Before I Let Go

This book came highly recommended from a very good friend. She knew I had a best friend that was going through and experiencing her own grief with loss. I bought this for myself and BF to read together, we both finished the book in less than 3 days. Even though spoke of loss and depression, the author was so thoughtful and sensitive to the subject and really pulled you into the storyline and family. Even though the story speaks about a couples love and loss, there was a very well rounded storyline and the author does a well job of keeping the readers engaged! Can’t wait to read her other books!

It is always good to dive into a new author's masterpiece. I have seen this book float around on Goodreads and Amazon but never indulged in it. I finally took the leap, and I have to say I enjoyed this work of art. This book is an exemplary example of how powerful therapy can be for a grieving family. Although Yasmen suffered from depression more than anyone else in her family, she was still a powerful, strong mother, wife, and business owner. Josiah may not have understood everything Yasmen was experiencing. However, he knew that his wife was mentally ill. Yasmen and Josiah both knew in the depths of their hearts that their flame for each other had not died. They just had to figure out how to manuever through their new norm. I was glad when they finally found their way back to each other. They needed each other along with the kids needing their parents. The split affected the kids more than either parent realized.

After immersing into this masterpiece, I can see how this book has so many reviews. It deserves every last one of them. This book not only introduces us to Yasmen, Josiah, Kassim, and Deja but Soledad and Hendrix as well. It leaves you to anticipate how the love lives of Soledad and Hendrix fold out. It seems that Soledad may be having some issues in her marriage already. I am looking forward to reading the next installment in this series. I want Soledad to get her happily ever after like Yasmen did.

+🛑SPOILERS🛑 ⭐️: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

ONE OF MY TOP READS OF 2022!

I read this book as a buddy read and started the book on Saturday night. It's Monday afternoon and I finished it!

To say this book is amazing, sad, beautiful, loving, and more is an understandment. First of all I love the name Josiah and Yasmen! I just had to throw that out there 🤣. Second when the book first started I am glad it started with Yasmen being happy with herself and loving who she is. It was a journey still for her and I enjoyed the aspect of therapy and how it has helped her. She was a great mother, business women, and lover who just lost her way. I liked that she told Josiah she never stopped loving him, but she needed to learn to love herself. I've heard so many people say that and I didn't know what it meant until recently. It's the truth, though I didn't agree divorce was the right decision, something Yasmen admitted. She needed the separation and I just wish her and Josiah would have been able to communicate that without having to divorce.

Kennedy Ryan has a way of writing men that you fall in love with.

Josiah has literally stolen my ❤️!

He was everything you want in a man. A great father, loving, sweet, and supportive. One thing I loved the most about him is taking accountability. Yes, Yasmen asked for the divorce, however, he was being emotionally resistant and never truly showed emotion for the lose of his aunt and son. That affected Yasmen who didn't have support and felt alone. Even denying going to therapy which in the long run he found to help him and his family. The scene when he was speaking to his therapist and finally let his tears go was beautiful to see.

Society has set into men they have to be strong and withhold there emotions, but in reality you are setting them up to suffer silently which leads to worse circumstances mentally.

I relate to this book on the spectrum of therapy. I was resistant at first because I thought people would label me crazy and more. But, after going it had helped me so much. I now have methods of breathing to calm myself down and turn to positivity at my darkest times.

Before I Let Go is about second chances and finding love again that has never went away. Also, anxiety and depression which millions of people suffer from on the daily. Not to mention Si and Yas kids were a true telling of the story as well and I liked the way Kennedy explained ways divorce can affect children especially ones who are older. Deja I understand her anger with her mother and I was proud to see them make up at the end. Even Yasmen holding herself accountable and talking to her daughter. The son Seem is a son I would dream to have!

However, this book is a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me and I recommend everyone read this book. It respectfully explores the topic of grief, mental health, and more. Also, shows therapy in the positive light that it is!

Read this book because you will not regret it. I look forward to the next book in the series!

Swoonworthy! Heartfelt! Love reunited! Ughhh, I loved this book so much. I loved the effort this author took to paint such a descriptive masterpiece that transported me to smack dab in the middle of this story. I lived and breathed Yas and Josiah's love story as if I was living it with them. A love story about true love that lost its way as it became entangled with anger, pain, and bittersweet memories. I agonized and cried as I felt the pain Yas went through battling depression, loss, and grief. I felt hope blooming out of my chest as she recognized the new person she was becoming, a woman who was on a healing journey to being healthy and whole. I whooped with pride every time Josiah had a breakthrough and crumbled brick by brick the walls that he constructed around his hurt. This book was ABSOLUTELY amazing.

"Before I Let Go" is a breathtaking read, full of raw emotions that feel as if they are jumping off the pages. Josiah and Yasmen's love for one another is truly inspiring. The devastating losses they navigate, both as a family and as individuals, testify to the fragility of life and the importance of savoring every moment. I particularly appreciate the embrace of therapy, especially for a Black family, as it's something our community needs to see more of. This book beautifully conveys that it's okay to not be okay and to seek help when needed.

Kennedy Ryan's storytelling is both powerful and tender, capturing the complexities of love, grief, and healing in a way that feels deeply personal and universal. This is not just a love story; it's a poignant exploration of resilience, connection, and the courage to rebuild.

This was an overall amazing read. It was beautifully written and the audio version did the book itself even more justice… for me though the book was a little long winded and took a very long time to climax… I feel like there was plenty if not too much character development and plot building but the turning point didn’t show up until the book was closing out. I would’ve loved to get more of the couples true love story and just overall more of them together. The story was beautiful and interesting and I could see this being an amazing movie but for a book it was just bit too much fluff.

Okay, sooooo, maybe I rushed this book a year ago. I read it because of the hype and mixed reviews. Anywho, this book was picked in a book club I'm in, and I decided to re-read it again. And i LOVED it....(I'm in a different phase in my life). It hit "home" for me in different aspects. But the whole Yas and Si back and forth the "cat and mouse" situation. I get it, though. What's that saying, "You don't know what you got until it's gone." To go through marriage, divorce, loss on more than one level, grief, love, and forgiveness. It took a lot of growing pains and therapy for Yas and Si to find each other again and to pick the pieces back up.