This is my fault for trying to read another Kennedy Ryan book. People are seriously raving about how "emotionally mature" her characters are...but they're literally acting like children? Sol has three girls that she has to care for but she seems just entirely selfish. Also the MMC (I can't even remember his name) has no personality. It seems like they have no chemistry except for being insanely obscenely attracted to each other. I don't know where these BookTokers are seeing the emotional maturity because there was no ounce of that where I was reading! Also the plot was...so dragging. Nothing happened besides the action in like the first two chapters.

Thank you to Forever / NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Emotional, poignant, and beautifully written... Kennedy Ryan never misses. This Could Be Us is such a special read and Soledad and Judah are such an amazing couple.

Soledad's life isn't going the way she imagined. She's picking up the pieces of her life and she's doing it on her own, with her daughters. She never thought her marriage would end the way it did and she would be the sole provider for her family, but she's doing it.

Judah has two sons and is a great dad. He's been through an amicable divorce and has been single for some time. He and Soledad seem perfect for one another. There's only one problem... Judah is the reason Soledad is in the situation she's in. Actually, it's her scumbag ex, but Judah's work and revelations got them to this point.

This one had so many feels. The family dynamics, the friendship and sisterhood, the parenteral moments. All of it was so wonderful. I was so proud of Soledad and all she had been through and honestly I couldn't have loved Judah Cross more. This will be a top read for me and I highly recommend picking it up!

This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan is the second standalone in the interconnected Skyland series. This book features Soledad, homemaker and mother to three daughters, as she deals with the consequences of her cheating, white collar crime-committing husband. She’s spent nearly 20 years with a man who was constantly cutting her down and betraying her in every sense of the word, so Soledad is picking up the pieces to rediscovering how to be by herself as well as relearning how to love and trust herself— all while keeping her family afloat and the roof over their heads. Judah Cross is the father and co-parent of autistic twin sons and is the forensic accountant who revealed the embezzlement of Soledad’s husband. After a brief encounter at the buffet table at the holiday work party, Judah finds that he cannot stop thinking about Soledad, nor does he want her to be crushed under the weight of her husband’s crimes.

Soledad is who I strive to be when I grow up (I say as someone nearing 30). She is resilient and powerful. She is the embodiment of grace and love and compassion, and I absolutely loved reading her take those and apply it to herself in the face of hardship and disillusionment. Watching her story unfold into accepting romantic love from another person, giving him her utmost trust— all while trusting and loving /herself/— understanding that she can still be and /is/ whole on her own, even while loving another, *CHEF’S KISS.*

And then there’s Soledad with her best friends, Yasmen and Hendrix, as well as Soledad with her sisters, Lola and Nayeli. There is such beauty in reading immeasurable love in healthy adult female friendships and sisterhoods. Truly, the love stories held between these women are everything I could ever hope for in my own pillars of support. The strength, encouragement, and championing that they give to and do for each other is just as integral to the book as whole as is the romance between Soledad and Judah.

And the grief. Soledad doesn’t quite have the time to grieve the marriage and life she’d originally planned for. But somehow, she finds a way, especially with the story of her own passed mami. Despite the passing of Soledad’s mother taking time long before the pages of this story take place, Soledad’s relationship with her mother and with cancer are woven through her journey in this book so beautifully. It is so terribly human the way grief ebbs and flows no matter how much time has passed, and ebb and flow it did as Soledad could not directly turn to her mother during this trying time.

Then there’s Judah Cross. He is everything. I love him. I want to find my own Judah Cross. He is all that I could ever hope and want from a future significant other. No notes. Loljk—where do I even begin with how much love I have for Judah Cross? I don’t hate the trope of miscommunication like so many other romance readers (it honestly just feel like par for the course for the genre to me), but there was something simultaneously breathtaking and refreshing about reading a mature man be so straightforward and open with his feelings for the woman he’s falling for while also being understanding, attentive, and supportive for what she needs. Judah is perceptive in a way that allows Soledad the space she needs to take for herself, all while constantly giving her the reassurance that he is willing to be there for her in whatever way they create together.

