A woman suffers a heartbreaking loss and asks her loving husband for a divorce. They own a business together and have two kids. They co-parent the best they can, but they also try not to overlap at work too much. It’s such a beautiful story about commitment, loss, and love. And friendship!! Kennedy Ryan is at the top of her game.

Many thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) | Forever for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

5++ "I want you to stay." Stars!

I don't even know what to say. This book was phenomenal! It's the ultimate second chance romance. It was HARD. Heartbreaking in so many ways. It was intense, and emotional. All the feelings. Love, anger, happiness, sadness, hopelessness, hopefulness. There was success and failure and loss and triumph. The mental health representation and promotion of therapy was so well done.

I absolutely loved both Yasmen and Josiah with my whole heart. It broke my heart to see two people that clearly loved each other so much continue to hurt each other so badly again and again. But they were both just doing the best they could at the time with the tools they'd been given. With the circumstances life had dealt them. Add in two precious children; a preteen and a teenager with all the high emotions and hormones that goes with parenting in the best of circumstances but Yasmen and Josiah were navigating it being divorced and unresolved trauma. -All the feelings! This book was the ultimate. I don't have the words as alas, I am a reader not a writer. Just read it. So very, very good. Happy reading!!

I work for HBG so I will not be leaving a full review. But I did really enjoy this story. Love a second chance/broken marriage story.

Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan is another book that I was determined to read and remove from my back list this year! Kennedy’s, Hoops series is a favorite of mine and I was eager to read more by her!

Yasmen and Josiah’s story is so beautiful but also tragic. After suffering great loss in their lives they are divorced and coparenting their children while also running their restaurant.

The story of two people who once loved each other so much finding their way back to each other was just so beautiful. The tragedies that broken them apart were so devastating but this book and Kennedy’s writing definitely makes you believe that true love can conquer anything. It was a very beautiful and thoughtful story that I enjoyed

This story took me on an emotional journey. This story was full of grief, heartbreak, mental health, healing, loss, and second chances. And a reminder that life is full of ups and downs. And sometimes we aren't as prepared as we think we are for those low moments. The author did an amazing job of making readers connect with each characters, even with their flaws and challenges. This was my first read by the author and I was blown away with her writing style, her character development, and her story telling. I rated this book 5/5 stars.

Such a great book!!!! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE Kennedy Ryan!!! Her books are amazing!!!! Her characters are always so relatable and interesting, the plots are always well written and have so many layers. I could just go on and on about her. I just love to get lost in her worlds!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Kennedy Ryan, and the publisher for providing an advanced reader's copy of *Before I Let Go*.

Kennedy Ryan has truly outdone herself with *Before I Let Go*, a second-chance romance that will make you laugh, cry, and reflect on the complexity of love and forgiveness. This novel follows Yasmen and Josiah, a divorced couple who, despite the pain and betrayal they endured, still find themselves deeply connected. Once soulmates, their love was shattered by a devastating tragedy that led to their divorce. However, their bond never truly faded, and the story explores whether it’s possible for a love so strong to survive the tests of grief, resentment, and trust.

One of the standout elements of this book is the portrayal of Yasmen and Josiah’s relationship. Ryan beautifully captures the intensity of their connection, making it clear from the beginning that these two are meant to be together. Their chemistry is undeniable, and even though their love was fractured, it’s evident that they still care for each other deeply. The way Ryan navigates the complexities of their emotions, their struggles with grief, and their journey toward healing is nothing short of masterful.

*Before I Let Go* is a beautifully written, emotionally charged story about love, loss, forgiveness, and second chances. It’s a book that stays with you long after you’ve turned the final page. Yasmen and Josiah’s story is one of the most touching and powerful romances I’ve read, and it’s one that will be on my mind for a long time.

Stunning read. I was glued to the book from beginning to end. There is really nothing Ryan writes that I won't read and this second-chance romance is no exception. Brilliant.

Josiah and I will forever have beef. It's okay though - he isn't the only hero I have beef with.
Deja only gets a pass because she was a child but we would be beefing if we were the same age.

This story was absolutely emotional and I cried a LOT reading this book but the resolution was worth the tears and the emotional pain.

Yasmen Yasemn Yasmen...my girl!!!

You deserve only good things

Kennedy has always held my attention with her gripping stories. Yasmen and Josiah's story is no different, I was here for it! Finding your way back to love after tradegic life events is hard, but when the love of your life is by your side coping, and healing doesn't seem too hard. Yasmen and Josiah's fight for love after loss is a brilliant depiction of what couples face when emotional bonds that were built are broken. Sometimes, all it takes is a glance, a memory, or a trip out of town. Listen, the words from these pages are drip-drip-dripping with love. I loved the energy from Yasmen and her friends. BILG is a whole vibe, that I can't wait to add to my shelf physically. Oh, and you already know... ain't no spoilers over here. Ya better get ya-self yo own copy!
~Yana's O

How romance is supposed to be done! Kennedy Ryan never fails to impress me with her mix of the deep and personal with the sappy and sweet. A lot of people in this genre should take notes that you can have a love story while also not overplaying the traumatic parts.

