Before I Let Go… *ques Franky Beverly and Maze… followed by Blackstreet* If you know, you know. Actually, this blog isn’t about music. It’s really about a book I found on Instagram. Yes, I followed the trend of reading this book after I’ve seen so many other strangers reading it. Here are my thoughts about it.
FYI, I listened to the book on Audible instead of physically reading it. You will see the word “read” being used throughout this blog when I really mean “listened” to. It sounded better to me 😉
Also, there will be spoilers in this blog. So if you’re trying to read the book, then I’d say wait to read my thoughts on it.
Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan
Has anyone else been influenced by what people have put on social media? Being social media influenced can be a hit or miss at times. This time I was willing to be influenced by listening to book recommendations. So, I looked on my Libby app (not sponsored) to see if I could find it. Y’all, I was in line to listen to it, a long line. At this point, I had high expectations since I had to wait to listen to it. I had to wait a whole month later to listen to this book during my Spring Break. Once I was done, I noticed more people were waiting to listen to it. Let’s talk about it.
My interpretation: this book is based on the story of two divorcees, Josiah and Yasmen Wade, who was once married to each other and not they’re navigating life. Although divorced, they’re business owners, co-parents, and surprisingly friends. As the book unfolds, they realize that they have some unfinished issues with each other: the reason for their divorce, losing a child in the third trimester (if I remember correctly), and whether they can handle dating after a divorce. Most of all, they’re faced with two children who are also handling their divorce.
What Did I Love?
The narrators were on their A-game. I love when I listen to narrators who bring the story to life, and I truly feel like these two did what needed to be done. If I could listen to every single book that Jakobi Diem and Wesleigh Siobhan, then I would! They gave this book some dynamic and kept me engaged throughout the book. Their narration made this book worth listening to. I loved every bit of it.
I loved the lil side relationships. I loved when Josiah got with Vashti. I also loved when Yasmen got with Mark to spite Josiah for moving on. Homegirl initiated the divorce but wanted to get back at Josiah for trying to move on lol! It gave the book a little spice. To be honest, I didn’t think Yasmen and Josiah were going to get back together. Why? Because of how stubborn they were and their determination to never get back together. I just knew they weren’t going to work out! At the same time, I knew their side relationships weren’t going to work out either.
I loved the “lil parties.” I loved when Josiah and Yasmen were setting up social gatherings at their restaurant, Thanksgiving dinner, and block party. It felt like I was there. It had me wanting to party with Hendrix!
The love from their friends has helped them through. It’s something about having your village with you through thick and thin that makes you want to keep going. They will support you even when they may be going through some things themselves. Hendrix and Soledad were a huge part of Yasmen’s healing and brought much-needed moments of comedic relief. For me, it was giving “Waiting to Exhale” when I was reading about Yasmen with her girls, Hendrix and Soledad. I admired their sisterhood and being there for each other. I even enjoyed the very short side stories of Hendrix and Soledad’s personal life issues. (BTW, I called it when I heard about Soledad and her husband!) I truly felt like as “sisters,” they were all in this life together and had each other’s backs.
The overall theme of healing through therapy was emphasized throughout the book. I loved the idea of Kennedy Ryan talking about the importance of therapy. I loved how it was discussed throughout the book. Yasmen‘s grief and depression were oh so dark after her loss that it’s a blessing that she overcame it. I think Yasmen and Josiah did an amazing job of working together to get their son, Kassim, the help he needed after his teacher expressed concerns about his mental health. It did my heart some good when Josiah wanted to go to therapy after seeing his son go and did it scared. I loved watching Josiah’s hard demeanor soften a bit each time he went to therapy. Ryan’s description of the events that led to the divorce was chilling! I felt like I experienced the loss and pain that Yasmen and Josiah felt when they experienced a stillbirth. They were suffocated by grief and it took a lot of strength for healing. I am not a mother. However, I am no stranger to depression and I loved how Yasmen was able to overcome it.
What Was I Hoping For?
I was hoping to know more about Josiah and Yasmen’s marriage. What got me thinking about it was how they got back together. I noticed the feeling of closeness and wanting to be with each other. At the same time, I more so got “friends with benefits” vibes when they were hooking up on the low instead of a deep, passionate love that was missed. If that’s the dynamic of Josiah and Yasmen’s relationship, then so be it and I’m all for it. However, I didn’t consider this book a love story. I questioned their love for each other when they wanted to work it out. Did they really love each other? Or were they just horny? Because they both were hellbent on not getting back together. I would have loved to know more about the beginning stages of their relationship and why they married each other.
I was hoping for more of an emphasis on Josiah and Yasmen’s daughter, Deja, and her heart softening. As an educator, I understand the development of a teenager’s mind and how Deja felt when her parents were divorcing. In that regard, I understand Deja’s anger toward her mother even though it won’t always make sense to adults. I normally refer to it as “teenage logic.” Regardless, Deja crossed the line so many times and never had repercussions besides Josiah sternly talking to her. There were times when I felt like the stern talking to wasn’t working, and Yasmen’s efforts were never going to work. This book painted Deja as a bratty, stubborn teenager who doesn’t know how to talk to her parents. She initially had no respect for her mother and it made my eye twitch. Now I’m not looking for a Hallmark movie, 180-degree switch here. I just couldn’t see past Deja being disrespectful throughout the entire book. I would have loved to see Deja going to therapy.
Overall, How Many Stars?
I would give it 4.5 out of 5 stars. It was engaging and spicy, and I loved it. I heard that this was a series. I’d be interested in reading the next book.