How we deal with life when it changes suddenly and unexpectedly. This Could Be Us is Soledad's story.

Soledad had suspicions about her husband, Edward, but there was nothing to give her cause until that night when the doorbell rang just after dinner. Even though Hendrix and Yasmen, her best friends, thought he was not treating her right, they never expected this fallout either!

She suddenly moved from being a stay-at-home mom with what seemed to be endless funds to now having to look to balance a new career and still be the involved single mom to her kids.

Along the way, Soledad takes strength from her deceased mother's memories and mementoes. She learns to love and trust herself, especially after Edward leaves with feelings of low self-esteem.

Judah has twin sons who are autistic. How he and his ex-wife handle their relationship and the boys is outstanding.

Can Soledad and Judah, who are very much attracted to each other, work on that attraction with their circumstances?

Kennedy Ryan writes an emotional and inspirational story that will last in my mind forever. What a ride this story is! If I could rate this ten stars, I would.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Original, Realistic, Easy-to-read, Romantic, Page-turner, Entertaining, Inspirational, Wonderful characters, Informative

It’s rare that I love a second book in a series as much as I love the first, but that’s exactly what happened with THIS COULD BE US, the second book in Kennedy Ryan’s Skyland series. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for an early digital copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.

THIS COULD BE US has the same captivating qualities that I found in BEFORE I LET GO, including some returning characters and other new faces. As in book one, Kennedy treats the tough, complex topics in this book with all the care and nuance they deserve. I really enjoyed Soledad and Judah’s growth in this book both as individuals and as a couple. I definitely underestimated Soledad in book one and was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved Soledad’s character development here in particular. THIS COULD BE US delivers all of the steamy, emotional, and inspiring moments that I’ve come to expect in a Skyland series book, and I can’t wait for Ryan to give Hendrix the spotlight next year!

heartfelt, emotional, and inspirational! kennedy ryan's storytelling ability is one to behold. this could be us reminded me exactly why i love the skyland series, its characters, and its community so much. soledad's journey of self-improvement and self-love after being betrayed by her good-for-nothing husband was utterly beautiful. it genuinely felt like the entire cast of characters were real people. their love, their happiness, their pain, and their sadness were all authentically depicted. soledad and judah felt like real people with honest struggles and shortcomings. and all the representation! the autistic representation was tastefully done! the representation in adam, aaron, and judah was respectful and well-handled. it expertly displayed (and explained) different types of people with autism and how they work. kennedy ryan shone a light on a community that is often overlooked and/or mocked while providing insight for uneducated people and representation for the community and their family members. it’s lovely when a piece of media can do something like that so positively. also, the quotes in this book are phenomenal. i found myself loving the mature dialogue and inner thoughts of soledad and judah (and every other character except the one, you know who you are). this could be us is truly a gem. what a perfect second installment to the series. a big thank you to netgalley and forever (grand central publishing) for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Kennedy Ryan has done it again, folks. The talent that this author has is nearly unmatched. Every time I read something by them, my mind is blown with the emotions felt and how raw those emotions are. Ryan also gives us another realistic and relatable romance. The representation and just overall real-life feeling is just too good. I will read whatever this author writes. My only complaint is that I didn't read this ARC sooner...

This is the poignant tale of Soledad Barnes, whose perfect life unravels with her husband's betrayal. Thrown into turmoil, Soledad's journey of self-reinvention and resilience resonated deeply with me. Her struggle to maintain her family's well-being while navigating new love's complexities was heart-wrenching and inspiring. Ryan's writing, rich with emotional depth and humor, wrapped around me like a warm blanket, making each page a treasure. The story delivered a compelling romance and a powerful narrative of self-discovery and strength. It's a testament to the indomitable spirit of a woman reclaiming her life, making it an unforgettable read that lingered with me long after the last page.

