Oh my gosh I was NOT ready for this emotional damage, but this book was absolutely fan-freaking-tastic. It tears your heart out and pieces it back together perfectly and I. LOVE. AUGUST!

This book had me hooked from the beginning! However check the trigger warnings before you read this. I Loved this! This is a NBA romance and yes I loved every word of this! I can't wait for the next in this series! Absolute fire!!
I just reviewed Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan. #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

Thanks so much to Source Books/Bloom Books, Kennedy Ryan and NetGalley for the eARC, all opinions expressed are my own.

This book is such a captivating and soul-stirring journey through the complexities of love, timing, and second chances. This first installment had me hooked from the very beginning, and I couldn't put it down.

The story of Iris DuPree and August West is a rollercoaster of emotions that kept me on the edge of my seat. The electric connection they share during their chance encounter in a sports bar is filled with chemistry, and Rthe way their interactions are written makes the tension palpable.

Iris and August are well-developed, multidimensional characters with flaws and strengths that make them feel incredibly real. Ryan's prose is lyrical and evocative, painting vivid pictures of both the characters' inner worlds and the vibrant settings in which the story unfolds. Her ability to tackle tough themes, such as abusive relationships and personal growth, with sensitivity and grace is commendable. The trauma Kennedy Ryan portrays is absolutely heartbreaking and presents a story filled with hurt, perseverance and strength.

The pacing of the story is spot-on, with just the right amount of tension and anticipation to keep you turning the pages. And the way Ryan weaves the past and present together adds depth and richness to the narrative.

While the story is undeniably a romance at its core, it's also a story of resilience, self-discovery, and the enduring power of love. I honestly cannot recommend this book enough (however I highly suggest looking up trigger warnings before proceeding!)

If you're going into this book looking for some cute basketball romance, you're not going to find it. Yes, a part of it is cute and romantic but the main focus is on our female character Iris and everything she had to go through. It was extremely hard to read those scenes at times but absolutely necessary. Because the sad truth is there are so many women out there with the story similar to hers.
Kennedy did an amazing job portraying our characters and her writing was flawless. I loved how kind and understanding August was, and how fierce and strong Iris is.
Only thing I didn't like is that insta love, or insta connection whatever you want to call it.
Overall, a beautifully written story that breaks your heart at first, but mends it after.

Thank you to NetGalley, SOURCEBOOKS Bloom books, and the author for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Kennedy has done it again. She never fails to stun me with the beauty of her storytelling. She writes characters that dig deep into your heart and her plot lines always evoke the deepest emotions. Angsty, heartbreaking, and tender this book covers a story that truly needed to be told from a voice that is far too often silenced. Thank you to Ms. Ryan for handling these topics with care and for sharing this story with the world. It was beyond a beautiful romance novel but the love story was the core and it stood strong and proudly. More than that the character arcs should be enough to hook you into Long Shot and I hope you give this book a chance if you’re in need of a book to make you FEEL. Something Kennedy Ryan does best!

What happens when you meet the right person at the wrong time? This is without a doubt the book that surprised me the most this year. I was expecting a cute sports romance in the atmosphere of the NBA, but this book is anything but cute. The book brings us the story of August, a promising young basketball player, and Iris, the partner of August's sworn rival. From the moment they meet by chance for the first time, everything deteriorates, until the worst is waiting at the door. The book contains physical violence and harsh descriptions, not suitable for everyone but totally worth reading.

I really enjoyed this instalment of the series! I’m not usually a fan of “love triangles” but as this was such a different take on that, I really enjoyed it.

I loved August and although sometimes he seemed a little too good to be true, I was a huge fan and his constant backing for Iris was lovely to see.

I wasn’t a HUGE fan of Iris in the beginning but once you see more of her personal story and journey - I was rooting for her!

This was so much more than a typical sports romance.

Honestly. I like this a lot. I'm not super into basketball but this was really good. Kennedy Ryan definitely has people she wants you to root for.

When August meets Iris at a bar the night before his big March Madness championship game, everything between them seems to click. They have so much in common and have an instant connection, but Iris has a boyfriend who turns out to be a player on the opposite team.

Iris and August's story is beautiful, and heart wrenching. Iris suffers terrible abuse at the hand of her boyfriend, and her story is agonizing to read, but gives so much insight as to how women can get into situations where they don't feel like they can leave their abuser. Definitely make sure to check the trigger warnings for this book because the abuse Iris suffers is at times described in very graphic detail.

This is the kind of story I've come to expect from Kennedy Ryan. She is not afraid to really immerse the reader into the good and the bad of her characters lives. Her fiction is very realistic, and raw. While this one was hard to read at times, it was also an amazing look at the resilience of the human spirit and at the immense strength that women have.

