This Could Be Us was just as amazing as I expected it to be. The book captured the hurt Soledad was experiencing so well. It was very descriptive, so much so that you could picture yourself there. The best part was being able to read about Soledad’s journey while healing and parenting. It felt good to read a woman’s strength and confidence flourishing in a tragic situation. Overall this book was an amazing read and I am happy to have experienced it. I highly recommend.

My first 5 star read of the year. I really enjoyed Before I Let Go and had high expectations for this book. The storyline had me wanting to read more but also not wanting the story to end. Can’t wait to read more by this author

Soledad has the perfect life- perfect house, perfect family. Then a scandal tears her world apart and she finds herself starting over. And she’s attracted to the one guy who should be off limits.

✅ set in Atlanta
✅ scandalous and messy
✅ both leads are 40/40+
🌶️: yes!

✅ autism rep (and also a brief discussion of the language of autism, which I greatly appreciate)

This is book 2 of a series and reading book 1 is helpful but you could read it as a standalone.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️! One of the best books of 2024!

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

Three things Kennedy Ryan is going to consistently do:
1. Write characters and situations with so much care and heart
2. Put her characters through it
3. Give us happily ever afters that are so so well deserved

Soledad’s story is no different. I was hooked from the very beginning and oh my god do I HATE Edward so damn much. The plot was intriguing, Sol’s journey of self discovery and healing was beautiful, the kids were all so sweet, and Judah Cross has to be the most patient, supportive, thoughtful man ever written. My God. New favorite book boyfriend.

If you like Kennedy Ryan, books that toe the line between romance and women’s fiction, MCs nearing 40, a touch of forbidden romance, slow burns, food, you’re going to love this.

This Could Be Us comes out March 5! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

PS - Can’t wait for Hendrix’s story!!!!

Have you ever started reading a book and instantly got the feeling like you were supposed to be reading this book right now? Like this book was meant to be read by you in this exact moment and exact time in your life? That’s This Could Be Us for me.

Before I Let Go is one of my all time favorite books. I’ve been screaming to the heavens about it since I read it a few years ago. It spoke to me in such a way and made me feel understood. But This Could Be Us has not only made me feel seen, heard, and validated, but has truly ripped me open and spoke to my soul. Soledad’s story was everything I never knew I needed right now. Her willpower, her strive, the way she persevered, her confidence despite the way her world crumbled at first, gave me the most intense motivation. Her journey to find herself and love herself after pouring all that she had into the cups of others is truly inspirational. And Judah … Judah, Judah, Judah. Kennedy could not have sculpted a more perfect man. The way he loved Sol hard and loved his boys harder melted me completely. His patience and understanding for what Sol needed to go through for herself first, while also being there for her mentally, physically, and emotionally … I’m speechless.

This is book number 2 for me for 2024, and it will not be beat. For me, this will be one of my favorite books of all time. Thank you Kennedy Ryan for this story; one that I will cherish so deeply for a very long time. THE BIGGEST THANK YOU to Netgalley, Grand Central (Forever) Publishing, and of course @kennedyryan1 for this ARC. Check out This Could Be Us on its pub date 3/10!

I enjoyed Before I Let Go, but I absolutely adored This Could Be Us! It's such a wonderful story that centers on hope, trust, and love in all its forms (friendship, familial, self, romantic). After everything comes crashing down and Soledad faces a shocking betrayal, her journey to self-love, healing, and purpose is a beautiful thing to witness.

Enter Judah Cross. The relationship progression between Judah and Soledad is so tender. His thoughtful commitment and his unwavering attention, despite her (well-founded) hesitations, was so unbelievably sweet. The small actions he took to be able to get to know Soledad and to understand her better honestly broke me. Judah's attention to detail and unwavering support for Soledad, even before their relationship developed, was so gentle and heart-warming.

Also, this book did a great job discussing the importance of unpaid labor (as well as how it's often overlooked), especially in the context of caring for a home and raising children. Several important topics are brought up throughout the book, but this was something foundational to Soledad's character and I think its discussion was necessary and given the attention it deserved.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for allowing readers like myself to access ARCs through NetGalley's "Read Now" category!

Another wonderful romance from Kennedy Ryan! This one has the FBI, cheating husbands, and one hot accountant 😏. For real though, I loved the characters in this one! Kennedy Ryan's strength is in providing the characters with real lives outside of the romance.

I loved Soledad's relationship with her three daughters, her sisters, her two besties, people in her community, and even her online community. This is a woman who loves people, and is so good at expressing that love for others. Her cheating ass husband can literally go to hell NO ONE LIKES YOU EDWARD HOW DARE YOU TREAT MY GIRL SOLEDAD LIKE THAT??? Also loved that Soledad's healing journey involved bell hooks' All About Love.

Judah, the male lead (and aforementioned hot accountant), is such a good father. He has two sons with varying levels of autism and their portrayal on the page was so sweet. Kennedy Ryan has a son who is autistic, and she tried really hard to portray it accurately on the page. Reading about Judah and his sons were some of my favorite scenes in the book.

