I was fortunate to be an early reader and have had the pleasure of reading Before I Let Go more than once and I thought I loved it in the first read through but reading it in it's final form? I love it even more. As I've been watching the reviews roll in, I am thrilled for Kennedy Ryan; I love that her labor of love is being so well received and lauded for the emotional punches it packs. If you're a friend of the blog, then you know we've been on the Kennedy Ryan train from the very beginning and so it's probably no surprise that we're huge fans, with reason--she's always giving us something new and yet we can always count on her tapping into our hearts, spicing up our Kindles, and making us giggle with the girlfriend scenes. So what makes this novel such a good read? Yasmen and Josiah. It's not often that I come across a romance that starts with the couple being divorced and in a working relationship...and then finding yourself rooting for them to figure out what we all can see needs to happen--that they get back together. They both hurt so good...and so deeply. It's a credit to Kennedy's writing that I *got* why everything happens the ways that it does and while I felt so many things (curiosity, anger, sadness, frustration, and joy), I never felt that anything was off or overdone or underdone. Sorry for the vagueness but I want for the revelations to be discovered through your reading and not through my review.



As usual, one of my favorite aspects of her novels, including this one, is the strong friendships that exist. Yasmen and her friends are just so good--fun, supportive, honest, encouraging--and all things we strive to have and be in our friendships. While the romance is what brings me here, the friendships are what give me pure delight in her novels.



I've seen several reviewers express very strong emotions about Deja; I had them too. Sometimes she was so challenging but I kept trying to remind myself about where she was coming from and why she would do and say what she was doing and saying. Plus she's young and as a mom of a 13 year old, I can report that they do not always think about what they're saying and how what they're saying can leave such lasting wounds. Even though I wanted to see Deja be better, she wasn't always capable and that's just real life, y'all. Again, it's such a testament to Kennedy Ryan's writing that we feeeeel so strongly about her characters and their choices.



From idea to finished product isn't an easy one and I know for Kennedy the journey from beginning to end was quite the journey and I'm just so amazed at what she created in the midst of such trying times. I'm so grateful for her creative brain and that we all get the pleasure of living in the worlds she creates and as usual, I'm so very eager to see where she takes us next.

My favourite romance of 2022 right here!

I love second chance romance, and I thought the relationship crafted between Yasmen and Josiah was absolutely beautiful. The longing, the pull towards each other, the love that was still so obvious between them.

The representation in this book was top notch, as expected from Kennedy Ryan, and I especially loved the examination of therapy and how impactful it can be for even the biggest of cynics.

Plus, this book was sexy as HELL. Can’t wait to reread it!!

Wow! What a phenomenal read! This second chance storyline will put you through a gamut of emotions. All the feels and chemistry so hot, you won’t be able to put this one down. Yasmen and Josiah’s journey isn’t without heartbreak and you can’t help but root for them. Kennedy Ryan’s writing style is so poetic and descriptive that if feels like you are experiencing the story along with the characters. A must read.

I requested an ARC of this book because a dark skin woman was on the cover and it was marketed as Black romance. Let’s just say that reading this book was disappointing. To start, I would give credit to her amazing writing style and the way she masterfully and carefully captured grief, depression and infant loss. It’s obvious she did her research before writing this book. It’s also refreshing reading about therapy and healthy co-parenting. The biggest issue for me is calling this a Black Romance when the author intentionally avoids saying the characters are Black. The only thing we got was her “Brown Kelly Rowland” skin and multiple unsolicited hair references. I still don’t know the MC’s ages. Oh let’s not forget the sprinkling of HBCU hoodies, Freaknic, and chitterlings. But, has no issue describing the non-Black characters in specific detail. Another issue is it being marketed as a “second chance romance” because it definitely isn’t. I would categorize this book as women’s fiction. Too much of the couples grief, pain and loss overshadowed any romance and if I’m keeping it a buck, there weren’t any. Just a lot of inner thoughts of Josiah and Yasmen pining over each others physical traits. Overall, “Before I Let Go” didn’t do it for me. It lacked character development, romance and I felt the author was intentional in the way she conveniently left out descriptions of Black characters. Suspect. Honestly, It just doesn’t feel like I’m the target audience for this book . I digress though.

