★ A Top 30 Amazon Bestseller & RITA® Winner ★.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 … 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/sexual abuse not involving the hero. Read reviews for guidance.
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Kennedy Ryan has a way of tackling and bringing to light issues that should not even be relevant in 2018 but sadly still is and that’s exactly what she did with Long Shot.
This story was raw, gut-wrenching, thought-provoking and disturbing. It was hard to read at times as there are some very difficult scenes.
However this story was also real, hopeful and powerful. It’s a story about strength, determination, survival, hope and most of all love.
There is so much evil in today’s world but at the same time there is also so much good and Kennedy was able and willing to show us both the good and the bad.
She gave us a glimpse of the Basketball life showing both the highs and the lows. She gave us a character straight out of hell on one page and then gave us a character who was the total opposite on the other page. She gave a character who was down but rose back up again. She gave us another perspective, she opened our eyes. And through it all she raised awareness for an issue that has been hidden for too long.
This novel was intense. It will take you on an emotional roller-coaster ride. Kennedy will rip you to shreds and piece you back together again. She will show you what Love should be and should not be. She will take you on a journey, but after going through it all no matter how difficult it was, you will get your HEA ending. This novel was phenomenal. It’s a story that everyone should read and definitely worth so much more than 5 stars.
I started by bookstagram not long after finishing this book last May 2019. I’ve been a romance reader since I was in high school making book covers out of paper bags with my sister, so people wouldn’t know what we were REALLY reading in the days before Kindle.
This book is my favorite ROMANCE novel and made Kennedy Ryan a unicorn author for me. The reasons I love it:
1) The cultural mestizaje, specifically of the NOLA region- she writes it so well. She handles different languages, lateral racism— things I see in my own community.
2) The treatment of trauma— love doesn’t solve all of Iris’, the heroine, problems or take the place of the internal healing process, but LOVE does support her in her journey. Her development and healing is hers not totally vested another person.
3) I LOVE August West—he is a beautiful man of color who treats his woman with respect and supports her in the ways she chooses to make herself strong.
I love Iris and August. They are relationship #GOALS! They show how people exist at once as individuals and within a relationship—that our personal journeys make our relationships that much richer.
Kennedy Ryan knows how to write a book which will make that we will cry, laugh and feel all the emotions while reading. When I started „Long Shot” I was thinking that this book will be the same like others – some tragic and big love between basketball player and woman.
But with each subsequent page my mind was changed. I saw the truth.
Iris is a really, REALLY strong girl. I am proud of her, when she made a tough decision and I love her so much. She is like a reed, she will will yield, but not break. If everybody of us, woman will be like her the world will be totally different for ours rights.
August is like a neighbour man. I liked him from the first meeting and until the end he was my best in „Long Shot”. He has his nightmares and worries, but he puts Iris in the centre of his world and then everything else.
And there is Caleb… I don’t wanna write about him. I wanna kill him. Nothing more.
Kennedy Ryan doesn’t just write the stories. Her books are more than books. They are an experience. „Long Shot” will be in my heart long time. And maybe this story is tough, raw, brutal, but the justice always win and the good people will life their live with happines.
I am really in love with „Long Shot” and I am really in love with Kennedy Ryan. If you didn’t read her books, you must catch up and reach for her books immediately. Highly recommend here!
All the long shot stars!
I still can’t believe it took me so long to start this new author. But to be honest, I was actually a little scared. I was suggested vehemently to read her (and I’m so glad I was, thank you Bee), I heard so many great things about her books and her stories and also how they were deeply emotional, that I didn’t know exactly what to expect.
And that is something I love about reading new (to me) authors. The uncertainty, the curiosity, not knowing how the author plays the situation, what they do to the characters.
And nothing predicted me to what I would find in this book, but dang, was it worth it.
I was fidgetting from the beginning of the book, seeing bad signs from the bad guy all over the place, but in a subtle way, you know, like it happens in an abusive relationship in the early stages.
And I need to talk about it first. This discussion was fundamental to the whole story and it was so incredible. We need to talk more about this, about abusers, about how the victims are not to blame and how it’s even harder to them to know when it’s the right time to get out, because there isn’t a clean answer. This book brought light to the subject showing all the ugly parts about it, the fear, the pain, the humiliation, the misjudgement, but also the courage, the help, the rising from victim to survivor. It was extraordinaire.
