This Could Be Us brought me right back to my favorite trio of friends, Yasmen, Hendrix, and Soledad. Just like in Before I Let Go, these friends are there when one of their own needs them.
Soledad has had everything planned out, except when she finds out her husband has been lying and betraying her. That is something she didn’t plan. Now she must rebuild her life from the ground up, in order to take care of her family.
Judah Cross is a single dad and forensic accountant, who finds Soledad irresistible. Soledad decides while she is rebuilding her life after her divorce, that she is going to “date herself” to make sure she is focused on her own happiness. Judah is more than happy to wait for her and give her any time that she needs.
This Could Be Us was the perfect story about loving yourself and being brave enough to take a risk at loving someone else after a betrayal. I loved the journey that you get to see Soledad take and all things Judah(the ultimate cinnamon roll). I’d like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review. I’d also like to thank Kennedy Ryan for another amazing read!
4.5/5 ⭐️

I truly loved every second of this!!

Kennedy kills it every single time!! This book was just the perfect mix of drama, slow burn, and self love! As someone who has been single for most of my life, I absolutely loved the representation and words that Kennedy through Soledad's journey of dating herself.

Edward truly can go choke. The amount of times I had my jaw on the floor while reading this book were INSANE and I was loving every single second of it. I loved getting to see a female rage moment with Soledad after everything she had gone through with her marriage to Edward.

This was just a beautiful story of growth and self love. Soledad goes on a beautiful journey of rediscovering herself and becoming a small owned business in a sense. Her friendship with Hendrix and Yasmen just makes my heart so happy and I loved their moments of leaning on each other throughout the book. I also really enjoyed seeing Soledad's relationship with her daughters and how she navigated being a single parents and sole provider for the first time.

Judah is so freaking hot, I personally can't. His dirty talk is INSANE and I just loved how he was able to give Soledad her space while also helping out when she needed him. I loved the autism representation with Aaron and Adam. It was so important to see two different accounts of autism and Kennedy did a fantastic job.

I'm just forever kicking myself that I didn't read this sooner! Kennedy truly writes such beautiful and heartbreaking books and I eat it up every single time!

Thank you Netgalley, Kennedy Ryan, and Forever Publishing for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Before I Let Go was one of my 2022 faves so I've been eagerly waiting for Soledad's story and it definitely didn't disappoint! Kennedy Ryan has always been talented at writing such emotional and beautiful stories with amazing characters and this one had all of that and more!⁣
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Soledad has spent a major part of her life managing everything at home and taking care of the needs of her husband and three daughters. But after a series of events upends her life, she has to work hard to keep things afloat while making sure her daughters have everything that they need. And Soledad doesn't let anything defeat her! She uses all of her skills to turn things around and at the same time rediscovers herself.⁣
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Soledad was so resilient and amazing! She had so much love to give to everyone in her life, but she's never been passive either, and when someone crosses her limits she knows what she must do. I just loved the way she dealt with her ex husband and how honest she was with her kids! She's so generous and caring, and she shines bright in this one! Another thing that I loved was the amazing friendship between her, Yasmin and Hendrix. They have each other's backs through thick and thin - and they supported her when she was down while helping her figure out things independently too. Soledad also has an amazing relationship with her sisters! ⁣
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And don't get me started on Judah Cross! This man was perfection. He's a wonderful father and an incredible human being. He has two twin boys with autism and I loved his relationship with them!🥹 He genuinely cares for Soledad while giving her the space that she needs to be independent. And the way he observes everything about her and cares about the smallest details!❣️⁣
Honestly I can't wait for everyone to read this book and fall in love with these characters too!(and if you haven't read this author's books yet, what are you waiting for?!) ❣️✨

