“To the strong girls,
To the hustlers,
To the superwomen,
Tend your hearts with ruthless
Care…and rest.”

I am unwell. This book has thrown me into one hell of a book hangover and I’m tempted to start again from page 1.

I saw so many early reviews hyping this book, and I understood why early on while reading, but I WAS NOT PREPARED.

This book has so much. Yes, it’s a second chance romance of a divorced couple who has been through a lot. While it’s far from being a light and fluffy read, the deep emotionals are so well balanced with the low-key hilarity and undeniable chemistry, all of which were handled with such care. I loved all of these characters so much! Hoping to see more of them in future installations of Skyland, and until then diving head-first into Ryan’s backlist.

Read if you like:
Mental health rep
Parenting/Co-parenting
Girl squad goals
Spicy 🌶🌶🌶
A MAN THAT GOES TO THERAPY

⚠️ CW: Death of loved one (off page), stillbirth, depression, grief, passive suicidal ideation (no attempts)
** Huge thanks to the author for including CWs!

Stunning novel by the great Kennedy Ryan!
I have found that there is an art to marriage on the rocks, or divorced couple romance books. It needs care and attention and Kennedy Ryan very eloquently crafted up a beautiful novel that is so heartfelt and validating.
Something about the couple's journey spoke deeply to me.
The plot was cohesive and the romance story, epic.
Also there is great steam!

In Before I Let Go, Kennedy Ryan creates an amazing couple, Si and Yas, who must navigate serious, heart-wrenching issues. Ryan masterfully intertwines grief and pain with unbreakable love in this genuine, poignant story. This book packs an emotional punch. It is so beautifully written and a top book of the year for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing/ Forever for the digital reviewer copy and special thanks to Kennedy Ryan for writing such an amazing book.

Two years after their divorce, Yasmen and Josiah’s are still intertwined as they co-parent two children and manage their successful Atlanta restaurant. Love alone couldn’t save their marriage, but can they have a second chance at love after some time apart and healing?

As a romance lover, I love reading about couples falling in love. As a wife of almost 25 years who understands that falling in love is just the beginning of a couple’s story, I also love reading about couples dealing with the messiness with every day life. Yasmen and Josiah’s story is about tragedy, setbacks, and comeback. In a real and raw way, we see this couple lose what they hold most dear—each other, grieve that loss, eventually revive their relationship, and evolve it into something better than it was before.

Before I Let Go has an unforgettable group of side characters. I loved Yasmen’s friends, Hendrix and Soledad. I’m so glad there’s more of this ride or die friend group to come. There also is Yasmen and Josiah’s incredible kids, Kassim and Deja. I do have to point out that Deja is the poster child for check on your friends with strong daughters!

Kennedy Ryan is a master storyteller, and Before I Let Go is a testament to her talent. This love letter to the healing power of therapy with a lot joy, steam, and laughter mixed in is my favorite book of 2022. Yep, I’m calling it now.

Because of the heavy subject matter involved in Yasmen and Josiah’s story, you may want to check the content warnings for this book.

Before I Let Go is out in the world today and I’m so excited for my fellow romance lovers to have a chance to get their hands on it! Second chance romance—especially involving married or previously married couples—has become my favorite trope, and Kennedy Ryan has created a masterpiece here. This is truly one of the very best second chance romance stories I’ve ever read. The two MCs divorce due to unprocessed grief from some very traumatic events that happened in their lives. I went in expecting some heavy topics and definitely recommend checking CWs for this one if you find those helpful.

Yasmen and Josiah continue to co parent their children together and run their successful restaurant despite being divorced for two years. They have an undeniably strong connection and love for one another that hasn’t gone away even during their long separation. When Josiah begins to move on and date someone else at the restaurant they share, Yasmen starts to face the fact that she still has very real feelings for him and she’s not ready to let him go forever. I’m not sure I’ve ever read two characters with such intense chemistry. My smoke alarm went off several times while I was reading this one, and if you’ve ever read anything by Kennedy Ryan, you know she can write some seriously good steam.