That being said, I was a mess reading this book. I stayed up late, I couldn’t sleep, I woke up early and couldn’t go back to sleep, always thinking about the book, both energized and distraught.
Everytime I thought about the book, I felt internal butterflies doing havoc to my insides.
I savored the story, but I also wanted to finish it as soon as I could and get the HEA and the revenge I so desperately craved, I was a wreck.
And I was totally impressed.
I loved Iris, I respected her journey so much, and she’s been through so much. Seriously. So! Much! She astounded me.
I loved August. How loyal he was, how sweet and hopeful, how determined he was to take the long shot, because he knew he was good enough to take it right.
In such few encounters, they built something so beautiful between them, so apparently unachievable, but it was just about the right timing and making the right plays. They belonged in the same team.
It was definitely not an easy read. It was all consuming and powerful and deep and emotional, and it was also so fundamental and constructive and exquisite and it brought so much hope for so many reasons.
By the end of the book, I was drained, I was light, I was hopeful, relieved and happy.
It was so intense I’m still savoring, and to be honest, I don’t want to stop savoring it.
This is that kind of book you bring inside yourself for as long as you live, because you learn something from it, somehow it changed you.
To the author, just one word: Bravo!
A Tragedy with a Happy Ending or A Love Story that was Almost a Tragedy
Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan is a love story that comes perilously close to being a tragedy. I can’t believe I never wrote a review for this book. I’ve thought about it so much and read it twice so it feels as though I wrote one long ago. There’s no doubt Long Shot is a very good, highly original romantic novel, a multicultural love story about a sports-obsessed college senior and the sweet, romantic basketball player she meets cute and falls in love with. But it is also something more—an emotionally wrenching and sometimes very hard to read novel about an urgent social issue. Kennedy Ryan is a very good writer, and she knows how to tell a vivid, engrossing story. And as a reader, when you surrender to an engrossing, compelling story, part of you is transported into that setting. It creates empathy. That, in sum, is exactly what Long Shot did for me. It engendered gut-wrenching, heart-breaking, cry-inducing empathy. I remember feeling frustration and dread, fear not just for the protagonist, Iris, but also, I have to admit, for myself, fear of how I would feel having been plunged so far into such a harrowing story. That is, however, a testament to Ryan’s talent as a storyteller.
Even though Long Shot is a love story with a happy ending, it’s also very much a book about physical and psychological abuse. And that abuse is rendered in a fair amount of detail and lasts what feels like a very long time. The love story is just part of it. Iris’s story also incorporates elements of tragedy, a coming of age narrative that starts with what happens when a smart, ambitious young woman meets the worst possible man, and her journey into and out of that bad situation. I wasn’t ready. That was not what I was expecting. I think I felt like time was being stolen from the central couple, Iris and August’s love story; I wanted to fast forward through the terrible parts with the worst possible guy and get to the good stuff. In truth though, it’s all the good stuff. Even when it’s not fun, Long Shot is engaging and meaningful. Ryan was a journalist before she was a novelist and she’s done her research. Long Shot explores the dynamics– legal, social and psychological– of partner abuse and privilege. It shows how difficult it can be to leave a bad situation, even when a woman is educated and seems to enjoy financial privilege. And it is well worth the time and turmoil to read if you can.
A Nonstop Emotional Rollercoaster!
There was nothing rational or logical about my reaction to Kennedy Ryan’s novel, Long Shot. Mine was an immediate and completely gut reaction to the beginnings of a hopeful and shining future for two truly deserving young college grads, and the many torturous, frightening, and sometimes death defying detours that got in the way of those bright futures. There were places in the book that made me cry, curse, and have to take a few minutes before continuing, but not once did I consider abandoning August and Iris’s story, and the resulting emotionally satisfying payoff was well worth the ride! Kennedy Ryan has found a fan in me, and I can’t wait to read more by this gifted writer.
This is my first read from Kennedy Ryan after knowing it was nominated for a RITA award. And I am totally hooked to KR’s stories ever since! There is a content warning for graphic domestic abuse, I can understand it is hard to go through those passages, and most people could not take them. But overall, I think it’s an absolutely beautiful story of survival, healing, and falling in love. The tragic that Iris had to endure for her daughter was heart wrenching. She symbolizes women’s empowerment, something that has been the core of Kennedy Ryan’s works.