Kennedy Ryan is absolutely brilliant with her craft in writing. She had me hooked from the get-go— I actually had to remind myself to put the book down to do simple, everyday things like eat because I was so enraptured with her writing and this story. It honestly feels like a privilege to have read the story of Soledad and Judah falling in love. Their lives, their families, Soledad’s journey with herself, Judah’s loving support. This is a story that sticks.

Kennedy Ryan is an auto-buy author, and I cannot wait to get my hands on her next book. Thank you, Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing), for the ARC!

I had the highest hopes for the second book in the Skyland series and Kennedy Ryan did not disappoint. This book came for my heart and tugged in all the right spots. I was in awe following a female leads journey in finding her own happiness. I loved that she was able to fully love and accept herself despite everything that is thrown her way. Each character was beautifully written, especially all the kids. I loved the honest conversations from the parents to kids, as well as the mature adult interactions within the blended families. I enjoyed every second of this book and I cannot wait to read about Hendrix’s journey. Thank you so much NetGalley for this ARC!

I had the pleaser of reading Kennedy Ryan's new release This Could Be Us as an ARC, and it did not disappoint.

In this book we follow Soledad as she recovers from a nasty divorce that leads her to embark on a journey of self discovery and self-love. Soledad's development throughout the novel is truly something to witness, as it is done so beaytifully done. In the beginning she is dealing with trying times, seeing as the divorce puts her in a difficult situation financially and we see how it effects her three daughters and herself. The horrible situation forces her to reach out of her comfort zone for the sake of her family. It was refreshing to see a character put so much passion and love into something they didn't expect to do in the first place. We see this when she embarks in her own journey in something she refers to as "dating yourself." What she does here is doing all the things typically done between partners and doing them by herslef. For example going to a fancy restaurant and pampering herself alone. Her learning to love herself unconditionally and encouraging others to do it aswell was so amazing to see. It made her feel more like a person to me with clear motivations, and goals. While Soledad has her flaws(every character should), I didn't find her to be unrealistic and unreasonable. Kennedy Ryan did a great job at giving this character a problem, have her work towards a solution, make her struggle a bit to get there, and give her a well deserved conclusion.

The male lead in this book is Judah, a single dad raising two autistic sons, and working as an accountant. For starters I want to note that the mother of his two sons is in the book and plays a role. I loved having her in this story and seeing her interactions with Judah and their kids. This book does a good job at showcasing that co-parenting while difficult, can be achieved if the parents have enough respect and trust in each other. Their relationship was untoxic and loving that I couldn't help but mention. I will add that there are no romantic feelings between the two and never once while reading did I doubt that. I loved the conversations surrounding raising autistic kids, I found them to be incredibly insightful. It was wonderful to see the topics surrounding what its like raising autistic kids and the struggles that comes with raising them. But also seeing the unconditional love that Judah has for them.

As for the relationship between Judah and Soledad, I found it to be well paced and realistic. They work so well together, and I loved seeing them interact with each others families. I appreciated how willing Judah was to wait for Soledad, knowing she was in the process of learning to love herself. He made it known that he wanted her while assuring her that he was not rushing her and would be there when she was ready. Soledad set clear boundaries from the beginning and the understanding Judah had towards those boundaries really stood out to me and solidified how they are meant to be together in my opinion.

Soledad is Puerto Rican, and as a Dominican and not Puerto Rican, I still want to note that the Latinx representation in this book was handled with so much deliberate care that I could not help but mention. Of course all latinos have different experiences and are not the same, but I saw so much of Soledad in my mom and myself that it made me connect to this story and Soledad as a character in a much deeper level.

Overall, This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan was a medium paced book with themes of self-worth, and how unconditional love looks within different relationtionships. This to me was a raw and emotional book that effected me is many more ways than one. I could not recommend this book enough.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This Could Be Us is a love story, but it’s not the love story I was expecting. If you are expecting to see this epic romance between Soledad and Judah, you might be disappointed. Is the romance there, yes, but it’s not the most important part of this love story. I have so many feelings about this book. I’m going to do my best to convey them in as few words as possible, but y’all know I like to talk so…..yeah. I’ll start by saying I love this book, everything about it except that white man. Hate him and my lone complaint is that the suffering didn’t suffer enough for me. I’ll speak no more on that person.

