A deep soul searching read. There are a lot of themes intertwined with each other, but the most prevalent are sorrow, love, therapy, and taking risks.
Yasmin, after a horrible tragedy was drowning in a sea of darkness. She was barely functioning and let go of something precious, her husband. Now, two years later, she’s having second thoughts, but is that fair? What if it’s too late.
Confession: after reading almost half the book I had to read,the ending because I wanted I was invested and I couldn’t wait how it would turn out.
It’s a worthwhile read. Sometimes we make decisions that feel right at the time, but then regret. This novel is soulful and deals with many sensitive topics in a mindful way.
I received two hard copies from Forever and the second cover with the gold leafing is exquisite.

I was hooked throughout every delectable page! Kennedy Ryan is yanking on our heartstrings something fierce with the first book in her Skyland series, a gut wrenching rendition of life at it’s worst and the reawakening after the darkness. There’s laughter and tears, love through the pain and so many feel good moments as we follow their journey back from the sadness they became. You are not going to want to miss this book … and be prepared to not be able to put it down. I really hope we see more of this fam and get to see her BFF’s get a story soon!

Yasmen and Josiah are both amazing characters. Life tore them apart, but they still have great love for each other and the life that they shared and they make great effort to put their children first always as they meander through the ins and outs of moving on without each other. I loved their love and respect for each other and though they each have different sides to their story, you can’t really find fault with either one.

I highly recommend this book to anyone that loves love and holds out hope that even in the darkest days, love will find a way.

When it comes to second chance romance, I am always a bit apprehensive because some of the really deep issues the broke up the couple in the first place never ends up getting addressed. That is NOT the case in Before I Let Go. Ryan goes in on all of the issues that Yasmen and Josiah faced, and doesn’t care about your feelings along the way.

I honestly can’t put into words how important this story is for the Black community specifically. Here we have an incredible Black romance. The love and passion between Yasmen and Josiah is off the freaking charts. But once they are faced with multiple tragic deaths in the family, what is left is crippling grief and depression coupled with a lack of communication and refusal to participate in family therapy.

Ryan does phenomenal job of not shying away from how grief affects people differently from both Yasmen and Josiah to their kids (Deja and Kassim). There were so many scenes that were difficult to read when it came to the resentment and betrayal that Deja felt from Yasmen specifically, and while I wanted scream at Deja, I completely understood her anger.

In true Ryan fashion, the sexy times in this book were giving me hot flashes. Yasmen and Josiah were putting in that work. That’s all I’m gonna say.

Overall, if you’re looking for a second chance romance that is going to have you going through all of the emotions plus has some really great steamy scenes, this is the one for you!

Thank you Forever Books for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

From the beginning I just KNEW this story was going to be great. Kennedy has such a unique way of writing that will have you feeling every emotion for these characters,
and their journey. To say this book was incredible doesn't even seem like enough, it was incredible and then it was more. The realness in the story had you feeling the love, the angst, the tension, and the chemistry between Josiah and Yasmen. It was heartbreaking and beautiful. I was feeling emotional and at the same time giddy! Kennedy did a great job of throwing banter and spice in there, too! By time I reached The End I was feeling so full, I loved this story! This was an EASY 5 stars for me.

Thank you so much to Netgalley & to Kennedy Ryan for the E-ARC!

BEFORE I LET GO ARC REVIEW

Ever read a book and before it’s even finished, you just KNOW? You know it’s a top read of the year. You know this is comfort book material. You know it’s just going to break you!

I grabbed Before I Let Go from @netgalley because it was a ready for download and I didn’t have to sign up for it. This was my first book by @kennedyryan and I know how much people love her writing, but damn, I did not expect that.

This book is about a divorced couple coparenting their pre-teens and running a successful restaurant together. Their relationship didn’t survive more than one tragedy but years later, there’s no doubt they are soulmates.

Something about this story!!!! It was just so real. SO REAL. It made me laugh and learn and broke my heart before it put it back together. I’m so glad I read this. It was a buddy read with @booktalkwithbritt and she left me in the dust but so totally understand, plus I was dealing with family stuff.

Ugh, seriously read this book. The steam was, ugh, so hot and emotional too. I can’t wait to read it again.

Thanks for sharing your words. @kennedyryan. And the recipes at the end! Ugh, OBSESSED!

Thanks @netgalley and @kennedyryan for this ARC!

There are not enough words to tell you how much I love Kennedy Ryan and her books, but I'll do my best to talk about this one.

Before I Let Go tells the story of Yasmen & Josiah, the good, the bad, and the heartbreaking. This second-chance romance has everything I could ever want. Complex relationships? Yes. Funny supporting characters? Yes. More than your fade-to-black scenes? Absolutely.

