The family dynamics and the healthy glimpses into what co-parenting looks like is a common thread in the Skyland Series.
We saw it in Before I Let Go but it was elevated in This Could be Us by Judah and his ex-wife's dynamic. Their devotion to maintaining a healthy and stable lifestyle for their twins was beautiful to see. I am so grateful to learn from and uplift this story that showcases what life with a child/children with autism can be like. (the experience is not a monolith). Seeing the varying levels between the twins and the way their needs differ was so eye opening. Kennedy really poured her heart and quite possibly her experience into this. I also appreciated her fleshing out the varying impacts having an incarcerated parent impacts Soledad's children and how age and awareness plays a factor.

Soledad experienced heart ache and pain BUT with the love and support of her sisters and friends she's able to come out on the other side even better. Soledad took time to do the self-work and in doing so found her strengths. It's true that in order to have a testimony you must be tested and boyyy did Edward test my patience... (rolls eyes)
The famous scripture says love is patient, love is kind and that perfectly describes Judah Cross ( my man, my man, my man). Judah was the epitome of love, he was patient, understanding, and showed consistent concern for Soledad and her wellbeing. Seriously, Judah was not only intelligent and handsome, he was amazingly tentative father to his two autistic sons and made sure to always consider their needs before his own.
This book had so many memorable quotes and take-always. The older I get I really understand and value self love! If you're not happy with your self how can you make someone else happy.I could seriously go on and on about how this story resonates on so many levels but I'm just going to let this all sink in... I definitely recommend this book!

Kennedy Ryan is well on her way to becoming one of the greatest romance writers to ever do it. This Could Be Us is truly her best work yet.

I didn’t think I could love this more than Before I let Go, but I’m so happy to be wrong. This could be us was definitely a love story but not between two people. This is a love story for those who are learning to love themselves where they are and where they want to go. Soledad doesn’t let heartbreak end her, instead she grows and on her growth journey finds so much more.

4.5 stars. Kennedy Ryan is incredible at writing tension and wringing every bit of emotion out of her characters and making her readers feel it. This book was immersive and addicting - I couldn't wait to get to the end to see how the different threads tied together. I also appreciated the connections with this book and Before I Let Go - the cameos from the MCs of the first book were recognizable and made a good contribution to the flow and development of this storyline.

Read this book if you enjoy:
> MCs in their 40s
> Strong FMC on a journey of self discovery
> Forbidden romance
> MMC who knows what he wants and goes after it
> Disability rep in side characters (MMCs children)

There was a lot going on in this book and I ultimately was hooked on the story that developed between Judah and Soledad. Every now and then, it did feel like the romance between them took a back seat to other plot points, but we always came back around to them. There are a lot of characters to keep track of with two adults who have families of their own who are then building a relationship between the two of them. I appreciated the dual POV - hearing from both Soledad and Judah was so important for this story and helped to tie all of the side characters into one cohesive narrative.

This book is an emotional roller coaster - I was cheering for Soledad on her journey of self discovery and independence, I fell in love with Judah's consistency and care of the people who were most important to him, I wanted to wring Soledad's ex's neck. There was a lot to process as the story developed. It was really powerfully written and evoked deep emotions as I was reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book. All thoughts are my own.

This was another amazing book by Kennedy Ryan! The underlying message of loving yourself and building resistance during difficult times was beautifully communicated. Ant wait for Hendrix story! 🤗

I have been waiting for this moment. This is my first Kennedy Ryan book and I'm already obsessed. First of all, very easily hate Soledad's husband. But This Could Be Us is clearly about Soledad's character evolution. Having to get back in touch with who she is, what she deserves, and who she loves. About the politics of domestic work, about the secrets that lie under sheets, and the importance of knowing our worth.

I really loved this one! After the first one, I was expecting a similar level of heaviness (iykyk), but this one had just enough real life that I felt for them while still keeping it light enough that my delicate heart could deal with it. I thought the premise was so intriguing and while I would have liked to see more pining, I really loved both of them separately and together. (I also just found out that Kennedy Ryan is coming to my library this summer for their Book Festival and I CANNOT explain just how excited I am!!)

Kennedy Ryan does it every time. She convinces this "I don't read romance" reader into a ROMANCE READER.

Soledad's story was beautiful, painful and real. Her relationship with Judah was deep and, may I say, sexy. Ryan writes men with such depth, beauty and vulnerability. I loved every facet of their complicated pairing.

I especially love a love story for a mom. I love when a mom gets to be a woman again, when she can reclaim her identity as a mon and ...

This Could Be Us paints a picture of life after it’s been turned upside down. Soledad Barnes, a queen of planning and keeping it all together, finds herself picking up the pieces when her life shatters due to betrayal. But there’s no time for sulking; she’s busy being a superhero mom to her daughters.

What’s refreshing about this read is the lack of unnecessary drama. Sol & Judah, the forbidden love interest, are mature characters who makes sensible choices. Their slow-burn romance is heartwarming, but readers might wish there were more moments of them just dating and getting to know each other.

