★ 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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One of the hardest books I’ve ever read but worth every ounce of heartache. August and Iris’s story is something that will stick with me for a very long time. I PROMISE there’s an HEA.
I need a minute to regroup after reading this book as I’m almost paralyzed from the influx of emotions Long Shot has evoked in me. August and Iris were just everything. This story was absolutely breathtaking but filled to the brim with the most painful and soul-battering scenes. I ached for Iris and August and everything they went through individually in order to come together when they did.
This novel has been life-changing. I had never read a Kennedy Ryan story before and decided to start with the one book that people told me about and let me tell you – it was phenomenal!! I felt shackled right along with Iris during her darkest days and rooted for her to be strong for her daughter. Her lovestory with August was for the ages, however. It was powerful and transformative and ultimately uplifting. I cried and wept for them both and rooted for Iris and August from the beginning. I absolutely loved this story as it equally left me deliriously happy, gutted and emotionally drained.
All in all, after this story I am left feeling like Ryan is an unequivocally outstanding storyteller and is absolutely brilliant. I felt like I was a part of the story at all times. I was sitting with them in the bar falling in love, holding her hand in that closet during one of her darkest points and alongside her taking her first real breath after coming into the light. What an amazing story! 5 stars! ~Ratula
WOW….I’m speechless. I wasn’t expecting this book to take me on such a gut wrenching ride. This book was beyond anything I’ve ever read before in the sense that Kennedy Ryan wrote some of the hardest, soul shattering scenes and situations I’ve ever read. Your heart breaks along with Iris’s as you read what she experiences. It quite literally broke my heart open, and I couldn’t stop crying.
“Some things imprint us so deeply, we can never return to what we were before.”
Thank the heavens for August, he was the light at the end of the tunnel. The love between him and Iris was amazing and the connection between them was undeniable.
In the end, good overcame evil. And I was able to cry for a different reason this time, tears of joy. This book, although heart wrenching, is inspirational and a story of true strength and courage
Holy wow! This book was way more than what I expected! Long Shot is the first book by Kennedy Ryan that I’ve read and it definitely won’t be the last. I had read the synopsis, but I had no idea what I was getting into when I started this book. For some reason, I thought this book was going to be similar to some of the other sports romance books that I’ve read which means I thought it was going to be fairly low angst and more of a feel good romance. By the second chapter, I realized how wrong that assumption was. The book is divided up into 3 sections: First Half, Halftime, and Overtime. The First Half is approximately the first 60% of the book and I was anxious the whole time that I read that section. I still experienced anxiety during the Halftime section, but it wasn’t as bad as the First Half. It has been awhile since I’ve read a book that created that much anxiety for me. After I read the Prologue, I had an idea of what once of the sources of tension in the book would be, but the author took that tension to a whole ‘nother level. This book covers approximately 3 years (or a little more) in the lives of August and Iris. Their story is told in dual POVs and does have a HEA, although both characters have to work pretty hard to get to their HEA. Some of my favorite parts of the book is seeing the interactions between August and Iris because their connection and attraction to each other was obvious from their first meeting. Plus, I also enjoyed those serendipitous moments when they least expected it. I’m not going to go into detail about the specifics of this book, because I do think it is best to kind of go in blind, but I do think that readers should pay attention to the Author’s Note at the beginning of the book. I wouldn’t necessarily consider this book to be a dark romance, because the male MC is the complete opposite of the typical male MCs in that genre. But there are some pretty difficult scenes that could be problematic for people who have experienced similar situations. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The only reason that I didn’t give it 5 stars is because the intensity and angst of the story was kind of exhausting for me and did affect my overall enjoyment of the book. I do recommend this book if you’re looking for an angsty love story set in the world of college and pro basketball.
I was given a copy of this book by the New Adult Book Club and this is my voluntarily, honest review of it.
‘Long shot’ is a book that I have had on my wish list for a long time so I was very happy that I got the chance to read it. One of the reasons that I wanted to read this book was because it is a new adult romance story with a sport theme (one of my favourite genres to read). Normally, I read books about football or ice hockey players so I was looking forward to reading a story about a basketball player.
I thought that I knew what this story was about but nothing had prepared me for this emotional, intense, heartbreaking story! ‘Long shot’ is the first book that I read from this writer so I don’t know if she always writes these intense, emotional stories or not. But I will certainly read more books of her to discover that.
