Reviews

Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan

momoj8's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

88_iris_blis_88's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

shadon's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

God, I was a fool to think anything with Yasmen could be tamed. 

I'm not the biggest romance reader, but this was pretty good. Guess I like second-chance romances more than I thought - the shared history, the lingering feelings, the longing for what was... dare I say peak fiction. Especially when executed as well as it was with Yasmen and Josiah. I loved their little family and business partnership and I was rooting for them to get back together as soon as they interacted. 

Otherwise, there's not much else to say. It was tender and sweet with humor and heart, and a compelling, steamy romance. The characters were complex and realistic, with a certain flair. I enjoyed the way grief and depression were handled, along with therapy and healing. Strangely, I will say that I did not get the Josiah hype because he was pretty basic.  Nothing he did made me swoon at all. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Yasmen was miles ahead of him as a character. 

I did think this could have been shorter, it went on too long for me.  I enjoyed the first half more than the back half because it felt like the conflict was being dragged on.  Realistic that they wouldn't just jump back into each other's arms? Yes. Did it still annoy me? Also yes. I do wish we could have seen more of them when they were first married.  I know that's not the main focus of this story but still. 

I will be reading the sequel and I will be looking forward to seeing them again. 

megdillreads's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

black_boysread's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

"Before I Let Go" by Kennedy Ryan has been on my to-be-read (TBR) list for some time now, and honestly, it didn't disappoint! I am a big fan of second-chance romance because authors do a great job of helping the characters rediscover themselves and their relationships throughout the story. The realness and rawness of this story were captivating. "Before I Let Go" tells the story of Yasmen and Josiah Wade, who have faced devastating loss with the passing of two family members: Josiah's Aunt Bird and their stillborn son. Yasmen becomes depressed, and their love struggles to overcome the challenges. They struggle to save their marriage and find a way to co-parent their two kids while running their restaurant business together. As they settle into this new routine, they question whether old habits die hard or if they were never truly ready to give up what they had. A trip brings them together, and a stolen kiss leads to much more. Is it too late for them to find their forever again, or can they rekindle their love? Will things be better this time around?

clairecashin's review against another edition

2.0

I was so excited to read this because there was a waitlist whenever I checked my local library and it has such a high rating on here. But the whole story was really predictable, cliche, and not realistic?? We didn’t really even get a glimpse into this “once in a lifetime” relationship they had other than having sexual chemistry lol I feel like the entire book led up to/was centered around sex scenes when it had so much potential with destigmatizing therapy for boys and men, navigating depression, and co parenting healthily. But those felt not as important with how the book was written.

nikkster14's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

breelala_'s review against another edition

hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

lgv's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

4.0

hayboys_girl's review against another edition

5.0

This was so beautiful. What a wonderfully written and compassionate look at the inner workings of repairing a very broken relationship. I also loved the representation of mental health issues and the need to work on emotional traumas. You could just feel the love between these two bleeding off the pages. Loved it.