A review by leonareadsalot
Before I Let Go, by Kennedy Ryan
challenging
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
5.0
**Originally reivewed at Leona Reads A Lot on TikTok
Rating: ★★★★★
Published Date: November 15, 2022
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Forever
Format: Trade Paperback
Pages: 400
Content Warning/Trigger Warning: depression, complicated grief, stillbirth, passive suicidal ideation
“Before I Let Go” by Kennedy Ryan was provided by Forever. I received this free copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review and critique. All thoughts and opinions are my own and are unique to my experience with this title.
Other than the books I’ve had to read during grad school, “Before I Let Go” by Kennedy Ryan was the first fiction book I’ve annotated. I’m talking tabs, notes in the margins, and underlined passages. I think the quote Ryan added to the beginning of this book fits the beauty of this story perfectly.
“To the strong girls,
To the hustlers,
To the superwomen,
Tend your hearts with ruthless care…and rest.”
In “Before I Let Go” we’re given Josiah and Yasmen’s relationship from its very beginning to its happy-ever-after conclusion. Through the highs and lows of this story, of their relationship, Ryan pens such a realistic, relatable, and poignant romance story.
Even though Kennedy Ryan shows the trauma and the cracks in the foundation of Yasmen and Josiah’s relationship, I LOVED that she didn’t rip our hearts out even more by making us fall in love with them as a couple, making us have to see the causes that broke them up all at once. THIS is smart storytelling; knowing what weapons you have and spreading them out smartly.
I had so much hope in my heart surrounding this family. The things left unspoken are great plot drivers to the character development of everyone we’ve been introduced to so far. Even Vashti, along with the familial problems, is a very effective antagonist in this story. Everything has so far been tastefully done.
The flaws of each character make for a compelling argument that the death of their child was just an agent for the underlying problems to surface because these little problems chipped away at their foundation before it was completely toppled.
Chapter 13 was a chapter that needed to happen but was a bit jarring considering we hadn’t had flashbacks like this before. I love this perspective of events from his POV because so much was focused on her and his aversion but this showed the block he had when it came to the emotions of dealing with all the tragedies.
I love how intricate the kiddos are within this story. They just aren’t ornamented pieces pulled when it's convenient or as a plot device; they’re active and relevant members of this family that contribute to driving this story to its end goal. Once again, SMART writing!
In chapter 34 I had to notate that the development of both/all characters was so well done and relatable/realistic that I’m just gobbling everything up! I love the progression of all the relationships and where the current and past struggles have been addressed and fleshed out.
Once Josiah started going to therapy I knew I was going to like Dr. Musa right off the bat and he identified one of their obstacles easily. I think that communication, or the lack thereof, was their biggest obstacle because they gave into everything else that made their relationship so great, and when tragedy struck their lack of effective communication reared its head and left them unfocused, frustrated, and heartbroken on top of everything else.
Hands down this might just be my favorite read of the year, I know it’s my favorite read of the month of August - the month I finished this book. I really hope that we end up getting a Hendrix or Soledad story in the near future because there’s so much about them I want to learn, plus their great fun to read about.
Rating: ★★★★★
Published Date: November 15, 2022
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Forever
Format: Trade Paperback
Pages: 400
Content Warning/Trigger Warning: depression, complicated grief, stillbirth, passive suicidal ideation
“Before I Let Go” by Kennedy Ryan was provided by Forever. I received this free copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review and critique. All thoughts and opinions are my own and are unique to my experience with this title.
Other than the books I’ve had to read during grad school, “Before I Let Go” by Kennedy Ryan was the first fiction book I’ve annotated. I’m talking tabs, notes in the margins, and underlined passages. I think the quote Ryan added to the beginning of this book fits the beauty of this story perfectly.
“To the strong girls,
To the hustlers,
To the superwomen,
Tend your hearts with ruthless care…and rest.”
In “Before I Let Go” we’re given Josiah and Yasmen’s relationship from its very beginning to its happy-ever-after conclusion. Through the highs and lows of this story, of their relationship, Ryan pens such a realistic, relatable, and poignant romance story.
Even though Kennedy Ryan shows the trauma and the cracks in the foundation of Yasmen and Josiah’s relationship, I LOVED that she didn’t rip our hearts out even more by making us fall in love with them as a couple, making us have to see the causes that broke them up all at once. THIS is smart storytelling; knowing what weapons you have and spreading them out smartly.
I had so much hope in my heart surrounding this family. The things left unspoken are great plot drivers to the character development of everyone we’ve been introduced to so far. Even Vashti, along with the familial problems, is a very effective antagonist in this story. Everything has so far been tastefully done.
The flaws of each character make for a compelling argument that the death of their child was just an agent for the underlying problems to surface because these little problems chipped away at their foundation before it was completely toppled.
Chapter 13 was a chapter that needed to happen but was a bit jarring considering we hadn’t had flashbacks like this before. I love this perspective of events from his POV because so much was focused on her and his aversion but this showed the block he had when it came to the emotions of dealing with all the tragedies.
I love how intricate the kiddos are within this story. They just aren’t ornamented pieces pulled when it's convenient or as a plot device; they’re active and relevant members of this family that contribute to driving this story to its end goal. Once again, SMART writing!
In chapter 34 I had to notate that the development of both/all characters was so well done and relatable/realistic that I’m just gobbling everything up! I love the progression of all the relationships and where the current and past struggles have been addressed and fleshed out.
Once Josiah started going to therapy I knew I was going to like Dr. Musa right off the bat and he identified one of their obstacles easily. I think that communication, or the lack thereof, was their biggest obstacle because they gave into everything else that made their relationship so great, and when tragedy struck their lack of effective communication reared its head and left them unfocused, frustrated, and heartbroken on top of everything else.
Hands down this might just be my favorite read of the year, I know it’s my favorite read of the month of August - the month I finished this book. I really hope that we end up getting a Hendrix or Soledad story in the near future because there’s so much about them I want to learn, plus their great fun to read about.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Grief, and Infertility
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts