Long Shot (Hoops, #1)

by Kennedy Ryan

A FORBIDDEN LOVE SET IN THE EXPLOSIVE WORLD OF THE NBA...

Think you know what it's like being a baller's girl?
You don't.
My fairy tale is upside down.
A happily never after.
I kissed the prince and he turned into a fraud.
I was a fool, and his love - fool's gold.
Now there's a new player in the game, August West.
One of the NBA's brightest stars.
Fine. Forbidden.
He wants me. I want him.
But my past, my fraudulent prince, just won't let me go

*Contains domestic abuse not involving the hero. Read reviews for guidance.

• ISBN10: 1732144303
• ISBN13: 9781732144309
• Publish Date: 22 March 2018 (first published 20 March 2018)
• Publish Status: Unknown
• Imprint: Scribechick Media, LLC
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 460
• Language: English

Reviews

[starbell]

I almost stopped reading this book about fifteen different times. If you can't handle long detailed accounts of abuse and rape then don't even think about picking up this book.

That said, I think the rest of the book made up for it. August is so swoon worthy, just wow. He was so sweet and patient and just a kind man. And Kennedy Ryan has a writing style that I absolutely loved which is why I stuck with this book in the end. It was longer than the average romance I read but the way it was written made it really exciting to read. I also loved the pacing of the story. It takes place over several years but with how it was written it was all so smooth and easy to keep up with.

I think it was a great book overall despite nearly being too overwhelmed to read it at a few points. I think it really had a deep meaning especially talking about rape/abuse victims.

[edafoe]

whoa that was a trip.

[leelu92]

HOLY INTENSITY BATMAN!

I knew going in that was going to be a more intense read than I'm used to. I was cool with that though and I soldiered on through the parts where I felt like Ms. Ryan was ripping my heart out of my chest.

Long Shot is equal parts, jerk your heart out, stomp on it, swoony, sexy HEA goodness.

I'm totally in love with Iris, August, and the world Ryan has introduced me to. I cannot wait to dive into the next book!!

[Linda]

4.5 stars
Long Shot depicts a relationship that isn't really a relationship in the beginning. August and Iris meet by chance. And there's a deep connection between them. Only, Iris has a boyfriend. As it turns out, Iris' boyfriend is August nemisis.
There are a lot of hard subjects brought up in Long Shot, and I cried more than once! It was so difficult to read about everything Iris went through - and how she felt like nothing would ever change for her. And how afraid she was.
The story is beautifully written, and Ms. Ryan has become a new autobuy author for me - not only because the characters feel real, but because she tackles real life problems with flair.

[stacey_is_sassy]

DNF at 15% - No rating as I did not finish the story and I didn't give it a fair enough go to rate it.

A wee bit SPOILERY, please procced with caution.

Yep, I'm showing my age again. Well, maybe it's not just my age, it could also be my absence of fangirling for sports heroes, lack of sympathy for the supposedly smart heroine and dislike for cliche sports heroes "getting them some" because it's available. Sure, this is probably realistic but that doesn't make it appealing to me.

The fame is a deterrent for me. If I can love a person before the fame, there's a good chance I MIGHT be able to get past their high profile. I also have no problems with the hero "getting him some" but to take multiple women (3 or 4 at a time) to bed because it's expected, or a right of passage, give me a break. So little respect from both sides in my opinion. I'm even OK with multiple partners from a give and take perspective, but when it's all one-sided, blah.

I get it, mistakes happen, but seriously, she spouts all this need to not repeat the mistakes of her mother YET she hands over the responsibility of protection to a man she THINKS she loves. Sure, your career is important enough to want to put off having kids, but chickie so is respecting your body enough to protect it. As soon as she was dressing for her interview and the skirt was too tight, I knew where we were heading and I was shaking my head. Full disclosure here...I have ALWAYS been aware that if I'm in a sexual relationship, there could be a chance of pregnancy. HOW COULD SHE NOT KNOW??? Don't girls/women stress their pregnant each month like I used to? Maybe, I'm weird like that...

I know this book has the potential for greatness going by the mass of 5-star reviews, but unfortunately, my tolerance is not at its highest to get through the drama for the HEA. The writing was clear and concise and I had no issue with how it was written. Unfortunately, the storyline just wasn't for me.

Please do not judge by my review alone, take the time to check out other reviews and you may find that Long Shot is perfect for you.

[Sam@WLABB]

Warning: There are a LOT of difficult parts in this book. This book contains domestic abuse

This was not always an easy read, but the payoff was the beautiful romance that blossomed between August and Iris.

August was perfection. His heart was extra large sized, and I adored the way he put his heart right out there. And he made me swoon too. Gosh! When he told Iris, that he would make her his five, his center, I was done.

Iris did what she had to do. She went through so much, and still came through with her dukes up. Her story brings attention to a very serious issue, and confronts a lot of the typical judgement, that onlookers cast on the victim.

I am looking forward to the next book (Jared's romance), but I am really looking forward to the third book, because Kenan and Lotus are a stupendous match.

Overall: Sometimes painful and always emotional, with such a satisfying ending.

[Cocktails and Books]

Blown away!

[Romance Schmomance]

**major trigger warning with this book. **

Yesterday morning, I woke up with the Long Shot ARC on my kindle and it was quite the surprise to see. After hearing so many things about this book, I was so eager to read it. I devoured it and can’t quite sum up the words to describe my feelings.

This is one of the books that will just leave you speechless in the end, your mind will be jumbled, you’ll find it hard to seek the words to explain what you’re feeling. About 40% of the book or so is just absolutely tough to read through. We’ve got two people that meet in a bar and have this connection so deep it reaches down to their soul. Everything is there, the passion, the fire except the timing is just so wrong. After that night, August has Iris ingrained in his mind and refuses to give up on her, even just the thought of her. With Iris already in a relationship, she finds herself stuck with something she can’t get out of.

I’m ashamed to say that this is my first read for Kennedy Ryan and after reading this one, I’ve quickly jumped to the Grip series. I have no idea if all her books are like this with talking about real and raw events, but if that’s the case, I’m completely on board with reading all of Kennedy Ryan’s books. What goes on in this book is extremely hard to get through, but it’s a story that had to be written. I find it so brave for an author to go on this journey and I commend the women that she spoke to as they shared their stories. My emotions during this book were all over the place, as much as I would like to say that this book is fiction, we all know that there’s so much truth behind it all. It’s happened, it’s happening and that’s just reality.

I admire Iris so much, she’s a survivor, she endured so damn much, but she came out in the end. She’s a strong woman. And August is absolutely amazing with constantly being supportive and just lifting her up. We not only get Iris’s story of survival, but we witness the story of two souls that are meant to be together. Their story spans over a few years and Iris has always been the end game for August.

This book belongs in a genre of its own because it’s so much more than a romance. It’s a must-read for everyone even though it can and will be tough for you to get through. The most important things are to really listen to Iris’s story, it’s one that needed to be told.

It’s painful, yet hopeful. It’s real and uncensored. Truly hard to stomach some of the scenes, but in this day, it’s what we need to hear. I will never know what it’s like for many who have suffered through such horrific events and there’s zero room for anyone to pass judgment.

I want to end this review by saying ladies, you are amazing, strong and beautiful. From this day forward, I will do my best to lift you up, always!

Long Shot is a must read.

**AN ARC WAS PROVIDED FOR AN HONEST REVIEW. ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN**

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