Review: This Could Be Us | Kennedy Ryan

This Could Be Us

by Kennedy Ryan

Series: Skyland #2

Pub: March 5, 2024

Genre(s): contemporary romance, women's fiction, adult fiction, African American romance

4.5 stars

GOODREADS

Soledad Barnes has her life all planned out. Because, of course, she does. She plans everything. She designs everything. She fixes everything. She’s a domestic goddess who's never met a party she couldn't host or a charge she couldn't lead. The one with all the answers and the perfect vinaigrette for that summer salad. But none of her varied talents can save her when catastrophe strikes, and the life she built with the man who was supposed to be her forever, goes poof in a cloud of betrayal and disillusion.

But there is no time to pout or sulk, or even grieve the life she lost. She's too busy keeping a roof over her daughters' heads and food on the table. And in the process of saving them all, Soledad rediscovers herself. From the ashes of a life burned to the ground, something bold and new can rise.

But then an unlikely man enters the picture—the forbidden one, the one she shouldn't want but can't seem to resist. She's lost it all before and refuses to repeat her mistakes. Can she trust him? Can she trust herself?

After all she's lost . . .and found . . .can she be brave enough to make room for what could be?

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Every time I have a new Kennedy Ryan book in my hands, I know I’m about to experience something special. This Could Be Us delivered the same powerful reading experience that I have come to expect.

 

From outward appearances, Soledad Barnes has it all. The home in a desirable Atlanta neighborhood, the successful husband, the flourishing kids – until it crumbled in spectacular fashion. The life she envisioned is gone, destroyed by betrayal and greed. Suddenly scrambling to support herself and her three children on her own, Soledad relies on her domestic goddess skills and her own ingenuity and parlays that into an exciting new career. An unexpected development in the new life she was crafting was a burgeoning relationship with Judah Cross, the man who exposed her husband’s crimes. Filled with uncertainty about exploring a relationship with Judah, Soledad chooses to focus on herself. Self-reflection and self-discovery become the keys to unlocking a life she never imagined.

 

There was so much to love in This Could Be Us. Soledad had an incredible support system in friends Yasmen and Hendrix. These were truly ride-or-die friendships. Soledad’s journey was a lesson in self-reliance and resilience, the power of knowing your own worth and using your voice. I was in awe of Sol’s strength as she rebuilt her life, providing emotional support to her daughters, and prioritized her own healing and growth. My only quibble was that I didn’t understand Soledad’s insistence that she would not marry again. Yes, her husband proved himself to be truly unworthy, but the way she was so adamantly opposed to marriage puzzled me.

 

And then there was Judah. What a man. (Feel free to insert Salt-N-Pepa’s “Whatta Man” lyrics here.) If you love a pining hero, Judah is your guy. He had it bad for Soledad and I ate it up. He was also an amazing father to his twin autistic sons and he and his ex-wife should be in the Co-Parenting Hall of Fame. His devotion to his sons was obvious in every interaction. He was also sensitive, intelligent, and so smitten with Sol. He paid attention to every aspect, every detail, of her life and was willing to give her the space she needed, while also ensuring she was very aware that he wanted more.

 

Kennedy Ryan is an incredibly gifted storyteller. Whatever external factors occur in her stories, the focus is always on the characters and their journeys. I listened to this on audio and the narration by Inés del Castillo and Jakobi Diem breathed life into Soledad and Judah. I loved this powerful story of self-discovery and second chances.

Have you read This Could Be Us?