Such a beautiful story. I just love Kennedy Ryan’s writing. Soledad was an incredible FMC. Judah was an insanely wonderful MMC. The secondary characters were so well fleshed out as well.

4.5 stars
Kennedy Ryan is an author I love. I look forward to each new release, but she is not an author that I can just pick up and read a little bit here and there. When a new Kenndy Ryan book comes out, I know I need to take my time and invest in reading her work. This continues to be true with This Could Be Us.

This is the second book set in the Skyland community in Atlanta and is sequential to the story in Before I Let Go. I mention that because the group of friends we met in Before I Let Go is central to this story as we get to know Soledad and Judah. I am not going to retell the story or even touch on highlights from the plot here, the power of the story needs to be discovered by the reader for themselves.

As with many Kennedy Ryan books, This Could Be Us, takes a hard look at where the characters are and where they want to be. Here the reader gets pulled into a well-written story where they get to immerse themselves in a culturally rich story that also focuses on the rebirth of a woman after the world as she knows it falls apart. Soledad is a beautiful example of how, with some help from friends, women can pull themselves back up and soldier on setting examples for our daughters on how to demand that we be treated well. The issues here are unique, but some themes run through the book that are universal.

Oh my God, Kennedy has done it again! This book was absolute perfection! This is somehow a stunning romance, a beautiful story of friendship, and an empowering story of healing and self-love, all wrapped in one impossible-to-put-down book!

I really had no idea where this book would go, and the first few chapters sucked me in with all the DRAMA surrounding Sol's husband, and then I needed to see how Sol stood up for herself and made an even better and more beautiful life for her girls!

And JUDAH - what a man! Talk about someone selfless, caring, supportive, protective, literally everything Sol needed AND deserved in a man.

This story is beautifully, beautifully written! Not just Sol's story, but the parts of the story with Judah and his son's was was written with so much care, and added even more depth to the story.

Truly every single character was so layered and complex, they all felt so real, like I was truly reading about someone's real life experiences.

I am a huge fan of Kennedy's writing and I cannot wait to see who Hendrix ends up with!

Kennedy Ryan is a gifted author who provides deep, rich storylines and characters. This 2nd in the series (although could certainly be read as a stand alone) features Soledad whose life is in shambles when she discovers her husband is an embezzler and an adulterer. Soledad is determined to pick herself up and start again, for her sake and the sake of her three girls. What she doesn't count on is falling for the forensic accountant that took her husband down. Emotional and uplifting, romance fans new and old will love this story.

This is one of the most beautiful and powerful books I’ve ever read. Kennedy Ryan does it again with her poetic, but empowering words.

You start off with Judah’s POV in the prologue and you wonder how him and Soledad’s story will intertwine, but how it does is so beautiful. Fast forward 4 years after the prologue and you see their first interaction.

At this point, Soledad and her marriage are not thriving but what happens with her husband will have you SHOCKED because of all of his secrets. It had me hooked from the start. I love me a little “who done it” in a book and this one was so thought out and well done.

Soledad has to figure out WHO SHE IS, after her divorce and the betrayal of her husband and I love that her and Judah maintain a friendship through the book. This was not a jump right into a relationship book, but it felt like such a real life scenario. A lot of soul searching and figuring out who she was now Soledad and not as a mom or wife, etc.

The angst is angsting through the whole book between these two characters and it is so good.

I loved the found family in the friendships, being immersed into Black and Puerto Rican culture, and seeing actual real life scenarios play out.

There are some things that could be triggering to some like divorce, cancer, cheating, STD’s, infidelity.

10/10 RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!!! Cannot wait for a Hendrix’s book.

Kennedy Ryan writes poignant, emotional books with beautiful characters. Loved seeing neurodivergent representation!! Let’s promote more BIPOC authors!!!

Thank you to Read Forever Publishing for a chance to read an early digital copy of this book. I snagged this one day when it was a "Read Now." I have read Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan, and I really enjoyed it, so I was excited to see that there was going to be another book in this series. Of course, it is always fun to catch up with beloved characters from a previous book, and I really love when authors put them into a new book so we can see what they are up to. The two main characters in this book are Soledad and Judah. Soledad is a married mom of three girls and her life is getting ready to implode. Her husband has been caught embezzling money from the company that he works for, and the man who is responsible for putting him in jail is Judah Cross. Judah is a divorced father of twin boys, who have a diagnosis of autism. One of the things that I really like about Kennedy Ryan's books is that she shows being Black is not a monolithic experience. While her stories have traits all readers can relate to such as resilience, failure, triumph, adversity, and more, each of her stories are genuinely different. You are getting so many facets of the Black experience as a reader when you read her books. There are certain themes and subjects she touches on which I can certainly relate to, and this is something that I appreciate. These books really show what it is like to be a Black woman in the modern world. I really enjoyed this one, even though I couldn't stand Edward; I'm glad that Judah brought him down. I loved seeing Soledad as a mother and seeing the way she fought her way back to the top. My only complaint about this book is that we don't really see Judah and Soledad together until about 65% of the way in. For most of the story, they are kind of "orbiting" each other, where their paths kind of cross here and there but they don't actually try to make something of it and do anything until the story is a little more than halfway over. I get that they are each kind of on their own journey of self discovery, especially Soledad, but I could have done without some of the plot points in exchange for a little more Soledad and Judah. I definitely hope that there is going to be a third book in this series, because I will definitely be sure to pick it up!

