Kennedy Ryan is a #newtomeauthor. I saw that #AbbyJimenez recommended this book, along with some of my other favorite authors, so I knew that I had to get my hands on this. I am so glad that I did. It is the second installment of the Skyland series after Before I Let Go. I will be adding that book to my TBR list immediately.

This book is thoughtful, sexy, playful, and suspenseful. The characters are so well developed that their personalities jump off the page, and the story is incredibly real and believable. In addition to multiculturalism, there was also autism representation; both were realistically woven into the story. The author definitely knows how to write!

I will be reading the first book of this series and am now looking forward to the next one. However, it won’t be out until 2025!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6244113332
Storygraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/da9082eb-0d8e-484b-9d5c-142679a507c3
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/C3gMIv9yw6r/

Loved loved loved!!! The synopsis intentionally doesn’t say much for this book and I think that’s for the best. Just pick it up knowing Kennedy Ryan writes characters that are so fully developed and real that you’ll miss them and want to check in on them after turning the final page. I absolutely loved this romance between two adults with complicated lives and seeing how it all plays out. Thank you so much to Forever and Netgalley for the free ebook to review.

I am grateful for the opportunity to read this book early and would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Ms. Kennedy Ryan. This book was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. It is a slow burn that I ended up enjoying thoroughly. Soledad's story is about self-love and discovery, and I enjoyed learning about her culture. I love how Yasmen and Hendrix always show up for Soledad. The book's message is clear: one can love oneself and still be open to receiving love from others.

Wow! Kennedy Ryan can do no wrong. I don't think I have ever read a more female-empowered main character in a romance.

When Soledad has her entire life thrown upside down, rather than letting disaster break her, Soledad makes it her FIRE. Soledad is written to show every woman how to be independent and love themselves first while still giving to others! Now let's talk about Judah. He set the STANDARDS for men! A single dad to two autistic children?! Sold! This man knew what he wanted from the moment he laid eyes on her and still waited PATIENTLY for her while supporting everything she did!

I do wish we got a little bit more of the blended family dynamics because I was genuinely interested to see how they would make it work but that is just me!

This could be us is a phenomenal novel that focus rebuilding and find strength within yourself. Soledad is a very courageous and strong women and throughout this novel we get to follow her journey of self discovery and what is like to pick up all the pieces as they fall apart. This book’s highlights great importance on the black and Latino communities and coverage the lack of support for autism and the challenges that autism can cause for people with it and those are surrounded with people with it. This could be us is a novel that everyone should pick up it follows strong characters with great development and teaches in depth real lessons that you can take away once you finish. Truly a 6 star read from Miss. Kennedy.

This story felt relatable and real. Even though Soledad's story is one I never hope to go through, Kennedy puts the reader through the wringer with Sol. The carpet gets ripped out from under her and her girlfriends are there for her to help her through. But they aren't available every minute of every day so she has to pick herself back up and learn how to get through a new normal. And then, there is Judah. *fans self* I ADORED the way their relationship grew. It wasn't rushed. It was a slow, get-to-know-you and one that had to be dealt with carefulness. But it was sweet and endearing. I couldn't put this down and I can't recommend it enough!

I have yet to read a Kennedy Ryan book that I have didn't love, and her story telling seems to only get deeper and more nuanced with each new release. I adored the first book in this new series, Before I Let Go, and was so excited to have the chance to get my hands on an early copy of Soledad's book, This Could Be Us. I agree with other reviewers who have said this reads more as women's fiction than contemporary romance - the focus on Soledad's journey to self love and discovery really is what will stick with me from this story. But the romantic elements with Judah are still incredibly well done (not to mention hot!)

After Soledad's life is turned upside down when FBI agents land on her doorstep during dinner one evening, she's left needing to figure out how to put the pieces of her life - and her daughter's lives - back together. What follows is a truly inspiring story of one woman finding that she is enough on her own, while also having plenty of love to give others. Judah Cross is the father of two autistic boys (the language used by the author) as well as the person who put into motion the events of Soledad's upheaval. But Soledad and Judah cannot deny the chemistry zipping between them when they're in the same room. The two of them are both figuring out how to embrace what they have between them, while continuing to meet the needs of those around them.

