In the summer of 2024, I read and loved Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan. This romance was so angsty and emotional and I knew straight away I really wanted to read the rest of the books set in this “Skyland” series. As I read that book in Dutch, I would have loved to read the others in the same language. Unfortunately for me, it’s nearly the end of 2025 and no translation for This Could Be Us is announced yet. I therefore switched to English, because I couldn’t hold it off any longer. This is the second book in the aforementioned series, but can be read as a stand alone. As the characters from Before I Let Go reappear, I wouldn’t recommend to do this though.

About the book

This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan
Series: Skyland #2
Published by Forever on March 5, 2024
Pages: 416
ISBN: 9781538706824
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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? 

My review

Expectations

As I really enjoyed the emotional ride the previous book in this series was, I expected more of the same this time around. We’ve already met our main character Soledad and her struggles after all. What I’ve gathered from the previous book is that Ryan doesn’t shy away from difficult yet powerful themes which provides depth to both characters and plot. I was hoping to encounter this once again. In fact, I was yearning for it as I had no such luck with my previous reads. I was seeking a contemporary novel with more deeper layers honestly. I am rglad to report that this book delivered.

Characters

Like many books within this genre, there is a multiple POV narration. In this case this means we follow both Soledad and Judah. We get to know them equally well, even though we follow Soledad for the majority of the story. However, these characters both have their individual backstory, and Ryan takes the time to depict these. Because of their individual stories, both characters show significant growth and therefore complement each other. Although they are in denial at first – and logically so given everything one of them has gone through –, but they really need one another to pull off this development. The chemistry is palpable, which makes this romance only feel more natural and believable.

Writing

Once again, Ryan’s writing is smooth. This definitely fits within the genre as romances don’t have to be too difficult. In fact, the writing often is what makes those books the perfect palate cleanser. The chapters are of average length, but a lot is happening. The POV switches are indicated well, it’s really clear from whose POV we’re reading as they are indicated with the character names. If I only had a bit more time, I would have finished the book quicker than I did right now.

Plot

What most draws me into romance novels is the actual story being character driven. This is no different here. There is a plot, but this one is inferior to the characters and their growth. The themes this plot provides are the pillars for this growth which has been done well. Some of the explored themes are finding your own identity and self-love. After Soledad finds out her marriage is in shambles, she has to do everything in her power to maintain a life for herself and her three daughters. Keeping a roof over their heads is important and at first, she has no idea how to achieve this. Once the story unfolds, Soledad finds a way to figure things out and to find her own identity in the meantime. For years, she did everything her husband wanted her to, which made this relationship pretty toxic in hindsight. Soledad therefore lost the idea of who she was as an individual, and this story is about reclaiming her power. Another key theme is living with autism. I can’t judge the representation, but the author explains she uses her own experiences for this book as well as extended research. For me, this subject has been handled with care, but other reviewers might think differently.

Final thoughts

As I was still in my reading slump, I needed a palate cleanser. Romance books usually do the trick for me, and This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan was indeed what I needed. I flew through this novel as quickly as possible. I was captivated from start to finish and I wanted to keep reading to find out how things would go for our main characters Soledad and Judah. The dual POV narrative once again works very well, and the characters show a significant amount of growth. The plot is inferior to them, which makes this book character driven. As it should be in romance, because the characters and their growth are more important than the storyline itself. Ryan explores several themes which might make the book feel heavy. However, this is not true as there is lots of room for hope and brighter moments, merely due to the main characters, as well as the secondary ones. Now I’m really curious for the third book in this “Skyland” series, as this is Hendrix’ story. We have seen her in the first books, but I’m sure she has a backstory of her own.