I’d like to thank Forever for making an eARC of This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan available on NetGalley!

Y’all, all hail Queen Kennedy, no one makes people feel feelings the way she does! All of her books tear my heart out on the way to a very earned HEA for her heroines and the men who deserve them, and This Could Be Us is no different. After reading Before I Let Go, I couldn’t wait for Soledad to ditch her husband Edward for being so clearly The Worst, but then he topped himself hardcore in this book. No spoilers, but it’s shocking and emotionally brutal to see.

What makes this book one of the best romances I’ll read this year (calling it now!) is not just the love story that blooms between Soledad and Judah. It’s also the self-love journey that Soledad takes and the empowerment she takes ownership of. That said, I can’t forget to talk up Judah, who not only is described as an Idris Elba lookalike but is also a caring father to two sons who n the autism spectrum. As the sibling of an autistic person with high support needs, I appreciate the care Kennedy showed in writing Judah’s sons with sensitivity.

I could go on forever, but I’ll make myself stop. Easiest five stars I’ve given to a book in a while 💕

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kennedy Ryan does it again! Soledad’s story of growth, self-discovery, and overcoming unexpected betrayal after betrayal from the one person you are supposed to be able to lean on was so intriguing and kept me hooked until the very end. Judah was totally a heartthrob and his love and devotion for his boys was swoon-worthy & Soledad’s friendships are something to envy. I couldn’t put this book down – I loved nearly everything about it! My one gripe was the entire plotline around Edward, his workplace, and Judah’s involvement. The embezzlement story itself was believable, but for someone who works in a corporate finance department, I found it very hard to believe they’d bring in one guy who suddenly discovered Edward’s wrongdoings and was single handedly credited and publicly leading the charge in bringing him down. Regardless, Kennedy Ryan is a literary magician. Beautiful story, I can’t wait to recommend this series to everyone.

I was so excited to receive this ARC, but had to go back and read Before I Let Go first. I am happy I did, but I actually wound up enjoying Soledad's story even more. Ryan does go a little heavy on the sex for my personal reading preference, but the story and character development is unmatched. I am excited for this book to be released and for Hendrix's story next!

This book was so beautiful. It was full of healing, self love, friendship, and love. I absolutely loved Soledad’s journey. I already was so invested in this wonderful group of girlfriends based on the first book in this series, and this just made me love them even more. I also loved the themes that this book emphasized about self love and how you need to love yourself in order to truly love someone else. I loved the depiction of Soledad’s relationships with her daughters and sisters, it showed how the powerful women we have around us can truly shape us. I also LOVED Judah. He was such a great man and also I loved that it showed how great of a father he was, not just a romantic partner. This book was truly one of a kind and so special.

Rating: 9/10
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and I’m so beyond thrilled that it didn’t disappoint. Kennedy Ryan is a master at crafting emotionally charged romances full of diversity and difficult themes.

This book surrounds a parent who has two children with autism and I’ve never seen a book handled with such care and love for a community. Judah and his ex-wife were written in such a human way, depicting being a parent of children with disabilities. Ryan described the love, difficulties, and guilt parents experience in such an expert way. As someone who watched their parents have to come to terms with having a child with a disability (me), I see a lot of similarities to my life through them. When (not if, when) you read this, I highly recommend reading the author’s note at the beginning.

The theme of “you can’t love someone else until you love yourself” was strong in this book and I loved reading Soledad’s journey to fall back in love with herself. The entire story felt incredibly empowering and highlighted the importance of not letting someone become your entire identity. The trap a lot of self-empowerment storylines fall into is not leaving any room for love or depending on anyone, but Ryan beautifully wove a story where Soledad was able to lean on her friends and family and fall back in love. She was given the room to stumble and pick herself up on her own while also showing that it’s okay to lean on those who love you. She also showed that after a shitty relationship, you can open yourself up and love again.

Soledad was a fire-cracker of a character and I’m so glad she got her story. Each character added needed conflict and story progression, especially the kids. There is so much more I want to say about this book, but the bottom line is it was just incredible.

