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bookfulthoughts's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
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
4.75
✨Inspirational and full of love✨🩵
“When are we ever done working on ourselves? I believe wholeness is not a destination, but a lifetime process. Something that instead of waiting for, you could be living for.”
I loved Soledad and Judah’s story! This book had me through the wringer with emotions. I was all over the place at the beginning of the book I got whiplash! The plot with Edward and Soledad had me sitting on the edge of my seat! It grounded me to my spot and I was flying through pages. The complexity of all of the characters and their families ran DEEP in this book. I have so much appreciation for the way Ms. Kennedy can write well-rounded characters. Soledad’s journey of self-love was a beautiful thing to read about. The way she was expressing her wants and concerns and proactively making choices to move in the direction of growth was admirable. Her fealty to her family and determination to hustle and make things happen had me cheering on from the sidelines. This book wasn’t just about the typical romance between partners; it was about the love and affection one can have with themselves. The ever-lasting love you cherish with your tribe of friends.
Judah is a beautiful soul who cherished people whom he held dear, who loved hard and unconditionally, and who feels with every fiber of his being unwavering. The relationship shown with his sons was so breathtakingly beautiful. I’m so happy that Soledad got someone like Judah and vice versa. The only reason I took off points was for the plain fact that I wanted to see the aftermath of Edward leaving prison. The mess of it all was just so good in the beginning that I just wanted a juicy ending as well. I’m not going to lie I did feel slightly disappointed for this reason. I believe that would put this book on top. I loved it either way and I can’t WAIT for Hendrix's book 🩵.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Abandonment, Body shaming, Cancer, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual content, and Grief
Minor: Death, Stalking, Ableism, Domestic abuse, and Racism
allysonw_'s review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I adored This Could Be Us! It was a great follow-up to Before I Let Go (although I liked that novel a teensy bit more). I love how Kennedy Ryan writes complex love stories that are rooted in community. Resiliency seemed to be a major theme of this book, and Soledad is probably one of the most resilient characters I've come across. I appreciate how Ryan showed that Soledad went through the stages of grief in the lead-up to her divorce (it's f*** Edward over here!!) and didn't shy away from the sadness and anger that comes with betrayal. Also, the representation in this book in terms of race, blended families, and autism was done very well. You can tell Ryan took her time creating these characters and her stories. Another big plus for me was of course, Judah. I LOVE how Ryan writes Black men. She never portrays them as being one thing, which I feel a lot of writers are susceptible to doing. Judah's tender love for his sons Aaron and Adam was so refreshing to read and the respect he had for his ex-wife and their approach to co-parenting made me treasure this book even more. Like I said, I may like Before I Let Go a smidge more but This Could Be Us is an absolute gem I'll be sure to recommend to others.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Emotional abuse
caitmayi's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer
mrsmishler's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, and Cancer
spellbindingtomes's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Death of parent, Grief, Infidelity, Cancer, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Abandonment and Dementia
lovelymisanthrope's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
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? Yes
5.0
This was one of my most anticipated releases for this year, and I have been so excited to pick this one up.
"This Could Be Us" follows Soledad as she tries to redefine her life following the several infidelities committed by her husband. Soledad has always planned her life perfectly, but her carefully crafted world is threatened when she discovers that her selfish husband has embezzled his company out of millions of dollars. Left with only two options, she has to decide if she should crumble or take the reins back in her life and rebuild her world into something even better than before.
Soledad is such a strong protagonist and I loved reading from her perspective. She could have so easily crumbled, and I think most people would have entirely understood given the situation her husband put her in. But Soledad was determined to finally take her life back and she worked endlessly to provide for her three daughters. I also loved seeing her realize that she had been dimming her spark for her husband for years, and that she is just as worthy as her husband.
Soledad's husband was a piece of garbage and I hated every word that came out of his mouth. I wanted to dive into this book and ring his neck on behalf of Soledad. He got everything that was coming to him, and I was happy with the ultimate resolution arrived at for his character.
Judah, Soledad's new love interest and the man responsible for sending Soledad's ex-husband away, was the picturesque man. He has twin boys who are autistic, and he has never batted an eye at rearranging his life for them or his ex-wife. Although things did not work out for him and his ex, he has nothing but adoration for her as a mother and person. He acknowledges that they were not soulmates, but they can be good friends. I think this is such a healthy and mature approach to divorce, and it is a great example of human behavior that I hope to see represented more in the future.
Judah, even when they were not speaking, was always supporting Soledad as best as he could. He allowed her to come to him and he never pressured or guilted her into being anyone other than herself.
Soledad and Judah together were magic. They really balanced each other out, and their story felt so relatable and believable. Despite initial attraction, they did not cheat, and they did not pursue a relationship until Soledad's divorce was 100% finalized AND they both felt like it was the right thing for their kids as well.
This story was beautiful, and I already wish I could reread it without knowing the story. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a hard-hitting romance, and I cannot wait to pick up more from Kennedy Ryan.
"This Could Be Us" follows Soledad as she tries to redefine her life following the several infidelities committed by her husband. Soledad has always planned her life perfectly, but her carefully crafted world is threatened when she discovers that her selfish husband has embezzled his company out of millions of dollars. Left with only two options, she has to decide if she should crumble or take the reins back in her life and rebuild her world into something even better than before.
Soledad is such a strong protagonist and I loved reading from her perspective. She could have so easily crumbled, and I think most people would have entirely understood given the situation her husband put her in. But Soledad was determined to finally take her life back and she worked endlessly to provide for her three daughters. I also loved seeing her realize that she had been dimming her spark for her husband for years, and that she is just as worthy as her husband.
