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theboricuabookworm's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Giving this book 5 stars is as easy as breathing. Kennedy Ryan has a way of giving you the most emotional, gut-wrenching love story in a way that feels absolutely effortless. Such intense feelings and subjects and yet you can’t help but fall over and over. I was on edge and frustrated and yet I felt immense privilege watching these two fall back in love with each other. Before I Let Go is going to stay with me for a long long time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Sexual content
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Death, and Child death
lindta_14's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
This book was so profound. I loved the deep dive into mental wellness, therapy and how delicately bit meaningfully Kennedy Ryan dealt with it especially in the context of black families and the relationship we have with mental health. This read was so beautiful. Cannot recommend it enough, and I don't even like 2nd chance romance as a trope.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, Miscarriage, Mental illness, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Infertility and Panic attacks/disorders
authenticakj's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy, Infertility, Grief, Sexual content, Mental illness, and Miscarriage
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, Death, and Death of parent
owlsreads'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
4.0
Another lovely and heartbreaking novel from Kennedy Ryan!
One thing I love most about her stories is how they're always so sensitive when tackling difficult and heavy subjects. There are so many things left unspoken in the real world and Ryan has such a way to bring them to light in her novels. I loved how depression was addressed here and how much she hit on therapy being something helpful during the healing process.
In regard to the romance bits: I very much enjoyed the relationship progression here, but it was a little too slow at times. I appreciate how complex of a situation Yasmen and Josiah were in with all the unsaid things and the hurt between them. They both needed time to come to terms with certain things and, while I was so here for that character development, the initial agreement when they got back together didn't work for me.
Even so! This was a great read, as expected, and I'll be keeping an eye out for the sequel!
One thing I love most about her stories is how they're always so sensitive when tackling difficult and heavy subjects. There are so many things left unspoken in the real world and Ryan has such a way to bring them to light in her novels. I loved how depression was addressed here and how much she hit on therapy being something helpful during the healing process.
In regard to the romance bits: I very much enjoyed the relationship progression here, but it was a little too slow at times. I appreciate how complex of a situation Yasmen and Josiah were in with all the unsaid things and the hurt between them. They both needed time to come to terms with certain things and, while I was so here for that character development, the initial agreement when they got back together didn't work for me.
Even so! This was a great read, as expected, and I'll be keeping an eye out for the sequel!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Miscarriage, and Mental illness
2am_readers_club's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Infertility, Child death, Grief, Miscarriage, and Medical trauma
auteaandtales's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This one is probably on me because I’m not the biggest fan of second-chance romance, mainly because I think it’s hard to find a balance between having something that was strong enough to break them up but not bad enough (or ridiculous enough) that they can’t be together again. Also, I feel like it’s challenging to create an existing chemistry between two characters that the reader will believe, and not only that but you don’t get to see that chemistry build up, it’s like a lot of their interactions happened off-screen which is not my jam. Watching an emotional connection form always feels special to witness.
I think the extremely challenging topics in this book were handled well, although I have never been through anything like that before so I’m not the person to ask, and I think the breakup made sense, but the thing I struggled with was that I felt no chemistry. It didn’t feel natural. Not to say that none of this tugged at my heartstrings, a lot of this book is very emotional. I especially appreciated the relationship between Yasmin and Deja and the discussions on therapy and grief.
I loved the friendships, as well, and I’m really excited to get to know them more in book two! I enjoyed a lot about this book, and I even enjoyed them a lot together, I just wish we got some more banter and emotional bonding between them instead of what felt like was mostly a sexual bond, because I’m sure there’s more to them than that.
But my first Kennedy Ryan book is complete and I look forward to reading more, as I liked the writing style and the humour and the way difficult things were handled as well as the relationships in the ‘background’ characters. Also, there was a bit of miscommunication, but it was nice seeing adults communicate properly for the most part as well.
I think the extremely challenging topics in this book were handled well, although I have never been through anything like that before so I’m not the person to ask, and I think the breakup made sense, but the thing I struggled with was that I felt no chemistry. It didn’t feel natural. Not to say that none of this tugged at my heartstrings, a lot of this book is very emotional. I especially appreciated the relationship between Yasmin and Deja and the discussions on therapy and grief.
I loved the friendships, as well, and I’m really excited to get to know them more in book two! I enjoyed a lot about this book, and I even enjoyed them a lot together, I just wish we got some more banter and emotional bonding between them instead of what felt like was mostly a sexual bond, because I’m sure there’s more to them than that.
But my first Kennedy Ryan book is complete and I look forward to reading more, as I liked the writing style and the humour and the way difficult things were handled as well as the relationships in the ‘background’ characters. Also, there was a bit of miscommunication, but it was nice seeing adults communicate properly for the most part as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Miscarriage, and Mental illness
larndarn's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Death of parent, Mental illness, and Miscarriage
afaison's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
A lot of GREAT Representation in this book but overall it was just ok. Way too long and too much back and forth.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Grief, Child death, and Pregnancy
Minor: Car accident and Suicidal thoughts
jg34's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
THIS is. a. Love. story!!! It’s not pretty but it is also is beautiful. Does that make sense? Am I on a weird high after this book? I went on a JOURNEY.
This book deals with grief and loss in a heart breakingly real way. You can feel the pain through the pages (or headphones in my case). We catch this broken family two years after two tragic losses that tore them apart. They are rebuilding themselves and their relationships. They are opening up and putting in work in ways that were too painful before. And we get to watch it all!!
I love and feel for Yaz. After losing two family members back to back she is paralyzed by pain. Life keeps moving without her though and in her grief she makes the decision to end things with Josiah. A decision she bears the guilt for as she sees Josiah trying to move on and unable to trust Yaz anymore.
Josiah hides his pain. He keeps things running and needs Yaz and feels like a failure that he cannot fix her and bring the family back to how it was before. After Yaz gives up on them, his heart is broken and that loss is something he cannot cope with.
We watch them work through this with maturity and grace. It’s messy, kids are involved, friends and family opinions play a role, but can they come out on top????
Clearly this is not a lighthearted romance. Be ready for tears. But it’s worth it.
Final takeaway: everyone needs therapy!!!!
This book deals with grief and loss in a heart breakingly real way. You can feel the pain through the pages (or headphones in my case). We catch this broken family two years after two tragic losses that tore them apart. They are rebuilding themselves and their relationships. They are opening up and putting in work in ways that were too painful before. And we get to watch it all!!
I love and feel for Yaz. After losing two family members back to back she is paralyzed by pain. Life keeps moving without her though and in her grief she makes the decision to end things with Josiah. A decision she bears the guilt for as she sees Josiah trying to move on and unable to trust Yaz anymore.
Josiah hides his pain. He keeps things running and needs Yaz and feels like a failure that he cannot fix her and bring the family back to how it was before. After Yaz gives up on them, his heart is broken and that loss is something he cannot cope with.
We watch them work through this with maturity and grace. It’s messy, kids are involved, friends and family opinions play a role, but can they come out on top????
Clearly this is not a lighthearted romance. Be ready for tears. But it’s worth it.
Final takeaway: everyone needs therapy!!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Child death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Death of parent
jimins's review against another edition
emotional
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
read for a local library book club; honestly could have been shorter but i did enjoy what the author explored with this couple
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Miscarriage