I felt this book deeply and was rooting so hard for Yasmen and Josiah to be able to overcome their old wounds and find each other again. The scenes involving their children where especially poignant and I loved how hard the two of them work to stay connected and remain friendly co parents for the sake of their kids. The parts of the book where Yasmen has to see Josiah dating someone else, and vice versa, felt like gut punches each time, that soul deep pain that comes when you have to see the person you love most in the world falling for someone new.

Before I Let Go, HURT. I cried a lot. But it was also so intensely moving and beautiful. Truly a love story that will remain with me forever. I was so fortunate to have an early copy from Forever on Netgalley and luckier still that my sweet friend Simone sent me a print copy so I could underline page upon page of my favorite and most memorable parts.

This book was an emotional roller coaster from start to finish. Yasmen and Josiah are trying to make co-parenting and co-running a restaurant work after a very emotional divorce two years ago. We get to see flashbacks and memories of the good times and what happened that led to the dissolution of their marriage. What I appreciate is that this author will fully immerse the reader into the world of the characters. It’s like we are silent observers, the fly on the wall. I also like the children in this story. Most of the time I’m not a huge fan of children in books because they tend to be very flat, but these children had such well crafted personalities and their own separate storylines. I also really enjoy seeing both Yas and Si (their nicknames) have strong friendships with other people who are also given their own separate story. Hendrix and Soledad were really fun friends and it made me happy that Yas was able to have friends who were always in her corner.

The book’s strong points revolve around the conversation around mental health and grief. The author took such care when discussing these topics and showed different ways people deal with these things in their lives.

This is a really strong, very thoughtful exploration of love in all of its forms, romantic, platonic, familial, etc. However, this is a very heavy book in places and deals with grief, death of a loved one, miscarriage/stillbirth, depression, suicidal ideation. There is very technically no cheating but if you are someone who doesn’t like to see the hero/heroine with other people, this may not be for you. My only qualm, and it is very much a me thing, is that Si’s first foray into romance after Yas is with an employee of their restaurant. This isn’t really a spoiler as we find out very quickly into the book. But Si just talks a big game about how he kept the restaurant going and it’s so important to him, but then he messes around with an employee of all people. Just annoyed me about him and I also wanted him to do a little more apologizing, but again, that’s very specifically a me thing.

I really liked the book! I noticed this is labeled as book 1 in the Skyland series, which makes me excited to read the other stories.
I think my rating is a 4.5 just for a few things that didn’t work for me other than what I’ve already mentioned but are definitely more spoilery.

[CW: stillbirth and death] It’s taken three years, but Yasmen is finally starting to feel like herself and is out of the grips of the deep depression that claimed her following the stillbirth of her third child and the death of a beloved mother figure. When she finally looks around, she realizes that Josiah, the husband she divorced in the midst of her lowest point, still draws her like no one else but also that he’s now ready to move on. Yasmen’s guilt over what has become of her family and Josiah’s belief that he could never trust Yasmen again keep them apart but they just can’t stick to it.

I love a marriage in trouble book and what’s more in trouble than already divorced? This book was hard to read and full of angst but so very beautiful. You know that visceral feeling that some books can give you? Yeah, it was that. Two very wounded people who handle things in very different ways trying to understand one another and trust again. The handling of the issue of therapy was excellent—Yasmen is fully cognizant of the fact that therapy absolutely saved her life while Josiah is skeptical of the whole concept and knows that it is definitely not for him. Fortunately both of them have great support systems (especially Yasmen, whose two best friends are absolutely wonderful and fiercely loving of Yasmen). It may take a while to recover from this book, but it will be totally worth it. Thanks to Netgalley and Forever Publishing for the eARC. Available today.

Before I Let Go is an engaging, heartfelt story about marriage, grief, life, and moving forward. I found Yasmen relatable and well developed. I felt for Josiah. I loved the growth he showed and how he was able to see his role and examine the events of the past that were shaping his future. The pages are filled with relationships that add value and substance to the story.

While the plot is predictable the messages are handled with grace and care.

Before I Let Go is a wonderful picture of the realities of marriage and loss but also of hope and love. Yasmen and Josiah experience two big losses in a row, causing their marriage to fall apart. They're clearly still meant for each other as they process and work through their grief. Life isn't always pleasant and positive, and marriage and intimacy are also made for experiencing the depths of grief together. I love the cast of characters and am excited to see that it's listed as the first in a series!