This book shed light into the NBA world, the brutality, the sacrifices, and the commitment for the sport. August West is one of my most favorite book heroes EVER! He’s talented, kind, genuine, respectful, and caring. You can tell how wonderful he is as a person through his interactions with everyone around him, his family and teammates. He always made sure to be there for Iris, but also gave her space when she asked for it. Their journey to HEA has not been always rosy and smooth, but they’ve made it through with so much love and support for each other.
I love KR’s beautiful writing style, her powerful messages, the racial diversities of her characters, and meaningful stories. I’ve gone through the rest of the Hoops series and it has been a wonderful journey, and this is probably my most favorite book, followed by Hook Shot. I would highly recommend this book if you can survive the graphic abuse scenes, as well as Kennedy Ryan as the author.
“The heart speaks in whispers but sometimes by the time you listen it’s too late”
Hook shot is a compelling and gripping story. A story of, choices, domestic abuse and survival.
Wow, I was blown away with this story, not only does it awaken the awareness of domestic abuse but tells the story of two relationships, one that was destined to heal and one that had the potential to destroy.
Iris is young when she first meets Caleb, she is swept off her feet by the golden boy in Basketball, she has her own ambitions, her own future to look forward to. Iris is a strong independent young woman with a mother who used men her whole life to get what she wanted and Iris is determined to break the mould, determined to go through life being dependant on nobody. All Iris’s plans and ambitions are destroyed when she finds herself in a relationship with an obsessive, possessive man, a violent and destructive to the soul relationship she didn’t see coming.
Iris first meets August when Caleb is playing away,she is watching a game in a local bar near her hotel and they chat the night away, its like their souls are aligned, like they have known each other years and in the moment when it’s time to say goodnight Iris doesn’t take it any further and even though the pull is strong for them to kiss she tells August she has a boyfriend, that moment, if only Iris had known this was a sign, an invisible crossroads in her life.
August felt Iris, it was more than attraction so when he sees her again at a game he believes it’s fate until he discovers the boyfriend she was talking about was his rival in the sport Caleb.
Caleb is a possessive and vindictive guy, she didn’t see the evil side to him until it was too late, the once strong black woman became a shell of herself when she became trapped in a relationship she couldn’t get out of.
Many times August and Iris cross paths, and even when they are apart he thinks of Iris. August has no idea what Iris is going through behind closed doors he sees only what the media see’s, the golden boy of basketball and his new fiance but he was taught one thing by his father and goes by his gut and that is, when the time is right he needs to take a shot.
“The last thing I wanted to be was a poster child for domestic abuse, not with the way our culture finds a way of blaming the victim but none of that was the deciding factor in why I finally spoke, I spoke because maybe there’s some girl like me, young, vulnerable, naive, flattered by his attention, maybe she thinks that jealousy means he loves her more or that’s cute but she realizes slowly, surely, she’s being cut off from her friends, isolated from her family, being molded into something shes not, into what he wants her to be. The heart speaks in whispers but sometimes by the time you listen, it’s too late”
A beautiful but powerful story. August will make you week at the knees and your heart melt.
This story is bittersweet and worth the five stars given. Kennedy Ryan has a way with words and when I listened to this book in audio, the words either went straight to my heart or sat at the forefront of my mind for me to ponder on.
I have read Book three HOOK SHOT which is Lotus’s story, Iris’s cousin and when I read that I was eager to know Iris’s story. Each book can be read as a standalone and the author gives away no spoilers to the other stories. I am eagerly wanting to read other books in this series and more books from Kennedy Ryan.
Oh my gosh…this was so good, so heartbreaking, and so hard to read at times, but an absolutely amazing book! I loved listening to this, and highly recommend the audiobook. I’m giving it 5 out of 5 stars.
Just based on the summary, I knew this was going to be a difficult read, especially after hearing a little from people who’d already read this. I cried, and my heart ached, during sections of the book. That being said, the writing was phenomenal. This book was the biggest one I’ve read in a while (nearly 500 pages), but it didn’t feel that long; I was sucked into the story instantaneously.
