Reviews with content warning for Cursing - Before I Let Go

Reviews tagging 'Cursing'

Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan

15 reviews

booksalacarte's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

Before I let go 5⭐️ 3🌶️

Second Chance Romance

Divorce

Found family

Therapy

Grief

Ptsd

This was such a beautifully heartbreaking, and at the same time, heartwarming book. The characters were so well flushed out and full. The writing was full of poetic inner monologues and glaringly real dialogue.

It felt like a love letter to therapy and the power that it has.

The character of grief is profound in this book. As someone who has lost in a similar way, not skirting around the grief but instead staring it in the face and explaining it in such a poetic way… it was so cathartic to read grief in such an open way.

I loved this book.

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bookdragonkatie's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-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

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louisekf's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful 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

4.25

Does love conquer all? In this beautiful story, Yasmen and Josiah are divorced, having once promised to love each other “until the wheels fall off.” Two family tragedies affected each of them in a very different way, and they fell apart. With Yasmen in a deep depression, she asked for the divorce, and Josiah had to learn to deal with that. The fact that they run a business together (a restaurant) and have two children keeps them in close contact. A couple of years later, it is clear that they have not gotten over each other. Yasmen is getting back on her feet and wants to see if they can rekindle what they had.

This is not a light read, but a powerful examination of a marriage. While Yasmen has faced her feelings, Josiah has repressed them. I loved how the author focused on psychology/therapy as a positive force. The story is told from both perspectives, with some chapters narrated by Yasmen and others by Josiah. There were some great side characters, including Yasmen’s two friends: Hendrix and Soledad, and young teen Deja.

Warning: graphic depiction of pregnancy and miscarriage/stillbirth; lots of curse words (for those who don’t like that sort of language in books); graphic open door “spice.”

I was surprised to find some recipes at the end of the book, as I’ve usually only seen those in culinary cozy mystery books They sound delicious!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book, although I was very late to it. With the next book in the series coming out shortly, I guess I had the incentive to finally read this one! I bounced between the ARC and the published audiobook, courtesy of my public library. The audiobook was beautifully narrated by Wesleigh Siobhan and Jakobi Diem. All opinions are my own.

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bunnyreads3's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

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gabichatslit's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense

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

Where does the love go?? Nowhere. The love stays.

My first Kennedy Ryan read and I am forever changed. This is my favorite read of the year. This book was amazing. It was emotional and sad and funny and loving and real and raw. Yas and Josiah, and all their friends and family felt so real. And I absolutely love them and reading their love story. I have never giggled and blushed and kicked my feet and screamed and cried as much as I did reading this book. I don’t remember the last time I read a 300+ book in one day. Like any free moment I had, I was picking this book up. I’m about to go listen to the audiobook while I cook breakfast rn just because I’m not ready to leave these characters and Skyland. I’m so excited for Sol’s story, March can’t come quick enough lol and I’m glad I preordered my copy the other day (before I had even started the book mind you lol)

Ryan is easily one of my favorite authors. She has this way with words that I can’t even put into words. It’s just beautiful and tender and I’m just so glad I picked this book up. I’ll have more thoughts later. But yeah, my number 1 of 2023 for sure.

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jikuuu08's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-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

4.25

each and every individual character had their own voice, their own story.
the dialogue of every character was so distinct and though the topics varied through heavy and emotional situations, the lightness and fun sprinkled into the story was delightful.
the narritive comes full circle and in the end is so heartwarming and satisfying.

i learned that love is not how inherently good it is, but it is more how you can fight through the bad and find your way back to eachother when times are tough.

Content Warnings