Kennedy Ryan writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction that highlights the experiences of diverse characters and explores controversial social issues. Her books have been widely praised for addressing raw emotion, taking on uncomfortable realities, and creating socially conscious love stories.

After training in journalism, Ryan began self-publishing romance novels. Her Bennetts series came out in 2014. Subsequent series include Soul, the Grip trilogy, Hoops, All the King’s Men, and Hollywood Renaissance. The Skyland series, which includes This Could Be Us, has a third novel projected for 2025. Ryan was the first Black author to receive the prestigious RITA award from the Romance Writers of America, winning in the contemporary category in 2019 for her novel Long Shot. In her acceptance speech, Ryan acknowledged the many romance writers of color who inspired her and stated that having an author of color win a RITA was long overdue.

Ryan’s novels gained increasing recognition for her willingness to tackle subjects that have typically fallen outside the romance sphere. For example, The Kingmaker features an Indigenous climate change activist who challenges, and falls in love with, the heir to an oil conglomerate. Long Shot tackles domestic abuse by professional athletes, and the Grip series confronts racism and bias against interracial marriages.