Kennedy Ryan returns in full force with This Could Be Us.

When Soledad is betrayed by her husband she has to figure out how to support her family and trust herself. Luckily, she has a team of amazing friends to support her on her journey of renewal and self love. Lingering in the not-so-background is Judah Cross, the man who helped uncover her husband's betrayal. How can she learn to be independent while also letting love back into her life?

This romance encompasses several different types of love. Soledad's journey of self love, friendships, and family bonds take the priority in the first half of this book as the romantic love sits on the back burner. Don't get me wrong because while it's back there it is simmering.

I absolutely love how Kennedy Ryan writes her characters. She gives them such great thought and dimension. Most of all I love how she writes books about people and friends who are compassionate and support one another. I love how Soledad interacts with her daughters and her friends. Equally, Judah has an amazing relationship with not only his sons but his ex wife and her new husband.

Romance wise Ms. Ryan will get your heart pounding with the literal touch of a cheek or hand hold. How does she do it?! While this book was more about Soledad rebuilding her life, the few spicy scenes were on fire.

This book has everything. It is everything. I loved it!

I love that I could see into her mindset and read exactly what she was feeling when she thought out situations. Her thoughts flowed well and moved the book along very quickly. Cassandra's narrative voice is wonderful. She is serious at times, but also very witty, which makes for an engaging read.

“I fall in love with myself and I want someone to share it with me”

If I could give this 10 stars I would. Omg!!! Kennedy Ryan has really done it again. The way Kennedy Ryan writes you really see how much research, love and care she puts into the topics and characters she writes about.

I was so emotional reading Before I Let Go. So I felt like it was going to be expected and I feel like nothing could’ve prepared me for all they ways This Could Be Us made me feel. Let’s start with how amazingly it was written. I didn’t expect Soldead’s story to resonate with me so much. But I’m glad it did because it gave me so much perspective and it was so inspiring. Like one of those things where a message you needed to receive at the exact time you needed to receive it.

And Judah…what a man!!! Kennedy Ryan knows how to write a male character!! My God today!!! Very smart and super Fine!!! Yes please that will do it every single time!!! It was so heartwarming the kind of man and father Judah was. The patience that man had lord have mercy. The super healthy functional blended families. It was everything to read and see that representation.

Thank you Grand Central Publishing, NetGalley for this eARC.

Thank you so much NET GALLEY for letting me experience such a heart warming love story. Real love comes with heart break and healing. I appreciate Soledad for giving her self time to heal and being honest with herself, I also appreciate Judah for giving her that space and showing up for her!


This friend group is amazing 😻

4.75 / 5

Let me start by saying: As a Black woman, I love Kennedy Ryan's writing and her portrayal of Black folks is both refreshing and inspiring. She masterfully shatters the shackles of stereotypes, painting a vivid canvas where Black women and men are depicted with the full spectrum of human experience. They are highly educated, drive luxury cars, reside in affluent neighborhoods, and are GREAT parents, but also very much BLACK. Her narrative is an affirmation that we, as Black people, are not a monolith and so much more than the narrow confines of stereotypes. (I also giggle that Soledad's husband, the sole* white man in Skyland so far, is the one doing crime...)

Now about the book: LOVED, LOVED, LOVED IT. The -.25 stars is because I, personally, was uncomfortable with just how fast Judah was head over heels for Soledad, but I get when you know you know?

This Could Be Us is so much more than a romance novel. It's a love letter to anyone going through IT (which could literally be anything) and needs affirmation that it's okay to start over and trust yourself.

And while I know this is Soledad's story, this book reaffirms that Hendrix is a girl after my heart, and it's still true after finishing This Could Be Us.

