I ran to Netgalley to get this ARC when it was available! I’m so happy I finally got a chance to read it because it was a freakin’ masterpiece!😍😍
MY RATING:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️6/5

One thing about Kennedy Ryan, she’s not just giving you a romance novel. She’s giving you life lessons, friendships to die for, black love, family, learning experiences, recipes, and so much more. As soon as I opened this book, I was pulled in and I couldn’t stop until it was finished. Soledad is the definition of a strong woman and I loved following her on her journey throughout this book. This book really deserves all the stars!!

One more thing before I go. JUDAH CROSS!🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 Forget a book boyfriend, that man is a book husband!!

I can’t wait to get the physical copy on my self. I know it’s early, but this is going on my top ten of the year list. It has to.😍

Was so excited for this one and it did not disappoint! This was a good read - I really enjoyed this book. I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it early and will definitely be recommending it to multiple people who enjoy these types of novels. I enjoyed the characters and especially enjoyed the writing by this author. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it! Thank you to the publisher for my early copy of this book!

Kennedy does it again! I'm not the biggest romance fan but nobody does romance like Ms. Ryan! It's the way she weaves real life issues with the quest love that absolutely does it for me. I really loved this one because Soledad's self love was so important to her. My good sis stood on business for as long as she could and honestly I probably would have folded much sooner! ::dreamy sigh:: Judah... I have definitely added him to the list of book boyfriends. Here's to another love story that will live rent free in my head.

*arc for honest review*

this is my third four star book of the year which is crazy. it’s been awhile since i’ve been obsessed with a series and now skyland is one of my favorites! kennedy ryan is just amazing at writing so beautifully. especially with her quotes. :,)

“i want a life with you that we make, and who cares what the hell anyone else does or calls it or expects? This could be our Wild card, Sol. We can make it whatever we want it to be.”


the book follows Soledad’s journey in trying to be independent because her husband made a crime so he gets sent to prison, leaving her and her three daughters to figure it out on their own. which Soledad does by becoming an influencer and focuses on herself and daughters. But also has her eyes on Judah since they met for the first time.

4.5★

This series continues to rock my emotional world and I cannot get enough. Soledad's story goes on such a captivating story of her journey to self-love/acceptance and understanding what she wants/needs in her life after the end of a relationship. I love Judah's continued support on wanting her to find what she needed within herself while willing to wait and also knowing what he needs and when he isn't getting it.

Adam and Aaron's love for each other had me in tears a couple times in this book even though it may have been subtle to some, I adored them. I loved the coparenting portrayal of Judah and his ex-wife, I loved the one big family that keeps growing aspect and how they respected and supported each other. The family portrayal in this book, both found and blood related is one of my favorite parts of the story.

I love this friend group and I found that a lot of what I feel in terms of needing to ask for what I want was reflected in Soledad's story. I love how she created a niche for herself on social media as well, a fun detail in my opinion.

I appreciated the growth we saw from a familiy front, like Soledad and her kids, as well as personal character growth and relationship development. This author shines a light on emotional journey's in a way that's hard to stop reading once you start. I do wish there was more romantic moments, even if small, between Soledad and Josiah, however I still adored them together Their slow burn was good but I felt it was over too fast and I was left wanting more.. Josiah was the sweetest man ever.

Kennedy Ryan has returned with the second novel in her Skyland series, but readers can enjoy this romance book as a standalone.

Soledad opens the door to the FBI as her husband is accused of embezzling millions of dollars from his company, kicking off this slow-burn romance with a bang.

Judah discovers this and is intent on justice but realizes that Soledad is in a challenging position with her assets frozen until they can get to the bottom of the case. A single dad who has navigated his own trials, including an amicable divorce and raising autistic twins, he drops off a small peace offering of groceries, beginning a beautiful friendship over the years.

As the two get to know each other better and Soledad begins documenting her project of self-love to a social media following of millions, it will take some time, but the journey is worth waiting for the reader.