I loved how most of this book was from Soledad's perspective but with occasional chapters from Judah's POV which made the development of their relationship feel so much deeper. I also was so thrilled to continue to spend time getting to know Hendrix (her book will be next!) and spending time with Yasmen. This girl squad demonstrates the power of female friendships and how they come through for each other in so many ways. I also loved that both MCs are older and mature (in their 40s as the book progresses over time) and that they so clearly communicate with each other.

Content flags: infidelity; embezzlement; prison time; one scene in the hospital after a child has a minor accident

I voluntarily read a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Kennedy Ryan does it yet again. After reading her first book in the Skyland series, Before I Let Go, I knew I needed more from these characters and more of Ryan’s writing. She is a master at creating such emotional depth within the story while maintaining the perfect amount of lightheartedness and humor. I loved diving into Soledad’s life and her journey to self-love in This Could Be Us. Halfway through this book, I found myself already looking forward to the next installment of this series because I don’t want to be done with Sol, Yas, and Hen. Oh, and of course I can’t forget Judah - pure perfection.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
This Could Be Us was one of my most anticipated books of 2024, given how much I loved the first book in this series. And with the way things have been going, that could have gone either way, this book absolutely lived up to the hype. While this book can be read as standalone, I do recommend reading the first book, purely because of how excellent it is.
Both the leads easily won me over, and I loved how each of them captured the different sides of the coin of what it’s like to be divorced or in the process of divorcing. Judah’s situation is more amicable, with the main issue is how he and his ex will handle coparenting their twin autistic sons, Adam and Aaron. I appreciated the nuance with which the twins were drawn, with them being in different places on the spectrum, and autism will look different for everyone. I also liked how Ryan took care in her depiction, not wanting to speak over the community, as a parent to an autistic child herself.
Soledad is much more of the “star,” here, with her going through more of the emotional work. She discovers the extent to which her husband lied to her and cheated on her, leading to him going to prison. One aspect I appreciated early on, because it’s an example of Ryan breaking an unspoken romance genre taboo, is that Soledad is diagnosed with an STI, and it’s one of the signs of her husband’s infidelity. I appreciate how this was handled, for the most part, as I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where this came up. It does skirt a little close to the line of stigma when it comes to the other woman, and it’s not a major plot point, as it’s easily curable, but I will give Ryan props for doing something different.
I also love how Soledad goes out of her way to put herself and her healing first at times. She obviously does have to think about her kids, even if they do ask questions about and want to have contact with their dad, but beyond that, I love that she works on trying to love herself after the soul-crushing betrayal her ex-husband left her with.
I did hear some rumblings from the more cynical “old guard” of Romance Twitter that this book was more a “personal journey” book than a romance, and in some ways they’re right in that both leads, but especially Soledad, have a lot of emotional growth to do. But while this is present, there’s still a substantial romantic arc that also accommodates their respective personal arcs. I loved seeing them navigate their feelings for each other, and how, even if Soledad isn’t ready to marry again, nor is she sure if she’ll ever be, they can confidently and open-heartedly love one another.
I absolutely loved this book, and I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy heartfelt, yet steamy romances with Black leads.

May contain spoilers. Thank You to Net Galley for this arc. I was excited to read This Could Be Us early as I really enjoyed Before I Let Go. I enjoyed following Soledads' journey of self love and self discovery. I actually wanted more of this because it seems she turns the page too fast to begin dating someone when she kept telling everyone she was on this self love journey. Seeing the relationship she has with her sisters and with Yasmen & Hendrix is really some of my favorite parts of the book. The plot of the book in the beginning was really good and unexpected but for me it kind of faltered as it progressed. I'm not a huge fan of what seems to be forbidden romance but I did like Judahs' character. Overall I did enjoy the book.

Kennedy Ryan with yet another heart-wrenching love story, this time a slow-burn, forbidden romance? Be still my heart!

