We Could've Been: A Los Oceania Novelette

by Aubreé Pynn, The Editing Boutique (Editor)

Genres: Novella, African American Romance

61 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 21, 2026

Reviews

[Brittany]

Short and sweet. Aubree never disappoints. Kerys and Cyanna were destined for each other.

[Annette Williams]

Cyanna and Karys are a prime example of closed mouths don’t get fed. These two have been in love with each other since middle school but, for some unknown reason, they’ve never expressed how they felt for one another. Miscommunication, a backstabbin’ roommate, a jealous girlfriend, and a wedding the bride clearly doesn’t want to go through with keeps these unrequited friends apart. That is until Karys finally stops longing for his best friend from the sidelines and goes and gets his woman. Give me a novelette by Aubreé Pynn any day of the week. IMO, this is where she shines. These 60 pages or less novelettes never let me down and they always get the job done.

['The Book Queen']

So so freaking short and super cool.

[Melanated and Bookish]

Yessss

Just how I like it! Quick, to the point, and happy endings! This was a very good novelette! 10/10 I read it in one sitting!

[*Ebony I*]

More than Friends

3.5 stars
This was a fast paced friends to lovers romance. Karys and Cyanna had been friends most of their lives. Being young and scared to mess up the love they had they avoided their true feelings for each other.
Now through some drama and fate they have a chance to finally act on the love they feel for each other.

[Monique]

This was short but packed a punch. We got longing, some mess, and a sweet “it was always supposed to be you” ending that was completely satisfying.

I really liked the main characters and their dynamic. They both could have saved themselves some heartache if they spoke up, but fear of losing what was established kept them stuck. The side characters definitely had me shaking my head at their audacity, but overall this was a quick, enjoyable read that gave me exactly what I was looking for.

[TheTBRWhisperer]

the trigger warnings/author's note already told us not to expect a follow up.

Honestly, I see why it had to be said like that because they way she wrote this story- FLAWLESS.

Such a complete story but the way she wrote the chemistry of our main couple- she KNEW we would want more.

Absolutely loved everything about this novelette and highly recommend also long as the trigger warnings aren't an issue.

UGH- I loved this read!!!

[JazzReads]

This book was a nice little snack. I really enjoyed this novella because I needed something like this to get me out of my reading slump. Overall good book

[Courtney]

Very cute friends-to-lovers story!

[Ebony]

I enjoyed this! Short and sweet. Just enough to make you feel and fall in love with the characters.

[TheReaderVert]

Perfect if you like the friends-to-lovers trope

This novelette does deliver what the author promises with some, for me, coming up short moments. I'm not a huge fan of friends-to-lovers and every single reason for why that is is brought up in this book. That's not a knock on the author, that means she's leaning into the trope well, it's totally me response. The MMC in my opinion just didn't come hard enough in a lot of areas and situations. It definitely felt scared pushover energy because in true F2L fashion there's a lot of imaginary obstacles that caused a huge mess. The FMC is no different, she too was making bizarro moves that aligns with F2L but not for how I like things to be handled. The pacing is also slow in this romance. It takes a while for them to shake off the drama and then we quickly watch the pieces come together for them to clean up the mess but the fallout and then seeing them in a relationship is incredibly short. It left me feeling like something was missing.

[Simply_YoYo]

I love this cover!!

Friends-to-lovers will always have my heart, and Karys and Cyanna’s chemistry was undeniable from the very beginning.

Every interaction had me rooting for them, and for a novella, this story had depth into such a short read.

DaMari, Jackie and Yanieca 🤦🏽‍♀️🙈

And Karys- Whew. He said what he said!!

“F*ck that moral compass if it’s not pointing to me—to us, it doesn’t mean sh*t. I don’t care about the nigga you married. You were never his. You’ve always been MINE.”

Short, and full of chemistry 🥰🥰

[Tyler]

4.5⭐️
cyanna and karys were truly meant to be together.
“karys did you trap me?” “i didn’t trap you princess. i made up for lost time. i’ve masked this want to have you for a long time. i’m not waiting another year of our time. we built that house for us. for our family”

[clare]

cute, sweet, and straight to the point. second chance romance!

[🍬 ⋆ 🍡 🎀 𝒜𝓃𝑔𝑒𝓁𝒾𝒸𝒶 🎀 🍡 ⋆ 🍬]

A short novella but gave everything it was supposed to give!!!

