Great book with well developed characters that I was rooting for. Appreciated the dual POV and secondary characters as well. Great, fast read!

Kennedy Ryan has done it again! This book is BEAUTIFULLY written. This author knows how to take the tough situations in life and just handle them with care. I went into this book relatively blind. I heard Kennedy say it was a "grown folk" book. I really didn't know what she meant by that until I found myself immersed in this story and sobbing my way through it. As a 40+ year old romance reader I'm always on the lookout for a book I can relate to. I haven't experienced everything these characters have but Kennedy ripped me open and took hold of my heart. This book had me feeling SEEN. You'll find Kennedy tackles some TOUGH, triggering topics but the beautiful love story that is woven together will leave you breathless.

Triggers: depression, stillbirth, divorce

A second chance romance. A divorced couple who wonders if they can get back together.

It's VERY emotional. I cried, I laughed and I swooned. Their love is so intense and powerful and real. The portrayal of the grief, depression and real life issues is so genuine. I thought that this writer's last book Reel was great but this book is even better. The ending is just amazing.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

This book was a very anticipated read for me. I love Kennedy Ryan and the things I knew about this book made me super excited: second chance, coparenting… I was so ready for it, I started reading it the moment I got my hands on it.

Maybe that was my problem. I think I wasn’t in the right headspace for it, and I have read Kennedy before so I knew this book wasn’t a romcom, but I wasn’t expecting it to be so heavy, either. The lack of author’s note or content warning at the beginning made me not have expectations about the topics this story deals with, and by the time everything started unfolding, I couldn’t stop until I was in a better place. So, if you’re considering reading this book, check the content warning first and know it’s not treated in a superficial way.

My feelings aside, I recognize this was a good book. I loved Yasmen, and even though I didn’t love Josiah all the time, I do love their relationship. This book has a strong focus on therapy and I appreciate it a lot. Yasmen and Josiah wouldn’t have been able to try again without it, so I truly love their romantic development because it felt healthy. I also loved they encouraged their son to try therapy, as well.

All in all, this was good, but I wasn’t ready for it. I wonder if my opinion would be different if I had chosen to read it at other time. My 3 stars have everything to do with me, and little with the book. I do believe the first half is very slow and I struggled to get to the middle, but I understand the nature of the plot made it impossible to be fast paced.

TW: Stillbirth (graphic), depression, suicidal thoughts.

Rating: 3/5
Steam level: 2.5/5

Thanks to Forever and Netgalley for my ARC. Opinions are my own!

Easily one of the best and most beautiful romance books of 2022. Kennedy Ryan is an artist with her words. This book is exceptional. The writing is lyrical and beautiful.

The love between Yas and Josiah is that all consuming, life changing love we are lucky to experience in a lifetime. The pain and grief that Yas and Josiah and their whole family go through is so devastatingly beautiful. This will definitely have a little bit more of a slow burn but the pay off is chefs kiss. I mean the garage scene Jesus Christ 🥵 Their beautiful journey as people, as a couple, as parents will do things to your heart and soul you may not be ready for but everyone needs to read this book.

The importance behind mental health and therapy was done so well. The way therapy is normalized and challenged in the story is so great to read. It’s a book for all of us who have had a hard time getting up one more day, and yet we keep on. The friend group in this group is EVERYTHING. I loved the way Kennedy wrote them and the way they leaned on each other.

The family dynamics, the food that is such a big part of family ties, the all consuming love, the beautiful friendships … it was perfect, perfect, perfect!

The grief and coping in this book is heavy. Please read with care.

This is easily my favorite book of the year. This book had me sobbing at 18% in because I had already fallen in love with the entire Wade family. This book for me is primarily on how people react to things that have happened to them and we can't help them until they are willing to receive the help themselves. This book was everything that we need in society, the normalization of mental health and therapy, especially in marginalized communities where it's stigmatized the most. The normalization of grief and how different people process it. How important it is to be completely vulnerable. Everyone needs to preorder this book now. I think this is a book everyone needs in their life because you will learn so much from.

I received and ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review however all words are my own..

"Before I Let Go" is one of the most beautiful books I've ever read and is easily one of my favorite reads of 2022. It is wonderfully written, even in the passages that deal with depression and grief, and I appreciate the care Ms. Ryan took with these hard topics. At times it was raw and heartbreaking, but it was also very real. Grief and depression do not just take a toll on you mentally and emotionally, but physically as well, and I am glad Ms. Ryan addressed that as well. I absolutely loved the depiction of therapy and the emphasis on the importance of mental health, not just for the adults, but the children as well.