I am absolutely obsessed with this book. I was a little less than halfway through this book and I knew it was going to be a five star read and I was right! This book…. This book has everything! Friends who help each other through the tough times, emphasis on self love, self care. Kennedy Ryan has a wonderful way with words that makes you feel everything the characters are going through as if it’s yourself. Soledads journey was one of self discovery, knowing your worth and staying true to yourself among tragedy and heartache. She never gave up, and I absolutely love that about her! Judah is my favorite book boyfriend/husband ever. Yes I called him my book husband — no I don’t do that often. Judah was sweet, caring, protective, everything Soledad needed even if she didn’t want to admit it. And he definitely knew what he was doing iykyk. I cannot wait for Hendrix’s story to release, all the little teasers about her and her life make me all that more excited for her story.

Kennedy Ryan scores a home run again!

I was so happy to be back in the Skyland universe, this time in Soledad's story. I really enjoyed Soledad's journey - rediscovering herself in the absence of her narcissistic husband, prioritizing passion and pleasure, and strengthening her bond with her community and family.

I also loved meeting Judah and learning more about his relationship with his ex and the way he fosters care for his children.

There were parts of the relationship that I was skeptical about (I felt like he would sometimes say he was giving her space while...not giving her space). But for the most part it was swoony and sexy and exciting.

I CANNOT wait for Hendrix's story next.

This book - wow! After meeting Soledad in Before I Let Go and knowing this book was her story, I was very curious how Kennedy Ryan was going to handle Soledad and Edward's marriage. I was unprepared for this storyline, but I thought it was so clever, and I was invested from the start.

I felt this story read more as women's fiction with a romance subplot. While I did wish for more romance, the larger story of Soledad's resilience and self-discovery was really believable and impactful. Sol is an amazing woman and mother, and I really enjoyed watching her on her journey of rebuilding and taking ownership of her life.

Okay, I know I said I wished for more romance, but I have to say Kennedy gave us the gift of Judah Cross in this story. I am obsessed! What a man and what a father. The patience and the PINING. I felt the want deep in my soul, and I was just gone from the first interaction he and Soledad had. I also really enjoyed the autism representation in this story. As someone who has a loved one who is autistic, I love that Kennedy was able to take her lived experience and translate it into this story.

Kennedy Ryan never misses, and I cannot wait to read Hendrix's book! I am so ready for more of her humor and antics.

Beautiful story of self love and loving yourself and your family past pain! With each of them coming from divorce and tricky family dynamics I thought journey of them getting together was beautifully done. Judah the most patient loving man on the planet! Soledad was such a strong beautiful character! Kennedy really took her time writing that character and making us feel the hurt the pain sol felt and once she was whole again I felt it too!!

Another wonderfully powerful story from Kennedy Ryan with a strong female lead. I will say I think I liked this group of characters more than the first book in this series. It could be that I related a bit more to the parents in a certain way. Overall great read and I look forward to the next one.

I was slightly hesitant to read this book after having my heart ripped out and put back together by Before I Let Go. Adult relationships are scary and sometimes it’s hard to separate the book from what could happen in your own life.

Soledad is a strong, intelligent woman who is at home raising her three daughters. Her marriage is stale and she has suspicions that her husband isn’t being truthful with her. When their world blows up, Soledad rises to the challenge of keeping her family together.

Judah is THE man. He supports his ex-wife and co-parents their autistic twins flawlessly. He is an absolute dream. He is the quiet, smart guy who everyone underestimates.

Soledad’s ex is a bottom of the barrel human. We hate him and she deserves better. I love that she didn’t just fall into the arms of someone else. She builds up her life and takes care of herself first. Her friends and sisters are there to encourage her and help her when she’s confused.

I’m so excited to stick with this world. Thank you NetGalley for a peek at this book.

I loved Soledad’s story. Kennedy handles such tough topics with such dignity and pulls at your heartstrings. Soledad is such a strong woman and handles the adversity thrown her way in a much better manner than I would have.

