Long Shot

Powerful. Timely.

Set in the world of the NBA, the story of Iris and August touches all of your emotions. The message is important, even if portions are difficult to read. I suggest women readers recommend this to the men in their lives.

I read Long Shot and it made me a member of the Bad Decisions Book Club–I stayed up far too late because I could Not. Stop. Reading. It’s not an easy read at all. There is graphic domestic violence, so please take care of yourself if that’s a trigger for you. But I think it’s sensitively portrayed and isn’t gratuitous. Iris is a strong heroine who does what she can with the bad choices she has, and August West is a smitten hero. Kennedy Ryan wrote an important and engrossing book, and I can’t wait to read more of her work.

A deeply rewarding read with a romance that unfolds through some unimaginable challenges. This book does have a content warning for domestic violence so it won’t be for every reader, but if you don’t find that triggering, I highly recommend it.

Goodness, this is a hard book to rate. It is really good – dark because it deals with abuse, both sexual and physical. Heartbreaking, hard to read and yet compelling and ultimately sigh-worthy. See? No easy explanation.

I read this book because it won RWA’s RITA Award and I hadn’t read any of Kennedy Ryan’s books before. This book totally blew me away! Heartfelt and engrossing, the searing tale of a woman victimized by an abusive relationship, and her escape from it, held me rapt. Some readers have flinched from the way this book honestly displays horrifying scenes, but I think they’re earned and were told with rich nuance and deep compassion. I loved everything about this book. Highly recommend.

From start to finish I could not put this book down! Amazing writing by a woman who knows how to hit the highest of highs and take us to the lowest of lows before giving us the HEA we’ve been searching for.

I heard so many good things about this book when it was released last year, and I finally had the opportunity to read it and OH.MY.GOD!! I feel like I’ve been on SUCH a ride! This book was just amazing!

August West and Iris Dupree. Where do I start??

“A few minutes with a complete stranger, and I suddenly feel understood in a way that’s always been hard to find.”

This book started off with an electric first meeting – unexpected in that neither were looking to meet someone and sad that Iris was already taken. By the worst person imaginable to August. The more entwined Iris became with his enemy, the stronger August felt about her.

“There’s an undeniable truth, though, when my eyes connect with his. When our eyes meet, it isn’t casual. He and I together are mayhem.”

This story was stunning! I felt a plethora of emotions. Hope, desire, despair, disgust, longing, and then relief and more hope. This story was not what I expected it to be. It was beautiful in so many parts but also brutal in others. I adored August! He was my kind of hero. So caring and tender, and determined and protective. Iris may have seemed weak but she really was exceptionally strong. The tension and connection between them was tangible – it was compelling and almost impossible to turn away from. I just loved this story so much!!

“Ours is a love that reimagines – that peels back the sky at high noon searching for the stars, collecting them like shells in a bucket.”

Beautiful words for a beautiful, unforgettable story.

A painful, gut-wrenching story that left me emotionally wrung out and completely in awe of Kennedy’s storytelling mastery.

So damn good. I’m not generally a fan of sports romances, but so many friends raved about LONG SHOT that I had to give it a go. I could not put this book down. I swooned, I cried, I even laughed sometimes. There’s some tough stuff in this book, as it deals very realistically with abuse. The author did an outstanding job showing just how difficult it can be for someone to escape an abusive relationship (and yes, because it IS a romance, there’s a happily-ever-after payoff at the end). Terrific book!

Holy hell what an emotional ride. This story was so well written that my emotions were all over the place. Such an amazing journey of a strong woman who battled to protect her daughter and found the love of her life in spite of it all.

Iris was young, beautiful getting read to start her life and follow her dreams. But her boyfriend, Caleb, had dreams too and he wanted Iris along for his ride. He seemed like the golden boy, headed to the NBA from a family of privilege, but evil can be masked.

One night Iris is watching a basketball game at the local bar and a well known college basketball player strikes up conversation. August and Iris hit it off. They have so much in common and a deep connection. It transcends everything and everyone who has come before. But she’s with someone else.

Timing is everything. And right then, it wasn’t their time. Iris chose her path and so her story of survival and resilience begins.

This story gutted me at times. So much pain and sorrow, but also perseverance and strength of will. And the love of a mother for her child. It is limitless and has no bounds. Mimi was awesome. A woman with so much wisdom to impart. She was an inspiration. We could all use a little MiMi. Lotus was a source of courage and strength. I cannot wait for her story. Everyone needs a Lotus in their life.
August, a man who fell hard for a woman he met one night in a bar. He never stopped waiting or holding out hope that one day their timing would be right and he could finally get his girl. A man who knew how to love a woman and lift her up. The love he had for Iris was epic!

A great story will always leave you thinking and feeling. This story brought all the feels. An absolute MUST read.