This Could Be Us
by Kennedy Ryan
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?
- Spice
- 4/5
- Burn
- Slow
- Pages
- ~526
- Ending
- HEA
HEA means happily ever after: they end up together, for good.
How spicy is This Could Be Us?
This Could Be Us is a 4 out of 5 on our spice scale: spicy (explicit). Explicit, detailed scenes and several of them. The famous "perfect 4": real plot, real smut. Slow build: spice arrives late.
- Steam: Explicit open door
- Burn: Slow burn
- When: Slow build: spice arrives late
- Pairing: One man, one woman
- POV: Dual POV (both leads)
- Ending: Happily ever after
Content warnings
Some readers like to go in blind, so these stay hidden until you tap.
Show 2 content warnings
- Serious or terminal illness
- Death of a loved one
Our editorial notes, which may be incomplete. If something is a hard limit for you, check the author's own content notes too.
What readers say
Loading reader votes…
Read it? How spicy was it?
Tap a level to vote. Tap it again to take your vote back.
Spot a content warning we missed?
Tick anything the book has. Once a few readers report the same thing, it is added to this book's content warnings (still behind a tap) and to the hard-no filters.
Reader reviews
- Loading reviews…
Reviews and votes are from readers, not us. Community rules.
Tropes & tags
Heroine
Representation
Love interest
Subgenre
Your next read
If you liked This Could Be Us
More by Kennedy Ryan
This Could Be Us: quick answers
How spicy is This Could Be Us?
This Could Be Us is a 4 out of 5 on our spice scale: spicy (explicit). Explicit, detailed scenes and several of them. The famous "perfect 4": real plot, real smut. Slow build: spice arrives late.
Is This Could Be Us a standalone?
No. This Could Be Us is book 2 of 3 in Skyland. Start with Before I Let Go. The series is complete.
What tropes are in This Could Be Us?
This Could Be Us features single parent, heroine 30+, bipoc main character, forbidden love, cinnamon roll hero. It is a slow burn M/F romance that ends with a happily ever after.
Does This Could Be Us have content warnings?
Our notes for This Could Be Us include: serious or terminal illness, death of a loved one. This list may not be complete; check the author's own content notes if anything is a hard limit for you.
What should I read after This Could Be Us?
If you loved This Could Be Us, try Flow by Kennedy Ryan, The Perfect Find by Tia Williams, Misconduct by Penelope Douglas. They share its single parent and heroine 30+ energy at a similar spice level.