Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan

7 reviews

gabi_715's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful 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

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clarkf87's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

At the start of this book, we find Yasmen and Josiah have been divorced for two years and are still trying to figure out how to co-parent and move on from their failed marriage.

This story is about how unhealed, back-to-back traumas can ruin relationships, even a marriage as strong as Josiah and Yasmen’s, and the great lengths we must take to begin healing and understanding why we make the choices we do when we are at our lowest. 
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jennaniho'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? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

If the song My Boo by Usher feat. Alicia Keys could be a book, it would be this one. It reminded me a lot of how Latine people also experience love, heartbreak, societal expectations and, more specifically, grief. Which is what this book focuses on and excels at.  

Yasmen and Josiah, confront emotional repression, grief, and resilience, as well as the positive effects of therapy and mindfulness. Kennedy Ryan humanizes these characters to the point of making you identify them in people in your life. In Yasmen I saw my mother, my friends, while in Josiah I saw my father, my husband, and my uncle. 

Is a truly inspiring story and a must read!
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alliross2017's review against another edition

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challenging 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? Yes

5.0

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abidavisf's review against another edition

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challenging 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

I am stunned and awed by this book. Kennedy Ryan has taken my heart in her hands, broken it, and then healed it.

I can hear Yasmen and Josiah’s voices so clearly in my head, feel everything that they felt. I have been in a somewhat similar situation to Yasmen (though it cannot compare to the enormity of Yasmen’s loss), and to be able to hear both her and Josiah’s sides was completely gut-wrenching while also incredibly healing. I considered possibilities about my former partner/relationship that I never have before. The demise of a relationship, the loss of trust, it has all been captured so realistically and with so much heart. I feel like I should be devastated, but I actually feel a sense of closure.

There are moments of beauty and tragedy within Before I Let Go that are then expertly juxtaposed with humour and hope. 10/10. A must read.
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noodlebooknook's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective tense 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

5.0

Wow the hype does not lie with this book 5 Stars!!! 

I am normally not a fan of second chance romance because almost all of them one person majorly majorly messed up and it’s hard to see how someone would forgive them but this book goes into how grief and mental illness and bad circumstances a cause issues that are deeper than whether you love someone or not but in the end if it’s meant to be it will be. 

The writing was beautiful without being too flowery

The dialogue was seamlessly casual without taking away from the flowery language in the non-Dialogue sections. 

There were 0 cringe items which is almost impossible for a modern romance and even as someone who hates pop culture references these blended so well into the story I wasn’t even mad at them.

My only criticism at all is really a criticism of the contemporary romance genre in that every book as so may sex scenes which hers were very well written I just wish I could find romance books with tension without necessarily reading smut scenes. 

But overall this book made me cry and laugh and think about my own grief and relationships it was just so so good
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greatexpectations77's review against another edition

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challenging emotional sad slow-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

3.25

This felt really long to me (It maybe could have even been two books?)  - more of telling instead of showing.  Like it takes me out of the character's head when the author is telling me every bit of what they're thinking and doesn't let me think for myself "wow, this must be really rewarding/tough/interesting/jarring for them." Some solid sexy scenes though, if you're in the mood.
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