📚 This Could Be Us
✍ Kennedy Ryan
📖 Fiction/Romance
⭐4.5
🌶️ 🌶️🌶️.5
➡ When her picture perfect suburban life is uprooted by the ultimate betrayal, Soledad Barnes must find her way back to herself while supporting her three daughters. Only once she fulfills her self-love journey can she learn to let love in again.
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🙏 Thank you to @NetGalley and @readforeverpub for the advanced copy of This Could Be Us. All opinions are my own.
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🎯 What I loved: This wasn't a traditional romance. So much of it was about Soledad learning to love herself so that she could put herself back out there and honestly, after reading This Could Be Us, I question why more romances don't harp on the importance of self-love before loving someone else. Soledad's journey was raw and relatable and emotional and Ryan's prose were poignant and propulsive. The first half of the book read like a dramatic fiction and then transitioned into the romance. This book gave voice to so many underrepresented groups in romance in a way that was both truthful and hopeful.

🙅‍♀️ What I didn't: There were a few parts of This Could Be Us that felt a bit more drawn out than they needed to be but honestly, this book was beautifully written and is an important read for so many reasons.
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Read if you love:
*love after a broken heart
*self discovery and self-love
*finding love in the midst of parenthood
*parent(s) of Neurdivergent children representation
*discussion of interracial marriages + Black love
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See also: Before I Let Go (book 1 in series), How Stella Got Her Groove Back, What's Mine and Yours

I could not engage in this book if I am being honest. I know this author is beloved in the bookish community, but I just couldn't connect to the internal voice of the main character.

What do you say when you loved a book, but don’t have the words to express how you feel and there are so many other terrific reviews?

Just:

READ IT! This one is awesome!!

I loved loved loved this book. Kennedy Ryan does it again with this series as she focuses on Soledad. I love that this romance book is not one dimensional and features the path to truly loving yourself. Judah…chef’s kiss. I can’t wait to read Hendrix’s story in the next book in this series.

Whew!! I can’t say enough positive things about this book & my love for this storyline.

Before I Let Go was an immediate favorite of mine, and this follow up story of This Could Be Us did not disappoint!

Soledad had such an amazing story, is so strong and was so relatable with her message of starting over, loving herself and recognizing when it is okay to love again.

The story was so relatable & such an easy read. I appreciate receiving this ARC. I am still looking forward to receiving my pre-ordered physical copy & audio version in March so I can read it again!

Great job Kennedy, you did it again!!

Kennedy can do no wrong when writing hard hitting, impactful romances with characters that feel real. I absolutely loved Before I Let Go and was so excited to see This Could Be Us was coming. This book made me feel all of the feelings!

Kennedy Ryan has truly done it again! I honestly don’t even know how to put into words how much I utterly enjoyed this book! This book truly has healing powers in it because I never felt more empowered after reading a fictional book the way I do now! The friendships, the romance, the self love journey, the betrayal, the forbidden romance, all of the above. It not only was enjoyable but it taught many lessons that I didn’t know I. Was going to gain by reading like the significance of using language of “an autistic person “ or a “person with autism.” Edward… Edward.. all I needed was one swing to his face but I digress because Judah was an absolute angel that deserves the world. The way him and Tremaine coparent brought tears to my eyes and he never caused not even a beige flag to be waived in my eyes. It was also great seeing Hendrix and Yasmen again from “Before I Let Go” Soledad truly deserves nothing but good in this world especially with everything she has to go through! I am truly thankful for NetGalley for allowing me to get an ARC for this book and I can’t WAIT to have my physical copy delivered in March from the Preorder!

I'm not sure that Kennedy Ryan can do any wrong for me . I've read a few books of hers and will continue to read from her until I am all caught up on every book she has published. This book did not disappoint in anyway. When you read one of Kennedy Ryans books you can see the love and the research she has put into the novel . She makes sure that the characters and story are as authentic as possible. I always close her books being appreciative of the communities/situations she is portraying in her stories.
This story is about Soledad Charles who is a SAHM to 3 daughters and is in a broken marriage. Soledad knows her marriage is not in a good place but she doesn't really think to much of it until one day she is forced to see that she has been living not knowing what is happening right under her nose. Soledad will have to choose her and her daughters over the chaos that has invaded her life. The question that I felt this book ask is , what does loving yourself look like ?
Soledad will find the strength in herself that she always knew was there, but now it is time to use that strength to regain her life and to possibly allow love in again.

This story is strong, beautiful, and sexy. You'll go through a roller coaster of emotions but in the end your heart and your face will be left smiling .

Thank you Netgalley and Forever Publishing for this early ARC. All opinions are honest and my own.

“If holding on to you is all it takes, then I’ll me fine.”
Kennedy Ryan has done again, I am confident when I say this will be my top read for 2024. Kennedy’s writing is truly a comfort to me and I can’t even wrap my mind around these characters not being real people. I felt so many things for Sol, Judah and the girls. The writing was so poetic. I can not wait to see what else she has up her sleeve!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kennedy Ryan does it again! I loved Sol's story even more than Yasmen's.