Before I Let Go was my most anticipated read this year. Words can't express how much I loved this book. It's character driven and tackles heartbreak and healing in such a beautiful way. Like everything else that Kennedy writes, this was a beautiful, heart-aching, emotional, romantic, journey to get back to the love the MC’s shared.

Both Josiah and Yasmen needed to heal and work on themselves, but the one thing that never changed is their love for each other. Josiah and Yasmen fell in love and loved hard and beautifully, but multiple tragedies hit their family and lead to their divorce.

This book does deal with heavy topics and emotions and really liked seeing how much therapy played a role in their story.
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I was emotionally invested in these characters and their journeys to forgiving each other and themselves. In the end, real love always win.

This book was absolutely amazing. The emotions, the pining, the healing, every single part was perfect. I wouldn't change one thing about this book. It was extremely emotional, yet relatable. This book deserves any award it's nominated for. Absolutely beautiful, profound, introspective, insightful, and incredible.

I laughed, swooned, teared up, and healed alongside the characters. 10 out of 10 stars. Definitely recommend.

Kennedy Ryan is one of the most underrated authors of our time and Before I Let Go is another example of why she deserves all the love and praise being heaped on her and this book.
Before I Let Go is the perfect second chance romance that delves not just into divorce but also loss and grief, depression, and parenting. All of these characters are complex, but none more so than Yasmen and Josiah. The only thing more palpable than their chemistry is the hurt that they exeprienced through their family loss and eventual end to their marriage. Watching them navigate these very real and raw emotions, while also being amazing parents to their children and running a business together is like nothing I've ever read in a romance before. Watching their journey to and through therapy, navigating dating post divorce and finally being honest about how they feel about each other will break your soul into pieces before perfectly putting it back together. These characters are messy and yet you can see and imagine them as your friends or family members because of just how real the emotion is. This book is one of the best romances I've read in a long time.

I’m going to give an unpopular review but I just was not into this book * adored 7 days in June which I saw this compared to but this just didn’t do it for me. Maybe I’m not in the mood for Amit mixed with sorrow? The main characters especially the husband is constantly thinking and talking about his exes body and past sexual exploits. There is a lot of sex in the book as well and as it’s noted it’s a second chance romance so of course they end up back together. The back story of them losing a newborn is heartbreaking and this recently happened to my cousin so I have seen the heartbreak first hand. I’m glad a book like this brings that kind of loss to the forefront but I just felt icky then reading about pussy. When did I become such a pride?! (I’m not I swear). Anyway I think romance readers will enjoy this but you need to be in the sexy time headspace which apparently I’m not.

REVIEW

Before I Let Go ~ Kennedy Ryan

READ IF:
* You’ve managed to stay friendly with an ex.
* There are old family recipes you love to prepare.
* Your family is your world.

SUMMARY: Yasmen and Josiah promised they would be together until the wheels fall off. But sometimes promises don’t keep and after a devastating blow, their marriage is over.

But they’re somehow making life apart work - coparenting their two children and running their popular restaurant. Life together yet apart is making them realize just how much they miss each other but are second chances really possible?

REVIEW: Ok loooovvvvved this!! Like really really loved! It has it all…multi-dimensional characters, a substantial plot, humor, realistic issues, and romance. And by romance I mean steamy, hot, spicy romance. But again, the balance between substance and steam was so perfectly done, making me appreciate this more than I ever expected to.

This is my first Kennedy Ryan read but it certainly won’t be my last. Love the REAL energy she was able to infuse into Yasmen and Josiah - she was a cool chick to get to know and he was just everything YES! I couldn’t put it down and was sad when it was over. The perfect recipe for a perfect read!

One thing about Rachel in 2022? She's gonna love a second-chance romance.

This was SO good and SO worth the hype like everyone I need you to stop what you're doing and read Kennedy Ryan. She's got a fan for life with me now - I can't wait to go through her backlog!

My absolute favorite part about this book was how effortless it felt, WHICH signals to me it probably wasn't effortless to write. I bet this book was super difficult to figure out and intricate to put together, but it reads like life. Expert mode writing.

I read a lot of romance, and when you read a lot of romance you can see the romance infrastructure from the jump. You can see the meet-cute, the inciting incidents, the conflict, etc. from a mile away. And I literally saw none of that in Before I Let Go. Kennedy Ryan is only going to guarantee you one thing and that's an HEA and the rest - buckle up.