This Could Be Us -- Book 2 of the Skyland series -- is perfection.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read an free, early copy in exchange for my honest, spoiler free review!!
••••
Judah & Soledad took hold of my heart from page one and never let go. As with any Kennedy Ryan book, there is so much to delve into. This woman puts your body, mind, and spirit through the WRINGER, but trust me it’s worth it.
••••
There is so much love & care within this book, not only for the cultural representation & more difficult subjects, but with the overall themes of self-love. I felt so connected to Soledad in her journey of self-discovering who she was outside of being a wife and a mother. While I’m not personally a mom, I definitely understand how it can be difficult to grasp the person behind that role. I love my mom so much & as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned a lot about who she is as a person, who she is outside of being my mom. This book highlights so much of a woman’s strength, power, love, and determination. I love that so much.
••••
I also loved the family aspects, for both Soledad and Judah. I was rooting for these families THE WHOLE WAY! And speaking of, Judah. That man is everything. A quiet support, a man who not only listens, but ACTS! The way he steps up as a father and has unconditional love anyone he cares for. A REAL MAN!!! I loved seeing his journey of parenthood as well, especially with his partner dynamic & caring for his boys. It was an emotional journey to say the least, but I so appreciated Kennedy including the ins and outs of their days. I’m not very familiar with Autism, but I am VERY familiar with having to receive help day in and day out & maybe not progressing the way society deems “normal. This really shed light for me on the parent-side of facing a disability though. Definitely got to me 😭
••••
Life is unpredictable and messy, but I loved this book for showing the love through all the chaos. I adored being back in this world & seeing my favorite girl group back together as well!!!!
••••
Thank you so much, AGAIN, to Kennedy for not only writing such an unforgettable novel, but letting me read early! I can’t wait for y’all to experience this beauty next year! Preorder & reread Before I Let Go, FOR SURE! I can’t wait to see where this series goes next 🥹🫶🏻

Kennedy Ryan is masterful in her writing. Every new book that comes on to the scene has me even more obsessed as a reader. I must say This Could Be Us was the rollercoaster ride I needed. A great follow up to Before I Let Go as well. I will be sitting patiently for the next book that comes in the next couple of years because there’s no way I will ever stop reading when Kennedy Ryan is the author.

Delicately Presented

Everything about this story was absolutely enthralling! Having read Before I Let Go, I knew Edward was mistrustful. His little insults about Soledad's talents told me a lot about him.

“You accept a man shitting on you,” she used to say, “he’ll make himself at home. There’s no three strikes. You use me , take me for granted, you prove you don’t deserve to be in my life.”

Having grief enter our lives, has often made one re-evaluate self. The treasure of captured memories that put things in perspective right when we need them, is like the discovery of a precious stone. Having Mami's voice in her ear, were my favorite parts of this story. That overflow of wisdom, even from the grave, was so magical.

“Just thought you should know,” I hiss into his ear. “Found out the problem wasn’t that my pussy was loose. I just needed a bigger dick.”

It's the audacity of trash to try and play in your face, fa me! It was this moment I was screaming praises of gratification for Soledad! Such a proud moment! Girl Power! She took back soooo much of her power in this moment and snatched a little bit of his! Lol

There is so much to say about how engrossing this read was. The relationships Soledad had with her daughters, sisters, best friends, and Mami, were empowering in the most crucial moments of her struggle. But Judah Cross... whewww...

“But it sounds to me like the universe delivered exactly the right one—someone who has seen the whole of your journey, watched you grow, understands your fears, your reservations, your boundaries, and accepts them all.”

That man was definitely all that! He too had me delighted in his relationships, especially with Tremaine & his boys. But the recognition & acceptance of himself within his boys, was truly like the missing puzzle piece. A man of few words, but huge impact, especially in the bed! Talk about "Layin IT down!" Yassss!

Truly worth the wait! Highly Recommended by BSB!

When I saw that This Could Be Us was a "read now" on Netgalley, I *raced* back to my computer to download. No chances taken of a book by Queen Kennedy passing me by!

I absolutely devoured the first half of this book. I was buddy reading it with friends and they commented on the speed at which I was reading. Could not put it down... unfortunately, I could not say that about the second half of the book.

Spoilers ahead
What I loved:
- the autism rep was so well done. In the author's note, Ryan stated that she was concerned to include that aspect of the story. I felt that it was handled beautifully.
- Soledad's character growth, the fact that she picked herself up and dusted Edward off in the process. There are a lot of wives who would fear the consequences of leaving the trifling, felon of a husband if they were reliant on him financially, and that wasn't Sol.
- The social media storyline.
- The drama and tension in the first half of the story.

