Before I Let Go (Skyland, 1)

I really enjoyed reading this book! It was the first one I've read from my new fave Author, Kennedy Ryan. 😊 I loved the way Kennedy captures you into the story and you feel like you're right there, living and being a part of it all. Yas and Josiah's life, loss and life again was truly heartfelt, emotional and genuine. It'll make a great movie series! Can't wait to start book 2...

This was one of the first novels that I read after a long hiatus in reading with the specific intention of wanting to heal my heart space. I just finished it maybe a week ago, and I read this book with the intention of embarking on a journey to heal my heart space after a betrayal, a heartbreak, and a lifetime of neglect. I wanted to reconnect with my deep, insatiable, not just yearning for love, but belief in love. Love that is safe, love that is reciprocal, love that is built on a foundation of transparency and mutuality and trust and trustworthiness and passion and grace and endurance and undeniable commitment and covenant. I recommend that to any person, and especially any woman, who is recovering from heartbreak. It is a way to softly, gently, sweetly, intellectually, mentally and emotionally do exposure therapy to the idea of love. And this was the perfect book for me, because in wanting to believe in love again, especially in emotionally available, capable men who are able to return a God tier agape, unconditional, reciprocating, trustworthy, beautiful, covenant level love, Josiah is the blueprint for such a love. I loved these characters, and even though I have already read another book after this one, I'm still having a book hangover, I'm still in the book grief of missing the characters and missing the energy of the characters. They were very well written. And I love that the author, Kennedy Ryan, said in an interview that when so many people say the love the characters have for each other is unrealistic, or that the standard she is setting for women to believe in when it comes to men and love and relationships is unrealistic, she said no, I want that type of love to become the standard, especially for Black women, who have historically been expected to accept less and accept breadcrumbs and accept struggle love, especially now when it is historically time to change the narrative on Black love and make it healthy again. Make Black love healthy again. Make Black love committed again. Make Black love trustworthy again. Make Black love honorable again. Make Black love worthy of being publicly represented and reverenced again. And I love that she is doing that through her work of fiction, because ideas become seeds planted into how we move in society as a whole and at large, and I love books like this that plant the seeds and make Black women and readers change what they expect out of relationships, whether platonic or romantic or through family, raising the bar on what they know they deserve and what we are worthy of reciprocating and giving in relationship, because everything should be a mutual effort. But Josiah was the standard, if you want to be able to return your heart to a space where you can imagine a man who only has eyes for his wife, who doesn't have wandering eyes, who doesn't have a wandering heart, who is sure that when he decided to love his wife he wanted only her, and who never lost attraction for her no matter how many babies her body gave him and how much it changed, and as they got older his love continued to grow and mature and ripen for his wife. Even after, spoiler alert, they go through a divorce, because this is a second chance romance, he still loves her afterwards, and even through his immense pain of being rejected, because yes, Yaz is the one who asked for the divorce, he was still fighting his feelings of still feeling committed to her. And if that is not what every woman has ever yearned for or desired when it comes to a magical, soulmate, passion rich, emotionally intelligent love, then I don't know what is. And the rest of the book, of course, all of the characters are beautifully written. As someone who has struggled lifelong with depression, I loved the depiction of Yaz's depression and how Kennedy Ryan was able to illustrate how depression can cause physical aches. And I love that it also showed how, despite them trying to keep their marital problems between them, of course the kids absorbed that. That reminded me so much of my childhood, you know, parents just assume that kids aren't smart, but kids are like sponges, they pick up on everything, they have intuition, and they are a lot smarter than we give them credit for. So her incorporating the domino effect of how divorce and grief affect the children even when you are trying to protect them, that was beautifully illustrated and written in the book. And the friendship between Yaz and her friends, you know, every relationship in the book, even Yaz's relationship with Josiah's deceased aunt, was passionate, and she was grieving her as well. The memories that they conjured of her, it was just a very heart open book that showed reverence and appreciation for the living and the dead and for what was lost, and it didn't try to rush through the grieving process or gloss over the people who weren't there anymore. It kept memories alive, which I believe is a necessity and beautiful when it comes to the concept of family and holding on and keeping hope alive and making our loved ones immortal in our hearts. I loved all of the layers of every character, and yes, I loved how courageous and open and honest and vulnerable and raw Yaz was when she finally decided that she was going to forgive herself for the mistake she made when she was depressed. And I love how it showed that depression steals so much from your life, and it hijacks your mind and your spirit and your soul with so much darkness that it can even erode and disconnect you from things and people that you love deeply, and you cannot see past the black and white that it reduces you to and the extremes that it forces you to see through, and you can't see hope, and you can't see reconciliation, and you can't see any point in living or any point in trying. And you can stay in these depression induced loops of thinking and grieving for years before you're able to finally wake up from it and realize that so many years of your life have been stolen by it, and you do have to realize, despite you being in a very altered state that you could not fight through and were wishing for death from, that when you finally get past it, even though you didn't intend to, a lot of damage was done. So I love how that was depicted in the story, and how Yaz went through a journey of having to forgive herself for the mistake she made in her marriage and with her children and even losing their baby. And I love that we're able to be with her in her skin as she forgives herself and conjures up the courage to fight for her marriage even after divorce, and puts her heart on the line and lays all of her wants and needs and desires out to Josiah and pursues him and earns his love and his heart and his trust back, even after two years of being divorced, so that they're able to reconcile fully and completely. It's a beautiful feel good story that, although it gives you a happy ending, doesn't spare you any of the messy middle that is required to get to that happy ending, especially in a second chance romance where a divorce took place. So it will have you smiling and giggling and crying and it takes you through every spectrum of emotion, and it's delicious. It's sensual. It's honest. It's beautiful. It's heart wrenching. And most of all, it will definitely make you believe in love again, and especially raise your standards on what you deserve and desire out of romance, out of family, out of friendship, out of covenant, and it helps you to believe in and know that you're capable of being a good partner and having a good partner. Kennedy Ryan definitely set a standard here of helping women reach higher for the type of partners they attract into their lives, and have a bigger hand in the type of love story that they allow to exist in their world. So it was beautifully written. I had a wonderful time. This is definitely the type of book that I would want a sequel to. I loved every second, my heart still misses these characters, and it's something that I would read again for sure. ✨