Thank you @readforeverpub and Netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.
I am doing the unthinkable and trying to write this review minutes after finishing the book. This is officially my new favorite Kennedy Ryan book. I loved revisiting Skyland and the sisterhood between Soledad, Yasmen and Hendrix as they continue to navigate relationships, careers, and life’s obstacles. In This Could Be Us, Soledad’s husband truly raises the bar on terrible humans, and Soledad is forced to rethink everything she’s known about life and love. With the help of her friends and the community, she manages to reinvent herself for herself and for her daughters. Judah is a Man Written by Women in the best possible sense – talented in his work, incredible father to his two autistic sons and co-parenting extraordinaire with his ex wife. He just lost himself and his joy along the way. Judah and Soledad are brought together in unconditional ways, but watching their journeys unfold separately and together was so beautiful.
I alternated between the ebook and audio for this one, and I already knew I was a sucker for Jakobi Diem’s narration but Ines del Castillo was a dream as Soledad. All I know is that I will be picking up bell hooks in the very near future (iykyk).

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Kennedy Ryan does it again in her second installment of the Skyland Series. This Could Be Us follows Soledad, a mother of three whose life is blown-up when her husband is arrested for embezzling 6 million dollars from his company. As she struggles to pick up the pieces to support herself and her daughters, she ends up on a journey of self-love and growth. However, as much as she tells herself she’s focusing on herself, she can’t help but be drawn to Judah Cross–the very forensic accountant who put her ex-husband behind bars.

I was instantly sucked into this book– the forensic accounting/embezzlement plotline was super intriguing. It really focused on mental health and self love, and the chemistry between Soledad and Judah was electric. I really loved seeing some old favorites, Yasmen, Josiah, and Hendrix. I can’t wait for the next installment to see Hendrix’s story!

5/5

This Could Be Us, book two of the Skyland Series, is a slow-burn romance that should be moved to the top of your #tbr ASAP. And just because it is a slow-burn does not mean that it does not have plenty of sizzle, because boy does it sizzle 🥵
As can be expected, Kennedy Ryan is giving us romance with depth—-complex people with complex lives with open hearts. Soledad is reeling from her husband’s betrayal and putting her life, and her girls’ lives, back together with the love and support of her sisters, her best friends, and one handsome nerdy accountant. Judah (the handsome nerdy accountant) is juggling life post-divorce while co-parenting his two autistic twin sons with his ex-wife. How and when these two meet…let’s just say it’s giving your favorite telenovela or daytime soap storyline. Run and go get this book and put all the pieces together.

We all fall in love with these characters and want the best for them, which in romance sometimes means a simple, frictionless journey to that inevitable happy ending. But an honest journey isn’t perfect. It’s often difficult and filled with painful lessons with an ending that’s more about self-love than loving someone else. That’s the magic that Kennedy brilliantly captures in every book she writes. She gives us honest love, filled with pain but also healing. That’s Soledad and Judah’s love story, a challenging but satisfying mending of two hearts that found each other when they needed it most.

GO 👏🏾GET👏🏾THIS👏🏾 BOOK👏🏾. It made me laugh. It made me cry. It made me think about love in all shapes and forms.

Oh Kennedy Ryan forehead kisses for you!
This was the perfect followup to Before I Let Go. The drama of the plot kept me HOOKED and left me always wanting to pick up the book.
I was super intrigued about Soledad from the moment we met her and her story did not disappoint! She's such an incredible FMC so much of her journey reminded me to the journey my own mom went through so it hit so close to home in the best way possible. She literally did anything and everything to keep her family afloat, I admire and respect her so much.
JUDAH CROSS!!!! OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD. I LOVE HIM! THAT'S MY MAN!! He did everything for his sons and was so patient with Soledad and so unbelievably hot. The representation of autism in his sons was so incredibly well done, you felt everything those boys did and what their family feels.
I do wish we got more of Judah and Soledad together instead of in their heads about each other but what we did get Kennedy delivered! Their tension was so delicious.
Thank you Kennedy for writing from the heart and for always delivering impactful emotional stories that leave us breathless and keep us coming back for more.

<strong>Amazing, Beautiful, Inspiring</strong>

I felt this book on so many levels. As the parent of a child with autism I felt like the love,dedication, and even the guilt that we sometimes feel was handled beautifully. I loved Judah, especially how patient and straightforward he was with Soledad. I really loved his relationship with his ex and her new husband. Soledad was the perfect example of bent not broken. She dusted herself off and made her and her daughters life so much more. I understood her hesitation and desire to discover who she was not as a wife or mother but as a woman. Beautiful story and message. Kennedy Ryan can do no wrong in my opinion.

