Reviews tagging 'Ableism'

Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan

1 review

churrosmom's review

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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

4.5

This is a heavy, heavy romance novel, bordering fiction rather than romance. Trigger warnings listed below. Yasmen and Josiah are divorced, coparenting, and running a business together. Their marriage fell apart after they lost Josiah's aunt and son (stillbirth after an accident) in short succession. Yasmen fell into a deep depression and Josiah wasn't supportive of her. The story takes place two years later, after Yasmen has healed and they keep being drawn towards each other.

The star of this book is the depth of its portrayal of the main character, Yasmen's depression and grief. This is probably the most realistic depiction of therapy that I have ever read in a novel. As someone who has been in therapy for almost 7 years and has had a number of therapists, I think that the main character's struggles with depression are so accurate in that it is hard for her to find a therapist who is a good fit, and it takes a combination of medication and long-term therapy with the right therapist to heal. So many books I've read have a magical therapist where the character goes to therapy twice and everything is resolved, and that is not the case here. It's also so realistic that unfortunately her family (husband and daughter) do not understand her depression and blame her for their family falling apart, and it takes themselves going to therapy to understand. I also like that we see the husband, Josiah, perspective on therapy and depression evolve (shoutout to the feelings wheel!!).

I do feel like the romance takes a back seat in this story, for better or for worse. After reading other reviews it does make me realize that we don't actually see much of the couple's love and growth together besides their sexual attraction. There is some minor drama with other characters Yasmen and Josiah date but they were set aside really easily.

Trigger warnings: Depression/mental health, suicidal ideation, death (of parents, parental figures), stillbirth, explicit sexual content.

**Disclaimer: Received an eARC from the publisher on Netgalley.


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