Review: Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan
Wow, this book. I think that’s all I can say about it because it completely swept me away, broke my heart, and still made me cry happy tears. I have read other books by Kennedy Ryan before and she truly knows how to punch you in the gut with her words (in the best way). Do check the content warnings for this one, as it deals with some very intense topics but I think they need to be normalized! Men in therapy, love after child loss, forgiveness, moving on. It’s so so so so so good.
Ugh, the writing! I can’t get over it. I could gush about Before I Let Go for the rest of time but this is the kind of book I want to shove under literary snobs’ noses. “Just” Romance? You think this is “Just Romance”? This is a masterpiece of the human condition.
Synopsis:
“Their love was supposed to last forever. But when life delivered blow after devastating blow, Yasmen and Josiah Wade found that love alone couldn’t solve or save everything.
It couldn’t save their marriage.
Yasmen wasn’t prepared for how her life fell apart, but she’s is finally starting to find joy again. She and Josiah have found a new rhythm, co-parenting their two kids and running a thriving business together. Yet like magnets, they’re always drawn back to each other, and now they’re beginning to wonder if they’re truly ready to let go of everything they once had.
Soon, one stolen kiss leads to another…and then more. It's hot. It's illicit. It's all good—until old wounds reopen. Is it too late for them to find forever? Or could they even be better, the second time around?” —Goodreads
What I Liked:
A Couple with Children at the Center—We so rarely have books where children are added to the stakes of the story. I think it grounded the story so deeply in reality because as much as the main characters wanted to throw caution to the wind, they had a whole family to think about. I loved how intense the use “second chance romance” was in this book.
The Writing—Kennedy Ryan’s writing is impeccable. She crafts a world that is so rich and real, while still sweeping you away in their romance.
The Feelings it Provoked—This book made me FEEL. I actually had to put it down when I first read it because I wasn’t in the place to read it. But once I felt like I could handle it, I could not put it down and that is the best feeling.
What Didn’t Work:
Nothing, I absolutely loved this book. Kennedy Ryan is so underrated and more people need to read her books!
Character Authenticity: 5/5 Spice Rating: 3/5 Overall Rating: 5/5
Content Warnings:
divorce, still birth, miscarriage, child death, grief, depression, suicidal thoughts, car accident