Reviews with content warning for Physical abuse - This Could Be Us

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This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan

9 reviews

shannahtan's review

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hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book heavily centers friendship like the first one, which I absolutely love.

Soledad leans on Yasmen and Hendrix when her husband 🚮, Edward, gets arrested for embezzlement. Hendrix even gives her $10,000 to help pay for Sol’s kids’ tuitions. She also is supported by her two sisters, Lola and Nayeli. They’re not in the same state and busy with their life things (moving to Austin to start a bookstore; 6 kids). Lola comes to visit and meets Hendrix, which is also a beautiful scene.

I only recently learned what a cinnamon roll hero is, and I’m pretty sure Judah Cross is that. The most supportive dad to Aaron and Adam who are autistic.

He falls first & is absolutely in love with Sol. He supports her “dating herself” goal.

Plenty of spicy scenes.

There were definitely cheesy parts. I didn’t drop a star because I think it’s fair to wax poetic when

you were married, your partner embezzled from their company without you knowing, they also cheated on you, had a baby with that person, and went to prison.

To find love and to trust someone after that is a big thing.

She also had to start her own business as a content creator to support her 3 children.

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lauraelovesbooks's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Another fantastic read from Kennedy Ryan. Her beautiful writing and emotional stories are next level. I devoured this book and it left me in awe.

I initially planned to mention how it compares (to me) to Before I Let Go but I would rather look at this book as a continuation of that story than a standalone sequel (but don’t worry, it could for sure be read as a standalone, though I wouldn’t recommend it). I am so invested in the Skyland universe and can feel the connection between all the characters. This book felt like revisiting old friends while making new ones at the same time

I was really invested in the plot of this book (I went it knowing as little as possible and highly recommend people do the same). I loved Soledad’s journey to regain herself and loved her connection with Judah.

I cannot wait to read more from this series

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sdupont's review against another edition

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emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Kennedy Ryan can do no wrong! If you are looking for a complex, emotional, sexy romance then she is the author for you. This Could Be Us delivers exactly that. I loved being able to Soledad find herself and rebuild a life on her own terms. Her dynamic with Yasmen and Hendrix is such a beautiful display of supportive female friendship. Now for Judah- get you a man who is an excellent father and will support you even if it puts his desires on hold. Judah has is bad for Soledad from the start, it was great seeing them get to know another and have their relationship evolve. My only gripe is that this book is a big of slow start for the romantic plot. We do not see them together for a good portion of the book. I wish it was paced up a little so we could sit in their beautiful little love bubble. Aside from that I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. I am very excited for Hendrix’s story next year.

*I received the ARC for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

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vjzacharias's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I was slightly hesitant to read this book after having my heart ripped out and put back together by Before I Let Go. Adult relationships are scary and sometimes it’s hard to separate the book from what could happen in your own life.

Soledad is a strong, intelligent woman who is at home raising her three daughters. Her marriage is stale and she has suspicions that her husband isn’t being truthful with her. When their world blows up, Soledad rises to the challenge of keeping her family together.

Judah is THE man. He supports his ex-wife and co-parents their autistic twins flawlessly. He is an absolute dream. He is the quiet, smart guy who everyone underestimates.

Soledad’s ex is a bottom of the barrel human. We hate him and she deserves better. I love that she didn’t just fall into the arms of someone else. She builds up her life and takes care of herself first. Her friends and sisters are there to encourage her and help her when she’s confused.

I’m so excited to stick with this world.

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jennireadsmaybe's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

Kennedy Ryan, first and foremost, is THE powerhouse author of this generation!! There isn't a single book I've read from her that I haven't loved with my whole being. This Could Be Us is certainly no exception.

Soledad's story proves that coming of age happens all throughout our lives. It's a love letter to women falling in love with themselves. It's a becoming. Soledad is an example of just how powerful Kennedy Ryan's FMCs are. I love her so much.

JUDAH MF CROSS!!!! This man. This FREAKING man. He loved Soledad so deeply, so clearly, so wholeheartedly, so completely, so any way he could. From the start, he met Soledad where she was and wanted her to become who she wanted to be. I just don't think there is a fictional man that could possibly be as in love as he was.

Let it also be known that This Could Be Us has so many love stories. The love of a mother for her daughters, a sister for her sisters, a friend for her friends, a daughter for her mother, a woman for herself. There are so many versions of love that we weaved into this story. Every page is brimming with love.

The various representation throughout the novel was handled with such care. You can see just how dedicated Kennedy Ryan is to having accurate representation, even if representation can't be summed up by just one or two individuals.

Everyone should read this. Full stop.

Content Warnings

takarakei's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Going into this knowing nothing, but having read the first book in the series, I was quite surprised by the first part of the book being our MC Soledad dealing with a very dramatic ending to her marriage. The author makes you immediately dislike her husband and you're not at all sad with what happens to him. This is a big deal because it's a life-altering event for Soledad and their 3 kids, and she is left to pick up the pieces of their life. There is great emphasis on Soledad's relationships with both her best friends (cameo of Yasmen from book 1!) and her sisters who really hold her down. This was super relatable to read about the close bonds of women.