This was such a beautiful and raw love story! There was just so much in this story. I wish I could read it again. A second chance romance with phenomenal writing. I cried ... there was grief and healing ... I will read anything she writes.

Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan. Pub Date: November 15, 2022. Rating: 5 stars. All of the stars for this engrossing and rich novel centered around family, falling apart so you can fall back together, mental health, health co-parenting and never giving up. So much depth and life was packed into this novel following a divorced couple of two children who run a restaurant together. As the story unravels, the reader sees the couple come to the realization that maybe they aren't over each other and should give their relationship a try again. The delicate way the author unraveled their relationship was amazing and highlighted the importance of mental health and support. I can't wait to continue with this series. Thanks to #netgalley and #forever for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Sigh…

I’m so glad to finally be done with this book! I DNFd the ARC in 2022. I thought that I wasn’t in the right headspace to receive it because of my own drama. I tried the Kindle edition a few weeks ago and almost DNFd it again. It just wasn’t grabbing me. Determined to finish it so that I can tackle book 2 for my book club, I switched to the audiobook because it was on sale. The story was so full of angst and whining. I got tired of it. It took too long for the story to get good to me. The one thing that I really liked was Josiah pushing back about jumping back into things like nothing happened. His concerns about getting hurt again were real and raw. Overall, the story was just okay for me. It felt like another instance of bookstagram overhyping something.

“Till the wheels fall off.”

Yasmen and Josiah’s love was supposed to last forever. Unfortunately, after losing their son Henry, this tragedy was the beginning of the end of their marriage. Years later following their divorce, they found a new rhythm by co-parenting and running their thriving business, Grits. Somehow through the grief, they find their way back to each other. As they navigate their feelings and confront their past, they must also face the harsh realities of their present. With its richly drawn characters, nuanced exploration of themes, Before I Let Go is a romance that will leave you breathless.

This book had me in tears as I read it. It took me a while to finally start this book because Kennedy Ryan includes a lot of social topics that could be triggering to readers. I’m so happy that I decided to continue with this story. I was rooting for Yasmen and Josiah the whole book. What I loved about Before I Let Go so much is how raw this book is. It shows the damage that can happen after a family loses a child. This is a topic that unfortunately happens to so many couples. It can lead to depression, divorce, etc. I felt seen in this story. I can’t wait to dive into This Could Be Us.

All I can do in reviewing this book, is say that I echo the raving reviews & accolades everyone else is so eloquently sharing. Kennedy Ryan is one of my favorite authors, and I am so glad she finally decided to publish this book to share with us. The second change romance was stunning, the themes of grief were raw & honest, and the touches of food & culture made the delightful to boot. I cannot recommend this one enough!

What happens when your world falls apart and you push away the man you love thinking it’s for the best? Before I Let
go examines the heartache and aftermath of divorce and the possibilities of reconciliation when that love never truly was extinguished. Told in a way that makes you care for the characters and truly understand their pain, it’s romance story but also a journey to learning to love yourself.

This story was an emotional rollercoaster through what it’s like to survive losing a child in an unthinkable way and what it’s like to try and rebuild a life that was once a so called perfect marriage. I loved the close friendships and the themes around not being okay and needing therapy to help understand the feelings being experienced. Kennedy Ryan is an absolutely beautiful storyteller and Before I Let Go was an amazing experience!

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💕 Review: Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan

First, a round of applause for this cover please. It may be the most beautiful cover ever of all time.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I don’t really enjoy second chance romance. The reconnection between Yasmen and Josiah was a relatively unique take on the trope but I still found myself wanting to rush through the pages until I knew exactly what happened between them.

There’s no doubt that Ryan’s writing started out as incredible and has only improved. (That became even clearer after yesterday’s reread of Long Shot). I did think some of the plot points here fell a little flat and could’ve been used for more tension throughout. I don’t know if I’ll reread this but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I appreciated the inclusion of a difficult teenager - too often romance novels only have Perfect Little Angel Babies.

I let this book sit on my shelf for quite a while before reading because I was trying to conceive and I had heard that the content was probably too much for me then. After reading, I think I would’ve been okay while TTC but I’m glad I didn’t read while pregnant, because stillbirth is a major part of the plot.

Kennedy Ryan is an auto buy author - if you haven’t read anything by her, this would be a great one to start with, but really you can do no wrong when you see her name on the cover!

I was hoping to love this one but unfortunately it wasn’t for me, I was happy to characters reconnected by the end but their conflicts while having two kids in the mix just left me feeling frustrated

So. Emotional. I wasn't ready for the rollercoaster ride. Ryan is so skilled and this story will touch many lives.