I loved this book! The author has a way of filling each page with so much heart and emotion that you get sucked right in. Despite this being a romance, there was so much more beyond the main character's relationship with one another. I loved reading about Soledad's journey and the focus on loving herself and her life. I thought it was unique that she explored her identity beyond just being a mother. This journey of self discovery was empowering, impactful, and relatable on so many different levels. This book struck the perfect balance between drama, spiciness, heart, and self-discovery. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a romance with depth and heart.

I couldn’t have been more happy to be back in Skyland with Kennedy Ryan’s newest book, This Could Be Us.

From the outside Soledad seemed to have the perfect life. But those close to her knew that wasn’t always the case. When her life turned upside down, everyone else in Skyland knows it too. But instead of being defeated and caving to the person she once was, she persevered and survived. She made a choice not only for herself but for her daughters. She embarked on a journey to date herself, love who she is and being to trust again.

The message in this book, all about self love, is one not only needs to everyone needs to hear, but should to put into practice. The importance of not only loving yourself but liking the person you are even when you are alone. I think in society today the message is often you need something or someone else to make you happy, to make you complete, to have worth … and that is just not true. But it is hard to not be like the norm. But having independence, and knowing you can do it is a gift that we get to see Soledad accept.

Plus the way this group of friends loves and supports each other is something so rare and beautiful. I see glimpses of my friendships on these pages. I loved Yasmen (and Josiah) showing up a bit and I cannot wait for Hendrix story next year.

Before I Let Go was one of my favorites for 2023. I was so excited when I saw there would be more with this fabulous group of friends. I have been waiting for this book and was so excited to get an early copy. Thank you Forever for allowing me to fall in love with more of Kennedy Ryan’s amazing characters that will stick with me, no doubt, in years to come. Now bring on Hendrix’s story!

Kennedy Ryan has this ability to make you completely feel every single emotion her characters are feeling through her amazing ability of stringing just the right words together to bring that out of both the characters and the readers. I could just imagine sitting there with Soledad and her friends and listening to them all talk. I can actually "hear" the dialogue in their accents, their manners. I had flashbacks through this story of the movie "How Stella Got her Groove Back", thinking "THIS, THIS is how a woman takes back her life, her self confidence, her truth. I loved every single moment of this story-even the tough parts because, indeed there are some difficult issues that needed to be addressed and Kennedy Ryan did absolute justice to all of these. Everyone needs a tribe like this and I thank Kennedy for showing us that life after loss (even if it isn't necessarily death) is possible and that loving yourself first is the key to finding that life.

This Could Be Us is a spicy contemporary romance about learning to love and trust yourself again after betrayal. We first meet Soledad as she deals with an unhappy marriage that falls apart when her cheating husband is arrested for embezzlement. Months later after picking up the pieces of her life and keeping strong for her three daughters, she begins a secret relationship with Judah who just so happens to be the man that helped put her husband away.
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the chance to read and review this book in exchange for my honest review. I’m giving this book 4 ⭐️/5.
This book was well written, appropriately paced and a book that I wanted to keep reading. At no point was I bored or felt like it was a struggle to get through this book. I feel like Soledad handled all of the situations and struggles that came to her in a real human way. Her daughter’s reactions and the grief to the situation was real and honestly could have been expanded on more. I enjoyed this book more as an exploration of rebuilding yourself and learning how to move on, how to love and trust again more than the actual romance plot. I will definitely recommend this book on my social media closer to the release date.
Video review link added 3/1/24

This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan is book 2 in the Skyland standalone series. This one features Soledad, who from the outside seems to have it all. But in reality, everything is crumbling. As difficult as things get, though, Soledad is a fighter. She's resilient and has 3 young girls to fight for.

I am and will forever be a Kennedy Ryan fan! I have yet to read a story of hers that hasn't wrapped itself around me. And this one was no different. The writing was beautiful, and it captured my every attention.

What I loved most about this story is how much Soledad learned to love herself before anyone else. The self-discovery was perfection. She truly got Soledad, right? Her relationship with her daughters and her friends is everything. And Judah? He is so far one of my faves! His attentiveness, his patience, the way he cared for his boys and everyone around him was admiring.

Before I Let Go was my first book by Kennedy Ryan one of my top books of 2022, so I was really excited to read Soledad’s story. Reading this made me realize I need to go and read her entire backlist - she is an amazing writer and she pulls you into the story and characters like you know them personally. I loved everything about this book - from Soledad’s journey through her heartbreak and healing to the slow burn of her and Judah’s relationship. The characters were real and it’s so refreshing to see people acting mature. Highly recommended this one!