Thank you Kennedy Ryan, Netgalley, and Forever for a #gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Kennedy Ryan is in a league of her own. After loving Before I Let Go I was super excited for this one and it did not disappoint. She writes in a way that makes the reader feel so deeply and be so emotionally connected to the story. Even though I’m in my mid-twenties it's refreshing to have a romance not centered on someone around my age. I love that Ryan writes these beautiful love stories for more mature women.

One of my favorite aspects of the story was Soledad's resilience. After everything happens with her husband she pushes through and finds her own way to stay afloat by turning her homemaking skills into a job as an influencer. I loved her journey of self-love and self-partnering before dating someone else especially with how her marriage ended. There were so many times I found myself cheering for the ways she stood up for herself.

Judah was such an incredible character.
I loved his relationship with his twin boys that are on the autism spectrum. He was so empathetic and understanding about their circumstances which was so refreshing to see from a single dad. I also loved seeing his coparenting relationship with Tremaine and how they handled everything with their kids. I also loved the way he cared about and waited for Soledad.

From start to finish this is an incredible book so do yourself a favor and pick it up!

Included as a top pick in weekly March New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached)

It’s not about being alone; it’s about being okay with yourself, loving yourself enough to jump headfirst into something, knowing you’ll come out unscathed regardless of the pain.

The friendship aspect of this book was so beautiful and wholesome. Yasmen, Hendrix, and Soledad are honestly the best friends one could ask for. They were there for her at every turn, helping, pulling off some of the weight on Soledad while also helping her find a way to make money and support herself financially. The autism representation in this book was good, and it helped me understand a bit more about what it entails (in certain cases, as everyone presents differently). Aaron and Adam were two amazing kids who got their diagnoses early and had their parents to lean on while still staying as close as they could. Soledad’s kids were also trying to keep afloat after their father was arrested for the crimes he committed. But I love that Soledad didn’t badmouth their dad but instead just stated the facts, and soon enough, their relationship eased back into its previous form.

I feel like this book is better classified as women’s fiction only because a huge chunk of the book focuses on Soledad overcoming the betrayal of her ex-husband and finding the person she’d lost some time in the mix. There is romance, and the relationship between her and Judah grows steadily before finally fully blossoming in the latter half. But as I was reading, I couldn't help but wonder if this was really a purely romance book. However, that doesn’t matter because I enjoyed it nonetheless, as well as Soledad's growth as a person and watching her find her footing.

Overall, this was a very healing book filled with different kinds of love: familial, romantic, and friendship. Soledad had so much love around her, so much love waiting for her to just accept it, and community is the best thing for anyone who’s gone through something with the power to break them. Judah was also an amazing romantic interest, managing to not be a by-product of Soledad’s growth but his own person with his own goals and hopes for himself in the future. He was also so "patient,” and it really brought the feeling of love full circle with his own kids and his mismatched family.

While I think I liked Before I Let Go more this book is still amazing!

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️

We follow Soledad from book 1 who has to come to some hard realizations about her husband and marriage. After coming to those realizations she must learn how to stand on her own for herself and her girls. All while learning to love herself can she also learn to love another?

Soledad is incredible! I loved her growth and her journey to self love and trust. I think my biggest complaint with this book was that the MCs did not really interact until over 50%. The first 50% was griping and interesting but was more focused on white collar crime. As a whole the book was great, but as a romance I had a hard time connecting with it. Judah and Soledad just didn’t spend enough time getting to know one another.

However, I loved how each of them parented! Reading their parenting journey and how they were there for each of their kids was really beautiful.

"This Could Be Us" is a beautifully written tale of love, loss, and the enduring power of hope. With its unforgettable characters and poignant storytelling, it's a must-read for fans of contemporary romance and literary fiction alike. Kennedy Ryan once again proves herself to be a master storyteller, leaving readers eagerly anticipating her next masterpiece.

Yes thank you! This was a great read and I absolutely devoured it in one night. It has a romance, but it is so much more. I love the female community and the story of finding oneself. I cannot wait to pick up a copy to have on my shelf.