This read was super emotional and I recommend looking into CWs before picking it up. Kennedy Ryan writes about these subject matters in a thoughtful and mature way and I don't think she could've done a better job.

This is one of the most successful second-chance romances I've read because it's clear to me why they didn't work the first time together, and why they can work in the future now that they've both grown and worked on themselves. Yasmen and Josiah both make mistakes before and during this book, but give each other the grace of forgiveness and it just made me so emotional! Worked so well.

My one tiiiiiiiiny complaint is that this book felt a bit too long for me, but that's literally me nitpicking.

A beautiful book consisting of Black joy, the importance of female friendships, grief, loss, mental health, the power of therapy, food as a love language (I will be making those sweet potato pancakes) and love in all forms.

READ THIS BOOK!

This was my first Kennedy Ryan book and second chance romance is one of my favorite tropes. This one deals with heavy topics such as divorce, familial loss and pregnancy loss, so please be mindful of triggers if this pertains to you. I enjoyed Yasmen & Josiah's relationship and following along with them finding their way back to one another while navigating co-parenting and other turmoil.

3.5 stars

Thank you to Forever for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I really, really liked this book. I definitely read it way quicker than I expected. I just really flew through it. I also just was immediately connected to these characters, so that might have helped as well. I really loved Yasmen. Her mental health journey in this book was amazing. I loved seeing her finally getting better after having a really dark time but even though she's much happier now there are still things going on. I just really loved how that was done in this book. I also really loved our cast of side characters. They really did a great job enhancing the story. I really loved the kids as well. They could get a bit frustrating at times but overall I think their actions were still really realistic and I totally understood where they were coming from. Josiah also was a bit frustrating at times. I feel like he weaponised Yasmen's mental health struggles quite a lot while also saying he completely understood what she was going through and not holding a grudge over that. Luckily that was solved before they properly got back together because otherwise I just would not have been able to root for them to get back together. I did really like the journey the romance took in this book. Yasmen and Josiah had a lot of things to figure out and resolve before they could even consider getting back together and I really liked the way it was done. I also feel like some emotional moments didn't really hit as much as they should have for me. So that's why I didn't give this a five star but I did still think this was an amazing book and I totally understand how so many people absolutely loved this book.

I have been a fan of Kennedy Ryan for a while so I already knew I needed this book! Did I get a NetGalley eARC? Yes. Did I also pre-order a physical copy before I even read it? Yes. Did I choose it as a Book of the Month? Also yes. And all worth it!

This book is beautiful and heartbreaking and SO REAL. I adore Kennedy Ryan's writing and this one really blew it out of the water! Both Josiah and Yasmin felt like such real and authentic characters; I could really feel and understand what they were experiencing as I read the story.

It's hard to say much about this book without feeling like I am spoiling things, but if you are looking for a story of hope and healing, this is it! It is a heavy one though, so check your TWs. But as usual, Kennedy does a beautiful job handing the story! All the hype you're seeing is real, so pick this one up! You'll be rooting for Josiah and Yasmin from page 1!

Thank you Netgalley and Forever for the eARC!

Let me start by saying that This is, hands down, one of the best books I've read this year.

Before I let go is such a beautifully written realistic view of marriage , relationships, motherhood and depression. and the toll that grief takes on everyone; men , women and children.

Josiah and Yasmen built a life together sharing a restaurant called "Grits" . But in the first few chapters we see that two kids and a thriving business later, Josiah and Yasmin are divorced due to a series of tragic events.

The dual points of view, the underlying love story and just the growth of both of these characters made this book one of my favorites of the year. I could not put it down.



Thank you to NetGalley for the Arc of the book. All opinions are my own.

Quick review for a progressive read. My third (maybe fourth) read from Kennedy Ryan and this book knocked it out of the park - I loved it. "Before I Let Go" is a beautifully realistic story of a marriage that fell apart, yet has the two navigating the difficult road of events for possible reconnection. Josiah and Yasmen built a life expecting forever, sharing a restaurant business called "Grits" and showcasing their proposal. But after the time jump in the first chapter - we see that two kids later and a thriving business between them, Josiah and Yasmen have since divorced, and it's hasn't been one without carrying many pains with it.