Soledad’s life with her husband and their three daughters is picture perfect and flawlessly planned, right up until disaster strikes and Soledad is left alone to pick up all of the shattered pieces. Now she has to figure out how to take care of her daughters on her own, while figuring out how to trust and love herself again. And she is determined to do it all by herself. So what will Soledad do when a surprising (and extremely forbidden) potential suitor enters the picture?

One thing I love about Ryan’s romances is we always get so much heartfelt internal monologue. She really gets inside her characters’ heads and they feel so authentic and realistic. And because I feel so close to the characters and so invested in their stories, there’s always this incredible emotional payout. Every single one of her books has made me cry and that is no coincidence!

“There aren’t enough sonnets for friendship” and there also aren’t enough sonnets for loving yourself! This one is beautiful and much-needed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for access to this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

This Could Be Us – Review


I discovered author Kennedy Ryan last year when I was able to read an advanced copy of “Before I Let Go.” I’d never read her work before, but I heard good things about her and I’d read so many positive reviews. I also saw so many recommendations for her books on TikTok. The comments were glowing and I had to give it a shot.
My goodness: all of the reviewers and commenters were right. This woman is an incredible author by every metric. Her characters, even the supporting ones, are all three dimensional. No person is just placed on the page just to fill space, be a foil for a main character, advance someone else’s story, etc. All of them have their own lives, motivations, strengths, and weaknesses. I never feel like anyone is shortchanged in her work.
There is also a great amount of emotional detail in her work. She makes going into the psyche of a character involving. Most authors basically “list” how characters are feeling. Ryan goes deeper into the heart of her characters and their motivations. She creates a narrative that is so engaging that you don’t feel as if you’re reading a description just to get to the action. Every word she writes is important. Moving. Telling.
I was fortunate enough to receive an advanced reader copy of “This Could Be Us.”
I’d read Before I Let Go last year and that book was incredible. I had high expectations going into Ryan’s latest novel, and she did not disappoint.
She never does.
“This Could Be Us” follows Soledad Barnes, one of the characters from “Before I Let Go.” She’s a graduate of Cornell University who married her college sweetheart, Edward, supported him as he built his career, became the mother to three amazing young girls, and managed a household. Soledad is amazing and has built a life that looks ideal on the outside, but dark secrets lurk on the inside of the home and inside of this marriage.
One night changes their lives forever when Soledad’s husband is accused of a terrible crime. The FBI tosses the home and arrests her husband amidst his pleas of innocence.
Soledad soon learns that her husband has been lying to her about who he really is and she begins to question everything about her life up until this point.
As the reader journeys through the upending of Soledad’s entire life, we begin to learn more about her husband as well as clues into what he’s done that has put his family at risk. We follow her as she reexamines everything about the last twenty years of her life.
Her bank accounts are frozen. The credit cards are canceled. The mortgage is due, as well as her daughters’ tuition to their private school. She’s broke, but not broken.
We watch as she’s forced to scramble the resources to keep her home and care for her children. As she embarks on this journey, she meets the man who is allegedly responsible for sending her husband to prison: Judah Cross, a forensic accountant who has a reputation for being a grumpy man who keeps himself and is a stickler for details.
As I read each chapter, I was in awe of how Ryan pens her narrative. It’s written so beautifully, that I found myself highlighting almost every passage. It’s so difficult to choose which ones affect me the most because almost all of them are worth noting.
Soon, we meet Judah and I must announce: Judah Cross is PERFECT.
He is literally the perfect man. Judah Cross is a divorced father of twin boys: both of whom are on the Autism Spectrum. He has a healthy co-parenting relationship with his ex-wife, Tremaine. Both of them have rearranged their work and home lives to fit the needs of Aaron and Adam, their teenage boys who have different developmental, emotional, and physiological challenges. As the parent of two children on the Autism Spectrum, I can relate to their struggle and I found it wonderful that this was included in the novel. It was written with such sensitivity to the topic that I nearly cried in several parts because I understand the struggle.
What I love about Judah is that he is realistically perfect. He’s not the kind of man that women automatically fantasize about. I mean, yes, he’s gorgeous, but what sets him apart is that he is able to blend masculine energy and gravitas, along with sensitivity. He’s awkward in many ways. He’s a bit of a loner who may be on the Autism Spectrum, like his sons. His potential diagnosis gives us a clue as to how he handles the social situations. What’s great about this quality is that he remembers details. He’s a listener. A thinker. That’s appealing to many women. This novel proves that a man can be a sexy nerd, but also have – shall we say – big … you know what energy.
This romance could be categorized as a slow burn romance, but it doesn’t feel like slow burn to me. The pacing of events is enjoyable, allowing for both angst and spice. Both Soledad and Judah have good reasons to be cautious about moving forward with any type of relationship, and it’s nice to watch them navigate this.
While this their love story, the larger theme of the novel is focused on how Soledad, like many women, need to navigate an uncertain present and future while they struggle with loving themselves and taking care of their own needs without feeling guilty for it.
Kennedy Ryan is an exceptional author and she deserves all the accolades that come to her. Her writing is emotional, relatable, and lush in its descriptions of her characters and the scenery around them.
This book is empowering and transformative. It is a love song to women who are doing their best to focus on their needs and allow themselves to heal so they can be the best version of themselves. The narrative is incredible. The reader can feel the emotion flowing from the page and into their own heart. It will change your perspective. It will make you think. It will change you.
Kennedy Ryan is the kind of author I want to be. She has become an automatic buy author for me. I don’t even have to read the book description. I know it will be good. I know it will make me smile, laugh, cry, and swoon. “This Could Be Us” is an incredible work of art. Get it. It’s a five star read for me.