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.

Soledad spends most of the book then reforming her new life and working on deprogramming the BS her ex said to her. There were some beautiful quotes and I really enjoyed reading about the self-discovery journey Soledad goes on to find her true self. I already had 'all about love' by bell hooks on my TBR for this month and this book made me even more excited to read it! It's definitely Soledad's book, she has most of the pov chapters, but we do get some from the perspective of Judah...

& Judah is a dream of a partner, really the epitome of a supportive man who has no ego, and just wants the best for Soledad. This is a fairly slow burn (not the slowest I've ever read, but def slower than most romances I read) which I honestly appreciate! He's a divorced dad with two autistic sons (he is friends with his ex and they have split custody). The author notes that she has an autistic child and did lots of research on the many varied experience of people with autism, and their families. I think there's a lot of care given to this subject.

I think my only qualm with this book is while I understand why there's so much focus at the beginning on Soledad's ex - I wish there was slightly less, and that might have allowed for a bit snappier pace.

Thank you to netgalley and Forever books for this ARC!

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bookishmillennial's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial

"Knowing how to be solitary is central to the art of loving. When we can be alone, we can be with others without using them as a means of escape." - bell hooks, All about Love: New Visions

Kennedy Ryan simply gets better and better with each book she writes. Soledad's coming-of-age story with a subplot of romance was absolute perfection. I savored every single word KR wrote, and I will be buying a physical copy ASAP so I can re-read, annotate, and highlight absolutely everything. This was one of my favorite reads this year, and I can say with absolute confidence that the KR hype is *real* and well-deserved.

I loved so much about this and to avoid writing an entire essay, I will try to succinctly sum it up in long-winded bullet points lmao:

the nods to TikTok / Instagram influencer culture - I think this book is for the BookTok/bookstagram honeys who have been hyping up KR forever lol
the care and love that went into illustrating an authentic representation of two beautiful autistic young Black men! Judah's boys, Aaron and Adam, were so sweet, smart, and precious!
Soledad's grief over losing her mom to cancer, and how All About Love by bell hooks operated as a way to work through that grief, as well as the grief of her old life and her marriage
Soledad's struggle as a newly single parent, while carefully towing the line between turning her daughters (Lupe - the eldest, probably around 16 who looks most like her white dad; Inez - middle child, who has the hardest time with recognizing that her dad and only her dad is responsible for how he got in trouble with the law; and Lottie - who I believe is ~12 years old) fully against their father who stole a fuckton of money, and helping them maintain a relationship with him in their new reality of being divorced and while he is incarcerated
The sisterhood among Soledad, Yasmen, and Hendrix: We saw a glimpse of it in Before I Let Go, and we get even more in this book. These women foster brave spaces for each other, they invite dialogue in, and they root for each other HARD! These types of friendships are invaluable.
Hendrix gets her own bullet point because she is so fucking funny: "Girl, no one could blame you under those circumstances...Of course you went to him with legs wide open." I AM DONE WITH HER HAHAHAHAHAH
Soledad's biological sisters make their mark too! I loved getting to know Lola (who is moving to TX to open a bookstore with her best friend turned possibly sapphic lover? Sign me up for that book!) and Nayeli
"My friends, my sisters, my daughters. My great loves." - The way that different kinds of love was showcased in this novel and they all shined so brightly on their own and were all equally valid and valuable! Friendship, sisterhood, motherhood, daughter-hood (is this a word?), self-love, romantic partners! It all is so beautiful and an absolute privilege. I loved the homage and tribute to all kinds of love in this novel.
Judah's curiosity around his own possible autism
Judah and his ex Tremaine's healthy co-parenting relationship and genuine friendship: I need more representation like this. How refreshing to see!
Judah's integrity and honor: he reminded me of Ned Stark (like NS dies because he's so dumb and cannot play the game for shit, my goddd) HAHAHA but better and smarter, because he would not lie or steal or do anything against his morals. I loved how strongly this man stood in his convictions!
Judah's support for and dedication to waiting for Soledad to be ready for romance again
kids, stop reading here! NIPPLE ORGASMS MY GAWWWWWWD!! KR knows how to get you hot & bothered! Steam was a 3 or 4/5 - it's a slow burn, but once it gets hot, it gets oh so steamy & delectable whewwwww!

Overall, Kennedy Ryan's writing and the characters she brings to life are an absolute gift. Her writing flows seamlessly, her characters' inner monologue is so tender and vulnerable, and the arcs simply have me in tears.

I am forever seated when she writes something new, and I will read her work until I leave earth.

Content Warnings

amichelle515's review

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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michelle_my_belle's review

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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