If you prefer closed-door romance, Ryan is likely not a perfect fit, but unlike her first novel in this steamy series, the open-door scenes only occur about 75% of the way through this story. I believe these moments are easily skimmable and worth it for the stunning story of finding self-love, yes, but more importantly, navigating parenting a young adult autistic child.

Kennedy Ryan opens her story with a beautiful author's note about her decision to include this in her storyline. As the mother of an autistic child, she wanted to make sure that when she shared it, she could give this storyline the care and beauty it deserved.

As the mother of an autistic child, I wept a few times at the authentic depiction of our daily life that I had never seen in my literature before. This novel will undoubtedly be one of the best romances you will read this year.

There are not enough words to express how beautifully written this novel is. Kennedy Ryan has truly exceeded my expectations on this second novel in the Skyland series. The journey of Soledad Charles through this novel was not only inspiring but thought provoking, heartbreaking, and transformative. As we follow the journey of Soledad, we are also wrapped in the amazing storyline of single father Judah Cross and his teenage twin boys. Early on in the novel we learn that Judah's twins were diagnosed with autism as a young age. The compassion, beauty, and understanding that Kennedy Ryan writes in the story of Judah and the twins is enough to make me recommend this read a million times over. Through this story, you are given the insight on how broad of a spectrum autism is and the sacrifices as well as changes those make to provide a stable and safe environment for their children. These two characters not only had separate life journeys that make you pause and reflect within your own life but an even greater love story together. I don't want to give anything away about this story because I believe it's worth digesting and falling in love with yourself. I will say this is a book you don't want to skip. Below are a couple of quotes I think are worth mentioning. I hope you take the time out to read this novel. You won't regret it. Thank you, Kennedy Ryan, for sharing this masterpiece and continuing to give a voice to the unrepresented.

"...I am the love of my life. I have learned to love myself without judgement or condition. It's the only way I have enough love for everyone who needs it-to love myself. No one can love me like I do. No one knows me like I know myself."

"When are we ever done working on ourselves? I believe wholeness is not a destination, but a lifetime process. Something that instead of waiting for, you could be living for."

I absolutely loved this title with its shocker coming in right out of the gate. From there, we are dazzled by Sol’s journey and the strength she uses to navigate it. Ryan modernizes the tale with her enlistment of social media and hashtags, and gives us another tale for us to talk, text, and tweet about all year and beyond.

My love letter 💌 to Kennedy Ryan

I had the privilege to get an ARC for This Could Be Us, book 2 in the Skyland Series. I do not think the book world truly appreciates Kennedy Ryan & how she is a gift to us. Kennedy goes above in her work & does her research & is intentional in everything she does. If she writes it I AM READING IT! She gives these beautiful stories of these women with different backgrounds & race & gives us the trials they endure & how there is rainbow 🌈 after every storm. Her books always captivate me immediately & I devour them because I cannot put them down, it was true again in Soledad’s story. Sol’s story is a testament to the strength of women & how they can stand on their own even in the storms. This story also shows us a real love, an unconditional love, a deep love that is with our girls our sisters that we are lucky to have found in the universe for Sol that is Yas & Hen who are her two pillars to help her stand when the rug is being pulled from under her, the reason I love this series is because I have my real life Hen & Yas, my two girls who would do anything for me & help me get through the joys & sorrows of life.
“These men let us down and we pull ourselves back up, hopefully with the help of other women who love us in ways that we heal.”
I may not have gone through the devastation that Sol did but no matter the trials we face our girls HEAL US & LOVE US! ❤️‍🩹 They encourage us when we have fears, like Sol did with giving her all to Judah. I fell for this man because he is everything a man should be & I love how he was with Sol & did all he could for her & respected her as she learn to love & date herself. I can’t wait for the rest of you to fall in love with their story.
Thank you KENNEDY for this story 😭🥹❤️
You are QUEEN! 👑

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

…I literally have no words. I’m a huge fan of Kennedy Ryan and loved the previous book in this series, so I was already going into this book with high expectations. The hype did not disappoint though, because this book absolutely blew me away.