CW: Talk of depression, grief, loss of a loved one.

I have put off writing this review for a few days because I genuinely did not know how to begin. There is one word that comes to mind when thinking about this book: raw. It shows an unfiltered love story, a couple who loves each other fiercely, and more importantly, the way depression changes your view of life. This story was one of love, yes. But it was also one of grief, self-discovery, and reinvention. I cannot imagine dealing with what our main characters had to go through (which I won’t say in an effort to not spoil the book as much), but I will say I have had experiences with the outlook on life where it feels like there is nothing that can give you enough energy to even get out of bed.

It was heartbreaking to read the moments in which Yasmen recalls the days before recognizing she needed help and asked for it. I cried reading her lows, I got angry when I couldn’t understand how other characters did not seem to get how affected she really was, I held the kindle to my chest when her and Josiah were reaching a point of understanding. I think these characters really show what resilience and compromise is. Their love for each other and for their kids was big enough to overcome the hardest challenges. It was both painful and beautiful to see them go from where they were at the beginning of the book to slowly understanding the mistakes they had made and the way each of them dealt with loss in a different way. And accepting that.

I’ve seen some people recommending this book as a love story first and foremost, talking about the cute aspects of it; while that is true, I also want anyone to go into this book knowing it does address heavy topics and goes deep into how much of an impact grief and depression can have in your life. Having said this, I would love for more people to read about Yasmen and Josiah’s journey, it is raw and painful at times but it is also beautiful and inspiring. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting with an advanced copy of this book. This was my first book from this author and now I cannot wait to check out more of her work.

Queue the tissues!

I never knew I needed to read a book so much until I read Before I Let Go.

This book is just as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside. A book about soul crushing love, loss, mental health, and the ties that bind a family…even in the form of an adorable Great Dane, Otis.

I cannot say enough great things about this book! Tears were shed, laughs were had, spicy scenes were etched into my brain to live rent free forever, and endless hand to heart moments occurred. I am absolutely adding this to my shelf, and will highly recommend that you read it!

**thank you @netgalley and @readforeverpub for a eARC in exchange for my honest review**

This book inside is every bit as gorgeous as the cover is on the outside—and this is one of the most beautiful covers I've seen in a long, long time. Before I Let Go is everything (and more) that one could hope for. It sounds so trite to say, but it's JUST. SO. REAL. I don't know any other way to describe it. When you read Yasmen and Josiah's story, you feel like this is something that is happening to your friends. You hurt for what they've been through and just hope deep in your heart that they're going to find their way back together.

Kennedy is a master storyteller and her writing is absolutely next level. Anyone who's read her before knows what a treat they're in for and Kennedy is a one-click author for not only other readers, but for authors alike. Savor this one—it's a special one.

Second Chance • Slow Burn • Emotional

The latest from the Powerhouse of Talent, the Queen Bee Kennedy, is a soul tearing, visceral account of loss and grief that plagues a married couple. Human nature to survive generally sweeps uncomfortable and tragic incidents under the rug, never to be seen again or locks them in a safe and tucks it on the highest shelf in the attic.
What Ryan does is bravely opens the box and lets the contents spill out.
She holds your hand to guide you through the tunnel of depression till you see the light.
That's what it's all about.
A lesson in perseverance and continuance. Never letting go of the hope that you'll find your way back when all seems dismal. Of holding back when standing on the bridge, not repenting after you make the jump.

"I’m one person made of two strands. The things from my past that continue to shape me, and the person I’m slowly becoming."

This raw and hopelessly-hopeful story is a therapy of sorts, both for the characters Josiah & Yasmen Wade, & also a how to guide for all the married couples that have had the misfortune of suffering some kind of loss that shattered their dream life.
The most powerful sentiment that Kennedy showcases here is Bravery. The need to embrace the necessity of finding joy and heal for thyself. And it starts.......

“Today,” I say. “Write down ‘today.’”

