Member Reviews
WOW. Kennedy Ryan never disappoints!! The women in her stories are always so inspiring to me and the story doesn’t focus on just romance. What a beautiful story! I will be recommending this to everyone I ever come across!
This book has amazing representation of Austism in a way that is empowering. There is a lot of real life aspects to Kennedy Ryan’s stories that make her stories so endearing.
Thank you the arc of an ebook of This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan from Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing). I could not put this book down. It is a fast, engaging read. Basically, Soledad’s husband, Edward, is a liar and a thief and a terrible husband. When he goes away, Soledad’s two close friends jump in to help out and get Soledad on her feet and to help her three daughters’ lives stay as stable as possible. In walks Judah who helped put Edward away and he is patient and wants to help Soledad be least effected by what Edward did. Besides being an interesting book, two things really stood out. Judah has Autistic twin boys and him and his ex-wife do everything to treat them as everyone else, while also teaching us how that share ways they cope with the children and how the father shares a lot of the same. Judah makes you realize we are all a little on the spectrum and we need to be more patient and thoughtful to others because you never know what they are going through or how they are feeling.
I also really enjoyed learning about some Puerto Rican traditions.
Ryan Kennedy is a must read author for me and I can’t wait for her next book in this series. This is a second in a series’s but, can definitely be read solo.
Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the honor of receiving this ARC because WOW! I had read Before I Let Go a few months ago and loved it but This Could Be Us was even better. A heartfelt story about the true resilience of women. After experiencing some of the biggest betrayals at the hands of her husband, Soledad relearns to love herself and trust her instincts while eventually discovering she isn't weak by allowing another love into her life.
Personally I did expect more romance in this book but it still blew me away. Despite the romance being a much smaller plot point, it was still so believable and swoon-worthy and passionate. Judah is a fantastic book boyfriend. The way he is with his family?? Peak.
Kennedy Ryan, thank you for not only writing a gorgeous romance but for writing a fantastic story of women's strength. 2023 was the year of the Barbie movie and 2024 is the year of This Could Be Us. All the stars!
Please check CW and TW before reading. I’ve been patiently waiting this one and the wait was worth every minute. The way Kennedy Ryan gives us characters that are so relatable to the point you feel seen. Soledad wow the way she took a horrible situation and turned it into an opportunity was amazing. The way you see her support system was heartwarming. Judah oh my Judah the way Kennedy Ryan wrote this man mmmm truly swoon worthy.
And she does it again folks. I knew after reading Before I let Go that Kennedy Ryan set the bar high for herself and she has once again proved to be the queen of character development. She has this way of drawing you in and making you fully understand exactly how each character feels. This book was heartbreaking and beautiful, it was raw and real. Watching Sol rebuild her life from the ground up through self-love after a horrific marriage was simply incredible. As a mom, watching Sol find herself again as more than just a wife and mother was so relatable. A story full of layers and real life experiences. Such an incredible book!!!
This book was impossible to put down! The drama, romance, and steamy scenes were a perfect balance. I’m so excited for the world to experience this story.
I have read literally every Kennedy Ryan title and loved every single one of them. Every time I jump in to a new one, I almost wonder if my expectations are too high. And every time she proves me wrong. Ms. Ryan is one of the finest writers of our time. Her characters feel so real. Their emotions are so tangible. Their friendships and relationships are #goals. Nothing feels contrived or unrealistic. To me, that is Romance (capital R) at its best. When the story is so seamless, you're never taken out of it and back into reality thinking, "Oh yeah, I'm reading a book." This Could Be Us is absolutely no exception. There's so much nuance to timing in this story and what's "acceptable" after divorce. Writing divorce storylines are never easy, and yet, Ms. Ryan handles it all so beautifully. Five stars. Highly recommend.
What an excellent read. Sometimes, it's hard to top the first book in a series, but Kennedy Ryan didn't disappoint with this one. I generally don't tear up when I read a book or watch a movie, but she got me with some of the scenes in the book. Some scenes were so moving and tender that I felt myself tearing up. Will definitely recommend to those in my book clubs!
I love Kennedy Ryan books, and was so happy to see this one available as a 'read now.'
Soledad likes to plan everything out, from her life and down to the parties that she hosts. She is someone that likes to take charge. She doesn't take into equation losing her man because she has to take care of her kids . She is a strong, independent woman, and I love to see characters written and well developed from that view point.
This is a romance book where the lead falls for the forbidden man that she isn't supposed to have. She just isn't sure of she can trust him or herself. When you work so hard, you don't want to make a mistake with the wrong person. You will not be disappointed!
