Tag Archives: before i let go

Before I Let Go Review

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Title: Before I Let Go
Author: Kennedy Ryan
Publisher: Forever
Publish Date: November 15, 2022
Genre: Adult Romance
Pages: 391
Format: Paperback

Their love was supposed to last forever. But when life delivered blow after devastating blow, Yasmen and Josiah Wade found that love alone couldn’t solve or save everything.

It couldn’t save their marriage.

Yasmen wasn’t prepared for how her life fell apart, but she is finally starting to find joy again. She and Josiah have found a new rhythm, co-parenting their two kids and running a thriving business together. Yet like magnets, they’re always drawn back to each other, and now they’re beginning to wonder if they’re truly ready to let go of everything they once had.

Soon, one stolen kiss leads to another…and then more. It’s hot. It’s illicit. It’s all good—until old wounds reopen. Is it too late for them to find forever? Or could they even be better, the second time around?

Content warning for child loss.

This was my first dip into romance in quite a while, and it did not disappoint. Kennedy Ryan has a great way of writing realistic characters going through realistic situations, and how those characters handle the hurdles, the joys, the sorrows that come with that are really well done in this novel.

In this book we follow two perspectives throughout: Yasmen’s and Josiah’s. They’re a relatively-recently divorced couple who went through something traumatic that caused their marriage to fall apart, but the connection and spark between them is still there, dulled as it is at the beginning of the story. Throughout the story, we see the couple dealing not only with their everyday workflow and responsibilities as parents, but as co-owners of a restaurant, and how that proximity can really have an effect on old feelings that never truly went away.

As we follow Yasmen’s side of it, I could see how strong of a woman she was, trying to mend the pieces of herself that were broken from what had happened years prior and finally feeling like she was coming back to herself. In these chapters we see her really assess what happened then that caused the couple to split, while also seeing her rely on her best friends for support, as well as a therapist, to really deal with what went down.

Not only that, but even in Josiah’s chapters we see some of that therapy talk brought up. It’s a heavy theme throughout the book to rely on others for strength and comfort and to not always rely on the self for that, to bury things down until they don’t matter anymore. I think that that representation was shown really well and encourages others to maybe reflect on their own lives and consider therapy as possible. Because not only does it affect Yasmen and Josiah, but their kids, too, and how important it is for them to talk to someone as well.

The plot follows them through this second chance romance, through ups and downs – and of course, steamy moments – and shows what love is truly capable of. Relationships are hard work, and I think the two really realize that as time goes on – especially Yasmen, who I think was hit the hardest with what had happened that had caused the divorce in the first place.

Another aspect I loved was the strong feeling of sisterhood and friendship in this book (and in the sequel, This Could Be Us). Yasmen, Solidad, and Hendrix have each other’s backs through everything and are willing to be there for each other in times of need when it’s really needed, or just to be able to get their mind off of things. I could feel the palpable love of these friends pouring off of the page. Even the relationship with the kids are something very tangible and real, and I think that Ryan does a great job of this in this book.

My only gripe is that as we were getting toward the end, there were a few times I felt that the plot became repetitive, like we had seen a similar scene not long before, and more than once, too.

Overall, I think that if you’re looking for a great second chance romance, a romance to touch your heart, or one in which you’ve also gone through similar circumstances, that you’ll really enjoy this book. I loved it, and absolutely recommend it.

★★★★.5 (4.5) stars

February 2024 TBR

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Wow, January is finally over! Does anyone else ever feel like it lasts 84 years? So I didn’t finish or get to all of the books I had set out to read last month, which is fine, but I decided I’m still going to make a TBR to at least talk about the books I’m interested in reading and hopefully will get to.

As February is also Black History Month, I also want to be intentional with my choices and read books by black authors. This choice isn’t going to start and stop in February, though, as I will continue to read books by black authors throughout the year and beyond. This will continue for other months in which heritages and identities are recognized, as I want to continue to diversify my reading and broaden my horizons.

The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang – This book is one from my TBR last month and is the book I’m currently reading, so I want to finish it before moving on to another book. I’m only about 80 pages into it, but it’s an interesting read so far! I’m excited to see where it goes.

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn – This was another book on my TBR last month, but as I didn’t get to it, I’m slotting it over into February. This book is an Arthurian retelling, which I’ve never read about before, and so I’m definitely intrigued to read about it and see how I like it.

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler – Now I’ve heard amazing things about Butler for a long time, but I’ve never picked up one of her books before. This one takes place in 2024, and it’s about climate change and the effects of how economic strife can be so harmful to everyone and everything around it.

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jeminsin – This start to a fantasy trilogy has been on my shelf for years (well, the whole trilogy) and I haven’t started it, BUT I’m going to rectify that this year and actually do it! It’s a critically acclaimed and award winning book, so I’m a bit intimidated by that, however I hear fantastic things about it. Just reading the synopsis alone has me dying for more, so I can’t wait to get to this.

The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed – I’m trying to bring in more contemporary reads into my life, as most of my focus is on fantasy, so I figured this would be a good one to add! It centers a young black girl in high school and protesting and riots after officers from the LAPD are acquitted after beating a black man half to death. It sounds very hard hitting, and very important, too.

Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan – I’ve seen this pop up around TikTok a lot lately, and after reading the synopsis (and wanting more contemporary in my reading), I think this would be a fun, dramatic, and spicy read. It’s like a second chance romance between a once husband and wife pair, so I’m definitely interested to see how it plays out.

Now, will I get to all of these books? I hope so honestly. Trying to get back into reading after the hard time I’ve had with it for years is already a challenge, and I’m further challenging myself by listing all of these books that I’m interested in as part of my TBR. I do hope to get to all of them, though, but if I don’t I’ll probably do the same thing as last time and push one or two I’m interested in into the next month.

What’re you reading currently or planning to read this month? Any recommendations you have that you think I might like to try out for myself? Let me know!