As is always when I dive into one of Kennedys books, I am ready to surrender myself to her compassionate prose, but I never expected to embrace this story so compehensively, to find it to be so riveting and unique, that I'm still thinking about it. I'm not yet ready to let go of these fabulous people.
A flawless tale of passion and love, second chances and irreversible outcomes. I'm consumed and subsumed, honored and moved beyond words.
As I sit here with tears streaming down my face, reading THE END to this magnificent story written with organic honesty, I can't help but wonder —where would we be without the guiding light of these impassioned and persuasive authors?
I hope I never find out...ever!!
5 stars and may our pain become champagne!

“It was an inescapable cycle that left me looking up at my life from the bottom of a well, the walls slippery, and seeing no way out.”

Happy Publication Day, Kennedy Ryan! Thank you Kennedy Ryan, Forever, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Their love was supposed to last forever. But when life delivered blow after devastating blow, Yasmen and Josiah Wade found that love alone couldn’t solve or save anything. It couldn’t save their marriage. Yasmen wasn’t prepared for how her life fell apart, but she’s finally starting to find joy again. She and Josiah have found a new rhythm, co-parenting their two kids and running a thriving business together. Yet like magnets, they’re always drawn back to each other, and now they’re beginning to wonder if they’re truly ready to let go of everything they once had. Soon one stolen kiss leads to another and then more. It’s all good- until old wounds are opened. Is it too late for them to have forever? Or could they be even better, the second time around?

*Slight Spoiler ahead and tw for mentioned pregnancy loss*

“Before I Let Go” is a raw, emotional second chance romance with dual POVs and flashbacks to the past. To say this book was everything I could have wanted and more would be an understatement. I resonated with Yasmen in a way that I wouldn’t wish upon anyone. As someone who has suffered through several pregnancy losses and has experienced that devastating kind of grief, I know exactly what it feels like to be drowning in an ocean of grief, barely able to keep your head above the water. I can’t even begin to explain how much it meant to me to see that grief articulated in such a beautiful way. I cried with and for Yasmen as we learn more about what happened to lead up to the Wades’ divorce. I can honestly say that this is my favorite book of the year and I can’t wait to read the rest of the Skyland series. I gave “Before I Let Go” 5 ⭐️‘s, though I would rate it higher if I could, and I cannot recommend this book enough. Please give this book a read!

Kennedy Ryan is a must read for me and this is one of my favorites
This second chance romance has you rooting for Yas & Josiah from the start. This black powerful couple with love to make you weak own a popular restaurant in Atlanta and help foster the community they live in. Life isn’t easy for this rags to riches couple and their kids.
Lots of difficult losses and how they cope truly test them.

Kennedy builds her character’s so deeply& visually , you feel like you’re watching a movie. As always 🔥🔥🔥🔥sex scenes scattered throughout the story.

CW: This book deals heavily in death and in therapy, but woven so well into the storyline. Minor mentions of dementia and infidelity.

Looking forward to Skyland #2 and which character will be drawn out.

Received an ARC of this book from Forever Books and NetGalley -Thank You.

Wow. What a powerful book. Guys, this is a romance that packs a punch. It is a love story about ADULTS, who have lived a life, faced trouble, survived trauma and lived to tell about it. I love a good swoon worthy romance about young love, but this story, it has some meat behind it, and the impact is richer because of it. I think this is my new favorite romance of 2022!

Bonus points for …
- pro-therapy
- body positivity
- trauma recovery
- girlfriends who lift each other up

Extra credit for …
- French 75’s (my favorite cocktail)
- the food descriptions (I was literally getting hungry while I read)

I also really appreciated the resolution to the conflict in this story. It took more than a simple sorry for the couple to move forward. They both did some real work to make sure that their relationship was right and that they were going to do right by it, and I appreciated that we got to go on that journey with them.

There are certainly some triggers here so if that’s something you’re concerned about, definitely check that out. But for me, I was so moved by this story of triumphant love, overcoming loss and the exploration of living with grief.

It’s also an open door romance and it brings the spice. 🥵🥵

This was my first book by @kennedyryan1, but I definitely plan to check out her backlist now!

Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan
Phoebs: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

𝘈 𝘱𝘰𝘦𝘮 𝘣𝘺 𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘣𝘦𝘴:
𝘒𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘥𝘺 𝘙𝘺𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦.
𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦.
𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘢 𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘴.

I will not be getting over this book anytime soon.