My favorite thing about Kennedy Ryan is that on top of writing Black & Brown people in her stories, she's writing about their successes, their failures, their struggles, their comebacks. Yasmen & Josiah are relatable - their story isn't exaggerated or far-fetched. I think a lot of people will resonate with their stories, romance or not. And can we just take a second to talk about Black families in therapy?! WE LOVE TO SEE IT!!

I genuinely cannot wait for the rest of this series to come out. Thanks a million to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing/ Forever for gifting me a digital copy of this book. Anxiously waiting for 11/15 so I can get my hands on a physical copy!

This felt raw and real and beautiful in all its glorious messiness.

Romantic love is the star of the show, with a heavy side of steam, but… the relationships between all of the characters, family and friends, and their real life struggles were all executed so perfectly imperfectly, that I honestly feel like it does this book a disservice to ignore the side stories. I could not stop reading because I needed to know that all of my friends were going to be okay. There is so much of life’s bittersweet beauty to unpack, and Kennedy Ryan writes it all so well that you feel like you are there in it with them… It probably helped that this was also set right outside of Atlanta.

I can’t believe this is my first of Ryan’s books! However, when I learned in her author’s note that this was actually her very first story, I’m glad this is where I started. I’m looking forward to reading her next book, and working my way through the audios of her backlist.

I don’t know where to start to describe this book and what it meant to me and how it made me feel. Sorry, but this review might seem a bit personal and all about me rather than all about the book.

First things first, and this could turn into a spoiler, there is something in the story of Yasmen and Josiah that resonates because we went through that too. It isn’t a spoiler to say, that this is a second chance romance, or that the couple are divorced. The reasons behind the cause of the rift that brought about the ending of a beautiful relationship need to be read not thrown out in a book review.

I used the word ‘we’ because the hand that we were dealt in our relationship, that’s me and the husband, it was both of us. We were united. We talked. We went through the hardest time and in going through it together, we became this impenetrable team. Life can throw whatever at us now but we know we have the strength to get through it.

My heart struggled with some parts of this book because of the way Yasmen and Josiah dealt with the events in their lives. I wanted to shake them and get them to talk. I blamed Yasmen; for me she was the guilty party. In my eyes, she was the instigator of the collapse of the marriage, until Kennedy Ryan showed me what was going on in Yasmen’s head. I didn’t appreciate what she was going through until it clicked that we were very lucky. My husband and I were always on the same wavelength.

It’s a book that makes you think about mental health and how hard you would fight. Kennedy Ryan pushed me out of my comfort zone. I love how she explored the emotions and the juxtaposition of two people who are perfect together but are rubbish at communicating their feelings.

By the end of this book I understood why Yasmen did what she did and why Josiah did what he did too. Kennedy Ryan has excellent skills.

Short Synopsis: After many things in life falling apart, Yasmen and Josiah are striving to co-parent and maintain a booming restaurant after their divorce.

My thoughts: This was raw, deep, and so emotional. So many real life things happened to tear this relationship apart.

This is my first Kennedy Ryan and after reading this I can’t wait to pick up her backlist titles. It was written so well that I felt like I was there living life with Yasmen and Josiah. And the fact that additional stories will be written has me all sorts of excited.

My favorite part of this was the acceptance of therapy in helping come to terms with some very difficult situations. Therapy has been taboo for so long it’s so nice to see it more normalized.

TW: Loss of a child, still born, grief, depression, divorce

Read if you love:
* Second chance romance
* Raw and emotional reads
* Mental health and therapy
* Owning a business
* Co-parenting
* Best friends

Thank you to Forever and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. Publication date is November 15, 2022 so watch for it!

<b>It's easy to get lost, just hold on tight enough</b>

Every time I pick up a book by this author I know I'll learn more about who I am as a person that before I picked the book up!

Josiah and Yasmen had the type of love that everyone always dreams of. Unexpected tragedies broke a foundation they thought they would have forever. It's now time to learn to live for what they have now, two amazing children, a restaurant they built together, and a friendship that's worth saving. Yasmen struggled so much with accepting her own failures, something I felt so very deeply personal. Josiah felt lost in trying to navigate his new reality.

<i>"I'm most grateful for time, which doesn't always heal all wounds, but teaches us how to be happy again even with our scars"</i>

Sometimes I don't think people ever truly learn to love their scars, but I think that's what makes everyone unique. Josiah and Yasmen's love story is like that, without the hard struggles the beautiful memories wouldn't shine so brightly.

