"I was meant for you and you were meant for me, and even when we got in our own way, even when we screwed up—because we both did, baby—even then my soul knew, my heart knew, it was wrong being away from you."

Before I Let Go is a beautiful, raw and a heart-wrenching second chance romance. I love the way her writing is so passionate and all-encompassing of relatable, real-life situations. The way she describes emotions -the good the bad and the ugly- is so powerful and you are left feeling so connected to each character. I loved reading about how Josiah and Yasmen navigated through their lives together, apart and then ultimately the journey of trying to put it all back together again (uh, hello sizzling chemistry and steam!). 5 stars just is not enough for this book. On sale November 15, I strongly recommend you put this at the top of your TBR.

Thank you to Forever Publishing for my early copy!

This is such a unique book, it really hooked my EMOTIONS from the very beginning. It’s not every day I read a book that makes me feel like characters are real people but I was really thrown into this world. Idk how I feel but there’s something hollow and happy in me. LOVED IT!! Don’t mine me adding things to this review as I continue to let everything sink in.

wow. Kennedy Ryan really knows how to capture emotions PERFECTLY. I cried, i laughed,i cheered and i died. This is her best book? Maybe i am riding off a high of just finishing it and my overwhelming emotions are blinding my judgement but Before I Let Go is one of the best books i have this year.

This body gave me my children,” I tell her, sliding down to lift her knees over my shoulders. “And it will always be beautiful to me.”

FUCKING WOW. Kennedy Ryan can write a fantastic second chance romance. I want to ask her how she does it. How does she write characters that always feels so real? How does she write stories I always feel apart of? How?!

This book follows Yasmen and Josiah, a divorced couple that still runs a business together. Throughout the story, we find out the reason for their separation and the events that led up to them. We also uncover their individual struggles, as well as their children.
( I really loved their healthy coparenting relationship. I think it’s important to show that coparenting CAN be like this. )

I will be giving a full review with spoilers on release day. I have too much to say.

Before I Let Go is second-chance romance done right, Yasmen and Josiah are far from perfect. A divorced couple, parents, and business partners, who are trying to find a way to pick up their lives and move on after tragedy and broken hearts. Through her protagonists, Ryan builds and portrays an genuine, realistic, and honest couple. She also accurately depicts the effects of loss and divorce on children and teens, which I found to be a really moving aspect of the story.

This book is a slow burner, with the author adding plenty of tension and angst to an already strained relationship. It's clear Yasmen and Josiah belong together, that their hearts are inclined to one another, and they take their time coming to realise this for the second time. It's an emotional story, filled with heart-ache, but beautifully crafted and written with care. I can't wait for others to experience the soulmate magic in this romance!

I loved this. The story of this divorced couple, both healing from trauma that originally pushed them apart, now realizing that they never stopped loving each other, was so gorgeous and so full of love. I enjoyed the frank discussions of trauma, therapy, and healing from some truly difficult life situations, how these types of things can push people away from those who love us the most, and how true healing means owning up to mistakes and asking for forgiveness. Despite the heavy subject matter in this book, there was such a brightness to it - the characters were real and vibrant, the story jumps off the page, and I fell in love with this town and these wonderful people. I am delighted to see that it's a planned series and I can't wait to see which character Ryan focuses on next.

There is so much I could say about this book. The writing is impeccable and I could feel each emotion of the 2 main characters. Being married myself, I have sometimes felt how these 2 described their own emotions throughout the story. Reading this was hard, there was no clear cut path to a happy ending and I appreciate that. I would recommend this book to everyone I know.

Emotions, emotions, emotions, that’s what Kennedy Ryan stories are full of and this book has them. Before I Let Go is an angsty second chance love story that keeps you turning the pages to read more. Yasmen & Josiah were definitely soulmates and I enjoyed reading the heartache expressed in their story because it felt so real to me. I look forward to reading more from Kennedy Ryan in the future.

Easily, easily one of the best books I read this year. There is something so profound, something so poetic in which the way Kennedy Ryan writes. This is my first book by her, and it will not be my last. This book is about second chances, grief and finding how to love yourself but also how it has always been them. always. These two made me melt, truly. The angst in this was incredible and so was the development. You don't get to see this kind of love story often but it is truly something that people should write more of. This book does second chance so well, and in a way that is not often done. This about two people who were once married, and so deeply in love who now how to navigate being partners in life but knowing that nothing will replace each other. There are triggers of grief in this, of loss and this is truly a grown folk's romance. This is the second chance for grown folks and I truly appreciate this. One of the best love stories I read this year, I could've stayed with them for much longer and I hope we get glimpses of them in the future.

