I read Before I Let Go last year and recently reread it with a book club, and it was just as incredible the second time around. This was my first Kennedy Ryan book, and the way she navigates and writes about sensitive (and potentially triggering) topics is truly a gift.

Reading this book feels like going on a deeply personal journey—watching someone's life unfold as they work to put themselves back together. I love that journey. Yasmen and Josiah’s second-chance romance was so heartfelt and beautifully written. One of the aspects I appreciated most was the focus on mental health and therapy, especially among Black men. Josiah’s transformation and evolving views on therapy were powerful, and I loved how his son embraced therapy so openly and without shame.

Special shoutout to Yasmen’s amazing friend group—Soledad and Hendrix. What a blessing to have not one but two best friends you can trust with anything and everything. I loved how they supported each other, their families, and their businesses.