I cannot even begin to put into words how phenomenal this book is. I’ve had the ARC copy sitting in my Kindle for a while now and just kept putting off reading it, and all I can say is I regret waiting so long to finally read this book! When I finally picked it up, I FLEW through it and read it in two days.

This book is second chance romance at it’s finest. We have a divorced couple who went through some of the hardest things a person can go through, who are now trying to find a way to co-parent their two kids and run a business together. The level of yearning and regret, mixed with lack of trust and fear is tangible. The entire time I was reading, my heart was in my throat. It felt like my insides were in a vice grip and I was physically manifesting all of their grief and heartache. Ryan did an amazing job of writing characters and a story that sucks you in and holds on tight.

Yas and Josiah had amazing chemistry throughout the book. Even when they were fighting and trying to find ways to move on, you could feel the pull that they had for each other. I love how the story unraveled, with us finding them in their post-divorce period and learning about the events that led to this bit by bit. Having the story told through dual POV was brilliant as it allowed us to understand both of their sides and what their interpretation of events was. They had both endured so much trauma and their responses to the trauma is what ultimately leads them to splitting up in the first place. But luckily for the reader, this is a romance and we are able to watch their journey through growth and healing and finding each other again. It just takes a lot of tears (from the reader and the characters) first.

Not only do we see the characters struggling with their relationship with each other, but we also see them dealing with the fall out for their family. Their daughter is a teenager who is taking the divorce hard and lashing out. Their son has a new fear of death and abandonment. Those relationships were so real and raw and heartbreaking as well. Ryan handled these characters and their relationships with honesty and grace, and I loved the journey we saw with their family as well.

This book also set up a beautiful story of mental health and mental healthcare. Therapy was utilized often and we saw multiple characters’ relationship and journey through counseling. Joshua’s experience with therapy was so impactful. We saw a character who was resistant the process, and put up a lot of walls at first, and witnessed him grow and heal tremendously. I just love that this book wasn’t just about them finding each other again, but about them finding themselves first and be able to become the person the other partner needs.

Before I Let Go is such an outstanding novel. While the book covers heavy topics, it was handled with care and such a beautiful, touching story. I highly recommend to those who’ve not yet picked up this book!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Second Chance love story always does something to me don't ask me why I find this just beautiful, it's not just about the forgiveness it's everything and doing it better

Kennedy Ryan my queen, she delivers and I read that all. She did it again. let me tell you if Yasmen wasn't petty I was it for her and trying to bad mouth our man. I can't stop laughing thinking about this. But still, that's why I like her, and her daughter man this kid was something else my blood pressure.

"I said I hated you, but I don't. Not yet, but if we keep on like this, I will, Si. And you'll hate me"

Chapter Thirteen but not just this one, the entire book breaks something to put it back together. The second chance can be hurtful but so beautiful.

This took me a while to get into because of the trigger, but j was able to read it and I understand the hype. I ended up listening to the audiobook and loved the narration! This is definitely a heavy story at times, but Ryan’s writing is so good! Josiah and Yasmen have so much history. There were moments that made me want to sob for them and all they’ve gone through. As a parent, their loss of Henry shattered my heart. Yasmen’s relationship with her daughter was so relatable. I also really loved her relationship with her friends. I loved the portrayal of therapy , especially men going to therapy. I will definitely check out more books by Kennedy Ryan.

I really enjoyed this book! Kennedy Ryan never disappoints. A beautiful full circle tale about loss and love and second chances. Making us believe that second chances can be even better than the first even when all hope is lost.

This is a wonderful book that deals with family, loss, friendship and a second chance romance. The family is relatable and the friendships feel authentic. Throughout the book, I just really wanted the family to find their way back to each other. They did and their story was very enjoyable.

I received an advanced copy of Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan from the publisher Forever via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What It’s About: Yasmen and Josiah were always the couple everyone wanted to be, they were meant to last forever and their love was supposed to conquer all. But when they are faced with a tragedy, their marriage falls apart. Now, two years later, Yasmen and Josiah are doing a great job balancing co-parenting their two kids and their business and keeping it friendly. But they cannot ignore the pull of attraction, are they ready to find their way back to each other?

What I Loved: Gosh, Kennedy Ryan is just an amazing writer. The writing is beautiful and this is such a well crafted story. This book is not easy, but it is also not constantly sad. This book handles real trauma and how we all process it in different way and the real impacts of depression and not processing grief. This book is so pro-mental health and really celebrates the healing power of therapy. I truly appreciate how we get to see how devastating mental health challenges can be but also that there is hope. I love just all of the themes of this novel. There is so much love and healing in this book that it is just beautiful. This book is really an amazing second chance story that feels earned and also where we don’t hold it against either character that it fell apart before.

What I Didn’t Like: The chemistry was a little off for me at times, but I think that’s a me thing, I really loved this book.

Who Should Read It: People who love a good second chance book that plays with grief and healing.

Summary: A marriage destroyed by grief and the healing that leads them back to one another.

I'm so mad at myself that I took so long to read this book. Before I Let Go is a heart wrenching tale of forgiveness, love, and finding your path after tragic losses. It also talks a lot about therapy and that it's ok to not always be okay. That statement said by Yasmen to her kids just broke me. Honestly it wasn't the only time the book broke me. Trigger warning for discussions of a miscarriage, as it's a big focal point of the story.

I loved the chemistry between Yasmen and Josiah which you could feel burning off the page. The friendship between Yasmen and her girlfriends was also great and reminds me of two of my best friends as well. Really I just loved everything about this book. I know someone who said picking a romance book would be a waste and to them I say you're not reading the right kind of romance or opening up yourself to the possibility of discussions. Romance books, as illustrated by Before I Let Go, pack a punch and offer so much more than the HEA or HFN we expect at the end.

I've already pre-ordered Soledad's story, This Could Be Us, coming out in March 2024. Both covers are absolutely gorgeous too. Kudos to the cover designer for both books. Before I Let Go was my first book by Kennedy Ryan and it definitely won't be my last. I can't wait to read more from her in the future.

Emotional story of love lost through tragedy and recovered by perseverance and a some desperation. Great read! Strong plot and the dialogue was interesting and relevant throughout.

This book was a rollercoaster of emotions. The characters will have you crying, laughing, yelling, and more crying. Yasmen and Josiah have an epic story of a lifetime and their family will have you routing for them.

Before I Let Go, by Kennedy Ryan was a top read for me. I wish I would have gotten to it sooner, but I am a very slow reader and a mood reader. I had not been in the mind set to read a story that deal with divorce, coping with life after a divorce and co-parenting, mental health and grief. Heavy trigger warning for stillbirth and depression.
This book will make your heartache. The story is so real and it's full of angst. Yasmen and Josiah are very well written characters and you their chemistry jumps off the page. They are not written as perfect humans either, they make mistakes, they break each other's hearts, and they lose their marriage, yet they own a restaurant together as well has have two children they need to co-parent. They try to move-on, but both are still deeply in-love with one another. It's a wonderful second-chance romance with some not so pretty parts.

Thank you to the author Kennedy Ryan, NetGalley, and Grand Central Publishing for an advanced reader copy.

LOVED! One of my top 5 books of the year! I received an advanced copy this past summer via @netgalley @readforeverpub having no clue what I was in for, having never read a book from this author before. I was hooked from the very first page and was pretty sure just a chapter or two in that it was going to be a 5⭐️ for me.

I loved the characters so much, Yasmen being my favorite. The story is centered around a couple who appeared to be the perfect couple, then even ran a successful business together. But after a tragedy they grew apart and ended up getting a divorce. From there the still successful run their business together and co parent and as the story unfolds you find out more about their love story and what happened that caused it to fall apart.

So many heavy topics aside from divorce were addressed, like mental health, therapy (with a big focus on therapy for black men), PPD, pregnancy lose, coparenting, passive suicidal thoughts, grief, and second chance romance and if that is even possibly, after so much shared tragedy.

The book does have some spice, but the characters, their struggles and their journey through them was what stood out most to me. I was invested from the start and couldn’t put this book down. In many ways I was able to relate to Yasmen and in the ways that I couldn’t directly relate, Kennedys writing style made it so you could easily empathize.

The topics are heavy, the writing and characters are👌🏽and I highly recommend.

This novel was beautifully written. It gives a wonderful portrayal of what it is like to grieve. It also shows a wonderful example of the close friend group that so many of us wish that we could have.

This was my first Kennedy Ryan book and I wasn’t disappointed at all. Seeing Yasmen and Josiah find their way back to each other was such a wonderful thing to witness. I cried (so many times) and cried (the same amount) so much from Before I Let Go. I immediately wanted to reread and experience their love story over again.

"There is only one letter of difference between love and lose, and somewhere along the way, for me they became synonymous."

Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan delivered an emotional sucker punch straight in the feels. This book might be the realist, second chance romance I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Before I Let Go pulled on every last fiber of my heartstrings as a mother and wife. I've loved Kennedy's books in the past and went in with high hopes. I didn't expect THIS BOOK! Before I Let Go is on my Best of 2022 list.

This was a gorgeous romance that took a look at a complex marriage, it’s after effects from divorce and second chances.⁣
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Love can be messy and this book does a great job showing this. Yasmin and Josiah loved each other dearly, but when a heartbreaking experience occurs, they are unable to continue with their marriage. ⁣
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They now co-parent their kids and also own a restaurant together. When Josiah takes a step towards moving on with another woman, Yasmin begins to realize her feelings towards Josiah aren’t settled. Perhaps his aren’t either. ⁣
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This takes a look at mental health and how it affects a marriage. Given that a lot of people in the world have some sort of mental health disorder, this is a fairly common thing to come up in a marriage. Many romances don’t address this. Kennedy Ryan did a magnificent job of showing a person struggle with depression and how it affects those around them. ⁣
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This book has some heartbreaking moments, but overall it’s a beautiful and complex love story that should be lauded. It made me so happy to see them happy again!⁣
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Thank you to @readforeverpub for the @netgalley copy of this book.

Oh I can see now why the hype on this one was so big! A fabulous read! Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for read and review

There’s a reason why this book went viral. Kennedy Ryan writes books that suck you in and break your heart. Will be diving into the backlist. So good!

I am amazed by this book! The grace Mrs. Ryan used to write these characters had me in awe of such talent. She didn’t shy away from any of it. Josiah and Yasmen were very relatable. Parents trying to pull off life. Looking back on it, you see where you’ve gone wrong. Knowing you need help is half the battle. I absolutely enjoyed the hope that this book offered!

Having never read anything of Kennedy Ryan's, I was eager to give this a try – especially after hearing rave reviews from everyone. And while this wasn't the perfect romance for me, I thoroughly enjoyed it and particularly loved the second change marriage storyline. So often romance characters are in their 20s and it was nice to read a story about a couple in their 30s who had been through some things and were working on themselves. And there was plenty of steam – FYI for those who like that, and for those who might want to skip those parts, I definitely recommend this to all romance readers and will be picking up more of Ryan's books.

This is a wonderful emotional roller coaster from beginning to end! At times it is incredibly heavy, and at others hilarious, and full of joy. I highly recommend it to those looking for a deeper, heavier romance.