Reader Rayna

Title: This Could Be Us
Series: Skyland #2
Author: Kennedy Ryan
Publisher: Forever
Publish Date: March 5, 2024
Genre: Romance
Pages: 416
Format Read: Paperback

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?

I read this back in 2024, so the details won’t be totally there, however I definitely remember emotions and a few details about this second installment in the Skyland series, where we follow another woman in the friend group: Soledad.

She goes through a lot in this book as her husband ends up in an embezzlement scheme with his company and ends up with his assistant and getting her pregnant, while simultaneously leaving his wife and daughters. Meanwhile, Soledad has to pick up the pieces and figure out how to live life without him because she’s been a stay at home mom for a long time now, so she must find ways to make a living while also making sure her girls are okay and doing well.

Oh, and she ends up getting feelings for the guy who exposed her husband’s embezzlement and upended her life. Whoops.

Minor spoilers ahead for some plot points, but nothing too egregious.

Honestly, I really enjoyed the dynamic between Soledad and Judah. Judah has autism, as does his sons – one higher on the spectrum than the other – and so seeing how he reacts and talks to Soledad in certain situations was refreshing from a lot of male protagonists I’ve read from. The way Kennedy Ryan writes her characters makes them feel real, 3D, as if they live and breathe in our world. They have their own problems, histories, loves, losses, and more.

So reading about someone like Judah, who was married but is now divorced and raising their sons together with his ex-wife as friends since they’re better friends than partners? That’s not something you see every day in romance.

And then there’s Soledad, who’s trying to figure out how to keep her head above the proverbial water and decides to go for online influencing her cooking recipes thanks to the encouragement of her friends and daughters, and the business takes off!

The girlhood and friendship in this book is just as good as in the first, if not better. You really get to see how much these women mean to each other and how they’re there for each other and have each other’s backs. It’s such a heartwarming thing to see. They’re willing to listen to one another, to give advice, to be real with each other and not hold back when needed. I think it was a sign of true friendship in this story, for sure.

The romance between them was full of chemistry. As Judah has autism, he’s a bit focused and intense in his passion and attention, which Soledad honestly needs and craves considering her ex situation. Soledad gives in easily to her desires, but she doesn’t let her heart feel what it wants until she’s ready to stand on her own two legs, which I commend her on. She wants to work on herself and become the best version of herself before letting someone else into her heart again, which is an incredible thing to do.

I love reading these stories about these late 30s-early 40s women. They feel so grounded, yet they’re going through such real circumstances that it’s easy to feel for them. I felt myself feeling for Soledad and Judah, and I’m so glad to have read this story.

As these are interconnected standalones, you don’t necessarily have to read them in order, however you’ll get more context as to who everyone is if you do. I highly recommend this one if you’ve read Before I Let Go and want more from the Skyland series and Kennedy Ryan!

4.5 stars