Please be mindful of the trigger warnings - stillbirth, loss of loved ones, discussion of complicated grief, depression/anxiety, and passive suicidal ideation - that are provided at the beginning of this narrative. My galley copy didn't have them listed, but they're in the audiobook that I was able to pick up, narrated by Jakobi Diem and Wesleigh Siobhan. My galley copy also included recipes for the character's specialty meals contained in the story, which I thought was really cool and cute. I wish the audiobook (Audible) had that attachment to it for readers to be able to use.

I really appreciated how realistic this narrative was showcasing the changes in the relationship between Josiah and Yasmen, it's a bit of a steady unraveling in the story of what caused them to fall apart, complex traumatic events alongside navigating Yas's depression and recovery, alongside Josiah struggling to cope in the loss of their relationship and shared traumas. I definitely felt for both characters having to navigate that while trying to keep themselves afloat in the year following their divorce. It isn't easy on their kids either, as the narrative shows them trying to co-parent in the midst of the changes. I appreciated the lens given to their friendships, family, and themselves trying to keep afloat through it all. What worked for me the most was seeing the two steadily build bridges between each other, the honest reconnection and conversations through a lot of different things. It felt so dimensional and real, made my heart ache for them in many moments through the narrative.

The one thing I would say that kept this from being a 5-star read for me was that in the latter third, it did feel like the narrative dragged its feet a little for some of the conflict in repetition; it felt like it could have been tightened just a little more for progression. I understood how necessary it was to wrap up the arcs of relationships and issues that Yas and Josiah had to come to terms with, though. That alongside showcasing their reconnection. The steamy scenes and sexual tension between them in several moments through the narrative were very much that - piping hot. All of that was fine, alongside showcasing some of the conflict and resolution of things going on with their kids. It feels very attuned to being in the moment for its address of grief, mental health, and coming to terms. I liked also that it had such a solid attention to place (NC, Charlotte).

It's a story that comes full circle in a satisfying way, and I enjoyed this for the ride it took me on. It's not an easy one, but it stuck with me long after finishing the final page, and I would read other novels showcasing some of the other characters featured in respective relationship if indeed they follow this. The main couple and cast of characters collectively in this tugged at my heartstrings and made me feel for them. Strong audiobook narration as well.

Overall score: 4/5 stars.

Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley from the publisher, but I also picked up an audiobook copy for myself from Audible (very much because I figured out who would be narrating it and couldn't resist).

Thank you Forever and NetGalley for the advance review copy; all opinions are my own! This was such an emotionally intense, heart wrenching journey, and Kennedy Ryan deftly guides her reader along the rocky road toward healing and hope, reminding us there's no place too bleak, no battle too bruising to make us incapable of love and forgiveness and happily ever after. I so appreciate Kennedy's commitment to exploring difficult topics, particularly mental health, and her explicit endorsement of therapy as a vital tool in self-care. I think it's so important to affirm therapy's benefit and validity in romance novels, and I'm grateful to Kennedy for being a vocal champion.

I absolutely loved this story! This book is so beautifully written. it captures emotions so eloquently that I really was left gasped by some things. While the relationship between Josiah and Yasmen is the focal point, the adjacent story lines (the children, the friends) are just as good. If this story gets adapted to screen, they will have to work overtime to ensure those same feelings are present (which I think would be too difficult).

Ultimately, this book left me hopeful that the love of my life, my true soulmate does indeed exist. And although we may go through times when we can't be present for one another, true love is worth fighting for.

I don't know how to articulate the remarkableness of Before I Let Go, and I keep having to step away from this review to rein in my feelings. It's never going to be good enough, but nevertheless I'll share some thoughts ...

I'm not surprised one little bit that Kennedy Ryan has once again written an incredibly moving and beautiful story, yet my expectations were so far exceeded. Before I Let Go is one of the most raw, real, and vulnerable books I've ever read. My emotions were heightened beyond throughout the story progression. Yasmen and Josiah own my heart. The brutal heartbreak they both experience and the way they each process their pain is so incredibly moving and gut-wrenching. The emphasis on mental health representation and healing in this story is bold and 100% relevant. All authors out there should take note!

Through the pain, trauma, and personal growth, love shines. Your heart will hurt and then burst with happiness when you read Before I Let Go, one of the most deserving and material books I've ever read.

A beautiful and heartbreaking, this book feels more like a story about love, loss, and redemption than simply a romance. But there's definitely searingly hot romance on the page. I absolutely loved it.

Such a beautiful, poignant love story! Absolutely one of my favorites of this year- not to mention a gorgeous cover!