Kennedy Ryan does it again! This was so good. So relatable. Love yourself before you pour into someone else!

Soledad's story hits home for those of us who won't settle and who have learned to love ourselves. It's so wonderful to show a complicated family in a real and raw way - many parts that I could personally relate to: divorced parents, a parent in prison, and navigating relationships throughout. Kennedy did a great job depicting true feelings of many people in various circumstances.

So good! I love the heroines that Kennedy Ryan writes, but even more than that, in this book, she truly takes it up a notch with the autism spectrum disorder rep. Give me all the mature MCs and the perfectly imperfect love stories.

I loved this story! Kennedy Ryan is such a gifted writer. I adored Soledad's journey overcoming her ex (total a$$), the support of her friends and then the new love interest of Judah- I honestly also loved the relationship that Judah and his ex had- we so often only hear about horrible divorces and terrible relationships juggling the kids so this was a breathe of fresh air. I also enjoyed the plotline that included Judah's twin boys Adam and Aaron, and their journey on the autism spectrum. The chemistry between Judah and Soledad was hot and I really just loved how respectful he was of her feelings and her past hurt. All around a perfect read for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this book and Kennedy Ryan will always be a romance author whose work I reach for. What I particularly love about her stories is how layered her characters are and how much time she spends ensuring that she creates circumstances that feel real and well intentioned. In this story, there are two autistic characters, and I appreciated the level of detail that was put into capturing what parenting autistic children looks like.

Kennedy Ryan's love interests are also always top tier. This man had me swooning and kicking my feet. I love that she writes men who are mature, great communicators and just men who generally edify the female main character in some way.

She also does a phenomenal job of writing great female friendships across all of her stand-alone novels and series. Yes, this was about the main couple and their romance, but I was also enamoured by the women in the story and how much of a support system they were for each other in crisis. It is very refreshing to read about women who got other women in their friend groups -- and time and time again, Kennedy Ryan ensures that she captures this in her stories.

This book was a breath of fresh air and I would recommend it to everyone!

This book. Woof. Take my heart and rip it out. I am obsessed with everything about it and how amazing these characters develop. This book is such a journey and a perfect continuation of this series and Kennedy's writing. I laughed, I cried, I died a little inside. I absolutely recommend this one.

Soledad Barnes has her life all planned out. But none of her best laid plans can save her when catastrophe strikes, and the life she built with the man who was supposed to be her forever, goes up in a fire of betrayal and disillusion. But there is no time to pout or sulk, or even grieve the life she lost. She's too busy keeping a roof over her daughters' heads and food on the table. And in the process of saving them all, Soledad rediscovers herself. But then an unlikely man enters the picture—the forbidden one, the one she shouldn't want but can't seem to resist. She's lost it all before and refuses to repeat her mistakes. Can she trust him? Can she trust herself?

Thank you so much to @netgalley for this ARC! I loved Kennedy Ryans’s Before I Let Go so much, but unfortunately this book was a miss for me and I seem to be among the very small few that did not like this. Soledad and Judah in and of themselves were solid characters and I really appreciate the autism awareness and visibility in this book. All of the kids were all great characters as well, but especially Adam and Aaron. My problem with this book is that it took FOREVER for the plot to go anywhere, and the final destination was disappointing. I felt like the novel was full of incredibly slow moments that never really built up to anything exciting—plot-wise, character development-wise, and romance-wise. The dialogue wasn’t anything to write home about and after a while I just got really tired of Judah and Soledad pining for each other but not doing anything about it. There were a lot of side plots going on that didn’t have much to do with their relationship and for me that really detracted from their chemistry. Also Inez the moody teenager seemed to get over her reservations about her mother’s new boyfriend very quickly without any explanation and that bothered me. Overall this just wasn’t for me.

This was a masterpiece of a book 😭 the writing, the emotions, the nuances were all just PERFECT. I loved the pacing, I could read it comfortably without feeling anxious, and that's saying a lot given the themes that this book deals with.
I recommend this book so hard if you read contemporary romance, or just, contemporary fiction.

Ryan is skilled at female dialogue and the world-building of female friendships that showcase the community we all want to live in. The romance was a very slow build, but it is understandable as to why. The care taken to show what it is like living with and raising children with autism was admirable.

Kennedy Ryan has once again written an absolutely breathtaking novel that is all about love. This novel touches on self love, romance, love after divorce/painful loss, and caring for children during love and love lost.

Soledad Barnes is a take charge, woman in control. Control of business, people, essentially everything. Maybe everything but her romantic relationship because it ends in a very painful manner. But in true Soledad fashion she spends the time caring for her children, learning to love herself and focusing on her future alone.

Her focus is challenged when she meets a wonderful man. A man that could change everything for her.

This Could Be Us is a remarkable romance novel. It is well written with impeccable characters, setting and storyline. The characters will have you rooting for them and they are realistic in their reactions. The story is different from most romance novels and is absolutely brilliant. This will be a top 10 book of the year!