When Sol's husband gets in legal trouble, caught by his new coworker, Sol's life gets turned upside-down. With 3 girls to raise and her husband's income gone, Sol must figure it out all on her own. Using the support of her 2 sisters and 2 best friends (the female groups in this are the best!), she makes a path for herself. This becomes even more complicated when Judah, the accountant who uncovered her husband's wrongdoings, and her start to fall for each other.

I so appreciated how Kennedy incorporated many unique elements to her story- a beautifully coparented family with 2 Autistic teenagers. The complexity of her daughters having to cope with loving their father and understanding his mistakes. The legal drama undercurrent of this story was gripping! The spice is slowwww burn but so worth it! Can't wait to read Hendrix's story- to come in 2025!

This book was so well written with great detail. It is relatable to every day people and deeply explores various real life themes: autism, divorce, betrayal, trust, and pivoting from your life’s original plan. This storyline provokes sincere thought about how we might respond to certain situations in our own lives and certainly pushes you to reevaluate life and your own future.

Finding a book that speaks to your soul is rare. As a special education teacher, I am so moved, proud, and better educated because of this book. As a reader, this book has left a permanent print on my heart. The love between Soledad and Judah, the beautiful friendship between Soledad and her girls, the raw emotion and reactions of all the characters are all tied up together in this stunning book. I know a book is meaningful when I need to take breaks to sit with and process the storylines. Kennedy Ryan is a go to author for me to read and recommend. I think I know what I'll get, a well researched, fantastically crafted book, and I am STILL blown away every time.

Kennedy Ryan never disappoints. I loved how neurodivergence and sensitive the characters were. The late in life realization of realizing how you have learned to love or settle for that you thought you deserved. The win of choosing to leave and start over again and finding your strength. The masterpiece of being scared to love again. Also the coparenting aspect was top tier. Thank you Kennedy Ryan for this wonderful book.

This was an excellent follow up to Kennedy Ryan's first book in this series, and is making me look forward to book #3. This is Soledad's story. She's married with three daughters and is in a bit of a rut with her husband. But then her world completely explodes and everything she ever knew about the life she had created is changed forever. She is left to pick up the pieces and ensure her daughters are taken care of all while she learns to rebuild her life.

Soledad is all about self-partnering and learning to love herself and showing her girls a good role model. She builds a new career as a content creator, and she continues to demonstrate resilience as she's rebuilding her life, and providing for her daughters. And when she least anticipated it, a little romance enters her life. The romance comes from an unlikely character who also has an interesting backstory as a divorced father of two autistic boys who need significant attention and support. This book has plenty of steam, but most importantly, it is filled with self-discovery, self-worth, and strength. It shows the love parents have for their children and the sacrifices they make in their own lives to care for them.

I highly recommend reading this book and falling in love with the romance, the female friendships, the family bonds, and the positive message of self.

Thank you to Forever for the opportunity to read and review.

I enjoyed this book very much! The spice level was all the way there and had to clutch my pearls a couple of times This book reminded me of how a woman can overcome a lot from being lost in what she thought was forever. And forever can be buried and finds a new beginning. Self discovery, smiles and tears. This book felt close to home as she mentioned someone being diagnosed with Autism. Incorporating that made me feel more resonated with the book. Soledad is the woman who goes above and beyond for everybody and finally realizes she needs to do what’s best for Soledad. This books gives all the feels and can’t wait to read Hendrix Story in 2025!

I really liked this one. The main characters are not members of groups normally seen in romances, so I loved the different point of view. The inclusiveness added to the story in such a wonderful way. I will absolutely read more books by this author.

What’s not to love about this book? I loved the disability representation and the blended family representation. I loved Judah and how he gave Soledad what she needed while standing strong in what he wanted and needed as well. I loved Soledad’s journey to finding herself. I loved the references to bell hooks’ All About Love (which I’m now reading, thanks to This Could Be Us). It’s just a really beautiful and inspiring story about love but also more than that, and I can’t wait to read the physical copy in spring 2024!

Great follow up to Before I Let Go as we get to explore Sol’s story. Ryan repeatedly demonstrates that she truly understands what drives women in today’s society as they try to balance the roles of parter, mother, provider, friend, sister, daughter, caregiver etc. She takes her time developing the relationships between the characters that makes you want to turn the page. Their motivations and reservations are clear and she builds their passion while not ignoring the complex demands on their lives. And when the Sol and Judah finally partner, it’s explosive in all the right ways being overwhelmingly sensual without being smutty. I cannot wait to read Hendrix’s story next!!

Loved the first book so much. This one wasn't quite as special to me, but still really enjoyed! Ryan handles complex stories with depth and skill, and I think we will always be in good hands. Loved reading about Soledad's journey!

Wow! A wow factor indeed. This book is worth every bit of the hype. I totally had a DEAR moment, yes, a drop everything and read moment. It was totally worth it.

It is a story of love, loss, forgiveness, and bouncing back. A story with all the feels and an emotional journey of self-discovery and second chances.

I was here for it all. A page-turner that had me in a book hangover before I reached the end.

I had so many bookish moments while reading This Could Be Us.

It is totally one of my favorites of 2023, even though it officially releases in 2024.

Kennedy Ryan does it again with this beautiful story that is a whole experience.