This is such an incredibly heart-wrenching and at the same time heart-warming story. The author displays her mastery of words to give the reader an easily visible depiction of events. I find it notable that the chapters that are the narratives of the male (Josiah) are profoundly deep. Not only was Josiah's character able to speak his physical feelings for his ex wife, he was also clear and unabashed about the depths of is emotional connectedness not only to her, but to the relationship. Yasmen's narratives, on the other hand, were surface level, skirting right around the edges of what she was feeling. The superficiality of Yasmen's narratives made it difficult for me to read her chapters after having read Josiah's. It took effort to, after a while, to not just skip over Yasmen's narratives After a while the story becomes boring and totally basal;

5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I absolutely loved this book. From start to finish, it was an engaging and emotionally rich read. The character development was especially well done—each character felt fully realized, with depth, growth, and authenticity that made it easy to connect with their journeys. The storyline itself was compelling and thoughtfully layered, keeping me invested the entire time. One of the standout elements for me was the use of multiple points of view. It added dimension to the narrative and allowed for a deeper understanding of each character’s perspective, motivations, and internal conflicts. It truly elevated the storytelling and made the overall experience more immersive. This was my first time reading a book l by Kennedy Ryan, and it definitely won’t be my last.

Before I Let Go is a standout debut in the Skyland series. The author excels at creating vivid, immersive scenes that make you feel like you’re experiencing the story firsthand. Every character’s emotion, every setting, and every plot twist is described with such clarity that the world of Skyland feels tangible and alive. Writing & Style: The narrative flows effortlessly, balancing tension, emotion, and character development. The author’s attention to detail makes the moments feel present and immediate, pulling the reader fully into the story. Engagement & Enjoyment: From start to finish, I found myself completely absorbed. The story strikes a great balance between action, emotion, and suspense, making it hard to put the book down. Overall: A beautifully written, immersive novel that sets up the Skyland series brilliantly. Perfect for readers who love to feel deeply connected to the story and characters. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a page-turner with emotional depth.