I absolutely loved both Iris and August. I’ve found the latest addition to my book boyfriend list! I don’t want to give anything away, and I want readers to go into this without any spoilers, but this could definitely be sensitive/triggering for some readers.
In addition to loving the main characters, I also liked the people August got close with, Sarai, Lotus, Mimi, etc. There wasn’t anyone I hated besides the people I was supposed to. I highly recommend this book, and can’t wait to read the next one in this series. But don’t read this if you can’t handle a darker subject matter, and only want a happy book.
This is an incredibly well-written story by author Kennedy Ryan. It does, however, deal with the painful issue of domestic violence. Graphic, gut-wrenching scenes of domestic violence are depicted, making the book very difficult to read at times. Still, it’s an important story with authentic characters you can’t help rooting for. A story that will answer the question so many ask: Why didn’t she just leave? This is my second Kennedy Ryan book, and I have already come to expect nothing less from her than excellent characters and a thought-provoking story.
Long Shot is an emotional ride I don’t think I’ll ever forget. It’s a reminder to everyone that no one knows what goes on behind closed doors.
There’s a bit of a triangle here with Iris at the center of two NBA lifelong rivals, Caleb and August. On a off chance meet at a local bar Iris meets August and they immediately click but she’s been Caleb’s girl for over a year (pre-NBA). They go their separate ways but neither of them can forget the other and what might have been.
Lesson number one: Never settle!
As the story progresses, Iris becomes shackled by Caleb for a number of reasons: domestic violence, blackmail, and an unplanned baby. On the surface, things look posh for Iris but she is becoming more broken by the day.
When August and Iris run into each on the NBA circuit, neither can deny their connection. Iris continually leaves August confused as to why she always goes back to Caleb who has also witnessed this connection with his rival. Caleb becomes unhinged and the domestic violence that Iris suffers at his hands is gut-wrenching.
Iris is one of the most courageous characters I’ve ever encountered.
This is not an easy story to get through but one I highly recommend all women read.
This book was everything. Parts were so difficult to read, but the story is haunting, powerful so deep, so complex. I was totally lost in their world, and part of me feels changed forever. I cheered. I cried. I was swept away from the real world. No two characters have deserved their happily ever after more. Bravo, Ms. Ryan. Bravo.Kennedy Ryan Long Shot
Action packed, emotional, riveting storyline. I couldn’t put this story down. Really makes you see different sides to a situation that may not have personally affected you.
August and Iris meet a day before one of the most important games of August’s career. They hit it off like a house on fire. However, Iris has a boyfriend and so they part ways and life happens.
This is a story that’s going to be very difficult for many readers as it not only addresses the issue of domestic abuse, but actually shows it on the page. The only reason I kept going on was the knowledge that this story had a happy ending. I am not the biggest fan of stories that start with the main characters in a relationship with their soon-to-be-ex, which is the case here. Over half of Long Shot shows Iris in a relationship with her abusive boyfriend who puts her through some very gruesome stuff. More importantly, the story shows how it could happen to anyone and how hard it can be to just ‘walk away’.
It doesn’t help that August and Iris’ boyfriend are bitter rivals on and off the court. Despite their love being forbidden for more than half the story, every scene between Iris and August is so sweet and precious. Their brief interactions are full of emotions, you can’t help but root for them. Every time her boyfriend hit her, I just wanted August to show up and save the day.
It takes a while, but Iris and August finally find their way to each other. As I said before, I kept hoping August would swoop in a save the day. He did, but not in the way I had expected. I appreciated the end where Iris is able to find strength within herself. Sometimes, prince charming needs to be strong for his queen.
This is a very well told story that doesn’t shy away from the reality abuse many women face in their daily lives and the little things that we all do to make victims feel like they are alone. As much as this story is about love, it is also about survival and redemption.
If you’re looking for a simple boy-meets-girl story, this is not for you. This story will take you through an emotional roller coaster, but, for me, the ending was worth the journey. And have you seen that cover?
4.5 stars
I had to wait a few days after finishing this book to write this review. I didn’t know what I was getting into when I started this book, I thought it would be just another sports romance. I could not have been more wrong! The first thing that was different to me was the backstory and character development. I think I was about 60% through the book and realized that the main characters had only met four or five times. And that didn’t bother me in the least. This book broke my heart. And as is usual with books that do that, I think it made the love story all the better. I highly recommended this one for anyone who wants all the feels in their read. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.