One of the things I really liked about this book is that there isn't any unnecessary drama. Even when Josiah and Yasmen start seeing other people, though there is some awkwardness and, understandably, mixed feelings, it wasn't messy. I thought all of the parties involved handled things very maturely given the circumstances.

Another wonderful aspect of this book was the friendship between Yasmen, Soledad, and Hendrix. There was so much love and genuine concern there, and the fountain scene was so funny but touching at the same time. I am so, so curious to see what happens with Soledad, and I hope the next story will focus on her. I do wish we had gotten to see a little more of the friendship between Josiah and Preach though.

I really rooted for Yasmen and Josiah. They deserved happiness after all they had lost, and I had to giggle at the fact that it was obvious to everyone around them that they still wanted each other. Not everyone gets a second chance and the fact that they both did the work was truly beautiful. This is a story I'm going to think about for a long time because it's just so well done.

One of the best and most lovely love stories. This book is outstanding. The writing is poetic and lovely.
Yas and Josiah's love is so intensely passionate. Yas, Josiah, and their entire family experience heartbreakingly beautiful sorrow and sadness.
I liked how the novel normalized and addressed therapy. This book is for those of us who have struggled to face another day but still persist.
The dynamics of families, the importance of food in maintaining family bonds, the intense affection, the lovely friendships... One of the best books I've ever read, a magnificent journey, it was amazing!

Well done, Kennedy! I absolutely fell in love with Yasmen & Josiah. This story brought us through so many waves of their relationship. From the amazing highs to the tragic lows. All beautifully written & heartfelt. I felt so many emotions reading this book. Thank you for bringing their story to life! A must read!

WOW!! This was my first Kennedy Ryan book, and it was exceptional. I do not think I've ever been so emotionally invested in a story and felt so much pain and love at the same time.The writing flowed effortlessly, the characters were ones to route for despite their flaws and the second chance romance was well worth it.

Short Synopsis: Yasmen and Josiah had the perfect relationship until life happened and a terrible loss tore them apart. While now divorced, the two run a restaurant together and amicably co-parent. However, the spark between them is still there and getting harder to ignore as they come to terms with the past and check in with their emotions. Will they find a way to get their second chance?

What I loved: How the care of a person's mental health plays a big role in this book. How normalized therapy was and how the sessions were detailed. The relationship Yasmen and Josiah had with both of their children and how while divorced, the two were always on the same page with parenting. All the recipes and southern food. The angst I felt when turning the pages and how my heart felt every emotion. Yasmen's relationship with her two friends who I assume will be the main characters in later books.

CW: Pregnancy loss, stillborn birth, depression

Thank you so much Forever for this ARC. Pub date 11/15

A big thank you to Kennedy Ryan and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this arc as this was one of my most anticipated releases for 2022. And wow wow wow. It’s been hours and I cannot stop thinking about this book. This is so much more than a romance book. It’s a window into grief and depression and marriage and parenting. And like all of Kennedy’s books, the characters are so well developed that I felt like I could feel their emotions from the page. I’ve never wanted a couple together more than I wanted these two to come back together. I’ve also never read a book with such wonderful mental health representation.

I’m honestly blown away. Everyone should read this book and I’m so excited to read the rest of the series.

As soon as i saw that this book was available for "read now" i don't think i have ever rushed so quickly to read it.
I don't think I have ever enjoyed a book this much in a very long time. This book is more than just a romance book. It’s a book about mental illness, parenthood, loss, grief. I keep Kennedy’s word so deep in my heart. The love between Yas and Josiah is too special. It’s all consuming, painful and devastatingly beautiful. I feel like growing up in a community where mental illness wasn’t and it still isn’t taken seriously, Kennedy word made me connect to her in so many different ways. I saw the struggle, the pain not only Yas, but the whole family went through. I loved how therapy was shown important. Yas and Josiah....I admired them so much. The pain that they had to go through, I can't even imagine..they are one of my fav couple ever written.
Second chance is my fav trope, and I loved every seconds of it even though i had tears in my eyes even more than halfway through the book.

When I read a book by Kennedy Ryan, I know it will move me. She is one of the most fabulous writers of our time. And this is one of her best books yet. I felt like I knew Yasmen and Josiah. I felt their pain and their love for each other. And I loved them both This is one of those books that you want to start early in the day because it's simply not possible to put it down.

I was so impressed by the writing choices. Kennedy Ryan wrote with dual perspectives. And the timeline was perfection, taking me to the past when I needed context and then back to present day when the past became too overwhelming. She also did an amazing job setting up future books through Yasmen's friendship with Hendrix and Soledad. You know they're all fabulous when you can't even pick a favorite character.