[Lo Lane]

😍

Aubree, you’re foolish to think people aren’t going to ask you for more 🤣🤣🤣 Like, you coulda just wrote 20 more pages of a little more karma, a shower and a wedding? 🤭
Seriously, though! I never want your books to end and you always leave your readers wanting more. “Maybe for The Summer,” remains to be my favorite and my go to book. However, I am just as far filled with this book as I am every time I re read your longer books. How you manage to cram so much goodness and entertainment in your novelette as you do your novels says so much about you! Keep writing! It’s your calling! 🤗

[Treasure]

perfection

Overall Thoughts:

This is your next lunchtime read!
A straight-to-the-point, feel-good romance that keeps you invested from start to finish.

Book Overview:
Karys and Cyanna have been best friends for years, but deep down, they both know they’re meant to be more. Instead of acting on their feelings, they’ve spent their time keeping their distance, hoping those emotions would eventually fade.

Everything changes when Karys discovers that Cyanna’s marriage is falling apart and that her husband isn’t treating her the way she deserves. Realizing he’s wasted enough time, Karys decides he’s done standing on the sidelines. This time, he’s ready to fight for the woman he’s always believed was meant to be his.

If you love friends-to-lovers romance with plenty of heart and longing. Add this book to your TBR.

[Chl]

We Could’ve Been by Aubrée Pynn

This may be a novelette, but it didn’t feel lacking at all. Aubrée Pynn managed to tell a complete story while still making me care deeply about the characters, and that’s not easy to do in such a short amount of time. The chemistry between the characters was there from the start, and I loved how emotional their journey felt. Even with fewer pages, nothing felt rushed. Every interaction had a purpose, and I found myself completely invested in seeing where their story would end. One thing Aubrée continues to do well is write characters who feel real. They have flaws, emotions, and relationships that feel authentic, which made it easy to connect with them. Overall, this was an easy 5-star read for me. It was heartfelt, beautifully written, and proof that you don’t need hundreds of pages to tell a love story that leaves an impact. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a quick but meaningful romance.

[Shamell]

Short and sweet but full of everything. Now telling us not to ask for more is crazyyyyyyyy. Let me see that wedding, baby shower and a few more things lol jk jk. Cyanna and Karys have been tethered to one another for so long as bffs. I know we all were shouting at those pages like Karys just tell her right now!! But when the friendship is so strong and beautiful no one wants to face the possibility of losing it all.
Cyanna girllllllllll you had me stressed. Doing all that suffering… For what? Could they both have saved themselves some heartache? Yes. Should Karys have spoken up sooner? Yes…. But the beauty of destiny and the universe, is it will always align with the right person at the right time. The side characters were a mess and karma was served beautifully. I really enjoyed their chemistry and dynamics but I loved that “it was always supposed to be you” energy!!!

[Brittany-Monique]

I loved everything about this! We Could’ve Been was short, sweet, and dramatic without doing entirely too much. I genuinely wish it had been longer—but yes, I KNOW it’s a novelette, and the author clearly stated that she wasn’t giving us a full-length version because of Rules 2 and 3. I understand…but I’m still going to be a little salty about it.

Cyanna and Karys always belonged together, and I loved watching their story unfold. Damari managed to be trifling AF in just a few short pages. Marrying that girl while knowing he was cheating was such a ridiculous waste of everybody’s time. And Yaneica and Jackie? A pair of pick-me birds chirping loudly over a man who was never worth all that foolishness.

This was a quick, entertaining read that gave me romance, mess, and just enough drama to keep things interesting. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from this author!

[Stefanie Watkins]

Even with all the warnings...

Honey… even with EVERY warning she gave me… even KNOWING this was a short story… even SEEING the number of pages… I still finished it like, “WAIT A MINUTE! I NEED MORE!” 😂

Aubree wrote this story with such finesse. Yes, it was short. Yes, it was quick. But honestly? It was perfect.

The crazy part is, even in such a short amount of pages, I completely fell in love with these characters. Aubree gave us just enough to pull us in, make us care, and leave us wanting more!

And THAT’S my only complaint, I WANT MORE! 😂 I need to know about their happy ever after. What happened next? How are they doing? Give me the whole update because I am NOT ready to let them go!

Short story? Absolutely.
Quick read? Definitely.
Perfect? YES.

