Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan

1. In the prologue, we see Josiah and Yasmen young and in love. Later in the book, we get a very different view of their marriage soon after Byrd and Henry have died. And then we see several years post-divorce. Compare and contrast their relationship dynamics in each stage. Who were they then versus who they are now?
2. Details of the two catastrophic losses and Yasmen's subsequent depression unfold over the course of the first few chapters. What emotions did you feel as it became clearer what had happened and how Yasmen had responded?
3. What were your first impressions of Yasmen's two closest friends, Soledad and Hendrix? How did they help with Yasmen's recovery? How are the women alike, and in what ways are they different?
4. Yasmen comes home to find Vashti having dinner and playing games with the kids and Josiah. How did you feel about Yasmen's response?
5. How did reading Josiah's point of view affect your impression of him after the opening chapters of the book from Yasmen?
6. Therapy plays a huge role in the book, and there is a lot of discussion about grief and depression. In some circles, therapy is still stigmatized. How did therapy and perceptions about therapy impact the characters and story? Did it change your views in any way? What were some of the things the story asked you to consider about grief and depression?
7. Did you see any ways in which Yasmen and Deja's relationship was reflected through Yasmen and Carole's? How do mothers and daughters influence each other? And how about Aunt Byrd's role? In what ways do people live on through others?
8. Before I Let Go is a romance, but also leans into elements of women's fiction and empowerment. What were some of the elements that highlighted the unique challenges women sometimes face and the various choices the women in this story make? Was there one woman's journey you identified with most?
9. Food is crucial to the story. Discuss the ways—beyond the fact that Yasmen and Josiah own a restaurant—that food is significant.
10. Did you understand Yasmen and Josiah's rationale for keeping their "affair" a secret at first? Did you agree with their reasons?
11. Were Josiah's initial fear and skepticism when Yasmen asked him to come home justified? How did they make you feel?
12. There is some debate about what makes a romance novel and how it should end. If Yasmen and Josiah had decided not to remarry but took a page from Ken and Merry's book, would you consider it a happily ever after? Did you agree with their decision?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Forever. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.