This Could Be Us takes us back to Skyland to discover Soledad’s story
This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan is the second book in the Skyland series. Set in Atlanta, the series tells the story of three friends, Yasmen, Soledad & Hendrix. With Before I Let Go, we saw a story of second chances. This Could Be Us is a story of liberation.

After a series of betrayals, Soledad is done with her husband, who is now headed to federal prison and has left her to pick up the pieces of his selfishness. With a crushed sense of self-worth, three kids, limited funds, and no job, she has to find her way one step at a time while also trying to control the pull she feels toward Judah, the man who uncovered her husband’s embezzlement.

Yes, this story is messy, messy.

Some spoilers ahead…
I wanted to love this book. I was excited to read Soledad’s love story, especially because she’s a fellow Puerto Rican. And I enjoyed parts of this book. There is a scene where Soledad justifiably decides to pull out her mom’s machete and take some action. Her moments with the machete were one of my all-time favorite book moments. It was WILD to read it. I loved feeling her passion, hurt, and rage and how Ryan used the machete, a symbol of rebellion in Puerto Rican culture, to represent it. Unfortunately, this was one of the few moments that made sense to me.


Ultimately, I found it hard to understand her pull toward Judah (the only human in the world with no flaws) who was a catalyst to her girls losing their father. Her daughters’ ultimate acceptance of him felt forced and unnecessary. I get it, her husband is the only one responsible for his actions, but is it fair to put her daughters in that position?

Also, I wasn’t much of a fan of Soledad’s self-partnering phase. It’s not that I don’t support the message or her process, I just couldn’t get in to it.

When I read Before I Let Go, I was living the story. Completely lost in it. Rooting for Yasmen and Josiah. In This Could Be Us, I was so aware that I was on the outside looking in. Trying to make sense of the rushed relationship and the multiple subplots.

“She loves an undeserving man. It’s a sorrow most women experience at some point in their lives, whether it’s a father who neglects or a son who forgets or a husband who betrays. These men let us down and we pull ourselves back up, hopefully with the help of other women who love us in ways that heal.”

This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan
That said, Kennedy Ryan’s insights into women’s lives are worth it. Even if I couldn’t connect with this story, I connected with Kennedy Ryan’s mastery in understanding the world we live in and the struggles we face as women, mothers, friends, wifes, lovers. Worth it.

This book turned me every which way, but loose. The story was filled with drama from the very first page. I did not read the first part in the Skyland series "Before I Let Go," so I came into Kennedy Ryan's latest book "This Could Be Us," with no preconceived notions or expectations. The drama was never ending. It truly reminded me of a BET+ series, and that's no shade, but even though this book isn't considered urban fiction, the drama, writing style and plot felt akin to that genre better than romance. The main story centers around Soledad, a stay-at-home mom in a loveless marriage. Her husband tells her that someone at his job is out to get him -- and he's right, it's the forensic accountant hired to move he stole multi-millions of dollars from the company. The FBI raids Soledad's home in front of her three kids -- again urban fiction -- and she is forced to figure out how to support her family.

The story is less of a romance and more of a discovery of self-love of a woman who decides that she can do bad all by herself. While there is a romance plot, it's minor. I would consider it a B plot line, so please don't go into this thinking this is a romance.

This story is for the readers who love drama. It's for those who thrive off a messy show with characters who can't quite seem to get it together.

After dragging my feet reading Before I Let Go and TRULY regretting it; and, while it had a different vibe than Yas and Josiah’s story, there was plenty to love about Judah and Soledad too!

The life Soledad has poured her heart and soul into living is now crashing down around her and she must gather all her strength to move forward with the dignity she knows she deserves, while preserving the family she loves more than words. Meanwhile, the man she shouldn’t want, the one who helped bring her current tragedy to light is the one who makes her heart sing. But, after the life she thought she had crumbled, Soledad just isn’t ready to trust anyone but herself anymore. This Could be Us is the story of Soledad, a woman on a journey to re-discovering, re-empowering, and re-trusting herself; and, the man, Judah, who is willing to wait as long as needed for that powerful woman to appear.