There will never be a Kennedy Ryan book that doesn't transport me straight into my feels. Reading her books are always an emotional journey of self awareness and healing. I read and loved Before I Let Go and knew I would need this follow up of Soledad's story. Soledad is the mother of three girls and feels like she is losing grip on her life. Her marriage isn't what it once was and she can't figure out what she is missing, that is until she meets Judah at her husbands Christmas party and the tension and fire during that first meeting crackles. Since she is a married woman, she feels awful that she had a connection with someone else, a connection she can't seem to find to her husband.
Edward is a typical narc. He puts Soledad down to cover up for his own insecurities, but when the truth of what he has done comes out.. and continutes to come out, it just leaves so much wreckage behind.
Soledad is forced to pick up the pieces of her life and try to put them back together, not only for herself, but her children. She knows she needs to be alone and find herself in order to make herself whole again, but Judah is always there in the background. Judah has not been interested in anyone at all since his divorce. He has two twins on the autism spectrum and the person he brings into his life has to be willing to accept all that comes with this. He knows that there is no one like Soledad and he knows the feelings he has with her are exactly what he has been missing his whole life. He is willing to wait forever for this woman and he will encourage her along the way.
This is a beautiful, yet heartwrenching, story about building yourself up after your whole life implodes and finding who you are not who you were made to be by circumstance.
Thank you to Kennedy Ryan, Forever and Netgalley for an early copy.

This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan
Narrated by Inés del Castillo and Jacobi Diem
Second in the Skyland Series but stands alone just fine. Contemporary Romance/Divorce Fiction/Women’s Fiction.
4.75 Stars

When somebody’s writing changes you in some way or makes you see things differently, to me it’s the mark of a great writer. Kennedy Ryan blew me away with my favorite book of 2022, Before I Let Go . At that time, I was recently divorced and my ex and I had a complicated relationship. I thought maybe I loved it so much because it was so relatable to where I was in my life.

But This Could Be Us , the second in the Skyland Series (they stand alone perfectly fine) was just as good as the first. Soledad was a strong, independent woman raising 3 girls in a marriage that was struggling. She didn’t realize just how bad things really were until her husband betrayed her and the kids in more than one way, leaving her to carry the burden herself.
“The hurt settles like sediment, sinking all the way to the bottom of me, and solidifies into rage.”

Soledad is a domestic goddess. She cleans, organizes, cooks, and hosts fantastic parties. When she suddenly had to raise her three girls alone and keep them in their fancy private school, she took that talent and turned it into a career. While doing that, she was getting to know herself and learning to love herself. #datingmyself

Judah Cross and his ex-wife are co-parenting their two teen boys who are on the autism spectrum with one being mostly non-verbal. I loved this aspect of the story so much, from the healthy relationship between exes to all the things you don’t have to think of if you don’t have kids who are neurodivergent. They were such amazing parents and I appreciated that they had an eye on the future knowing that the boys would need their support forever. I loved how Kennedy wove in the trials and tribulations of parenting kids with autism without making it the main focus of the story.

“Life is always gonna be complicated, but the good stuff is worth fighting for.”

Judah wanted Soledad from the moment he first saw her, but she was on her own journey. He was so patient and understanding that despite him being the last person Soledad should fall for, you couldn’t help but root for them. Judah was such a phenomenal, attentive father and that attentiveness carried over to his relationship with Soledad. Though the attraction was continuing to grow, he had been divorced for 4 years. She needed to find herself before she could find someone else, and that was the main focus of the story. The romance was almost secondary, and that worked just fine for me.

“You are my prince.” But there’s nothing for him to save me from because I’ve saved myself. He doesn’t have to awaken me with a kiss, I’m wide awake. Reborn, rebirthed through my own fire and pain and work and wisdom.

Another thing I absolutely loved is the friend group of Soledad, Hendrix, and Yasmine. They were such a wonderful part of her healing process. Every woman would be lucky to have friends like that. The Puerto Rican culture was also well represented and even better in the audiobook. I love the diversity of her characters.

The only thing that held me back from a full 5 stars was that everyone (except the villains) was just a little too perfect. Soledad’s kids were so well-behaved, even the one who still wanted her dad. Soledad was an instant success making enough money to support her family within months and her kids lovingly helped and supported her. The story was so real in so many ways, but I feel like it needed to be messier.
“When are we ever done working on ourselves? I believe wholeness is not a destination, but a lifetime process. Something that instead of waiting for, you could be living for.”