Thank you to #netgalley for this #arc
This could be us encompasses Soledad and Judah’s story but also so much more. There’s representation and in the midst of a budding love story comes self love, scary new beginnings, selflessness, community, and honestly I could go on and on. First, I absolutely adored the scenes with the kids of this book. Even though the story was about Sol and Judah, the story features autism representation with the twins- Aaron and Adam. The love Judah not only holds for Soledad, but for his boys was a big highlight in this book to me. Second, the format of this story was so well done. Id say the romance is definitely a slow burn but the tension builds up so much, it had my heart racing. A good half of the story is Soledad’s journey alone and finding herself outside of partnership and marriage. Judah’s thoughts behind letting her experience this self partnership while still wanting her…was so nice to read. The amount of detail and respect he paid to her healing and incorporating just the little things were everything. This book was just so well written. I want to talk about every part of it ,but I also want everyone to go into this story reading it the same why I did.
This book was so beautifully written. Miss Ryan you are amazing! This book was so relatable. If you’ve ever been betrayed by someone you love and felt like your whole life was falling apart and had to start over, this book is for you. If you ever stayed in a relationship or situation too long out of fear of starting over then this book is for you. If you’ve been hurt to the point that you’ve given up on love then this book is for you. Or if you’re just a sucker for a good romance with a little drama then add this to your 2024 TBR because this book is definitely for you! It’s just what I needed to kick start the new year 🙏🏽
I love the slow burn. I love the chemistry. I love the self-partnering. I love the autism rep. I love the friendships. I love the love. I love it all!
Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the ARC.
Just finished this one! Thoughts coming later! But I can already tell you that I loved it!!
Acabei de terminar esse livro, mas preciso de um tempo pra digerir! Porém, eu já posso dizer que eu amei esse livro!
Big and bold and fearless--I loved this book's treatment of marriage, of building family and community, of loving oneself before loving anyone else fully and safely. Another brilliant entry into the Kennedy Ryan canon.
This Could Be Us is my first read of 2024!
This book follows Soledad a mother and wife whose life is thrown off course by a deep betrayal. This betrayal changes everything, pushing Soledad to understand her family, friendships, and herself differently as she works to fix the pieces that were broken.
One of the things, I love about Kennedy Ryan’s work is that it deals with real world issues but perfectly interweaves them with strings of hope and love. Which she definitely puts in this book.
I did think this book would be a tear jerker as I’ve read books by Kennedy, such as Reel that had me tearing up for hours, but that wasn’t the case with This Could Be Us. If you are someone who wants something impactful but not too much angst and little to no tears(depending on your emotional limits), this would probably be a great book to start with if you are looking to get into Kennedy Ryan’s work.
I’m scared to write too much as I would hate to spoil anything. So here are my final comments:
Kennedy can do no wrong when it comes to writing love interests.
Soledad is a beautiful example of the duality of what a woman can be like, in my opinion.
This is my 5th Kennedy Ryan book and after finishing this one I immediately put another series of hers on my TBR.
"This Could Be Us" is the second in the Skyland series. Book 1 touched on Yasmen's story, while this one follows Soledad. You don't have to read the first one, but I feel like you'll appreciate the bond between the three friends all the more if you have already read book 1. I already can't wait for Hendrix's story!
This quote perfectly illustrates the core theme of friendship in this book (and the series as a whole): "There aren't enough sonnets for friendship. Not enough songs for the kind of love not born of blood or body but of time and care. They are the ones we choose to laugh and cry and live with. When lovers come and go, they are the ones who remain. We are each other's constants."
Ryan's writing is always SO good, and this story does not disappoint. I don't want to spoil too much of what Soledad goes through, but I will say that if you love books about women's empowerment (and also revenge) then you will really enjoy this one. My recommendation is to pair this book with bell hook's "All About Love" (you'll get why when you read it) and some Puerto Rican takeout.
Here are a few more things I appreciated about this book:
- This book made me think differently about homemaking as a vocation and all the skill and hard work it takes to create a beautiful home and then share those skills with others.
- This story features autism representation, as Soledad's love interest is co-parenting two boys with autism.
- I love that Ryan bookended the novel with some of the recipes from the story, as well as discussion questions.
Lastly, some trigger warnings to be aware of:
- cheating partner & emotional abuse
- cancer
- racist grandparent
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for sending me an e-arc of this book! Can't wait to get a copy when it comes out.
I loved this book from start to finish. I was waiting for the next install to before I left go. I loved soledads triumph. I can’t lie at the end of the last book I kind of was against her. She seemed to be ok with what her husband was doing to her, however she played no games and reinvented herself quickly. I love her and judahs love story. The exact same way I loved Josiah and Yasmeen. I love how Kennedy Ryan shows love in unconventional ways. I’m excited but also sad because I know with the next installment oh Hendrix, this may be the last. It will be bitter sweet. But books I will reread over and over again.
I absolutely loved this book
I liked that the romance was kind of slow burn
I like that, the chapters went back-and-forth and perspectives
I don’t understand how every book Kennedy writes is better than the last! All of her books are fantastic but this one? PHENOMENAL! It is an ode to self: care, discipline, determination, and rediscovery!