Thank you to Bloom Books for providing me with a copy of this book.

This was first book by this author, and I am impressed. I like to go into books blind as much as possible, but I would advise checking the trigger warnings before reading. Even though there is some very serious and sensitive subjects addressed in this book, it was well done. Iris showed such much strength during this story and August was always understanding. My heart broke I. Some parts and I was filled with joy in others.

I really liked this book. The characters' backstories and motivation were such an integral part of the story. Iris was such a strong character and I appreciated her drive to achieve her goals.

This book was absolutely a beautiful read. It is a stand alone and made made me feel so raw. There were moments I was truly heart broken but began healing through the story. Absolutely loved!

5 stars! Long Shot is a gripping story that explores domestic abuse in a way that helps clarify how it can happen and why getting out of it isn’t as simple as “just leave”. While some scenes are very painful to read, the author also shows the strength of human will in a seemingly hopeless situation.

The real love story involving the pro basketball player who has his own struggles and successes is engaging and The insight into that sports world was enlightening.. good book!

Emotional rollercoaster 100%. This book had some majorly raw situations that just hurt your heart and soul. But in the end everything was all right in the world.

This is a heavy read!! It is not a light and fluffy sports romance like it might seem. You def want to read trigger warnings before diving into this one! That being said I did enjoy the story! It is a hard read at many times but I think it’s worth it. I don’t normally read stuff like this but I’m glad I did. This book will stay with me!

Long Shot. Whew. This book is not for the faint of heart. Kennedy Ryan writes a romance that is filled with longing and hardships and love and angst and so much brutal honesty. My friend told me that this is heavy and that I just might need to put it in the freezer. She was not wrong. This is the story of Iris and August. They meet in a bar in college and feel an instant connection. But the timing wasn't right for either of them. Iris ends up in a situation that is impossible and more than anyone could imagine and he has no idea. This is their journey. It's HARD. It's definitely a freezer book. But the HEA is just what we want.

Thank you to NetGalley, sourcebooks, and bloom books for letting me read this arc!

This book was an incredible and difficult read for me. This book has trigger warnings for a reason and think everyone should take a look before jumping right in. That being said WOW!! This was my first book by Kennedy Ryan and I was hooked from the prologue. I really like her writing style and the research she put into this book.

For the character I loved Iris and August they might be my favorite book couple! Iris has overcome a lot throughout this book from her childhood all the way to adulthood. She had aspirations and goals that were slowly taken away from her by her ex Caleb. August patiently waits for Iris even though she's in a relationship with Caleb and even more after their break up. The care August took with Iris was everything.

There were really hard moments for me in this story to read that made my gut twist. I was angry and emotionally obliterated during some of the scenes. The portrayal of what does on in domestic violence and the aftermath was heart breaking. Even though there is a lot of tragedy I could not put this book down!

I can't wait to read more by her! I recommend whole heartedly.

I really enjoyed this book, I think I ended up reading it in two days. I thought it was well paced and the romance was interesting to read. I think it tackles the issue of domestic violence in an interesting way, and that's an important topic to address. I don't know anything about basketball but I didn't feel like I needed to in order to enjoy the book. Would I read the other books in the series? I'm honestly not sure. August and Iris were the most interesting characters, in my opinion. Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Books for this ARC!

Content warning: graphic scenes of domestic violence, rape, and stalking. Controlling behavior. Take the content warning at the beginning of the book and multiply it by 10. I had a hard time reading it, but was curious how it was going to end up. If I had realized it was so graphic, I would have skipped it. Having said that, the author talks about why she wrote a book with domestic violence in it and the research she did to write it. I would suggest starting at the second part of the book if you are sensitive to graphic scenes but would like to read it.

I re read the content warning at the beginning when I finished the book and feel like it should be more clear about how intense the abuse is in the book. (I will def read more into content warnings from now on!)

Things I liked: the chemistry between Iris and August. Iris and Lo's relationship, and their grandmother.

Also, the dedication the author took in writing realistic scenes and consulting with women who were abused.

Things I didn't like: the way the characters talked about women. The dual point of view between August and Iris while she is fighting for her life. I also had a hard time switching to HEA, but I understand the author wanted to leave us with hope and encouragement that after surviving abuse, you can find happiness again.

Overall, this was a powerful book, it was just too graphic and intense for me.

Thank you to Kennedy Ryan and NetGalley for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review!

Rating: 4 / 5 Stars!

I enjoyed this book so much! The writing style is amazing and it was also a very emotional story. I was so invested and enjoyed so much!