Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Ryan returns with a raw and moving second installment of the Skyland series (after Before I Let Go). Stay-at-home mom Soledad Barnes prides herself on caring for her husband, Edward, and their three daughters--but her well-ordered world turns upside down when Edward is arrested for embezzlement and, while he's in jail, Soledad learns of his infidelity. With her children depending on her, Soledad is determined not to fall apart. Instead, she must find a way to turn her life around with the help of supportive female friends and bell hooks's All About Love. Forensic accountant Judah Cross is the man who uncovered Edward's crimes, putting him and Soledad at odds. Nevertheless, the pair cannot deny the powerful attraction simmering between them. Kennedy makes the chemistry palpable and showcases the unexpected similarities between her worthy protagonists by emphasizing their mutual devotion to their families; Judah is a single father to autistic twin sons. Soledad and Judah's ensuing forbidden romance doubles as a journey of self-discovery for them both. Readers will be most gratified to see Soledad figure out how to turn her long-unpaid domestic labor into a lucrative business by selling her baked goods and starting a farm-to-table pop-up experience. This sexy and mature romance is another hit for Ryan. Agent: Kim Lionetti, BookEnds. (Mar.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
When Soledad Barnes discovers that her husband, Edward, has betrayed not only her (by having an affair with his much younger assistant) but also their family (by embezzling millions of dollars from his employer), she turns to an unlikely ally. Forensic accountant Judah Cross has been captivated by the brilliant and beautiful Soledad since running into her at a corporate event, but he's appalled when he discovers she was married to the man whose crimes he exposed. Edward's incarceration upends the lives of Soledad and her daughters, even as Judah tried to protect them. Using the homemaking skills learned from her Puerto Rican mother, Soledad reinvents herself as an influencer and is comfortably "dating herself." She can't fathom pursuing her growing feelings for Judah, especially since her daughters see him as the man who put their beloved father away, but she can't ignore his persistent and delicious attention either. VERDICT The second in Ryan's "Skyland" series, after LJ Best Book Before I Let Go, is a gripping story recommended for readers who enjoy especially angsty and emotional romances like those of Colleen Hoover.--Elizabeth Gabriel
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A woman has to pick up the pieces after her husband's betrayal. Soledad Barnes met her husband, Edward, when they were both students at Cornell. Sixteen years into their marriage, Edward is a successful executive, Soledad is a homemaker, and they live in a beautiful Atlanta house with their three daughters. Soledad senses something is wrong with her marriage, but she's unprepared for the devastating truth: Edward embezzled millions of dollars from his company and he's having an affair with the assistant who helped him. Edward refuses to take the blame for his own behavior, blaming Judah Cross, the forensic accountant who discovered and reported his crime. Soledad's choices are limited, so she divorces Edward in order to save her home and protect her girls. With the support of her best friends and her sisters, Soledad slowly begins to rebuild her life financially and emotionally. She works as an influencer, sharing the recipes and household tips she developed over the years as a stay-at-home mother. The propulsive opening highlights Soledad's transition from a wife worried about her marriage to a mother with a steely determination to keep her family together. Judah, who has been divorced for four years and shares custody of his autistic twin sons with his wife in an amiable, healthy co-parenting arrangement, is romantically interested in Soledad, but she asks for time to work on herself. Blandly likable Judah is the opposite of the cartoonishly evil Edward in every way--caring, financially stable, and a devoted father. Ryan excels in creating angsty, even melodramatic stories, and this novel is no exception. However, the book's focus waffles between Soledad's healing journey and her blossoming romance with Judah, which fragments and dissipates the energy of the plot. This portrait of a woman in crisis is stuck between romance and mainstream fiction. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