Wow! I’m very emotional over this book. Took me a few days to finish it because I had to pause quite often. It deals with some heavy topics such as grief, and loss of a child, and also talks heavily about mental health. It’s also a second chance romance, and you know me, I love a second chance! Yasmen and Josiah are the definition of soulmates. That’s what made this book so devastating… They clearly loved, and were meant to be with each other. Tragedy either makes or breaks a relationship, and you often see couples grow closer in the process of losing a loved one, or in grief. That’s the opposite of what happened with Yasmen and Josiah. They both experienced loss, and didn’t know how to process it, and on top of that, they had children to raise and a business to uphold. They were divorced for two years, before finally being able to confront all that they’ve lost, including each other. Yasmen Wade is a remarkable character, and I know there are many Yasmen’s in the real world. The women who experience a loss so deep, that they often don’t know if they’ll come back from it. The women that chose to push forward, not for themselves, but for their children. Yasmen’s character was strong willed, an amazing mother, advocate for therapy, and a compassionate partner. I admire her so much for being able to get the help that she needed. “Even in that new loneliness, there was a kind of relief to have only one thing to save. Not my marriage, but just myself.” Josiah Wade is reserved and only shows his soft side to the people he’s comfortable with. He’s an outstanding father that would do anything for his children… Even go to therapy. I think that’s what made me really start loving Josiah. At first, I’m not going to lie, he rubbed me the wrong way. I wanted to scream at him and shake him. How could he not see what a horrible time his wife was going through? I had to remember that he was going through it, too. He also experienced loss. Josiah’s character development was truly top tier. I loved seeing him in those therapy sessions! “I know you need to be strong for the people you love. But I want to stand with you when it rains, when the wind comes. When it’s hard and the odds are stacked against us. We didn’t always do that before, but I believe if and when trials come, we will stand together.” Everyone could see how much Josiah and Yas were meant to be, but them. Their minds were clouded with what if’s and depression. They’re the definition of “If someone is meant to be, they’ll find a way back to you.” It wasn’t an easy road for these two. They had to work on themselves apart, to realize they wanted to work on it together. I think that’s one of the things that I love about them both, they stood on their own two feet and got the help that they needed, and didn’t rely on each other or make excuses. They healed within before finding their way back to each other! “I heard someone say once that when you try to fix people’s hurt, you’re controlling it instead of sitting with them and connecting. I didn’t have the words for it then, but I have the language for it now.” ‘And what is that language?’ “This is not me saying you were wrong and it was all your fault. It’s me understanding how completely incompatible we were in our grief.” ‘Incompatible?’ “In every way possible. I needed to stop. To process, and maybe I stayed in that space too long. I’m sure I did, but I felt like you didn’t stop at all. It felt like you were running from everything that I needed to work through. And we didn’t talk about any of it.” Kennedy Ryan… Pleaseeeee. The pure honesty in the writing was beautiful. Relatable and raw emotion from both characters. Phenomenal! Each chapter was filled with emotionally charged dialogue, yet, nothing seemed to be too much. These characters felt so real. Real life situations, real life stakes, real life heartbreak, real life love! The character development for both characters was phenomenal. Even with their children!!! Easiest 5 stars!

I have to admit, it took everything in me to keep reading, but honey.... It's worth it! True love, loss, forgiveness, restoration, and redemption. What a beautiful story and deals with some real-life stuff! I enjoyed it!

This book is about love and loss - how to process and navigate the two. A great read from start to finish. Never give up on love!

This book took care of me. I don’t know if that makes sense. I don’t know how to explain it, so I won’t.

Well...It's been a few days since I finished this read and I am still trying to process it. Where to even begin...like always, GAME-CHANGER!!! It was stunning. The definition of second chances brings forth a whole new meaning to me now. Again, Kennedy didn't tie this up in a pretty bow; she was authentic to her characters and honest with the situation. It barred some pretty heavy topics like grief, depression, stillbirth, and the collapse of a marriage, but also held some lightness with laughter, happiness, and utter joy. It was just brilliant. I'm genuinely speechless; all I want is to wrap Yasmin and Josiah up in a great big hug and tell them, I'm so proud of you both. I swear, I feel healed and I wasn't even a character in this book, lol, like...how? I'm just in love. Hats off to Kennedy Ryan, she is the BEST in the business and, next to my mama, my favourite HUMAN of all time. The lady needs to be graced on every shelf of every home, in every syllabus at every university, and 'our' voice to not only normalize mental health BUT also to create CHANGE. She is hands down the brightest ray of sunshine, the BEST teacher I have ever had, and one in a million.

Another outstanding novel from Kennedy Ryan. Emotions and feelings are all over there. It is just beautiful how she described all the emotions, the characters. She really know how to go deep. Perfect second chance book. I could not drop the book until I finished.

I don’t usually write long reviews, but Before I Let Go deserves every word. This book broke me open in the softest, most healing way. It’s not your typical second-chance romance — it’s quieter, deeper, and achingly real. What I loved most? The characters don’t perform for you. They grow for themselves. No unnecessary drama, no over-explaining pain. Just two people learning how to carry love and grief in the same hands. The heroine felt like someone I’d admire in real life — calm, layered, strong in a gentle way 🧘‍♀️. She gave space to breathe, and that space made all the difference. Kennedy Ryan writes like she sees into your private sorrows. She doesn’t rush the healing — she respects it. That meant the world to me. I closed the book and just sat there... silent, grateful, and honestly a little changed 💔✨. If you’re in a season of healing or trying to understand what love means after life cracks you open — please read this. It’s not loud, but it’s powerful. Soul-deep.

Lovely story, I recommend it