Much like the first book in the series, I wouldn’t categorize this book as a romance. I would pitch it as a beautiful story of female empowerment/self-discovery with a dash of romance. Soledad has been through so much heartbreak and loss (literal and metaphorical) in her life. The fact that she chose to prioritize her own self-worth in spite of these challenges and the fact that she took intentional steps to foster love/growth for herself and her family was so moving to me. I don’t think I would have been nearly as strong as her if I had been faced with similar circumstances. All of the side characters were top tier and added a lot to the plots/FMC’s character development.

Don’t get me wrong though…the romance was sooo good. I loved how Judah was immediately struck by Soledad’s beauty (both inside and out) and knew that no one would ever be able to compete to her. He was so invested in her self-love journey and actively kept his distance to allow her the necessary time to flourish. I also really respected the ASD representation and the way that Judah talked about being a parent to children with ASD. I felt like everything was handled with care, and you could definitely tell that it was very subject matter very close to Kennedy Ryan’s heart. Also, I was obsessed with Judah and Tremaine’s co-parenting relationship.

Even though it took a looooooog time for these two to eventually get together, it truly felt like the right time for them given everything they’ve been through.


I could literally rave about this book for hours…I just love the fact that we’re barely into 2024 and I already found a favorite book of the year. We love to see it.

Top tier perfection! This book was absolutely amazing and a must read spring book for everyone! This is one to be talked about all spring and summer this year.

Kennedy Ryan was one of my OG auto buy authors. I love how emotional, raw, and steamy her romances are. This Could Be Us held true to her formula and did not disappoint. I would have liked to see more of Soledad’s and Judah’s relationship once Soledad opened herself up to him vs her journey to him but it did not take away my enjoyment of the book.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Forever publishing for the ARC of This Could Be Us. I absolutely am amazed at how in-depth Kennedy Ryan allows her characters to be and how real and raw her character's journeys are. I loved seeing both Soledad and Judah's growth throughout the chapters and the highlighting of how important self-love truly is before being with a partner. Overall, I would definitely recommend anyone looking for a romance that will pull at your heartstrings to pick up This Could Be Us in March. 4.5 rounded down.

3.76/5 stars

I was a little apprehensive going into this because Kennedy Ryan really puts her characters *through it* Her writing is absolutely gorgeous and she's so talented but the first in this series was two extremely wounded and broken people being emotionally devastated on every page, and my little heart could not take it. But I was assured this book was not that way, and my friend was correct.

To start off, I wouldn't categorize this as romance. It read more as a general fiction (my friend said women's fiction but I refuse to use that categorization) with ancillary romance. Soledad, a vibrant, loving Afro Latina, is a stay at home mom married to a white man who.... does some bad things and there is betrayal and she good riddances him. Enter hot, patient, wonderful Judah. What I really really loved about this book is that it was primarily a story of Soledad standing on her own two feet and finding a way to provide for her girls and survive. She spends the time to grow and love herself. She's not immediately jumping into a relationship, and Judah sees that and is so patient and is willing to wait as long as it takes. I saw many parallels with Soledad and those pieces of divorce and betrayal were so well done and accurate.

I did not know Ryan's son is autistic, which she shares in the author's note at the beginning, but that lived experience and love shines through so clearly in Judah's twin sons who are both on the spectrum. She wrote that so well and with such heart and care.

Ryan continues to also write female relationships exceptionally well. Soledad's friends are so great and supportive and Soledad's sisters felt so real.

Reel is my favorite Ryan book but this might be my second fave.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This Could Be Us is out March 5, 2024.

instagram.com/encyclopedia_britanika

Kennedy Ryan doesn’t write easy romances because her characters are complicated in the best way possible and this was the slowest burn because it had to be. While Soledad and Judah were both trying to figure out who they are and what they want given their circumstances, this was obviously Soledad’s story. She was a stay-at-home mom married to a man who didn’t deserve her, has to figure out how to support her 3 daughters and whether she even wants to be in a relationship again. She learns to love and trust herself over time and Judah is the king who patiently waits, proving himself worthy.