But Aubree… respectfully… I need the extended version you can send it to my email 🤣

[Charmy Reads]

I gave this book 4.5/5 stars. Even though it's a novella, it managed to deliver so much in such a small number of pages. I enjoyed the flow of the book.
The author warns us readers at the beginning not to ask for more from this couple, but I have to admit…that's exactly what I wanted! Not because the story felt unfinished, but because I was so invested in them that I wasn't ready to let them go. Their chemistry (and the drama in between) was so enjoyable that I would have happily spent another 100+ pages with them.

That said, I do think everything that actually needed to be addressed was covered. The story didn't leave me feeling like there were unanswered questions or missing plot points. I simply loved spending time with these characters, and that's what made me wish it had been longer.

This is the kind of book I can already tell I'll come back to whenever I need a quick comfort read. I'll definitely be picking up a physical copy because it's one I know I want in my personal library.

[Brandan WH]

Messy to forever

This is a novelette. The author earns you at the start to not start whining about the length or any follow ups! Even with the brevity, it’s a solid story. It helps, as it usually does, that there’s history between the main characters, so we don’t spend time getting from point A to point B.
Cyanna and Karys are life long friends. They should also be in a relationship together but they’re hard headed. It takes them both experiencing betrayals to wake up to what’s in front of them.
The sexy sexy times is quick (it’s a really short story after all) but impactful. We still get our HEA and you’ll also want to beg the author for a follow up!

[KweenBee]

We Were Warned But....

Ms Author Lady told us NO right in the beginning, but as an only child I never liked that word sooooo.... WE WANT MORE!!! I need to see Rys love on his Princess Cy out loud and in front of all those trash AF people who tried to do my girl wrong. I need to meet the product of that long awaited night and see Mr Luther fulfill his promise. This short read was TOO short. (And don't come for my comprehension skills again Ms Pynn, I know what short means but I don't like it! ) Annnnyway, this book sucked me right in and I read it in one setting. It was definitely a page turner with a lil bit of a lot but I liked it all.

[Roni]

I went into this story knowing it was a novelette. I read the million and one warnings at the beginning of the book. Did that stop me from wanting more after this story was over? No, it did not stop me. This book is only 61 pages but it had everything I love. Thae best friend trope is a new fave of mine. They wasted their time being with other people for no reason. I wish my girl Cyanna let them send her husband where he belongs for playing in her face. These books, with 400 pages and more, have ruined me. Surely we could have more of this story?

[Untamed Publishing]

Karys and Cyanna

Cyanna and Karys could’ve been together from the start, and it was evident that they should’ve been, too. The people in their life that were supposed to be closest to them had me talking like I had a verse on Tupac’s “Hit Em Up”. Eff Jackie. Eff Yanieca. Eff Damari as a husband, best friend and part of the crew. And if you down with them eff you too lol. Another urban romantic banger by Big Pynnie. Of course, I want more but she already said that’s a negative in the book.

[AMBER]

July Read: We Could've Been by Aubree Pynn — 4⭐️ Karys and Cyanna let something that could have been beautiful slip away. It took unexpected obstacles and time with others for them to realize what they truly meant to each other. Watching that realization unfold made the journey worth it. This was a short, sweet novella that delivered an emotional second-chance romance without overstaying its welcome.

[The Urban Fiction Librarian]

The love. The unspoken feels. The care. The gentleness. The will to see the other one happy. Cyanna and Karys were made for each other. Time and people got in the way. But life has a funny way of saying, it’s time. This was beautiful. This was good. This gave ENERGY. Yes you will want more, but it gave us what it was suppose to. I just wished Damari had a little accident. Outside of that, chef’s kiss Big Pynnie!!!

Stamped,
The Urban Fiction Librarian

[TRACY W.]

Too Good! 🔥 🔥 🔥

This was so good, I read it back to back!!!!! Would I like more, yes! But, she said there will be no follow up (#3) Kary is book Bae, I love the way he came for Cyanna. Mr. Luther knew from the beginning Cyanna was making a mistake. The secretary should have been escorted out of the building, she needed to be embarrassed.
Every page was filled with anticipation of what's next, just a page turner. I loved this book down!!!!

[Cre8tive Dreamz]

My Bestfriend My Love

Short and straight to the point with no chasers!!!…I truly enjoyed it too!!!…Karys said he was coming to get what should have been his out the gate!!!…Loving your bestfriend enough to sacrifice your own heart!!!…Needing your bestfriend to heal her heart!!!…Healing her heart, heals your heart and allows the both of you to love out loud!!!…
Cyanna said I’m freeeee, I’m available and I’m yours!!!…