Kennedy Ryan is a mastermind at creating powerful and resilient women, and weaves together a beautifully healthy story about two healing adults. I've read 2 other books by her, and something I really value is the inclusion and representation of all different cultures. Plus the self-love journey by Soledad had so much depth and was heartbreakingly real. The romance felt like a subplot in this book, and normally I wouldn't be into that but I ADORED it in this book. The reality of needing to put yourself first, and continuing to choose yourself before anyone else was all too relatable and incredibly inspiring, but the part that I really really loved was the inclusion of a partner who values you putting yourself first. Judah Cross was such a healthy and sensitive mmc, and I ate it up. I'll forever be a lover of anything Kennedy Ryan writes after this book.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

kennedy ryan is the QUEEN of emotional and angsty romance no one can top her! this was no exception I sobbed ugh so so good

Soledad has all that anyone could ever ask for - a wealthy husband, beautiful girls that attend the best schools, and friends and family that love her. Then, it all falls apart once her husband is accused of a white collar crime and she must pull herself out of a very deep hole that he leaves behind. Once she finds herself she also finds the love of her life in unexpected places. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the read.

Kennedy Ryan!! I loved this book so much!

In this title, we follow Soledad as picks up the pieces after her marriage (and life as she knew it) falls apart. As she gets back on her feet, takes care of her children, and learns a lot about herself, she can't help but also fall for Judah. But she struggles with deciding what is the right time (or if there ever is a right time) to fall in love again.
This book was wonderful! The storyline itself was very interesting and I'm glad I went in not knowing too much. Soledad is a great character. I loved watching her come into herself and how strong of a woman and mother she is. I thought it was great that it showed a balance between loving oneself and letting someone else love you and Soledad's journey of self-discovery was very inspiring. Judah was a fantastic love interest and held himself up as his own character. I really appreciated all of the autism representation as well and thought it was handled very well.
This was my first read by Kennedy Ryan and I completely understand why so many rave over her work!

Soledad and Judah are the cutest most passionate couple I’ve read in a while! If I could read 4 more books on them, I would devour each one! The way he wants her but doesn’t want to stand in her way of her self partnering is so adorable. I loved reading her journey of a rocky marriage to trying to allow herself to be loved by someone again! Her best friends are her soul sisters and their stories are told in the series.

I am obsessed with Kennedy Ryan and anything she writes! Her books are HEAVY!! They make you feel everything! So if you’re looking for something deep that you’ll feel in your soul her books are for you.

4 5🌟

I absolutely absorbed this story of resilience and strength and the power of starting over.....

I read This Could Be Us at a time where I needed hope and comfort in a book and Kennedy did so effortlessly. Soledad had life figured out, or so she thought until her life was turned completely upside down and it's fight or flight mode. A must read.

🌟🌟🌟🌟.5

I absolutely loved this story. This was Kennedy’s best work yet. As someone who loves crime thrillers and romance the first half of this book read like a crime thriller and I loved it. To see how Soledad evolves and the relationships she has with her children and her friends was spot on. As a mother I felt the love Soledad had for her children and that she would do anything to take care and protect them. I also loved the friendship that she had with Yasmin and Hendrix, this book was a love letter to female friendship and I adored that part of this book. Thank you for allowing me to read this masterpiece!

It's achingly authentic & raw portrayal of life altering impact of relationships we hold closest to us. The ultimate betrayal by a man that leaves a woman on her knees.
Both breathtaking and heartbreaking, this novel will leave you completely stunned...you can rest assured that this will be one book in your life you will never forget. There is something about Kennedy's writing that reaches out and touches your heart in a visceral way, and you will be going about your day and out of the blue, a random quote or feeling, or situation shall hit you, And you will have to stop and let the feeling envelop you.
I've been her ardent fan for like forever, my Fangirling intensity rises with every book. This book was extra special, as it spoke to me as a woman, as a mother and as a human.
Her heroines are women of steel and that's the extra star worthy quality that sets her way apart form the formatted authors in booklandia.
Her Soledad Barnes nee charles is down but not out, bent but not broken, heartbroken but spirit intact. She does not have the time or luxury of wallowing in self pity or misery when her husband of 16 years, Edward, betrays her in the worst possible way.

