This book was a well-earned 5-star read for me, and I can definitely see myself returning to this story and these characters. It was so interesting seeing 2 people in such different stages of healing and self-awareness try to make it work. Both characters had to learn how to trust the other again in their new and vulnerable state. Second-chance romances are interesting because you have two people who are learning to love a new iteration of a person they know intimately; the old-them is constantly at war with the new-them, and it was fascinating to see Ryan tackle this concept with Yasmen and Josiah. Speaking of our brooding and hard-headed father of the hour, Josiah takes so long to begin to learn how to heal and express his emotions, but it’s so worth it when he finally makes a breakthrough. There were times where I seriously frustrated with him and his blatant rejection of emotional availability, and I was waiting for this to be addressed, and I’m glad it was.

BEFORE I LET GO has incredible writing; it’s heartfelt, complex, dynamic, and funny. I’ve highlighted several passages and lines that made my soul thing, and I’m itching for the Soledad’s story. I loved Yasmen's friendship with Hendrix and Soledad; it was robust, funny, and had a strong sense of well-earned sisterhood that can only be found between Black women. I also appreciated Yasmen’s therapist reminding her (and us, as readers) that healing is cyclical and that Depression is a trickster. The work Ryan did to show how far Yasmen had come since her divorcing Josiah and the work she was continuing to do was well-researched and heartfelt.