This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan Summary

This Could Be Us follows Soledad Barnes, a Puerto Rican stay-at-home mom whose perfect life shatters when her husband Edward is arrested for embezzling $6 million and cheating with his assistant. Left to support three daughters alone, Soledad rebuilds her identity from scratch while navigating an intense attraction to Judah Cross, the forensic accountant who exposed her husband's crimes. This contemporary romance explores themes of self-discovery, resilience, and learning to trust again after devastating betrayal.

Kennedy Ryan is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author recognized by Entertainment Weekly as "one of the finest romance writers of our age". She made history as the first Black author to win the prestigious RITA Award in 2019 and the Audie Award for Romance in 2022. Ryan writes empowering contemporary romance and women's fiction centered on diverse women, with her Skyland series optioned by Universal Television for development at Peacock.

This Could Be Us is perfect for readers who enjoy emotionally complex contemporary romance with strong female protagonists. Fans of women's fiction exploring themes like single motherhood, self-reinvention after betrayal, and forbidden attraction will find this compelling. The novel particularly resonates with women navigating life transitions, those interested in stories about resilience and rediscovering personal identity, and readers who appreciate romance that tackles real-world challenges like financial devastation and rebuilding from the ground up.

Absolutely. This Could Be Us won Amazon's Best Romance Novel of the Year for 2024 and received the 2025 Audie Award for Best Romance Audiobook. The book earned a 4.41 Goodreads rating and was nominated for Goodreads Choice Award for Readers' Favorite Romance in 2024. Kennedy Ryan's signature blend of authentic emotional depth, compelling character development, and empowering storytelling makes this a standout in contemporary romance that delivers both the emotional journey and satisfying happily-ever-after readers expect.

While This Could Be Us is the second book in Kennedy Ryan's Skyland series, you'll recognize Soledad from Before I Let Go where she appears as a secondary character. However, each book focuses on a different protagonist with their own complete romantic arc, making This Could Be Us enjoyable as a standalone. Reading Before I Let Go first provides additional context about Soledad's background and the interconnected Skyland community, but it's not required to fully appreciate her transformative journey in This Could Be Us.

Soledad Barnes transforms from a domestic goddess with a planned-out life into a self-sufficient single mother after her husband's betrayal. Following Edward's arrest for embezzlement and infidelity, Soledad discovers a flash drive containing evidence of his stolen $6 million, which she gives to Judah Cross. Throughout the novel, Soledad focuses on keeping a roof over her daughters' heads while rediscovering her identity and learning to trust herself again. Her journey centers on self-partnering and learning to love herself fully before opening her heart to new possibilities.

Judah Cross is the forensic accountant protagonist who discovered Edward Barnes' $6 million embezzlement from CalPot, ultimately leading to Edward's arrest. A divorced father of twin sons with autism, Judah maintains a friendly relationship with his ex-wife Tremaine but never experienced passionate love in his previous marriage. When he meets Soledad at a Christmas party, their mutual attraction is immediate and intense. Judah represents the "forbidden one" Soledad shouldn't want but can't resist—the unlikely man who enters her life as she's rebuilding from the ashes.

This Could Be Us explores themes of resilience and self-discovery, showing how "from the ashes of a life burned to ground, something bold and new can rise". The novel addresses betrayal recovery, single motherhood, and the challenge of trusting yourself and others after devastating loss. Kennedy Ryan weaves in themes of self-partnering and learning to love yourself fully before inviting new love. Additional themes include forbidden attraction, the courage to embrace second chances, and empowering women to rebuild their lives on their own terms rather than depending on others.

This Could Be Us is the second book in Kennedy Ryan's Skyland series, following Before I Let Go and preceding Can't Get Enough, which releases May 13, 2025. Each book features a different protagonist with their own complete romantic storyline, making them function as standalones while maintaining interconnected characters and settings in the Skyland community. The entire Skyland series has been optioned by Universal Television and is currently in development at Peacock, with Kennedy Ryan serving as Executive Producer.

This Could Be Us won Amazon's Best Romance Novel of the Year for 2024, recognizing it as the top romance across all categories on the platform. The audiobook received the 2025 Audie Award for Best Romance Audiobook, making Kennedy Ryan a two-time Audie winner. The novel was also nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Readers' Favorite Romance in 2024. These accolades build on Ryan's historic achievements as the first Black author to win both the RITA Award and Audie Award in Romance categories.

Yes, This Could Be Us is part of Kennedy Ryan's Skyland series, which has been optioned by Universal Television and is currently in development at Peacock. Kennedy Ryan serves as Executive Producer on the adaptation, ensuring her authentic voice and vision translate to screen. This marks significant recognition for Ryan's work, as TIME previously listed the first Skyland book, Before I Let Go, among its Top 50 Romance Novels. The television development reflects the series' compelling storylines, diverse characters, and exploration of real-world issues that resonate with modern audiences.

While Before I Let Go focused on Yasmen and Josiah's second-chance romance, This Could Be Us centers on Soledad's journey from betrayal to self-discovery with a forbidden love interest. Both novels showcase Kennedy Ryan's signature approach of placing strong women at the center who face real-world challenges—financial devastation, relationship betrayals, and personal reinvention. This Could Be Us features Soledad, who appeared as a secondary character in Before I Let Go, now as the protagonist navigating single motherhood and her husband's imprisonment. Both books earned critical acclaim, with Before I Let Go making TIME's Top 50 Romance Novels list and This Could Be Us winning Amazon's 2024 Best Romance Novel.