"The hurt settles like sediment, sinking all the way to the bottom of me, and solidifies into rage. "

Emotionally, financially and spiritually. Add to that social embarrassment and having to explain it to their three daughters is the most daunting challenge she will ever face.
Her girl gang, sisters are her pillars of support, cheering her every step on the path of self-empowerment #SelfPartnering #MeetingMyself.
Before she's ready for the world she needs to know what SHE wants. Isn't that every woman/mother's conundrum?. Lives spent putting their wards' needs before thyself, till your self is lost in the rubble.?

“What would happen if I turned all that love on myself? Not in a narcissistic way, but in terms of unconditional acceptance? Of truly attending to my hurts instead of expecting someone else to heal them?”

I'm telling you I'm so in love with this story, got so inspired by it, I was ready to somersault like a cheerleader reading the profoundly intimate emotions I myself go through at times.
I thought, how can she know what I've been thinking.?
It's easy, cause Kennedy writes like a strong, rooted woman. Not a teenager gushing over her hunky alpha with no grit of her own.
A woman of substance, she bravely draws from her real life to touch upon delicate subject of autism or parenting children on the spectrum. It does hit you hard, to see behind the scenes everyday struggles, emotional upheavels and extreme sacrifices and patience required by parents involved, I had to stop several times to have a good cry.
The story navigates a tricky path to get to an HFA. (happy For Now) which again gives weight to the mature sensibility Kennedy possesses and instills in her heroines. The thread of wisdom continues consistently and nowhere do you feel Soledad breaking her character.
What a remarkable journey this book has been. How fulfilling, replenishing and satisfying. I came out changed and you will too.
Wonderful, beautifully written, haunting, heartbreaking and simply amazing! That's just the tip of the iceberg when describing my opinion of magnificence of story and its writer. I can feel the printed words seeping through my skin and into my veins, rushing to my heart and marking it forever. It'll live and breathe with me, in me forever
I'm so lucky I get to live in a world with her in it
6 glorious stars for The Begin Game

4.5 stars!!!

I really enjoyed the first book, Before I Let Go, but I loved this one even more!

There is such amazing representation in this book that I think it lacking in a lot of popular romance books. This book made me feel every emotion under the sun! I was incredibly happy, sad, frustrated, but this book was so beautiful.

Highly recommend!

What a lovely romance! We follow Soledad, a side character in the first book (which is not necessary to read first but would highly recommend it!), as she's navigating a divorce, finding herself, and falling in love.

5 stars
I love this love story!!! Everything about this book was perfection. It just felt so real and relatable. Parenting teens, parenting kids with disabilities, coming back from nothing, bad ass FMC, a perfect MMC and great side characters. What else could you ask for?
Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the opportunity to read this book.

Thought and why you should read this book: I don’t stay in the romance lane long, but this one I had to stay in and finish. This is book 2 of the Skyland series. You can read this independently though.

This book started off strong and the hits kept coming. This book played all in my face and had me cussing, laughing , and crying. This one might get your panties wet. This is Soledad and Edwards backstory-let’s just keep Edward on the shelf. Here we meet new characters: Tremaine and Judah, a divorced couple successfully, raising their twin boys. Lives intersect, and we have a brilliant romance with lots of edgy fire. This is the kind of romance that you carry in your spirit and lives in your heart long after the pages of the book are closed. Soledad goes on a soul journey after multiple betrayals by Edward. She struggles to find her footing and financial bearing. Sidenote (this is where last months selection All about Love. Y Bell Hooks comes into play. Lots of references) There’s a lot to unpack with these relationships that shine in the best of ways in this story. As women we will find a way. This book was so well written, the compassion and humility really stands out. Adam has my whole heart, and reminds me of a personal friends in so many ways.

