely adored Hendrix and Soledad. PLEASE, I need to know what happens with Soledad and that ain't sh*t husband of hers. She was so sweet and deserves so much better.

I am now a Kennedy Ryan stan.

Finished my first read of the year and I’m going to say something I’ve never said before. I’m going to say that this book will easily be one of my favorite books of the year. I realize that is a bold statement for January but this book was just THAT GOOD.

Before I Let Go follows a divorced couple as they navigate life, raising their children and running/owning a successful business together. This story explores so many heavy topics associated with the reality of having your life entwined with someone else’s even after you’ve dissolved your romantic relationship. Grief, depression and the normalization of therapy are also a main focus. It’s also a story of second chances. This one made me very emotional and I could not put it down. It is a book that I will (and have been) think about for a long time.

I can not believe that this is my first Kennedy Ryan book but it most certainly isn’t the last. Highly recommend. So SO so so good.

2/5

I’m kinda disappointed with this…I really, truly hated, how the guy lead can have sex and a relationship with another woman after their divorce, and her the woman lead can’t seem to fully move on. It was annoying, frustrating and disgusting in my opinion.

I skimmed so damn much in this book, there was barely 2 things I liked about it. I hated how everyone and their mother blamed her for their downfall in the marriage…as if it’s a one person job in what they went through.

It was ridiculous and so utterly frustrating, I hated this. I hated reading it. I don’t really recommend if you don’t like the things in this book that I talked about…

Before I Let Go,, was a book about love, loss, growth, and reconciliation. This story is about a couple who married. young, started a business, had a family and experinceced an immense loss. A loss that didn't seem to hold their love for each other and marriage together. Through co-parenting their children, and co-owning a restaurant, the two seem to have it all figured out as a divorced couple. That is, until they each start to date other people. Seeing each other with a different lover makes the two eventually realize maybe they should give their marriage another chance. Watching each person attend therapy and evolve emotionally, makes the characters wonder, can this work again?

This story was a delightful love story.

A Beautiful read and must read. Josiah and Yasmen are a couple full of love, hope, plans. But life comes in the way and years later they're parents of two, business owners and divorced. Thank you netgalley for this wonderful book. I really recommend this book and will read more of Kennedy Ryan books in the future.

Before I Let Go x Kennedy Ryan
♾️/⭐️
Release Date: November 15th
I loved everything about this book. Like EVERY single thing, and I didn’t know that my heart was missing a spot for this book🥲. I’m going to try to keep this as spoiler free as possible.
This book just felt real✨. The grief, the relationships with children, Deja’s reason for being upset,THERAPY REPRESENTATION, honest communication with potential partners, JOSIAHHHHH>>>>>🥵. Second Chance/ marriage issues typically isn’t my cup of tea but BILG is truly perfection. I also liked that Yas and Josiah’s story was truly theirs. There was input from friends and business associates throughout the book that I though might influence the end but every choice they made was because THEY wanted to make it.💜💜💜 I was alsooo terrified of a surprise 🤰🏾but Ryan handled that amazingly as well. My only “downside” (and you can’t even really fall it that) but the spice took a little longer, BUT we know Ms. Ryan and we know she DELIVERS😝! This is also the first book where I actually WANT to make the recipes the author give

Thank you @kennedyryan1 for this masterpiece ❤️ who’s book is next 👀👀👀

What can I say about this recent release that others haven’t already said? It was beautifully done, that’s for sure! A second chance romance with so many layers and such depth. I especially enjoyed the different relationships explored between parents & child too; plus there was so much character development & moments to pause and think about! Gah! If you are looking for a feel good romance with a lot of real life elements & don’t mind steam, go read this one 😉😍

I loved loved loved this book, am constantly recommending it, and have convinced so many people to give it a go. It's such a heartbreakingly beautiful story. Your heart will shatter and then slowly be pieced back together; this is the magic of Kennedy Ryan.

I liked this book; I didn't love it.