As a story of a woman’s empowerment and journey to finding herself again, this book leaned more into woman’s fiction territory than romance but with Kennedy’s impeccable writing, storytelling, and an unmatched maturity, I enjoyed it. Told in dual POV, Soledad’s chapters captured her journey and the camaraderie of the Skyland women; while Judah’s POV captured the longing, desire, and devotion he felt toward Soledad, each keeping me invested throughout; and their chemistry when together was fire (something I wished we saw a bit more of because…dang!). Also, I can’t let this review go without mentioning the ASD representation and the authenticity of parenting through life changes that Kennedy capture through both Soledad and Judah’s journey so perfectly and authentically! Overall, this series has me hooked and I can’t wait to see what’s finally in store for Hendrix!

Not my favorite Kennedy Ryan book.. her latest books tend to read more like women's fiction than romance to me where the plot overshadows the romance. The kids in the books were super cute tho.

Kennedy Ryan is back in Skyland!! And she did not disappoint!! I loved being in this world again!! This one did have A LOT less spice and I must say that I was a little bit disappointed in that. 🫢 But the story was fantastic. I loved the friendship between Sol, Yas, and Hen. It was so beautiful and raw. This made up for the spice missing. I also loved the sister dynamic. Their love for each other was so sweet.

Edward is trash!! 🤮 Just plain and simple!! I’m so glad that Kennedy didn’t paint him any different. That’s all the attention I’m going to give him!!

Judah was a beautiful soul and I loved him from the start!! That scene in the toy store tore at my heart . 🥺

I can’t wait to read Hens story!!

✨𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀✨
• Black neurodivergent MMC
• Black + Latina (PR) MFC
• divorcées with children
• autism rep
🌶️🌶️🌶️

✨ 𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 ✨
Soledad embarks on the path to #datingyourself and rebuilding her life while sexy forensic accountant Judah Cross embarks on being her “one.”

✨ 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 ✨
What stuck out to me the most was the Black Latino rep and when Soledad spoke on her family’s colorism struggle even within the Latin community. As a paler Puerto Rican, I am always battling not looking “Puerto Rican” enough for the world and my own family. Seeing my own struggle on the page (albeit at a different skin level) was a punch to my gut, heart, and soul. I rarely see myself in anything I read, so this was a welcome site. So many Puerto Rican references had me laughing and nostalgic, and the recipes included at the end are to die for!

This book was a reminder to love ourselves before trying to love anyone else. It’s impossible to fill someone else’s cup when yours is empty. Work on you to be the best and happiest you.

I recommend this to my semi-spicy lovers since there is spice, but it doesn’t happen throughout the whole book. Also, for girl-bosses who need to find themselves again. And my Latinas who want to reconnect to their island roots.

- THIS COULD BE US is another knockout from Kennedy Ryan. It’s her signature blend of drama, longing, and heat and I couldn’t put it down.
- I loved that Soledad was so focused on figuring out who she was separate from a man. Even when she had a perfect man waiting there for her, she still put herself first.
- I do think it could have been a little shorter (Ryan’s books are always tomes!) but there was so much going on in the story that I was willing to be there with them while they untangled everything.

Kennedy Ryan is a magical word wizard. Let me tell you, the way I consumed this book!!!! I ate up this story the way Judah eats up...well IYKYK. Absolutely ALL THE STARS. Seriously, I was so absorbed in this book I almost missed an appointment. Soledad is amazing, her journey is amazing, the spice is chef's kiss, Judah is top tier, the way this story highlights the joys and challenges of motherhood, the grace and heart with which it illustrates parenting autistic children, it is all gold perfection. I'm gushing and there is not much more to say other than this is a MUST READ. And with that, I'd like to add my final period to this review and run straight to Barnes & Noble to purchase a physical copy to live on my shelf forever and ever.

THANK YOU Kennedy Ryan for this gem of a book. I cannot wait to read Hendrix's story. Thank you Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was another good read by this author. I loved the relationships between the lead and her friends. I loved seeing the growth of the main character. I did want more from the romance, but the parts that were romantic were enjoyable. Overall worth giving a read.