I will say I'm not a fan of the 'second chance marriage' trope, but there has not been a book I've picked up from KR that hasn't become a new favorite!

oh. my. god. this was everything and more. note: please observe cw's listed at the beginning of the book. we jump into the story a couple years after the tragic events that led to the end of Yasmen and Josiah's marriage. they run a successful restaurant together and co-parent their children, but is a second chance at love in the cards for them?

this is a story about yasmen and josiah's love, but it is also a story about grief, about loss, and about how that process looks different for everyone. kennedy ryan allows her characters to make mistakes and to feel their feelings, and that's what makes them feel so grounded. i thought these sensitive topics were handled with love and care, and i even felt like i was able to learn a lot by witnessing their experience. you could feel the love yasmen and josiah had for each other even in the darkest moments and that is what made it so gratifying to follow their second chance at a love story. every character was so well-layered and specific; i felt like i could picture them so clearly. i found myself reading as slowly as possible to soak up this beautiful story.

*thank you Forever Publishing for the ARC!

Talk about a second chance romance! I am an emotional mess right now! Kennedy Ryan does it one more time with “Before I Let go”

Yasmín and Josiah have been separated for a couple of years now, they’re co-parenting the best they can and running a business together in the midst of IT all!

A couple who has gone through it all and couldn’t hold each other together.. a couple that failed their love and each other.. a love story like no other you have read.

Kennedy Ryan’s paints the picture of what genuine love, Loss, Grief, Relationship/married couple struggles & second chances and it’s PERFECTION!

I highly recommend this novel, get the tissues ready because it’s a rollercoaster of emotions..
Thank you Netgalley & Grand Central Publishing for an Ecopy of this lovely novel.

I snagged this when it was available for read now a while back. I was confident enough that I would love it that I added a physical copy to my November BOTM box!

I just finished the arc on my Kindle! I have so many emotions 😭😭😭 Yasmen and Josiah have my whole heart right now. What a beautiful love story!

🌼 Easy 5 Stars
🌼 Second Chance Romance
🌼 Divorced Couple Co-Parenting
🌼 There’s Only One Bed
🌼 Top Notch Mental Health & Therapy rep
🌼 Open Door Romance (it’s a bit of a slow burn but she’s spicy when we get there!)

I loved the book, 10/10 would recommend. It is a very heavy story though as a heads up. CW: child/pregnancy loss, death, grief, depression.

*Book Review*
Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan
Rating: 5/5

This book made me laugh and mostly cry from the beginning to the end. It delves into marriage, divorce, love, loss, rediscovery, forgiveness and acceptance with quite a few hot moments thrown into the mix. Each character is written with such realness that you feel as though you've met someone like them before.

Would I recommend? Yes! This is not a book to be passed over.

Thank you so much to Kennedy Ryan, Forever and NetGalley for an advance copy of this!

Wowzer! This is my first Kennedy Ryan book and I think I picked a good one to start with. I have heard so much about her writing and I own her Hoops & Grip series which I really want to read now. Kennedy's writing so smooth and the most realistic I have ever read.

Quick recap: Yasmen & Josiah are a divorce couple who went through two hard losses back to back. For the last 2 years they had been amicable for the sake of their two children Deja and Kassim. The two just cannot get past their undenying love for one another. Can they move on from their past and rebuild their future?

As I mentioned above, Ryan's writing shines a light on real things couples go through. I am a huge fan of rom coms and swoon worthy moments from the MMC but in this you do not get that. You get heart, complicated family dynamics, loss and healing. In the span of 400 pages, you are taken on this journey that is so beautiful.

"Grief is a grind. It is the work of breathing and waking and rising and moving through a world that feels emptier. A gaping hole has been torn into your existence, and everyone around you just walks right past it like it's not even there."

I love that Ryan talked about topics that are not typically found in romance books. You have characters who are in therapy, mental health, death, stillbirths and depiction of being depressed. The positive light of the power of therapy is important for all - young and old. It is healthy to have these conversations with individuals who can help you.

I have never experienced the type of loss that Yasmen & Josiah did with the loss of their son Henry, but the way Ryan wrote about it and the pain afterwards was similar to my feelings when I had my miscarriages. Specifically when talking about Josiah. This line especially got to me, spoken by Yasmen, "You never talk about him. You've never cried for him." My husband and I had many emotional conversations after our miscarriages as I was so frustrated at him for not grieving the same way that I did. Just like Yasmen, I wonder why are you not crying like I am? Why are you not heartbroken like I am? Brillant.

"You're not a robot. You're human."

Another relationship I enjoyed watching develop over the course of the book was Yasmen's relationship with her eldest daughter Deja. She is at an age where her mom is not cool and everything that she does is deemed wrong. We later learn why Deja is so angry at her mom but before then seeing how Yasmen tries to dance a delicate dance with her daughter on making things right between them. Small changes lead to big results.