What I liked: the real look at depression, the benefits of therapy, and the way mental illness was talked about head on.

What I didn't like: Deja as a character, the length of the book, the lack of history between Yas and Josiah.

I guess what I felt was that I really enjoyed the concept of this book. I liked reading about adults who are imperfect people - as spouses and as parents. I like that in the throes of depression, Yas asks for a divorce and then has to deal with the repercussions of that. However, how is it that over the two years that they have been divorced did none of these feelings surface? I get that Yas put in a lot of work with therapy and medication (which I applaud!) but it seems like as soon as Josiah started dating someone else, all of this resurfaced, and I didn't love that.

I'd rather see snippets of the past - when their marriage was excellent, during those two years when they were finding their way, separately. I'd also rather see more conversation and less physical chemistry. I get it - they connect physically and those scenes were spicy, for sure. But I want them to connect emotionally. I want to see more forgiveness, more conversation.

Overall it was good and I wanted to keep reading, so there's that.

This book was just painfully beautiful.

Yasmen and Josiah are a divorced couple navigating through their new normal of co-parenting while raising their family and trying to run a successful restaurant. Although they are separated, their love for each other has never faded. Kennedy Ryan takes us on a whirlwind journey through their reconciliation and illustrates that love does conquer all.

This book was just written so beautifully. Kennedy Ryan's writing draws you in and allows you to experience every moment with her characters. I felt connected to this book, although I haven't endured such a traumatic event. I felt all the pain and sadness right alongside Josiah and Yasmen. I wanted, better yet, needed a good cry, and this book understood the assignment. It's crazy, but this book healed me in many ways. The discussions of mental health and grief resonated with me. I felt seen in so many ways when reading this book. This story was real and raw and left me feeling exposed, but in typical Kennedy Ryan fashion, she pulled me through, and of course, there was a light at the end of that tunnel.

"This moment is so enormous, so overwhelming, but it doesn't stand alone. It's not just the strength of our circle, but it's the times we were weak, and got back up, It's every hurt, every second we spent apart, only to reunite. Our union wasn't just made by the good. The pain and the grief and the sorrows forged us together as much as the joys"


The love between Josiah and Yasmen is timeless, and it's evident they are soulmates. Their love story is full of strength and growth. It is truly inspiring how they work their way to each other. I know these two will live no doubt rent-free in my head.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under Heaven.”

Kennedy Ryan started this masterpiece 15 years ago. She shared that this was the first book she ever wrote. But it wasn’t the right time. But here and now is the right time and season for this book! I am sure after reading this that somehow it served some type of purpose in her life and will serve others. I am so grateful for this book, it is absolutely stunning, poetic, emotional and beautiful. It is poignant and took me through so many emotions…thank you. I love this book, I love Kennedy Ryan! She is a gem, an absolute treasure. I love the way she puts words on paper and how they breathe life and wisdom into lives, creating emotional responses and depths of feeling that are hard to put into words to but they are deeply felt. These words go down deep into your being, tugging and pulling at things sometimes you don’t even know are there.

I love her characters. Josiah and Yasmen Wade are loved equally by me. Josiah is strong, hardworking, tender and sexy as hell. Yasmen is smart, beautiful, honest and resilient. They feel like home. They make you laugh, cry and hope. They feel like family. Lots of healing takes place in this story, the Wade family is at the center surrounded by a community of friends, loved ones, and therapists that help them along on this journey of healing. Thank God for second chances! Thank God for healing! Thank God for family and community!

You have to read this book! This just solidified why Kennedy Ryan is one of my favorite authors. This isn’t the first book I have read by her and it certainly won’t be my last. This book was meant to be just like Josiah and Yasmen.

Kennedy Ryan absolutely never disappoints. With this romance, we get all the steam and passion we come to expect with her love stories along with an honest look at grief, mental health, depression, as well as the stigmatization of mental health from the world. As with all her books, she offers readers a new lense to see the world through as well as proving that real love can conquer anything.