This Could Be Us
Ratings4
Average rating4.3
15
Ratings4
Average rating4.3
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?
Featured Series
1 primary bookSkyland is a 1-book series first released in 2024 with contributions by Kennedy Ryan.
Reviews with the most likes.
3.5 - You will not be disappointed by the plot and these characters. Soledad and Judah's relationship was full of chemistry, yearning, and very steamy scenes. I thought the portrayal and discussions about autism were handled very well. Of course, I love that Soledad is a fellow Puerto Rican; nothing regarding that raised any red flags of inaccuracy or making her simply a stereotype. So on that front, it has my stamp of approval.
However, because of Soledad's healing journey and influencer vibe, the book's tone ended up resembling a self-help book. The phrases used messaging felt, at times, trite. I did listen to this in audiobook form, so the voice acting could've influenced my perception of the writing's tone. At the end of the day, my experience with this book was filled with many high highs and some moments that made me roll my eyes.
Nonetheless, if any more books come out in this series, I will still borrow them from the library!
Before I let Go Was my favorite romance published in 2022, it was also the first book I read by Kennedy Ryan. To say I was impressed with her it would be an understatement, she wrote everything I was missing in the genre: a story about about real life, family, healing, forgiveness and second chances. A story of adults that think about their life, the decisions they make, and the consequences that those decisions have for them and others.
In summary, I became a fan of Kennedy Ryan, and when I saw This Could be Us was being published, I couldn't pass on the opportunity to read it. Particularly, being Soledad's story, a character that I already admired from the first book.
What a wonderful story this was! It's again very raw, feels very real, and it's filled with important messages we tend to forget: how we can always start again, how we should value ourselves and be confident, and most importantly, how we need to learn and be comfortable alone, finding our own balance, prior to sharing a life with others.
I loved both characters, admired their strength and how they valued and prioritized their families. I'm also more than half in love with Judah!
I would like to thank Little, Brown Book Group UK, Piatkus and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review