The romance itself was a little insta-lovey. Although it takes a while for Soledad and Judah to actually get together, they become pretty infatuated from the moment they meet based mostly on how attractive they think the other is. It felt like although the reader got to know each of the characters really well, Soledad and Judah didn't actually know each other that well, even as the book progressed... which made the romance a little less thrilling for me.

All in all, a 3.5 star read for me :) I love you, Kennedy Ryan!

I ate this book up! The cover is beautiful and the story is also beautiful. I really enjoyed reading about Soledad and Judah. Judah Judah Judah! 🤎 Judah is a man man. I’m so glad Judah and Soledad found each other. I don’t want to give too much away but the story follows the two of them through many trials and tribulations over the course of a couple years. The way the story comes together in the end is great. These books make me want to move to Skyland but I think it might be out of my price range lol. The family/friend dynamic was amazingly written and I enjoyed how tight knit the support system was on both ends.

Also I hate Edward. That’s it. That’s all.

This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan

This is the second book I’ve read by Kennedy Ryan and I was super happy to have access to this advanced copy. Since it was an ARC, I’m aiming to do a spoiler free review. So I’m gonna keep it short and sweet. There are a lot of things that I love about this book. I was super excited to see Soledad’s story come to life after the small glimpses we got of her life in Ryan’s previous book. And her story did not disappoint. It was one of struggle, trauma, resilience, self-discovery, self-love, slightly forbidden romance, and more. I was definitely curious as to how Ryan would let the plot play out with Soledad’s story considering she has three kids and a (God awful) husband at the beginning of the novel. Ryan found a way to keep me gasping with the twists and turns in this novel. It was giving telenovela- that’s how good the twists were. However, they do make you angry so keep that in mind.

A huge theme in the book is self love and I think that was a super important thing to highlight. She definitely needed to learn how to be on her own and discover who she was apart from that awful husband of hers, and she does. My issue is that sometimes I feel like it was a bit drawn out. There was some internal dialogue that I felt was unnecessary or repetitive. I feel like there was space for even more of her romance with Judah but it got overshadowed by all of her self discovery if that makes sense. Self love and self discovery are ridiculously important, and Soledad needed that. She shows intense strength and resilience providing for herself and her kids, trying new things, and essentially starting over. It’s just that it felt a little more like a self help book at times instead of a romance novel.

However, that is my only complaint, and it doesn’t take away from how excellent the novel is. Other than Soledad’s journey, readers get to see more of the beautiful friendship between her, Yasmen, and Hendrixx (the icon), and we get introduced to her two sisters. There’s a lot of representation as well and we get another great example of co-parenting when we get to know Judah and his ex-wife Tremaine. I think these things are super important for the Black community specifically to see in their media and Ryan does a great job of integrating it into the story and allowing readers to fall in love with all the characters and dynamics we’re exposed to.

Overall, Ryan has found success yet again. This Could Be Us was an absolutely beautiful, heart-wrenching, and tear-jerking, and powerful story that left me excited to see what happens next.

4.2 Stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC! I am eternally grateful!

This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan was the perfect next installment of the Skyland series. This book covered Soledad’s complex story.

Kennedy Ryan does not shy away for difficult topics. While this story covers many difficult storylines: infidelity, financial crimes, autism, divorce and cancer to name a few, you can tell how much thought and research Ryan does.

I was so excited to pick up This Could Be Us and it did not disappoint. I couldn’t put down this book as I was enamored by the story and the characters.

Not only is this story complex, but the romance and chemistry was so well written you could cut the tension with a knife. The story is also filled with so many wonderful food antidotes- I can’t wait to make the recipes in the back of the book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for my ARC copy! This review contains my personal thoughts and opinions.

Queen Kennedy has done it AGAIN!

This is the third novel I have read by Kennedy Ryan, and of course, it did not disappoint! I have never been married or had kids, but Soledad and her journey deeply inspired me. Not too long ago, I experienced a heartbreak that I did not know how I was going to bounce back from. With the dating scene being pretty much a dumpster fire these days, This Could Be Us has single-handedly restored my faith in love. It has also inspired me to date myself and understand my strengths as a woman.

I have always found it extremely difficult to write a coherent review of Queen Kennedy's books, but I do note my random thoughts as I'm reading. Here are the ones I captured when I remembered to do so:
- The buildup of the stare across the room at the work party 🥵
- Queen Kennedy is so good at describing the tension. I can feel it as if I’m in the story.
- Judah kept the grocery list 😩
- When Sol said THAT line to Edward when her and the girls visited... snaps all around.
- Where can I find me a Judah?
- Him being so intentional about showing her support even in little ways... my goodness! 😩😩😩
- “I’m wide awake, reborn, rebirthed through my own fire and pain and work and wisdom.” WHEW. Yassssssss.

The one thing missing from the story for me was more one-on-one bonding time between Sol and Judah. I wish we could have seen them go on one date or something that would have shown them further building their connection. I know he kept popping up to places she was at or vice versa, but I wanted to see more of them together but alone, like when they were in her she-shed playing Uno.