A-mazing! This book entertains you but also makes you realize life isn’t always as it seems behind closed doors. Truly amazing book!
I gotta say that this book gave me so much anxiety.. I had to put my kindle down at one time just to relax and yell at the author..I’m not kidding. The parts with Caleb were not good for me. I wanted to slap the crap out of him. Pretty privileged little white boy who was handed everything in life, thinks he can control and beat a woman without getting into trouble.. He was wrong. My heart broke so many times for Iris.. She went thru a lot in this book and because of it, she is strong and determined to follow her dreams. August helped alot too. He reminded her that not all men are controlling arrogant jerks who beat their women. He showed her how she should be treated and her daughter as well. I will say that I was glad I kept reading and that Caleb got what he deserved. Iris is seriously my hero. She took back the reins and controlled the situation for a while. She took the time to find herself before getting into a relationship again. I was very thankful for that. She is a strong woman who does what she wants without help. August was a great character. He knew they had a connection but stepped back. Fate just kept putting them together though.. This makes for some interesting meets. I loved how patient August was. He was her friend first and stood by while hell was going on at home. He had no clue what she went thru with Caleb until later. These two were sweet and loving together. I loved them a lot!
Where do I begin explaining just how much this book meant to me? I know I will never do it justice, but I’m going to try. Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan was one of the most uniquely powerful and beautifully gut-wrenching books I have ever read. It has cemented itself as one of the best books I have read…ever. Really. It is obvious that Kennedy did her research for this story. The details of the plotline and the details of the characters’ lives and circumstances were impeccable–and so well written that you truly felt like you were immersed in a non-fictional biography or documentary because the picture was so clear.
The main characters were every single thing. It is going to be very hard to beat August West in the book boyfriend world. He is the perfect specimen inside and out. The heart in this guy…chills. His drive and ambition and doubts and sincere compassionate nature were breathtaking. His inner-dialogue and voiced feelings for Iris leave me a bit awestruck when I think about them.
And then there is Iris. My heart aches for Iris as if she is my very best friend in the world. Her initial insecurities and depression during early motherhood were so realistic and heartbreaking. The strength she showed in putting her daughter Sarai first was beautiful and devastating.
Long Shot does have a much deserved happily ever after and I am thrilled that Iris let August into her battered heart. I am equally thrilled that August never gave up. I highly recommend reading this wonderful book. It is an extremely emotional read but well worth a piece of your heart. This book deserves way more than 5 stars. Kudos Kennedy Ryan.
*I stand and clap* for this story
We read many books and most are good, some are great, some we DNF.
Then we pick up a book that we not only read but we experience. A story that we know will stay with us long after “The End”
Beautiful/Rough/Real/Swoon/Unforgetable/Unputdownable and Insightful. I could keep throwing all these words to try and describe my feelings and love for this story but I’ll stop because I’ll still fall short trying to convey the magnificent story this is. YOU just have to read it and feel it for yourself!
This is why I read! For the times I will come across a book that gives me perspective, that entertains me, that gives me all the FEELS (and not just the happy ones because I rather FEEL ALL than feel nothing at all.
Kennedy Ryan does a phenomenal job with the topic that’s in this book. I love and respect her for such a phenomenal story that is sooo romantic and soooo important!
I recommend this to everyone!
This book. Oh my gosh. It made me believe in soulmates.
I tried to watch so many youtube videos to get reviews. I’m the kinda person who wants to know what i’m getting myself into. So I just went in semi blind I knew a couple of things. But wow it was not what I had expected. It was really hard to read at times but it was a story that needed to be told. I’ve read some books with abuse and rape in the plot and every time I do it just makes so upset to think about how broken our system is. That men can kill and get it away with it just uhhhhgggggg. I’m still so upset about it. I think the boyfriend was awful but the bodyguard was so bad. I think your just as bad or if not worse if you sit there and let it happen and know the bodyguard lied for him. He was like a dungeon ward. I didn’t like them.
Iris was so strong and how she got through everything. She was amazing and so inspiring. I loved August too he was the cutest thing. He waited for her, was always there for her, and never made her doubt his feelings for her. I loved the book.