Soledad. My girl. I liked Soledad in BILG but I left that book thinking she was too much of a demure housewife. I knew I’d enjoy her story but I wasn’t expecting to relate to her. I wasn’t expecting to see so much of me in her and her journey. There were a few times I wanted ask my therapist if she been sending notes from my session to Kennedy Ryan because how this lady know my life. First she is nobody’s pushover and that is very clear from page 1. We are literally watching her blossom. We see her at her lowest, we see her snap, we see her do what she has to do for herself and her girls. Throughout this entire book we SEE Soledad. Getting to follow her as she begins to see herself again was, for lack of better words, beautiful.

Judah Cross sees her too. From first glance the man is smitten. In a perfect world, he’s able to sweep her off her feet right into their HEA, but that’s not what this is. Let me say I love me some Judah. He’s a phenomenal father. He’s a man who sees a need and provides. He’s got the patience of Job. He is definitely book bae material. The way he respects Soledad and her journey felt so big to me. Yes, this is Soledad’s story but we also get to see Judah blossom a little as well. We see him go from being content with his….lonely life, to desiring more and he only wants that more with Soledad. His longing to just be in the same space as Soledad was so good and I’m a sucker for pining. Please think about me all the time and do what you have to do to be in my space. I ate that up!

So I know all that sounds romantic but it’s second, maybe third to the other love stories in this book. Soledad taking the time to heal and figure herself out. She has to forgive herself AND learn to trust her own judgement again. The friendship and sisterhood between Soledad, Yas and Hendrix, was my second favorite love story in this book. It was just a reminder of how important it is to build community. Community where you can thrive and community that is going to be there to step in and hold you up when you need it and even when you push back against it. Those little acts from Yas and Hendrix made me tear up a few times. That’s love. That’s sisterhood.

Overall I loved this book. Everything about it. I’d go on this journey with Soledad over and over again.

Thank you to Kennedy Ryan, forever publishing and NetGalley for the ARC…..all thoughts and feelings are my own.

There are a few romance authors that I think truly elevate the genre, tipping into women's fiction. Their books get into real-life issues and are so descriptive it's like you are there with the characters, living their lives. Kennedy Ryan is one of them.

This Could Be Us is a sequel to the first book in the Skyland series, Before I Let Go. I absolutely adored the first book and couldn't wait to read this one. One of my favorite parts of this series is that Kennedy Ryan doesn't just focus on romantic love. Many of the types of love that enrich our lives are represented: familial, friendship, romantic, and self.

This book focuses on Soledad, one of the three best friends seen in this series. Her primary journey is learning to love herself again after losing herself in her marriage. Judah is a loving father to twin autistic sons and a wonderful friend. When Soledad and Judah meet, sparks fly immediately.

As I was reading This Could Be Us, I felt myself growing as Soledad found her inner strength. I bookmarked so many passages to look back on. Somehow, I liked this book even more than the first in this series. I knew as soon as I finished it, I would be buying many copies for friends who have recently gotten out of relationships and could use the healing that comes from reading this beautiful story. Soledad is inspirational, brave, strong, and brilliant. Kennedy Ryan always writes the love interests so that the reader is instantly in love, and Judah is no exception. The best friend group is so entertaining and loyal and uplifting that you want to be their friend, too. It's terrific to see the autism representiation in this book. I commend Ryan for never shying away from more serious topics.

I highly recommend this book if you enjoy a dual-POV, slow burn romance with charming family and friends.

I'm so excited to read Hendrix's story next year!

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the advanced reader copy.

This Could Be Us had me hooked from the beginning. The characters that really drew me in weren't Soledad and Judah. While I enjoyed seeing there journey, it was Adam and Aaron who stole the show for me. I really appreciated the author taking time to show some of the different aspects of autism and some of the challenges those that are autistic and their families face.

Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to review this work in advance. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

I tore through this one yesterday! This is Skyland, book number 2. Now, I do believe you can read it as a standalone, but please don't. Book 1 is so good.

But anyways, this book follows Soledad. And someone else, but I don't want to spoil who he is to Soledad! Just know he's a great guy. He is a fantastic father and a real stand-up guy.

Back to Soledad, she's a great mother and friend. Her marriage, however... it's not been so good. When y'all find out the things this man DOES AND SAYS. I was so, so mad.

But in this devastation and change, Soledad truly finds herself. This book has been one of the best books at a woman picking herself off the ground and making lemonade out of lemons. The way she focuses on herself and her kids? I was blown away.

I hope you give it a chance. One of my favorite things about this series has been the relationships between the friends. Honestly, they're like family.

This Could Be Us is about self discovery after a heartbreak. It delivers. Sol was so inspiring on her journey. I just think it lasted a little long. The beginning was everything but the second part of the book really slowed down for me. Kennedy did a great job of handling heavy topics like Autism. I enjoyed the dual POV. I absolutely loved all of the side characters. They were the absolute best. The kids were awesome. Judah's ex, man they just have a wonderful co-parenting relationship that is inspiring. Her friends are amazing and I want them in my life. I can't wait for Hen's story. She is just hilarious. I wish I'd connected as much to this as I did the first one, but I still enjoyed it. As always Kennedy just writes beautiful stories and I'll keep on reading them.

We are back to the Skyland universive ft. Soledad and Judah. Soledad and her husband, Edward, navigate a rough spot in their marriage and tragedy strikes, leaving Soledad to raise their 3 girls and figure things out. Meanwhile, Judah is divorced and raising two autistic sons.

I was cheering Soledad along on the journey to find herself. Soledad and her relationship with food is so fun, especially embracing her Puerto Rican culture. Motherhood and fatherhood are highlighted in this book, through the chaos, struggles, and triumphs of raising three strong headed girls and two sons with autism. The romance was also 🔥 as it usually is with Kennedy Ryan.

Kennedy Ryan's writing flows and I always find myself not wanting to stop. Is it time for bed? Oh no I accidentally read 3 more chapters 😅

I loved seeing the same trio of girlfriends from Before I Let Go (especially some Yas & Josiah cameos). I can't wait to read Hendrix's book next year!

Thank you NetGalley, publisher, and Kennedy for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

one thing that is incredibly important to note when reading the skyland series - and most books by KR - is the genre. if i was rating this as a plain romance? my rating would be far different. as a women’s fiction book? 4.25 stars.

is there romance involved? absolutely. and that romance is sweet and kind. but this isn’t the romance you’ve come to expect from a fluffy, lovey-dovey romance where everyone is married and having babies in the end. the mmc, judah, is not the picture perfect mmc we’ve come to know. he’s human. and god i love that about him. the fmc, soledad, is a beautifully strong woman who held onto her strength in the face of something horrible happening to her and her family. this was a (semi, come on let’s be real here) realistic couple.

the reason i want to hammer this home that this is *women’s fiction* is because this deals with deeper topics. this deals with autism, loss of a parent in both a literal and metaphorical sense. there’s a happy, healthy co-parenting relationship shown. this woman falls in love while she decides that what she *really* needs is herself. she’s in love with herself, and that’s okay. but she can love another person on that journey as well.

this is a story of healing yourself. from grief, from loss, from heartbreak. kennedy ryan can write a beautiful love story, not a soul can deny that, but that’s not the focal point. and if it was to you, you’re missing the point. i loved soledad’s story. i’m looking forward to seeing hendrix (the child-free by choice loml) in her story.

thank you so much to kennedy ryan, grand central publishing/forever, & netgalley for the opportunity to arc read this one, i am grateful.