I have eagerly awaited the second book in the Skyland Series, This Could Be Us, and Kennedy Ryan did not disappoint.This story was not just a romantic journey for Soledad, but also a re-discovery of herself after divorce, heartbreak and the complete upending of her life. We follow Soledad’s journey as she has to essentially be a pillar of support and reassurance for her children while still facing the harrowing realities of what her life has become. One thing that carried over from the first book in the series was the emphasis on sisterhood, and its full force was seen in this book. The love between Soledad and her friends was clearly seen and needed throughout this journey.
The romance in this book was truly unique. Few love interests have been written like Judah. His patience, understanding and upliftment of Soledad was a breath of fresh air.
Yes, this book will wring all of the emotions from you as a reader, but the journey was worth it, and I am looking forward to Hendrix’s story in book 3.

I am rating this book 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This Could Be Us is the second in Kennedy Ryan's Skyland series, but it is more of a companion novel to the first in the series and could be read out of order.

Soledad is a proud stay-at-home mother of three when she senses her marriage failing and life as she know it is suddenly ripped away from her. With no choice but to provide for her family on her own, she uses her innate skills, creativity and sheer will to change her life--and meets her match in Judah, a divorced father who isn't looking until he crosses her path in a memorable way.

Soledad is someone you can't help but root for. She is a girl's girl, surrounded by strong relationships with her sister, her daughters, and her best friends. She's also the daughter and granddaughter of strong women, who she still remembers and grieves. The powerful feminine energy throughout this novel is invigorating, comforting and inspiring.

I can appreciate some critiques that Judah is too perfect in too many ways, however that wasn't something I felt during my reading. In hindsight, he has very few flaws on the page, but I think most of that is derived from how perfect he is for Soledad. He faces moral dilemmas, presents as Neuro-Diverse and is also the father of two sons on the autism spectrum, so he is certainly a dimensional character with "baggage" like every other character.

The connection, banter and spice between Soledad and Judah may be unmatched. I had butterflies more than once in reading their slow burn romance. There is unreal restraint, secret pining, secret dating, a bit of He Falls First... Kennedy Ryan hit the nail on the head with this one, for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for giving me this eARC in exchange for an honest review. I plan to attend the launch for this book in Charlotte and cannot wait.

This series is one of my favorites. I didn't really think It could get better than "before I let go" and I was a bit nervous about the troupes in this one but as always Ryan slayed.

I LOVED it! I loved “Before I Let Go” and I loved the follow up! There is so much I want to say but I don’t want to give the book away💗

Edward was trash in the first book! And he’s definitely trash this book but I never would’ve expected it to be to this extent! 🗑️

Judah! Whew Judah gave an energy that I loved from the very beginning! And Soledad did too😉

I loved Soledad’s comeback! I know she was focused on herself but she hit all aspects of what she needed💗

Adam and Aaron…whew they pulled at my heartstrings! Being a parent to a child with Autism, I know this life all to well! From bringing the comfort toys everywhere to explaining schedules, the struggles with academics! I cried while reading different parts because I’m so appreciative of authors that bring in this very real part of life but in a beautiful way, yes there are struggles but these are very beautiful children and the experience of parenting them is a special one💙

I also loved the appearances of Hen and Yas…even Josiah makes an appearance (I loved Josiah😉) I love their friendship/sisterhood!

For me this was definitely a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read! I can’t wait to reread it and I’m going to need an audiobook😉

Thank You @netgalley 🫶🏽

4.5 Rounded up!

There is just something different about the intricacies of Kennedy Ryan’s writing. I’m really not a huge “romance” reader but have loved this series so far. I was invested in the characters and their stories felt relatable and important. The self-love that Sol finds through this story is an important one and there is nobody better than Judah to encourage her in that. It was easy to love his character and cheer him on! I’m excited to read Yasmin & Sol’s BFF Hendrix’s story coming in 2025.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!