I can't even say what got to me most. From the dedication all the way to the author's note, every word touched my heart. This book depicted depression in a way that felt so accurate and showed what love really looks like.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

DM me for content warnings.

Wow. I knew this book would be emotional, but I didn’t expect the depth that I got (although, why would I not expect it from Kennedy Ryan?)

This book displayed some messy life circumstances and how we cope with them (or don’t cope) can manifest itself in other aspects of our lives.
I truly appreciated how therapy was used as a model to heal from past hurts and trauma and just how prevalent trauma is in all our lives.

I cannot recommend this book enough for anyone, not just romance readers.

This has been my most anticipated read since Kennedy announced she was doing a second chance romance with "grown folks" as she said. As someone who has spoken up about the lack of this very thing in romance I was beyond excited, and the fact that it was from my favorite author?! GIDDY UP!

Si and Yas are literal soulmates. They have the once in a life time love that you dream about. And from page one until the very end their connection and chemistry is palpable and vibrant. But tragedy hit their beautiful family and the life they dreamed of having together is shattered, seeking beyond repair. They divorce and try to move on with their life but it's clear that their love never died, that their spark can never be snuffed out, that they will always feel pulled and drawn together.

Before I Let Go is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. Full of lush, poetic prose, side by side with some excellent humor (Hendrix I'm looking at you) and sewn throughout the whole book is the ever present thread that love can always overcome.

I loved this book so much. It's one of those I would love to be able to read for the first time. It is heavy at times, grief and depression are strong themes in this book, but it is handled with so much care and grace that I had no complaints whatsoever.

As someone who has struggled with the blackest moments of deep depression I saw a bit of myself in Yas and couldn't help but feel comforted and inspired.

The characters were beautifully developed and so easy to relate to. The story flowed so effortlessly that I found myself losing track of time as I read. And even though I have never lived this exact experience I found myself able to visualize it and relate perfectly.

My favorite book of 2022. Kennedy Ryan is a gift to the writing world.

Kennedy Ryan is truly one of the best romance writers of this generation. Before I Let Go is the best book of the year for me. I can’t remember the last time I was wholly immersed in a book and a couple. I cried and laughed. Every thing about this book felt very real and I was very invested in Yas and Josiah’s relationship.

Before I Let Go is a powerhouse second-chance romance. Kennedy Ryan is a master.

Second-chance romance is so difficult to pull off, but this book is effortless. What I loved about this book is there's no surprise twist. It has very few flashbacks, the bane of most second-chance books. Instead, we are told upfront why the couple is apart. The characters then have to put in the work to convince us they know why they broke up and have changed enough to not mess it up again.

Key to this is therapy. I love a book where therapy features, and here multiple characters seek help. The few characters who are not in therapy in this book should start!

Kennedy Ryan is a queen. I was extremely excited for this book, and it did not disappoint. So good.

Kennedy Ryan does it again!
Man where do I start with this beautifully written,roller coaster, wreck my insides out and put me back together in a beautiful way-type of book! Like I always do with a Kennedy Ryan book, I finished this one is less than 24 hours because I couldn’t for the life of me put it down. It has Angst, heartbreak, loss, laughter and so so so much love. Yasmen is an embodiment of a strong black woman and Josiah oh Josiah- I’ll just leave it at that not to ruin it. The way this book addressed the stigma of mental health was so beautiful and hit the nail right in the head in a true Kennedy Ryan fashion.

Recommend this 10 out of 10. Absolutely top 3 reads of this year for me.

What happens when love alone is not enough?

I stayed up all night to finish this book in one sitting. It’s been a while since I’ve done that but I don’t regret a single minute of it. Yasmen and Josiah captured my heart and I couldn’t stop reading until I knew they would be ok. The struggles this couple had to endure and the work they had to do on themselves to feel whole again tugged at my heartstrings. Grief is such a powerful emotion and everyone deals with it in their own way and so to see this couple claw their way back to each other for a second chance at love made my heart smile.

Kennedy Ryan handles a sensitive and possibly triggering issue in such a graceful way and I tip my hat to her. Well done.

Kennedy Ryan has done it again. She always knows how to mix a steamy love story with such heart warming characters. The build up between the two characters was so good and I really believed the love they had before the divorce and the warring that was occurring internally between each of them as they were recounting past mistakes and grief. Such a beautiful book that I would recommend to anyone looking for god second chance romance novel to read!