*Received a copy for review.*
I know when I pick up a Kennedy Ryan book, I am in for an emotional ride. The writing is always beautiful and the story is always powerful, but I have to be in the right place to read it.
The first time I started this book, I wasn’t ready. I knew I was not in the right space to give this book the focus it needs. I was not centered enough for the emotions. I also knew that I would love it when I was ready to receive it.
This is the ultimate 2nd chance romance. It is not a couple who fell in love young and then one ran away from the other for some reason. This couple is two people who are deeply in love, who experienced unimaginable loss that neither knew how to process. They fell apart in different ways and lost one another.
It is not an easy read. There were so many times that my eyes filled with tears or my throat closed up. These two people have such a deep connection and the way that it broke was so relatable and yet devastating.
There are so many things about this book that are amazing. It is a deep, painful story. A beautiful, raw look at how tragedy can rip at the bonds we build.
Finding your way through the darkness of loss often has casualties. Relationships, foundations, jobs, and joy can all be lost.
I have never read a second chance like this. It’s not just about the couple but the family and forgiveness.
It’s stunningly sharp and viscerally real.

This book was AMAZING! I usually don’t like romance but I really appreciated this book. It felt realistic (which I truly appreciate & love) and didn’t feel over the top at all.
I enjoyed the perspectives of both Yasmen and Josiah; and it gave a lot more to their story. The writing was superb and I definitely recommend it.

I think there was only one typo I believe (it should be there rather than they’re in chapter 5 (loc 959))

Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan is a beautifully written second chance romance. Two years after their amicable divorce, Yasmen and Josiah are trying to move on.

Once a passionate couple, they struggled to connect after great loss and grief. Yasmen grappled with deep depression while Josiah repressed his grief. Their inability to communicate ultimately led to their divorce. Even as they try to move on, Yasmen and Josiah are constantly are drawn back together through their children, shared business and supportive community.

I loved this book, the story, Kennedy Ryan’s writing which put choke hold on my heart. I especially loved the passion between Yasmen and Josiah. Their physical attraction and chemistry is palpable and so obvious to everyone around them. They’re both really likeable and caring characters who have tremendous growth throughout the story. The cast of supporting characters, including the children, were all written with tremendous love and empathy.

Was this a steamy love story? Absolutely. But what really landed for me is that sometimes the journey to growth and wellness is one that is traveled alone, and there will be mistakes made along the way. Excellent representation for mental health, getting help for depression, and the positive impact of finding the right therapist.

Be on the look out for content warnings. A few include: grief, child loss, depression and suicidal ideation.

Five stars. I hope everyone who needs this book, finds it.

I don’t really know how to review a book that put me through so many emotions. BEFORE I LET GO was a raw look at what life is like after divorce and the journey that got them there.

Yasmen was a heroine I related too. Not just for being a mother but for herself doubt, her struggles with depression and her worries that she wasn’t the mother she thought she should be. My heart physically hurt for her because I know what depression can do. It tells you lies every day that you’re not good enough. That your family would be better off without you. And just getting out of bed is a feat in itself. I admired her though for pulling herself out of that dark well of sadness and making herself and her mental health a priority. She proved it’s ok to put yourself first and it’s ok to ask for help. Every day you work at it and little by little Yasmen started to feel like herself again. She didn’t do it alone though and I loved the support she had from her loyal, loving friends, her therapist and her family.

Now onto the romance. Being married myself I know how hard you have to work at a marriage sometimes. It’s not easy and what Yasmen and Josiah lost only added to the strain. They were two ships passing each other in the night, silently struggling alone. I understood both of their sides and it was heartbreaking to see. While I adored Yasmen, Joshiah I never quite warmed up to. I know he was in pain, but I feel like he didn’t try hard enough, and he put a lot of the blame on Yasmen. Then how he handled his new relationship just pissed me off. His behavior was selfish and sometimes cruel and call me petty, but I just couldn’t get over that. I did appreciate that he took the steps to better himself and finally saw where Yasmen was coming from. They did truly love each other and though their journey was hard, the end was worth the trials.

I read this book in one sitting. It consumed my thoughts and left my emotions in a tailspin and while I didn’t love everything, this book has my heart. Not just for the romance (beautiful if not flawed), but for giving a voice to those that struggle every day. This is a book to show it’s ok not to be ok and our journeys won’t be like everyone else’s but as long as we keep trying the light will eventually find us. Thank you, Ms. Kennedy, for writing BEFORE I LET GO. Yasmen will stay with me a long time and I hope to be as aspiring as her someday. 4.5 Stars!

TW: Loss of a child (stillbirth), Depression, Divorce.

*Thank you to Forever publishing, Kennedy Ryan and Netgalley for this e-Arc.

Yasmen and Josiah are going on two years divorced after suffering two losses that tore them apart. They’re coparents, business partners, and obviously not over each other. The thing is, the way Josiah characterizes the split and the way Yas does…that gap is miles long, and it never closed to my satisfaction.

One of the hallmarks of their relationship is the difference in the way they handle trauma, and unfortunately for them, there is plenty of it to go around. Throughout the book, it is clear that as a reader, you have every reason to root for them. Despite that, Josiah really frustrated me, and I struggled to reconcile his internal monologue about the months leading to their split with the image of him that Yas was clinging to. Their daughter…whew parenting is really beyond me. I loved the strong community they built around their family, particularly in Yas’ best friends (someone needs a divorce asap), and the regular interjections from therapists.