I promise you will love this book


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Kennedy Ryan really packs a punch with this heart wrenching story of life after divorce; redemption, second chances, and the power of friendship. Beautifully written, moving- very engaging and relatable. Rich, well developed characters

This is the second book in the Skyland Series and Kennedy Ryan didn't disappoint with this one!!! If you thought you enjoyed Before I Let Go you will you absolutely LOVE This Could be Us!!! Soledad is on a journey of self-love and self discovery after she finds herself divorced. She has her sisters, her friends, and her daughters as apart of her circle. Kennedy Ryan's "This Could Be Us" is an emotionally gripping tale of resilience, redemption, and unexpected love. The story follows Soledad, a devoted mother forced to rebuild her life after her husband's betrayal leaves her with almost nothing. From the ashes of her shattered world, Soledad rises like a phoenix, embracing the digital realm to carve out a new path as a social media influencer, all while navigating the challenges of single motherhood.

Ryan skillfully portrays Soledad's journey with depth and authenticity, capturing the raw emotions of heartbreak, determination, and hope. As Soledad's life intertwines with that of Judah Cross, the man responsible for her husband's downfall, the narrative explores themes of forgiveness, second chances, and the power of unexpected connections.

The chemistry between Soledad and Judah is palpable, adding an irresistible layer of tension and passion to the story. Their evolving relationship is a captivating blend of conflict and desire, beautifully crafted by Ryan's poignant prose.

With its richly drawn characters, compelling storyline, and poignant themes, "This Could Be Us" is a captivating read that will linger in your heart long after you've turned the final page. Kennedy Ryan has once again proven herself as a master storyteller, delivering a poignant and unforgettable tale of love, loss, and the resilience of the human spirit.
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Highly recommended for fans of contemporary romance and heartfelt storytelling
Thank you Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this ARC!!

Kennedy Ryan is the GOAT of contemporary romance, no one can convince me otherwise. This Could Be Us is one of the best books that I’ve read this year. I love Soledad, she was such a great character. The plot line of the book was great. The romance was a slow burn without being boring or frustrating. They were interesting and so right for each other. I’m a fan for life. Definitely would recommend.

A top romance of the year, for sure.

I wrote in my review for Before I Let Go (Skyland #1) that, "Kennedy Ryan knows what she's doing when it comes to incorporating emotional, HARD things." I'd like to amend that statement for This Could Us to be: Kennedy Ryan knows what she's doing.

This book was so good.

There's lots to love, but to save you an essay, I'll just name one thing: Ryan so perfectly captured how it feels, post-bad-breakup, to enter into something new and wonder, "Can it really be this good?"

It can, and it is, and I am already looking forward to Hen's story in Skyland #3. Don't miss out on this one, even if you don't think of yourself as a romance reader - I promise there's something for you here.

Ms Ryan is a master of her craft. Every word she writes is deliberate and mindful, setting foundations and doing work, but at the same time, entertaining and even titillating as needed. Truly a genius whose every word is steeped in power and emotion. And feels effortless. But you can tell the amount of work and research that went into making it feel that way. As if we’re actually sitting in the kitchen of a Boricua woman rather than reading about it. Or watching her influencer content. Seriously I picked up my phone a few times forgetting that in fact, I do not know of a Soledad who I follow for food and lifestyle hacks. All this to say, Kennedy Ryan never misses, and don’t you forget that.

Let me start by saying, this second installment in the series is more women’s fiction leaning than her previous books. However, I once said KR’s books are like women’s fiction had a beautiful baby with sweeping, sexy romance, and I stand by those words. TCBU is, in large part, Soledad’s journey from picking up the pieces of a seemingly perfect life shattered to finding her way back to her best self. But it is also about two grown ups finding and falling for each other, epically and completely, while juggling their grown up issues and families.

It’s also about Sol’s kink for Judah in his nerd glasses (hella relatable), and both of them being super h0rny for each other. While treating each other with the kind of love and respect we all should expect from a partner. Soledad is the mom lifestyle guru, but Judah? Judah is a gift. So wildly in love, so guileless, so considerate, just a smidge stälker (in a cute way), but also so honorable. Single dad and partner goals honestly.

The autism rep is beautifully and lovingly written, and so is the lovely mix of cultures in this series. Sol’s bond with both her sisters and her best friends is something to aspire to, as is Judah’s with his family. And the kids are alright (as in, the portrayal is just right). I can’t wait to see who can match Hendrix’s energy and give her a run for her money next.