Before I Let Go

CW: stillbirth, depression, suicidal thoughts

3.5 stars, rounded down. Well-written second-chance romance about Yasmen and Josiah, whose marriage ended after incompatibly different responses to several devastating losses. Ryan does a great job of portraying Yasmen's journey from deepest depression to recovery, foregrounding therapy and psychotropic medication in a way that is not usually seen in this genre. Josiah's aversion to therapy and hyper focus on his job also rings true. Their determination to co-parent their two children with as little conflict as possible is admirable.

Unfortunately the novel is also way too long and drawn out, with endless pages of repetitive mental lusting on both sides. The MCs finally start to open up and talk to each other towards the last quarter of the book but until then their lack of communication causes several annoying Big Misunderstandings. I felt like Yasmen and Josiah fought for and earned their HEA, but I would have preferred less of a focus on the physical part of their relationship and more on the emotional dynamics. YMMV if you like your romance hot and spicy.