This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan beautifully navigates various relationship dynamics, from self-discovery to familial, mother-daughter, platonic, and romantic connections.

Soledad's journey is a compelling exploration of self and how she reconciles that with who she is in all the other relationships and responsibilities she has.

I really liked that the book is just as much about Judah's journey as it is Soledads. They were two individuals with their own significant stories that came together. This reality is often lost in romance books, so I was nice to see Kennedy Ryan do something different with this one.

In the book, Judah’s two sons have autism. The exploration of the autism spectrum throughout the book is eye-opening, especially because we see it from multiple perspectives. Representation is powerful, and I hope other readers will walk away with a new understanding of individuals with different abilities and how it affects them, their families, and the community just like I did. Kennedy Ryan also put effort into ensuring cultural authenticity for Soledad’s character, and the attention to detail in these aspects makes the book truly special.

The book is written in two parts. Part one is fast-paced and draws you in, while part two builds character development and story arcs. “This Could Be Us” is beautifully written and is a captivating journey that will linger in your mind beyond the last page.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher, Forever, for the eArc!

My favorite Kennedy Ryan book yet! I loved getting to know Soledad more and appreciated the exploration of autism throughout the story. I liked the title and cover art better on this than some of Kennedy’s past books. I don’t find her writing cheesy at all but I would think it was based solely on the covers of older books.

I am so highly grateful to Forever and Kennedy Ryan for this ARC. Go ahead and read the book. The way this book had me in a chokehold OMG! As a parent I felt like the pacing of the book was extremely realistic. The dilemmas and the thought processes that both Soledad and Judah went through, spot on, rang very truthfully. I audibly gasped and was in shock a few times on this journey. I couldn't put it down. I enjoyed it so much! I loved the way Judah was honest no nonsense, the straight no chaser energy was masterful. I am a sucker for vehicles being named in books so extra points for that as well.

Favorite Quote: "Whatever this thing you were telling me, this Edwards thing, I don't give a fuck"

Favorite Scene In 1-3 Words: Soledad @ visit

I absolutely love this series!!! Mature, messy, raw, real. I loved Judah but the real star of this book was Soledad’s journey and healing. Immediate 5⭐️. I’d love to see this series on screen!

WOW! Kennedy Ryan has done it again! I absolutely devoured this book in ONE DAY!!!

In full transparency, I was a little nervous about this one in the beginning. It always gives me the ick when a main character is in a committed relationship (especially marriage) at the beginning of a story since it means that somehow that relationship has to end. I always feel like it's so easy for it to go wrong and to negatively impact the rest of the book. But I shouldn't have doubted my girl Kennedy, because that didn't happen here. I'm team Judah all the way.