Soledad's husband was a piece of garbage and I hated every word that came out of his mouth. I wanted to dive into this book and ring his neck on behalf of Soledad. He got everything that was coming to him, and I was happy with the ultimate resolution arrived at for his character.
Judah, Soledad's new love interest and the man responsible for sending Soledad's ex-husband away, was the picturesque man. He has twin boys who are autistic, and he has never batted an eye at rearranging his life for them or his ex-wife. Although things did not work out for him and his ex, he has nothing but adoration for her as a mother and person. He acknowledges that they were not soulmates, but they can be good friends. I think this is such a healthy and mature approach to divorce, and it is a great example of human behavior that I hope to see represented more in the future.
Judah, even when they were not speaking, was always supporting Soledad as best as he could. He allowed her to come to him and he never pressured or guilted her into being anyone other than herself.
Soledad and Judah together were magic. They really balanced each other out, and their story felt so relatable and believable. Despite initial attraction, they did not cheat, and they did not pursue a relationship until Soledad's divorce was 100% finalized AND they both felt like it was the right thing for their kids as well.
This story was beautiful, and I already wish I could reread it without knowing the story. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a hard-hitting romance, and I cannot wait to pick up more from Kennedy Ryan.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
kerosenelit's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
tense
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
4.0
"When you hurt the way we women sometimes have to, when you lose so much, when the world ends over and over and over again, we are no longer butterflies. Those wings are much too fragile to carry us on and through. I'm a hornet. I can love. And I can sting."
What a beautiful story for Soledad. I loved her spirit in Before I Let Go and seriously could not wait for her to rid herself from that toxic husband. The way this book made me hate him even more. Oof. Good riddance.
I was glued to the messy drama in this one! The perseverance from Soledad after the utter turmoil her husband leaves her with was so admirable. This woman was STRONG. This definitely focuses on Soledad rediscovering herself as a now single, working mom—and I found some aspects a little slow in the middle—but the achy, delicate, forbidden(ish) romance she finds in Judah was such a treat.
Judah, a single parent himself to two autistic boys, couldn't have been more perfect for Soledad. I loved the way he allowed Soledad to set the pace of their blooming relationship, especially when it was so apparent how absolutely mad he was for her.
And once again, the friendship between Yasmen, Soledad, and Hendrix makes me so happy. I always look forward to their banter. Hendrix in particular makes me laugh like no other, and I can't wait to see how her future story will play out!
(heat level: a few open-door scenes, explicit details)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Infidelity
Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent, and Grief
shanaetheflyest's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
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? Yes
4.75
In This Could Be Us (TCBU), book 2 of Kennedy Ryan’s “Skyland Series,” we meet Soledad Barnes, super mom from Before I Let Go (BILG) book 1 of the series.
In TCBU, Soledad goes through a phenomenal change to become a true powerhouse.
Where BILG, is about trusting a past version of yourself to prepare you for your future, TCBU is about creating a new version of yourself to move beyond past versions of yourself and trusting that new version to carry you into your future.
At the heart of it all, TCBU has two great love stories: the FMC’s love of herself and the blossoming relationship between the FMC and MMC.
Diverse and beautifully written, This Could Be Us is hopeful and inspiring and challenging. Kennedy Ryan has done it again.
In TCBU, Soledad goes through a phenomenal change to become a true powerhouse.
Where BILG, is about trusting a past version of yourself to prepare you for your future, TCBU is about creating a new version of yourself to move beyond past versions of yourself and trusting that new version to carry you into your future.
At the heart of it all, TCBU has two great love stories: the FMC’s love of herself and the blossoming relationship between the FMC and MMC.
Diverse and beautifully written, This Could Be Us is hopeful and inspiring and challenging. Kennedy Ryan has done it again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Cursing, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Cancer, Confinement, Medical content, Racism, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Infidelity, and Injury/Injury detail
adri_enne's review
emotional
funny
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Infidelity
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Body shaming, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy
Absolutely loved this book!! It really stresses the importance of having self love, forgiving yourself, and putting yourself first especially when life throws you curveballs. A must read ladies!!womanwill's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
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? Yes
4.5
Another stunning Black romance from Kennedy Ryan with a saga of self-discovery and growth for the woman main character built in.
Soledad's life is left spinning after the FBI arrests her husband for financial crimes right as she discovers her husband's infidelity. She is left raising their 3 daughters in a very expensive neighborhood in Atlanta with no job and frozen bank accounts. Soon she is developing her career as an influencer, leveraging her lifelong talents of building community, making people feel heard, and kitchen and household hacks. She is dating herself.
...And also avoiding a strong pull to Judah, the forensic accountant at her ex's workplace who discovered his financial crimes.
Read if you love:
- women rising from the ashes of a toxic relationship and getting a second chance at true love
- Black romance w/Afro Puerto Rican rep
- relationships where both have kids from previous relationships
- a glance at healthy coparenting (Judah and his ex)
- Autism rep of multiple types
- A bad ass female friend group that cheers Sol on
- women rising from the ashes of a toxic relationship and getting a second chance at true love
- Black romance w/Afro Puerto Rican rep
- relationships where both have kids from previous relationships
- a glance at healthy coparenting (Judah and his ex)
- Autism rep of multiple types
- A bad ass female friend group that cheers Sol on
I can't wait to see what Ms. Kennedy has in store for Hendrix next!
Thanks to Read Forever and Netgalley for the e-ARC. All thoughts my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Confinement