5 STARS!!!

Kennedy Ryan does it again!! "This Could Be Us" gives readers Soledad's story, the second book in the Skyland series, and boy oh boy is it a good one. Kennedy Ryan is virtually incapable of misses at this point. I found myself transfixed with Soledad and Judah's story. The pining. The passion. The longing. The lust. The caretaking. The steaminess. The scandal. The intrigue. Oh. My. God. I could NOT put this book down. I stayed up late and woke up early just to finish it because I needed to know how the story ended. Ryan weaves a delicate tapestry of self-discovery, family, friendship, angst, and love, and finds a way to balance the heaviness with some fun and lust. I love the way she writers her dialogue dripping with intensity. Her characters are as fantastic as ever. I adored Judah Cross. *SWOON* I loved Soledad's journey to finding herself after getting divorced from her ex-husband Edward (no spoilers, but one of the best book "villains" I have read in a long time....GOD I LOATHED HIM!). Soledad and Judah's stories are separate but ever-revolving around one another until they converge and...FIREWORKS. Their romance is sooooooo freaking good. I am going to be thinking about them for a long time. As with the first Skyland book, I absolutely loved the relationship between Soledad, Yasmen, and Hen... what an incredible display of female friendship and empowerment, women lifting each other in times of darkness. I also loved the relationship between Soledad and her sisters. This book is incredible, and I urge you to read it as soon as possible. Another tremendous notch in Kennedy Ryan's already stellar belt!

Thank you to NetGalley, Kennedy Ryan, and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

Twas the night before the release date… Sorry I’m late, my dog ate my homework or whatever the kids be saying. On the real though, I’ve been in a BAD reading slump, so this took me some months to get through, but I’m so glad to have read it, and early at that! Swipe through to see all the emotions I had while reading.

Before I Let Go introduced us to Soledad, but I’ve really fallen in love with her character in this book. Her story is such a redemption and a revival for Soledad after all she’s been through. Soledad is not the average “housewife”, she’s a literal home maker who wants nothing more than to care for her family. I think about the quote “It's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all” as I read this because through and through, no matter how her story went, she’s exactly where she is supposed to be. I’ve been saying I’d read All About Love by bell hooks for a while, and now I really will.

Mr. Judah Cross? Now that’s my man my man my man. My man don’t play about me just like Judah don’t play about our girl, and any energy less than his? Unacceptable. He’s the definition of a yearner. His devotion to fatherhood is so attractive, and low-key him being a nerdy accountant makes him even more attractive to me. What I really loved about him was that he would never settle for less than he deserves. I love reading books where the male figure is ready for love and fully healed.

I don’t know much about autism, but I love the representation of neurodivergence in this novel. I’m about to start a class on how to support people with different types of neurodivergence and this was a great read to see how parents navigate having children who are neurodivergent. I also love the co-parenting representation within this book. I don’t know if I know what healthy divorce looks like, but I would imagine it being like Judah and his ex-wife. It never gave stepping over boundaries, but truly two people who loved, and now loves their children more than anything else. The friendship, the family dynamics, the heartbreak, everything about this book was pure and reflective. Now I’m craving more books on forbidden love.

All I’ll say about Soledad’s husband… you’re a bitch.

We all know that Kennedy Ryan loves to gives us a slow burn, so don’t expect anything but that from this book. Regardless of pace, this was a phenomenal read that makes me hope for a part two. If you haven’t pre-ordered this book, make sure you get it tomorrow! Definitely a 4 star read!

This was my first book by Kennedy Ryan, but it will not be my last!

A few things that I loved about this story...
- the female friendship dynamic between Yasmen, Soledad and Hendrix! The way they support each other reminds me so much of the important women in my life!
- the thoughtful autism representation.
- the resilience and strength of Soledad in the face of everything that goes on, and the way she is true to herself as well.
- the romance (it is always nice to read romance between adults in a similar place in their lives to me). It feels like the timing in more authentic to the situation which I also appreciated. You get the sense of the attraction right away, but their story follows a reasonable and realistic timeline considering everything else the characters have happening in their lives, Soledad especially.

Looking forward to reading more of Kennedy's work!

