Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan

13 reviews

mamasuereads's review against another edition

emotional inspiring medium-paced

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

4.0

This is a beautiful story of how a marriage fell apart after a traumatic event.  It's also about friendship and renewal.  Very well done.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, and Grief

booksalacarte's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Child death, Alcohol, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Death, and Grief

noodlebooknook's review

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol and Child death

Moderate: Sexual content, Self harm, Abandonment, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Grief, Infertility, and Suicidal thoughts

bunnyreads3's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Self harm, Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Grief, Alcohol, Body shaming, Death, Infertility, Cursing, Death of parent, and Mental illness

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Grief, Infertility, Miscarriage, Mental illness, and Sexual content

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, and Pregnancy

Minor: Abandonment, Abortion, Alcohol, Blood, and Medical content

michelle_my_belle's review

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Child death

Moderate: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Death of parent

Minor: Cursing, Dementia, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, and Alcohol

lana72905's review

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

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!! All of the recommendations I've received for this book, I completely agree with. My first five star read for feburary, and I truly adored it. Every aspect of this story. The pain, the grief, the love I felt like it was really real. I was rooting for Josiah and Yasmen the entire way. It truly broke me seeing all the grief and depression all characters were going through, the inevitable crash of their lives, and how they had to cope from it. It was amazing seeing them feel through it. Each character felt real. Rheir flaws, their liks, their dislikes and their personalities felt truly deep and three dimensional. It was phenomenal. I cannot express enough how much I was fangirling seeing the scenes where Josiah and Yas had do much love for each other. It felt truly like a love story, a truly heartfelt love story that also delved into grief and loss. It truly made me feel like a second chance was deserving, to which it was. A wonderful story, 10/10, I'm definitely reading more from this author.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death, Pregnancy, and Mental illness

Moderate: Miscarriage and Alcohol

Minor: Car accident, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Child death, and Dementia

caseythereader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Alcohol, Child death, Cursing, and Death

Minor: Dementia

blackcatkai's review

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.5

3.5/5☆~ CW: miscarriage, trauma, grief, death, suicidal thoughts, mental illness, alcohol use, sexual content

this was a very heavy novel that is much more contemporary literary novel than anything else. there is a smidge of a romance & fun in here, but i would not consider it a romcom as ive seen some places recommend this as. though it does, occasionally, make drastic tonal shifts to either side (very serious vs light & fluffy) i would not recommend this to someone unless they can handle the heavier topics explored in this story.

i overall enjoyed the book, it just would have been better if it had stuck only with the heavier tone or just with the more light hearted aspects. trying to do them both in one long novel just didnt quite work as well for me as it could have otherwise. i would definitely love to see more serious novels from kennedy ryan in the future, she's very good!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Grief, Death, Mental illness, and Sexual content

Moderate: Alcohol and Suicidal thoughts

amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Grief

Moderate: Alcohol and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Dementia