Rumor had it that Kennedy Ryan can write some pretty good spicy scenes and I can tell you that is 100% the truth. Even with all the serious conversations throughout the book, there was no shortage of intimacy. I can't speak enough about the realistic images you have while reading this book. It was just so beautiful.

Thank you Kennedy for this wonderful book for the universe to enjoy & love.

PS: I am definitely going to try the corn pudding & sweet potato pie pancakes!

Kennedy Ryan WOW this is the first book I've read penned by you, and needless to say I need to review your backlist of books. Before I Let Go is a beautifully written story of one families coping through grief that destroys a marriage. Yasmen (Yas) and Josiah's love story is hopeful, real and truthful on how loss effects ones self.

My emotions were just as torn as those of the characters, and the ending literally burst my heart. The dual perspective showed the reader the differences on how each of us work through conflict and miscommunication. The positive message on therapy was powerful. Sometime we just need to learn the tools on how to resolve heartbreak to move forward.

A poignant family story - 5 stars!!

Thank you Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the complimentary e-book of this novel.

There are truly no words to describe the masterpiece that is Before I Let Go!

Yasmen and Josiah had the kind of love that everyone thought was unbreakable, but when they face a series of losses their life is broken beyond repair. And now, two years post-divorce they are managing their new relationship as co-parents and business owners. As they both try to move on with their lives, we see that the love they shared is still there and still pulling them together.

What I love most about Kennedy’s writing is that she writes about real people going through life and she does it with so much thought and care. As a reader, you know that Kennedy will take you on an emotional journey but you also go through it knowing that you and the characters will be taken care of the entire time. And I can’t thank Kennedy enough for that!

The portrayal of mental health and therapy in this book are done in such a beautiful way. Josiah and Yasmen each have their own journey with therapy and it's so important to see how different they are. I found myself crying so many times because of how honest and raw the dialogue was and how time really allowed them to do the work to heal and to understand their grief.

To say my heart broke for all of them would be an understatement. But seeing them grow and learn to love one another again was everything and more. The friendships in this are equally important and seeing Yasmen find a safe space in her friendships warmed my heart. Yasmen is truly one of my favorite protagonists of all time!

And to all the flight attendants and passengers of my flight, while I read this book, I hope you enjoyed seeing me go through it (hahaha)

cws: death of loved one (off page), stillbirth, depression, grief, passive suicidal ideation (no attempts)

Thank you, NetGalley and Forever/Grand Central Publishing for the arc!

Thanks to Forever for the gifted ARC.

Before I Let Go is a wonderful picture of the realities of marriage and loss, and a beautiful promotion for going to therapy. Yasmen and Josiah experience two big losses in a row, causing their marriage to fall apart. They're clearly still meant for each other, and as they process and work through their grief, their storyline is beautiful. The picture of intimacy - of really knowing the depths of someone - is so well done in this book. Life isn't always pleasant and positive, and marriage and intimacy are also made for experiencing the depths of grief together.

My one drawback to this book was the level/frequency of open-door scenes, which is a personal preference that I don't love, so I did skip over quite a few of those. But, I love the cast of characters in Before I Let Go, and am excited to see that it's listed as the first in a series.

4.5 Stars!

This book is so much more than a marriage reconciliation romance. Kennedy Ryan gave us a story to shows us how grief affects the entire family.

Kennedy Ryan portrayal of grief and depression is simply heartbreaking and real. Yasmen and Josiah’s journey will absolutely grab your heart. I always make sure to read the dedications and author notes, but I definitely want to make sure others read the authors note at the end.

Therapy is a big proponent in this book, and mental health in general. There are definitely things in this book that could be triggering, so do take care before starting this book.

Yasmen and Josiah’s love for each other shine through the entire book. Their story is messy, passionate, and absolutely real.

If there's something in this world that makes me believe in love - the pure undying kind of love - its Kennedy Ryan’s writing.

Kennedy’s books constantly leave me aching during and after them, like an experience i just can't get over. They hurt in the absolute best way, with every emotion and every struggle her characters go through, I can feel my heart clench as well.

Yas and Si were absolute powerhouses, such amazingly complex characters you couldn’t help but love, ache, and cheer for every step of the way. Their separate stories of healing touched a cord in me, the feeling of a deep hopeless pit you couldn’t get out of and the slow transition of becoming yourself once more could not have been more impactful.

Without a doubt, this is one of the best books I’ve read this year. Every single aspect of this book captured me - mind, body, and soul. It was a full body and emotional experience I couldn’t get over and never wanted to get over. I 100% recommend this book but please take note to read the list of TWs before you do!