I bow down to Kennedy Ryan. This book is just perfection. I loved Before I Let Go and was so excited to read this book. The strength and growth we see in Soledad as she navigates all the challenges and new phases of her life is inspiring. I loved how we get to see how empowering her self-love journey is, but also how important her friends and family are as her support system. I can’t put into words how amazing Judah is but trust me, he is. Edward is the worst, enough said. Highly, highly recommend reading this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5
🌶️🌶️🌶️ out of 5


"Draw a picture in your mind of what the future could look like and really believe this could be us."

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Before I Let Go was one of my top reads of 2023, so I was incredibly excited to get this ARC. It did NOT disappoint! This Could Be Us features many of the same characters as BILG but can be read as a standalone.

This Could Be Us is a gorgeous, empowering celebration of love in all of its forms. Romantic love. The love of friends. The love of family. But first and foremost, it is a celebration of self-love.

Soledad's journey was so real and relatable. It was incredible to watch her reclaim her power and discover what she was capable of. I was cheering for her throughout the whole book!

TBCU's emphasis on dating yourself and growing on your when your own when you need to sets it apart from every other romance novel I've read. I'd love to see the genre explore themes like this more.

Make no mistake though-Judah is an absolutely swoon worthy book boyfriend. He's sexy, intense, and an amazing co-parent to his two autistic boys. He goes above and beyond to support Sol, give her space when she needs it, and show up for her. And did I mention he wears glasses?

Judah's chemistry with Sol leaps off the page. When the spice finally hits, it HITS. To me, this felt spicier than BILG, and I was absolutely here for it.

I also really enjoyed the autism rep in TBCU. Ryan draws from her experiences raising an autistic son, and she does it beautifully.

I absolutely can't WAIT for Hendrix's book. Is it 2025 yet?

What would you do if your husband turned out to be a piece of shit and you started to fall for the man who revealed who he really was? Soledad in This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan answers that question for us.
I loved the families involved here, all kinds of families: mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, co-parents, sisters, best friends, lovers. It was all so realistic. I identified with almost every woman in the book.
I’m personally not a big fan of spice in books but I knew what I was getting into. The spice made me uncomfortable but it wasn’t that overwhelming. I found it incredible that someone could be such a piece of shit like Edward.
This Could Be Us got 3.75 ⭐️ from me and it publishes tomorrow March 5! Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

4.5⭐️ (4⭐️ plus an extra .5⭐️ for the autism rep!)

Another great romance by Kennedy Ryan! I really loved the mutual pining, and the MMC Judah was *so* perfect. He’s potentially on the autism spectrum (not formally diagnosed), and this twins sons are both autistic. I really loved the inclusion of multiple neurodivergent characters with varying support needs. There are so many scenes where characters seamlessly provide accommodations and/or support, including one that was so touching that I teared up a bit.

The main focus of the book is the FMC Soledad’s journey to reclaim her life after a traumatic betrayal and divorce. I alway like when romance crosses into women’s fiction territory like this, but I wish we came back to the relationship a bit sooner. The tension between the two characters is great and the reason Soledad won’t jump into a new relationship is very valid, but the relationship feels so inevitable that I started to lose interest towards the end. Despite that, it was still a very enjoyable read and I can’t wait to read Hendrix’s story next!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review*

First thank you to Forever books and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for a honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis: Soledad appears to have it all, a successful husband, 3 girls and a beautiful home. When something unexpected happens will she be able to keep what is important?

What I liked: Kennedy Ryan knows how to write an emotional beautiful romance. I will admit I was hoping for Hendrix story next but glad we got this story. Soledad seems like “ just the housewife” of her friend group but this book proves no one is just the housewife. Soledad has to dig deep and love her commitment to her kids and herself. I loved the self partnering part and thought I need to do more of that myself.she also protected her kids so much and was such a good example for them during times of adversity.
Of course you can’t a romance without a man and Judah cross delivers. I like that she didn’t just focus on his looks but the entire package including what might be perceived as flaws. He was just as dedicated to his kids as soledad which was so real. I couldn’t imagine Soledad with someone that wasn’t devoted to his kids. I like that it was a slow burn because they are both older and have a lot to process. It made it seem very authentic and real.

Overall I highly recommend this book and am so excited to know that Hendrix story is next.