Overall, I LOVED this book so much! I highly recommend it to everyone, especially women looking to rebuild after a difficult breakup. I simply cannot wait for Hendrix's story!

Rating: 4.75/5

I enjoyed this story very much. The support of Soledad's friends was tremendous and heartfelt. While reading, it really felt as if I was experiencing Soledad's struggle myself, I got teary-eyed and chocked up. Judah perfectly complimented Soledad in every way, they were perfect for each other.

"At every turn this man demonstrates his care, his interest, his need to know and understand who I am. I'm seen in a way I've never been seen. After the neglect and disrespect of my marriage, Judah is a gift that's been fashioned especially for me."

"I don't know the shape our relationship will take through every stage as the years go by, but I do know we'll be together. That commitment is so solid I feel it every time Judah holds my hand, a promise pressed between our palms like an oath our souls make. A vow our hearts confess."

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing me with an eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really liked this. Soledad is a stay-at-home mom of three whose life emplodes when her soon-to-be-ex husband implodes life as they know it. Her healing journey journey focuses on inner strength, self-love, and friendship. There's a great slow burn romance leading to the HEA, and I appreciated that the author took her time setting the stage and didn't rush getting the reader into the romance portion. The book addresses several heavy topics in a way that enhanced the characters and made them more relatable. It's the second book in a series but can be read independently.

I received an ARC of this book. I loved Before I Let Go, and This Could Be Us is a spin off that explores the life of Soledad, and how she finds herself after a betrayal. I empathized with how women can lose themselves in marriage and family, despite having their own dreams and skills. I loved how Soledad figured out how to prioritize herself and her boundaries with her children and a new love interest. While I appreciated the discussion of Josiah’s challenges of raising children with autism, I didn’t feel that it really fit into Soledad’s story, especially since her character already deals with so much upheaval. It took the focus away from her, hence the 4 star rating.

Oh another fantastic read by Ms. Ryan. I don’t understand how she can get better and then she does. We meet Soledad who is married and raising 3 girls. We see and feel her life implode and then like a Phoenix rising from the ashes. She has to now navigate life differently all while falling for someone and yet being hesitant to let her self trust someone else. I loved her friendships, her resilience and her allowing herself to love again. I can’t wait to reread this book because it gave me all of the feels. Just a well written and inspiring book.

Kennedy Ryan does it again!! She's so good at breaking your heart just to stitch it back up. And I love that she always puts our heroines first UGH loved it.

This book had me in my feelings one minute and laughing in another. Kennedy Ryan writing make the characters feel like family. I find myself talking back to the pages.

I got to jump back into the world in Skyland and learn more about Soledad in this one. I remember her character being a prominent mention in Before I Let Go, so naturally I was excited to see where this story would take her.

Soledad Barnes has dedicated her whole adult life to her family. She's the stay-at-home mom that gets things done for her husband and three daughters, until she's blindsided by the supposed love of her life and her life comes trickling down on her. Left to fend for herself and learn to be a different version of herself to survive, Soledad pulls through with the help of her sisters by blood and sisters in the form of girlfriends. She's too busy to focus on anything else, other than the man that helped unravel the chaos that pushed her to evolve and become independent. Judah Cross has his own plate full with his autistic twin boys and work that he brings home on the daily. Since meeting Soledad, he doesn't want to stay away and finds himself doing whatever he can go get closer to her. They're connection is forbidden but they just can't stay away from each other.

Ms Kennedy Ryan has done it again. Learning more about Soledad actually made me feel so reflective as a woman, as a mother and as a wife. The heartache, grief and anger Soledad went through was depicted in such a realistic way. We were taken on a journey with her like I had a front row seat watching the iron strike hot into her bubble wrapped world and then shatter to only see her grow out into the woman she wasn't sure she was capable to become. I loved Soledad's whole journey in this story and Judah was just the big cherry on top. He was THEE most patient, hyperfocus and deserving man ever. Probably one of the best single dad MMC's I've read and fell head over heels for. Judah was just as equally resilient and strong like Soledad, someone that wanted to finally take something for himself and that became Soledad for him. Everything that they avoided and then came back to was just the right journey for these characters and I loved it.

There was a great focus on the power of friendship, liberating womanhood and self-love that felt so important to revisit, especially in our day and age. The endearing friendships Soledad had in this book made me smile, tear up warmly and left in awe. Also, I appreciate the ease in which the author incorporated autism in everyday life for Judah's sons in this book. It helped me understand just how different one diagnosis can be from another with that illness.

Again, I was reminded of how powerful Ms Kennedy really is with pen to paper. This one's going to stay with me and I can't wait for Miss Hendrix to have her own book soon!

Special thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and Kennedy Ryan for providing access to this ARC!

This book felt like it was a romance and a self help book. Sometimes I forget how important it is to date yourself.
Hendrix also reminds me of a bit of Kelli from Insecure! Also the mention of Christopher Jamal Evans made me cackle.
Can’t wait for Hendrix’s book!!! 5⭐️

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for allowing me to read this book!