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.

I always love Kennedy Ryan stories. They are full of emotion and you can see that she really loves to write all of the incredible stories. There is an ease to her writing style. When you see that she has written a story you are prepared for a roller coaster ride of emotions.

I've enjoyed this book! This book represent grief, second chance, and mental health. I would definitely recommend this!

4.5 stars. Wow wow wow. Ok first of all this writing was so beautiful. I’m talking every single page. It was such a deep emotional story. My heart broke for both Yasmen and Josiah. You could just feel how much they still loved each other and how heartbroken they both were. This book deals with some heavy subject matter that makes you feel like your own heart is being ripped out but hang in there because it WILL put you back together again. Theirs is the kind of love that you can’t erase even if you wanted to. It felt real and raw and messy and beautiful and healing and inspirational and it will stay with me for a long time.

I love that Before I Let Go is not your typical romance. Sure, we've go the one bed hotel room, miscommunication, and steamy scenes but this book is much more real and deep than your typical romance. It covers therapy, depression, grief, divorce, and strained parent relationships. Not only does it address these topics, it gets DEEP into many of them. Oomph. It packs an emotional punch. I love that it clearly advocates for therapy, especially for men, and even more especially for Black men. Every little bit to help break the stigma is a win.

Then there's the romance. A divorced couple is afraid to admit they still have feelings for each other. It's not cutesy or sweet. It's real and passionate. The romance genre is dominated by butterfly love stories while Before I Let Go is more like a bull. I love how authentic this story and these characters felt. More of this please!

It was a bit too spicy for my taste and I didn't find it compulsively readable in that it didn't have a strong driving story, but I really appreciated it for its realness, covering of deep topics, and fresh take on romance.

Stunned.

Kennedy Ryan is an author I've seen for a while. Why haven't I picked up her books sooner?

Before I Let Go was mature, deep, and emotional. The characters were incredibility well-developed and vibrant off the page. This story has grit and substance. Of course, there are plenty of trigger warnings, so please check those out before opening. This story just has been in awe. Beautiful. Striking. Wonderful. When a romance focuses on broken people and their struggles, but still has spice and swoon...you know it is a winner.

Thank you Forever Publishing and Netgalley for my copy.

Like Queen Move (which I highly recommend!), this story is a second-chance romance. While Kimba and Ezra's love story is about childhood best friends finding their way back to each other, this one is about a divorced couple and, honestly, I found it very refreshing to read a story about how a couple fares AFTER the happily ever after.

One of Kennedy Ryan's great gifts is that her characters (and their struggles) always feel so real. On that topic, there are some important content warnings to be aware of for this novel: major discussions around depression, grief, loss of a loved one, and death of a child. You may wish to steer clear of this one if those are particularly touchy for you.

That being said, this is a romance novel so it has a happy ending. Throughout the story, Yasmen and Josiah find ways to work through their pain and find joy again - together. If you love author interviews as much as I do, definitely check out this article where Kennedy Ryan talks about her research and writing process here: https://ew.com/books/kennedy-ryan-return-to-traditional-publishing/

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever publishing for sending me an e-arc of this title.

OMG THIS BOOK. It simultaneously ripped my heart open but made me believe in hope and fate and that true love can conquer it all. Yasmen and Josiah have gone through so much trauma and grief and with a solid foundation of love and therapy and a really really really strong support system, will they be able to come back to each other?

AND THERE ARE RECIPES. I die for a book that focuses so heavy on food and togetherness that also includes those special recipes.

This was my first Kennedy Ryan title and it will NOT be my last. Superb writing and ability to dig deep into raw emotions.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kennedy Ryan, and Forever - Grand Central Publishing for providing this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first Kennedy Ryan! After this one, I went and found the rest and read them all within a few weeks. This was definitely in my top 5 favorite books of 2022. Make sure to check the trigger warnings before reading. The book was very long, and definitely could have been condensed or some chapters taken out, but I was so into the story that I didn’t really mind how long it was.

This review will be posted to my Goodreads and Amazon accounts immediately and also to my instagram account (@ginganinja333), and to my newly created bookstagram (@paulas.book.nook).

This book was HEAVY, but also healing in the most incredible ways
⠀
The book starts with Yasmen and Josiah falling in love. It’s a simple, deep love. One they write books about ;)
⠀
But when life hits them where it counts, depression becomes the driver of their relationship. And as such, it ends in divorce
⠀
It’s now been 2 years of co-owning the restaurant and co-parenting where the story picks up.
We see both Yasmen and Josiah try to move forward with their lives: together and separately
We see them struggle with co-parenting and how kids perceive a broken marriage
We see the reason for divorce
⠀
We also get to see healing, forgiveness, acceptance, honesty, and second chances.
⠀
This book has the BEST mental health representation I have EVER seen. It talks about medication and therapy. Finding the right fit for both. It talks about the stigma around therapy especially with (black) men.
I could talk about this for days. Im incredibly impressed with Kennedy’s knowledge and research on the matter.
⠀
This book deals with very real issues and that’s what I love about it. It’s not fluffy and perfect. It’s messy and can destroy you. But there is a HEA, you just have to push for it
⠀
Honestly this book will be the top 5 of favourite books of all time.
I cannot sing it’s praises enough
It had me crying and laughing and sobbing the whole time
⠀
So if you like a GOOD second chance romance. Full of angst and true love
This book is for you
⠀
*check tw and ensure you are in a good mental space for it*

Before I Let Go is stunning. There! is that not enough for you to go grab the book right now?

First and foremost, I just want to put this out there…I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book’s dedication. When …not if..you get this book, just take a moment to appreciate the dedication.

Now, where do I even begin? It’s really hard to express how much I love Kennedy Ryan’s books and Before I Let Go is no different.

“Ryan is a powerhouse of a writer.”

-USA Today

I couldn’t agree more.

Ryan’s books have always been emotional to say the least but there are also so many life lessons taught to us through these characters. I love the way Kennedy Ryan writes such strong characters that always have the resilience to carry forth, survive and thrive.

“I wondered if this-finding someone you can laugh with when everything hurts-was the stuff happily ever afters were made of. Not the sugarcoated kisses and hot-air balloon rides and romantic walks under a full moon.”

-Josiah Wade

I love a good second chance romance and I’ve read my fair share of them. Yet this book felt different. Perhaps it’s because it’s about a divorced couple’s second chance? I haven’t read much of those to be honest. But nonetheless, The magic of KR’s writing made it very realistic. It didn’t feel frivolous. It felt very grownup, real and you felt the hope, the hurt and the level of strength and understanding these characters would have gone through.
Ryan’s ability to tackle difficult social issues with such depth without being pushy or preachy is an experience on it’s own.

Before I Get Go is brilliant and you most definitely should not pass it up. Kennedy Ryan never fails to give us a stunner of a book. I’ve always said this to my friends, Kennedy Ryan’s books are therapeutic.