This Could Be Us

This Could Be Us is an adult romance novel published by American author Kennedy Ryan in 2024. The book was an instant New York Times and USA Today bestseller. Second in the Skyland series, the novel follows Atlanta stay-at-home mom Soledad. When her cheating husband goes to prison for a white-collar crime, Soledad is left to rebuild a new life around her three daughters. Though she feels the powerful attraction between her and accountant, Judah, the man who discovered her husband’s crime, Soledad decides that before she enters another relationship, she needs to learn to understand, rely on, and love herself. The book probes themes of female empowerment, friendship, sisterhood, navigating multi-ethnic identities, and romantic passion in the modern digital world. In this, the novel fits well with Ryan’s previous work, which doesn’t shy away from painful or sensitive topics.

This guide refers to the first hardcover edition published by Forever in 2024.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide mention racism and colorism.

Plot Summary

The novel has two protagonists, Judah Cross and Soledad Charles Barnes, who take turns narrating chapters in first person. In the Prologue, Judah and his ex-wife, Tremaine, work out custody of their twin sons, Adam and Aaron, both of whom have autism. Judah and his ex-wife remain good friends, but they didn’t have a passionate love.

Three years later, Soledad is getting dressed to attend a Christmas party with her husband, Edward Barnes. Edward, who is cruel and dismissive of her needs and feelings, has changed. He has been muttering the name of his assistant, Amber, in his sleep. Edward insists that he’s stressed because Judah, the new accountant at work, has been putting pressure on him. At the Christmas party, Soledad meets Judah and finds him extremely attractive.

Shortly thereafter, while the Barneses are having dinner, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) shows up at their door to arrest Edward, who is accused of embezzling $6 million from his company, CalPot. Judah, a forensic accountant, is the one who discovered the theft. Soledad is stunned to learn that not only did Edward embezzle from his company, but he was also sleeping with Amber. In a rage, she destroys Edward’s possessions and finds a flash drive listing the numbers of the secret accounts where Edward hid the stolen money. She gives the flash drive to Judah and vows to divorce Edward. Soledad feels intensely attracted to Judah but decides that she needs to rebuild her life and learn to stand on her own two feet.

Part 2 of the novel takes place eight months later. Soledad and her friend Hendrix discuss building Soledad’s brand as a social media influencer. She’s struggling to make ends meet but is getting her food business off the ground. When Judah buys one of her focaccia baskets and she delivers it, Soledad is struck anew by the powerful attraction between them. The pull increases when Judah comes to a dinner she hosts at the Skyland Harvest Festival. However, Soledad’s daughter Inez thinks that Judah betrayed their family, and Soledad is committed to a self-partnering journey, which includes making over Edward’s “man cave” into her “she shed” and taking herself out for dinner, alone, on what would have been their anniversary. Judah wants to support Soledad, so he hires Soledad to cater the company Christmas party. He doesn’t want to interfere with her process of self-discovery, but when she’s ready for a relationship, he’ll be waiting.

Soledad builds confidence, draws strength from her friends and family, and spends time alone in conversation with her heart. At the Christmas party, when Judah and Soledad share their first kiss, Soledad is conflicted since she’s still committed to self-partnering. However, when she makes pasteles for friends for Christmas, Soledad delivers a box to Judah. They eat together and then touch, reaching a new level of intimacy. Soledad is thrilled by the pleasure she feels with Judah but is firm about her boundaries. On New Year’s Day, Soledad takes her daughters to visit Edward in prison and learns that he’s had a son with Amber. Hurt, she goes to Judah for consolation, and they have sex.

Judah and Soledad begin seeing each other. Those around them can see how happy they are together, but Soledad’s daughters, especially Inez, are upset to see her moving on. Judah wants a life with Soledad but breaks things off because she isn’t ready. He will wait until she is. When Soledad visits her childhood home with her sisters, she finds her mother Catelaya’s old journal. She realizes that loving herself is foundational to loving other people. When Adam has a seizure at school, Soledad runs to the hospital to lend her emotional support to Judah. She confesses to Judah that she loves him and wants a life with him, no matter what.

Soledad welcomes Judah, his sons, Tremaine, and Tremaine’s new husband to her home. She watches their kids play together and then takes a ride with Judah on the motorcycle that he restored. Soledad is ready to have him at her side.

The Epilogue skips forward a year. Judah and Soledad vacation in Morocco while she helps advertise a luxury spa. Edward, Amber, and their son have left the US, so Soledad feels free. Her life is rich with the love of her ancestors, family, and friends, including the unconditional love she has learned to grant to herself.