What didn't work for me:
- The prologue confused me. If this hadn't been the second book in a standalone series, I might not have been as confused, but I was expecting the story to start with a character I recognized, not one that I didn't know.
- The second half of the story felt like it was written by a different author. It didn't hold the same magic that I found in Before I Let Go and the first half of This Could Be Us. There were so many elements included in the story (Edward's wrong-doings, Sol as a mother, Sol as a content creator, Judah and Tremaine's relationship, Sol's friendship with Yas and Hen, etc) that it felt disjointed at times. The plot didn't move as quickly as I would have liked, as a result. It seems that it might have been possible to weave all of those elements into the story seamlessly, but that just didn't happen.
- Some of the dialogue felt awkward to me. There were instances where the dialogue was used to tell us about events that I would have preferred to have seen rather than have the characters tell me in conversation... and honestly, it made the conversations feel a bit awkward.
- There was no real conflict in the second half of the story. Everything that could have blown up into a temporary hurricane felt more like a passing shower. The conflict with Inez, Edward getting out of jail, the brief break-up, Adam's seizure, etc. At least one of those events could have created more tension, but they all just kind of blew past us for the sake of a focus on other, lesser storylines.

While this book ended up mostly being a miss for me, I still plan to continue with the series.

This could be us by Kennedy Ryan will be a top 5 read for 2024!!!!
This was suck a beautiful story about family, building healthy relationships with yourself, love after betrayal. I absolutely love that it brings awareness to blended families and the struggles that come along with it. It’s open, it’s raw, it’s real

Thank you NetGalley for the copy 🤎

Kennedy Ryan does it again! Loved soledad’s story. Was soo much more than just a romance between two people. But was more about self love, healing, and navigating through grief, autism awareness & the healthy example of co parenting. Thank you Kennedy Ryan & NetGalley for giving us this arc!🤎

Stunning. Everything about this is just beautiful. I love this series and all the emotions I felt while reading. Pure Joy for the main characters and writing style. This is another superb romance from Kennedy Ryan. Highly recommend this whole series . I even reread book one, it brings me such joy.

This book was beautifully written and a story that touches on so many different family dynamics. Family, friends, love, and trust are areas of our life that we have to work through and the way Kennedy does it in this book takes you on a journey where you can totally relate. Looking forward to reading even more of her work.

This is a slowwwww burn for sure. I did not enjoy it as much as I did Before I let Go. However, I enjoyed the character of Judah so much. He was my favorite thing about this book. The whole content creator storyline I didn’t enjoy. I think I would have appreciated it more if Sol worked a 9-5 and went to school to better herself. Blowing up in a year on social media is not realistic Imo. Sure it happens but to how many people? I would like to think if someone and is a bind and needs to provide for themselves and their children they would go get a job. If that was the case it would’ve made Sol a lot more relatable in my eyes.

This was a great read and I could relate to Soledad wanting to reinvent herself and put herself first in her life. Love the autistic representation. Her second chance at love.

Real people with real problems. Not a typical love story … but a love story none the less.

Sol and Judah come together under difficult circumstances but they were able to learn about each other’s strengths while working on their lives separately.

Not an easy road for the couple but adversely kept them on their toes and let them build their relationship on their own terms.

Kennedy Ryan writes characters that are multifaceted and they feel like you get to know them with so many details that she provides.

This was an amazing addition to the Skyland series and I can’t wait to learn more when we see some insights with Hen.

After reading, This Could Be Us, I find myself amazed at Kennedy Ryan's talent and ability.
My heart was taken on another heart wrenching journey through Soledad's life. I truly rooted for her from beginning to end.
Highly recommend, So I give this gem of a story 5 stars!

its ram and i just finished this masterpiece of a book This Could be Us. Whew the author wrote words which made me feel so many emotions and want to focus on falling in love with myself. So many amazing quotes, so many amazing characters and so many life lessons learned . The hero was incredible and the biggest green flag ive ever read about.Let me find my Judah Cross! This book was right on time. Wow! Great book.

Loved loved LOVED Soledads story. Was absolutely chefs kiss! As always Kennedy Ryan did not disappoint.

Amazing!!!! Mrs Kennedy Ryan, never missesss!! Top 5 of one my favorite books by Mrs Ryan! Beautifully written!

-Iesha Shraye