Tread lightly if depictions of death or pregnancy are concerns for you, otherwise, absolutely recommend for fans of second chance romances/marriages in crisis.

5/5 ☆

An incredibly emotional and beautiful story about two people learning how to navigate their grief and trying to find their way back to each other.

Before I Let Go is a second chance romance centered on divorced, Black couple, Yasmen & Josiah, who have gone through losses so unimaginable that it leads to the dissolution of their marriage. While trying their best to co-parent and run a successful business together, Yasmen and Josiah begin to butt heads when Yasmen finds out Josiah has started to move on. A new reality has settled in: maybe their marriage really is over. As Yasmen and Josiah work through their conflicted feelings for one another, they embark on a journey filled with healing and self-discoveries, trying their best to find a healthily way to coexist again.

Kennedy Ryan knows how to tug on your heartstrings and make you feel every single thing that these characters feel. Yasmen and Josiah's story is heartbreaking, unfair, and powerful. The journey that grief takes this couple on is wild and demonstrates that love isn't always the answer - you can love someone so much and still know that you can't be the one to fix them. I'm incredibly grateful that I was able to read their story - definitely a top 5 read of the year for me!

Thank you Forever and Kennedy for this ARC!

Tropes:
-One bed
-Second chance
-Forced proximity
-Mental health rep

𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐈 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐆𝐨 | 𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝𝐲 𝐑𝐲𝐚𝐧
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ★★★★★
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞:🌶🌶🌶.5
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: 𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲



⇘ 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 ⇙

🧡 If I could give this book a 10 star I would! It's been a long time since I picked a book that I couldn't put down. I finished this book in just a couple of hours and I went through such a emotional rollercoaster.

🧡 If you love 2nd chance tropes, I highly recommend this book. I really loved our female lead, I was able to relate her through her grief and pain. Seeing her become a stronger than who she once was felt very inspiring to me. I also loved our male lead as well, and this book taught me that two people who really love each other can find their way back to each other again. This book was beautiful, and it was filled with such raw emotion. I very much enjoyed the spicy scenes as well, and I couldn't help but to really root for this couple to make things work again.

🧡 The author did an amazing job of writing this story, I love the transition between the past and present when it came to giving us a backstory of how things happened and why. And she did a awesome job with letting the characters express their emotions. I really love this book, and I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy

Thank you netgalley for giving me e-arc of this book 🧡

Please Pre order this and support this author! You will not be disappointed, book releases 11/15

This second chance romance is getting nothing but glowing reviews, so I’m bummed that I can’t give it more than three stars.
There are some things that it does very very well. I really appreciate that this is a book featuring a couple that are, I’m guessing, around 40 (their age is never given), and have lived life and tragedy and joy and so many other things that a 20 year-old doesn’t know. I also love how positive a message it gives about seeking help for mental health. That it’s OK to go to therapy, that it’s OK to take medication, that it’s healthy. Big points for this.
But here’s where it lost me. I’m not really sure what the bond is between these two other than physical. The book is told in dual perspective, and every single time one of them sees the other there are comments about how hot they are, and about her cheekbones and his shoulders and her eyes and he’s a thirst trap and damn look at her ass and his this and her that and so on and so on. It goes on for the entire book. And it just seems so shallow. Don’t get me wrong, physical attraction is absolutely important. But where’s the heart, where’s the soul? It just seemed like this endless litany about how hot they are and how great the sex is. Is that the only reason they’re together, because it sure seems like it.

Thank you to NetGalley & Forever Publishing for this advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

(spoiler free) I've learned a lot from reading Kennedy Ryan novels. One of those things being that she'll leave me feeling speechless every single time! Our two main leads, Yas and Josiah have my heart like no other and, the road to their happily ever after (again) had my heart pulling in 20 different directions. I cried, I smiled and laughed. This second-chance romance was everything and more, I expected nothing less from Kennedy Ryan!

This is a second chance romance, one of my favorite tropes, and Kennedy Ryan never disappoints!

We have Yasmen and Josiah who were once married and are now divorced parents of two kids, preteen Kassim and teenage Deja. Yasmen and Josiah co-own a successful restaurant, and they're able to navigate running the restaurant and co-parenting with respect for one another, although they both still have feelings for each other. As the story slowly unfolds we see that their marriage ended tragically, and we get glimpses of how each of them dealt with it.

This was such an amazing story. Yasmen and Josiah were in a lot of pain and Kennedy Ryan really brought that out on the page. We were shown that people don't always deal with their problems the way we want them to, and sometimes the resulting messiness has long-lasting repercussions. I like that the differing opinions about therapy were present here, and that they offered therapy to Kassim, but I think it was obvious that Deja needed therapy as well, and they waited too long to get it for her, in my opinion. I also really enjoyed the dual POV because at times I wanted to shake both of them because of how they were treating one another. Yasmen's friendship with Hendrix and Soledad was super fun, and I hope we get books for them as well.

This cover is *chef's kiss*.

Could not put this down! A roller coaster of real-life emotions filled with characters you'll grow to love. I loved this one and can't wait to read more from this author.