Likes:
•I love the friend group that featured Yasmine from the first book.
•Real, raw, and honest.
•The gentle descriptions of autism and life with kids on the spectrum.
•Adult characters with adult problems.
•Healthy co-parenting between exes.
•The growth and self-love Soledad went through.
•Made me think differently about being alone.
•I bookmarked so many amazing quotes.

Dislikes:
•Everyone was just a little too perfect (except, of course, the villains).

The Narration:
Inés del Castillo was phenomenal as Soledad. Soledad was half Peurto Rican, and I loved that it was clear the narrator spoke Spanish as well. Jacobi Diem was just plain fabulous as Judah. I actually had the arc of this book on my Kindle for I while but decided to hold out for the audiobook and I’m so glad I did. Their narration made the book even more special.

The Down & Dirty (TLDR):
This Could Be Us was not as emotional as Before I Let Go but it was real and raw. I love how Kennedy Ryan writes such strong, kick-ass, resilient women. This story is as much about Soledad’s journey to find and love herself as it was about the romance, but I thought it was balanced perfectly for the story. I can’t express just how much I loved This Could Be Us. I thought there was no way it would live up to the first in the Skyland Series, but I couldn’t be happier to say I was wrong! I only took off the half star because everyone was a little too perfect. Still, This Could Be Us will be a 2024 favorite and it needs to be your next read.

Rating: 4.75 Stars, 3 Flames, 5 narration

Kennedy Ryan really does know how to write a story of a women figuring out her life. I love the journey that Soladad goes through.

THIS BOOK WAS EVERYTHING!!! I adored it!

"I want what I'm learning about myself, what I'm fixing about myself, how I'm standing on my own," I say in a rush. "I want that more than anything. Even you."

Whew. This sums up why I loved this book so much: choosing yourself over choosing someone you really want is powerful.

This book follows Soledad, a mother of three daughters, who is truly living her best life at the beginning of the story. Married to an exec she put her career aside to be a stay-at-home mom, who does it all. Her life takes a wild turn when her husband Edward gets caught up in a huge illegal scandal, of his own making, and is sent to prison. She then has to fend for herself and her daughters and struggles. During this time she meets a man, but after so many years in a marriage that wasn't fulfilling she lost herself and begins to rebuild and find herself above anything else.

Then we have Judah, who has two sons of his own, who are on the spectrum. He's gone through an amicable divorce and now he's committed to his sons and his new job.

I love how these two characters come together, and get to know each other in such a wholesome way.

Kennedy Ryan's ability to write characters that pop off the page is truly beautiful and this book had me feeling all the feels.

A sweeping and encompassing read.

This book was so good I read it in one sitting. If you liked Before I Let Go, you will enjoy being reunited with the original cast of characters as we move forward with Soledad's story of her journey to her authentic self and happiest version of life.

In addition to the engaging story, I especially liked the pacing of this book. It was steady throughout the book without any longwinded passages and moved quickly when the story called for it. Perfect for anyone who is fond of realistic love stories with strong character development in which the characters exhibit growth and evolution.

This book was incredible. I was so excited for Soledad's story after reading Before I Let Go and I absolutely loved it so much. Judah was a TOP TIER book boyfriend and I will be thinking about this book for a long time.

going into any kennedy ryan book i know it’s going to hit my heart strings. saying this book was incredible feels like that’s not proper enough to show my love for this book but it’s quite literally left me speechless

This is a story of love in all its forms, but above all, self love. We follow Soledad as she works to nourish and grow her own love, trust, and acceptance of herself, and it is BEAUTIFUL. All of Kennedy’s books are remarkable, but this one?? This one is special. Seeing a woman in her 40’s fully accept and love herself, cultivate and lean on the essential female friendships in her life, raise her daughters to be strong women, and find her soulmate in Judah Cross, made this one of the most empowering books I’ve ever read.

You’ll finish this book with a renewed sense of hope, strength, and appreciation for yourself.

This Could Be Us is the fantastic continuation of the world brought to us in Before I Let Go. This series is Kennedy Ryan at her best - truly showcasing relatable characters with real life experiences.

I wasn't expecting to love the romance aspect of Soledad and Judah finding their way but I DID. He was so patient, kind, responsible, loving and an amazing father.

Your heart will likely hurt a bit during this one but its well worth it. Highly recommend reading this series (especially in order).

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for allowing me to be an early reader. All thoughts are my own.