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Cover of This Could Be Us. Pink background, flowers on the bottom of the cover and going up the right side, into the hair and body of a black woman, who is looking over her shoulder. Cover of This Could Be Us. Pink background, flowers on the bottom of the cover and going up the right side, into the hair and body of a black woman, who is looking over her shoulder. Cover of This Could Be Us. Pink background, flowers on the bottom of the cover and going up the right side, into the hair and body of a black woman, who is looking over her shoulder. Cover of This Could Be Us. Pink background, flowers on the bottom of the cover and going up the right side, into the hair and body of a black woman, who is looking over her shoulder. Cover of This Could Be Us. Pink background, flowers on the bottom of the cover and going up the right side, into the hair and body of a black woman, who is looking over her shoulder. Cover of This Could Be Us. Pink background, flowers on the bottom of the cover and going up the right side, into the hair and body of a black woman, who is looking over her shoulder. Cover of This Could Be Us. Pink background, flowers on the bottom of the cover and going up the right side, into the hair and body of a black woman, who is looking over her shoulder.

This Could Be Us

Written by alamancelibraries on . Posted in Book Reviews.

Cover of This Could Be Us. Pink background, flowers on the bottom of the cover and going up the right side, into the hair and body of a black woman, who is looking over her shoulder.

This could be us. Ryan, Kennedy. New York: Forever, 2024.

In true Kennedy Ryan fashion, This Could Be Us is a beautiful romance novel about self-love and self-discovery for fans of Ryan’s other book Before I Let Go.

This Could Be Us follows the life of Soledad Barnes, a scrupulous planner, do it all yourselfer, stay at home mom, and wife. Her picture-perfect life starts to unravel when a knock at her door leaves the world she came to know with her husband Edward crashing down around her. Yet, there is no time to grieve, forced to quickly pivot to create a new reality for her and her three daughters. Amidst the struggle, she rediscovers her identity while grappling with the possibility of a new love.

Judah, the perplexing other main character, provides a captivating look into parenting two young children that are on the autism spectrum. It sheds some light on challenges that most people may not have thought about. The story mainly follows Soledad’s journey of healing through self-love while the romance between her and Judah is an incredibly slow burn. Without any spoilers, I can tell you the fire never runs out.  The big question is can she trust herself to make the right decision when it comes to loving someone again? She’s lost it all before and refuses to make the same mistake twice.

The author skillfully merges the first book to the sequel by expounding on the friendship between Soledad, Yasmen, and Hendrix. Highlighting the importance of maintaining adult friendships even as people grow busy, have romantic relationships, and deal with family issues. At times the story was intense, spicy, funny, and heartwarming. There were so many great life lessons to learn in this novel. Ryan definitely knows how to keep the readers on their toes. This is a great novel for readers who enjoy multilayered romantic fiction with elements of drama and inspiration.

Chantell Huell is a Circulation Assistant at North Park Library. She can be reached at Chuell@alamancelibraries.org.