The style and pacing of this one was very different from Before I Let Go. We don't really see the relationship build as much as more of the story is focused on Soledad finding herself after divorcing the man she had been with 20+ years, her daughters coming to terms with how their lives have changed, and Judah's parenting his 2 neurodivergent sons. While I'd be lying if I said I didn't prefer to see more of their relationship, for me it was okay, because Judah had the absolute sweetest soul. It was so easy to root for him.

This is possibly a tiny spoiler: There was one thing that I didn't love and the only reason it wasn't a full 5 stars for me. The ending to Edward's story line was not my favorite. I didn't like that he still got away with money and was able to start a new life somewhere else. I can understand Soledad and Judah wanting him to be out of their lives, but I didn't like what that meant for Soledad's girls. I don't know. I got the sense that the reader is supposed be okay with it because of how horrible Edward was, but it just kind of felt out of place.

Read if you enjoy:
-Slow burn
-Blended Family
-Double POV
-Older, mature MCs
-Open door romance
-self love
-community

Overall, this was another hit and I can't wait for Hendrix's story! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

4/5 stars

4.5 stars.

I was beyond thrilled that Kennedy Ryan finally decided to incorporate her personal connection to Autism into one of her books. As someone who has a sibling on the spectrum, and who works with students with learning disabilities, I very much looked forward to picking this one up. I particularly appreciated Kennedy's author's note at the start, where she explains her personal decision to use "autistic," while acknowledging others' preferences for "people first language."

Soledad was the star of this book-- she is such a strong female protagonist and the perfect role model for readers. I would suggest going into this one without too much background information from a plot perspective-- there were some aspects that I recalled from the first book in the series, but there is still plenty that is revealed and worth learning about in real time. My one small criticism was about the chemistry between Soledad and Judah. There was something missing, perhaps due to some of the time jumps? Still, this was a total winner from Kennedy Ryan!

Read if you like:
-Emotional romance
-Messy family dynamics
-Autism representation
-Blended families
-Own Voices (BIPOC, Puerto Rican)
-Self love

We first meet Soledad in "Before I Let Go." I loved her character in that book and when I heard that she would be getting her own book, I was ecstatic and really looked froward to reading it.

I must say that "This Could Be Us" was everything I was expecting and more!

In this story we meet Judah and Soledad and we join them on their journey of self-discovery, healing, and new love.
I really related to Soledad as a stay-at-home mom. I could see myself in her and sometimes we tend to devote so much of ourselves to our significant other and our children that we tend to lose ourselves. Sometimes, the wanting for perfection causes us no to see what is right in front of our eyes.

Soledad's journey to self love and healing was not easy but I loved every minute of it. Through her journey, she really comes into herself and was not only an inspiration for other women, but for her three daughters. She really showed them how you can be strong as a woman and that self-love is really important.

I absolutely fell in love with Judah. I really LOVED his relationship not only with Soledad but with his sons. He was so patient and understanding with them and the way he and his ex wife put the children first and focused on coparenting them in the best way was absolutely refreshing.

This story is a definite 5/5 and as always Ms. Kennedy Ryan did not disappoint! I cannot wait to read Hendrix's story!

I’m completely blown away by this woman’s powerhouse of words that emit warmth and understanding with such wisdom. Other than creating connections through relatable themes which felt like such a reassuring warm hug. This book highly emphasized why I love connecting to books than just to its characters but the essence of it, the meaningful words fused together that feels thought-provoking, the message it’s sending, Kennedys capacity to create resilient and powerful women shines through in her writing and Soledad was no exception. These two together found something in each other that they’d been missing, and turned it into a love that felt like passion and home rolled into one. Lastly, I couldn’t end this without mentioning how Kennedy is one of those authors that properly does her research because Soledad is Afro-Latina and the Puerto Rican representation in this?! I’m impressed and wanted to cry lol I’ve never seen this representation in a book and every reference felt entirely familiar and brought a genuine smile to my face.