Before I Let Go by Kennedy RyanSeries: Skyland #1
Publication Date: November 15, 2022
Pages: 400
Add on: Goodreads
Rating: ★★★
Source: From the Publisher
Genre: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary
Publisher: Forever / Hachette Book Group
“Real, raw, magnificent—Before I Let Go is the beautiful angst I love to read.” —Colleen Hoover, #1 New York Times bestselling author
A Good Morning America Book Buzz Pick!
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?
Award-winning and bestselling "powerhouse" author Kennedy Ryan is at her absolute best in this compelling, scorching novel about hope and healing, and what it truly means to love for a lifetime (USA Today).
REVIEW
Some books just grab you by the heart and don’t let go. Kennedy Ryan’s Before I Let Go is that kind of story.
Set in Atlanta’s bustling restaurant scene, this novel serves up the complicated reality of Yasmen and Josiah Wade, divorced business partners trying to run a restaurant while raising kids together. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, right? But Ryan, the first Black author to snag the RITA Award, cooks up something extraordinary here.
This isn’t your typical “oops, we made a mistake, let’s get back together” romance. Ryan dives deep into the messiness of real life, depression, grief, and therapy sessions that’ll make you reach for tissues. When tragedy hits the Wades, their perfect marriage crumbles. But sometimes broken pieces can form something new, something stronger.
The magic lies in how Ryan handles the heavy stuff. Mental health struggles and loss aren’t just plot devices; they’re treated with the weight they deserve. She writes with a rhythm that pulls you in, balancing gut-punch moments with flashes of joy that feel earned, not forced. And when things heat up between Yasmen and Josiah? Let’s just say those scenes matter; they’re not just there for show.
Sure, the story takes its time getting going. But like a slow-cooked meal, the flavours are worth the wait. Ryan’s exploration of co-parenting and family healing feels real and raw, never sugar-coated or simplified.
Before I Let Go proves that romance can be more than meet-cutes and happy endings. It’s about the courage to love again after life’s knocked you down, about healing even when it hurts, about finding hope in the hard places. Kennedy Ryan hasn’t just written another love story; she’s crafted a powerful reminder that sometimes letting go is just the first step to holding on again.