Yasmin and Josiah’s love story is epic and 𝘙𝘈𝘞 navigating a journey strewn with loss, angst, growth and passion. While the pages are heavy with weighted content, they are composed with thoughtfulness, intention, care and grace.

Kennedy immediately grips your heart, her hold only tightening throughout and squeezing still long after you’ve finished reading. Many times throughout this book I found tears streaming down my face, helpless to the emotions this story was ringing out of me. Kennedy approaches mental health from the perspective of individual healing and the immense, intense work dedicated to mending your mind. I absolutely loved the impact of therapy on this family.

Every character is beautifully brought to life with complexity of thought, genuine emotions, dynamic personalities and relatable relationships. I truly believe everyone needs a Hendrix and Soledad in their life — friends who feel like the sisters of the heart. They artfully added a perfect layer of light and levity.

Kennedy, thank you for writing this beautiful story and elegant reminder to be kinder to myself. This novel really landed on my heart.

𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺, 𝘒𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘥𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 (𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘭)𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘦-𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.

**Post to Instagram @FriendsReads coming this week!

I’m such a huge fan of Kennedy Ryan and once again she delivers ✨magic✨ in her phenomenal new release, Before I Let Go. She is such an unbelievably gifted storyteller and her writing never ceases to amaze me and leave a lasting impression. Her words are powerful, raw, poetic, heartfelt, emotional, and full of depth.

Before I Let Go is the heart wrenching yet epic second chance love story of Yasmen and Josiah who are navigating co-parenting and running a restaurant together after their divorce. Their story will tug at so many emotions as you get a first hand look at why their marriage crumbled but it’s also beautiful and powerful to watch them find their way back to each other and reconstruct their relationship. Their chemistry is explosive and Kennedy delivers all the pining, sexual tension, and steam. This story is more than just Yasmen and Josiah’s love story…it’s also a story of grief, self-love, healing, strong friendships, and parenting. Throughout the story, Kennedy navigates tough subjects so realistically and with such care and creates a story filled with exquisite details, humor, angst, emotion, beautiful messages, and lots of amazing food. You’re definitely going to want to pick this one up!

✨marriage reconciliation
✨second chance
✨co-parents
✨business partners
✨trauma, grief, hope, and healing
✨mental health rep
✨all the chemistry, sexual tension, & steam

“Could it be that what I thought were ashes were actually embers, waiting to be rekindled?”

I have read Kennedy Ryan before so I knew to expect the brilliance in her writing and that it was going to be a very emotional story - both things that proved to be true! Yasmen and Josiah’s story is an extreme emotional roller coaster, so just be prepared and make sure that you yourself are in the right emotional state when you pick this up. It’s a story of strong love, difficult loss, and a family trying to struggle to get through it all.

I only really understood when I picked up this ARC that it was going to be a very heavy read… it was so heavy that I had to take a few breaks just to process my own feelings from the characters (mark of great storytelling to immerse the reader so deep).

The reason I have given 4 stars is that it was so much longer with so many things written in that just didn’t need to be there - it could have been told much quicker and to the point and still given us the same feelings and emotions and been just as brilliant. It’s also actually my least favorite trope … marriage in crisis is the trope I hate. Even though this is a divorced couple two years after the fact, they’re behaving like a couple that has just separated but trying to work things out. Not one that I would normally pick up on my own, but I really enjoyed my first read of hers recently and wanted more! For anyone that does enjoy the trope, she did a great job with the story so you should pick it up!

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and this is my honest review and feedback.

Raw and honest are the best ways to describe this book. Ryan doesn't hold back on the issues faced within the Wade family. The way they dealt grief with was so beautiful and I loved the focus on therapy. I wasn't expecting full-on happy times, but I didn't expect full-on sad ones. The book was good at dealing with everything both Yasmen and Josiah had going on and showing how they came out of it stronger and willing to try again. I loved Josiah & Yasmen's relationship and the way they grew with the kids. It was heartwarming, and their development, after both going to therapy, was healthy.

I especially loved the friendship between Soledad, Hendrix, and Yasmen. These girls have each other's backs and try to make time for each other when they can. They are the definition of "this is what friends are for." I assume they'll have books in the Skyland series, and can't wait to read them.