Iris and August met in a bar. A simple meeting between a girl and a boy but a meeting that will change their lives and hearts forever. Sadly, Iris already has a boyfriend. On the second meeting, August discovered who that boyfriend is, it’s Caleb (August biggest adversary on the basketball court). From that moment on, something changes for all three of them and a game is started but only one of them knows of this game, the other two are sadly only pawns in this game. And it will take time, a lot of pain, heartbreak, strength, hope and love to recover from that.
‘Long shot’ is a ‘long’ story, I was a bit surprised by it when I started the book but during the story I was grateful for that because it really needed all those pages for Iris and August’s story to be told. In the first part of the book we read about the relationship between Iris and Caleb and in the second part it’s about Iris and August but don’t worry we read about August in the first part too. The story is told in both POV’s. I was very happy about that. August is really a good guy and I really loved the way that he believed in the connection between him and Iris. A belief that he hold on to during the whole time that they were apart. Iris is an intelligent girl who knows what she wants in life but sadly life isn’t always kind or what you wish for. Sometimes you have to follow different routes to end at the place that you belong. Iris and August were really made for each other.
This story will stay with me for a long time because it isn’t just a story about love but also a story about a girl trapped in an abusive relationship, who not only has to protect herself but also her child. So it isn’t an easy story to read.
I’m so happy that I read this story because I loved it very, very, very much!
Long Shot was my first Kennedy Ryan book, and it definitely won’t be my last. I absolutely loved it. I loved how emotionally real and heartfelt this story truly was. Iris and August are both incredible characters. They felt like real people and I really resonated with them.
Kennedy Ryan did a magnificent job with this book. The love between August and Iris is so pure and tangible. It just pours off the pages. Even the supporting characters were extremely well-developed and left a lasting impression. At the heart of it, there’s a really beautiful love story. But there is a cloud of terror and heartache that hangs over the entirety of it.
Long Shot is one of those stories; that although it wasn’t the easiest of reads, this story will stay with me for a very long time, due to the sheer emotions it invoked.
The story of August and Iris was mindblowing. Although it felt to me, that it was more Iris’ story and her journey to escape a shitty situation and grow from it.
August is a basketball player, who is starting his first season within the NBA and he meets Iris in a bar. Although the chemistry between them is there and they are attracted to each other, they don’t act upon it, because Iris has a boyfriend. Not just any boyfriend, but Augusts “enemy” on the court.
As a reader you witness first hand, how Iris life, full of dreams after college, turns to a nightmare.
While reading I had for some reason the song “Fairytale gone bad” stuck in my head, because this is what happends to Iris. Stuck in an seemingly inescapable situation with a very abusive boyfriend, I was always thinking, how will she escape, what pain does she need to endure, to be finally free.
The description of your journey was so livid and captivating, that it was nearly impossible to close the book. But even than the story was stuck inside my head going through different scenarios, what will happen next.
Finally free, she has found her save haven with August and her anchor, who supports her decisions and is there for her and her family.
As mentioned above, the chemistry between them was captivating and as a reader I always wished, that they will finally be together.
The writing was very fascinating, even if I didn’t know / get (all) the possible basketball references.
Oh. The. Feels!!!!
This absolutely incredible book by Kennedy Ryan will make you laugh, cry, love and hurt! I am still wondering how I will make it past this book! Right up front disclaimer…There ARE triggers!!! Rape, violence, abuse. Do Not read if this triggers or bothers you…HOWEVER…the way the author wrote these into the storyline were INCREDIBLE!!! Such a deeply emotional read!
These characters were soooooo fantastic…August, Iris, Caleb, Lotus, MiMi, baby Sarai, Decker, Kenan, Andrew…just such a collage perfection. August is a NCAA basketball player. Iris (AKA Gumbo) is a girlfriend to another basketball player (Caleb) who has been August’s rival since Jr. High school. I loved the history of the families and the characters in Long Shot. They are so well developed and their personalities are just so perfect! I could totally fall into this story without any problem or confusion. I loved the storyline SO hard! I love the way the “issue” was resolved, the “courting”…Just ALL of it!
I absolutely would recommend this book with an easy 5 star rating from me!
Holy hell! Not quite the light hearted sports romance I was expecting. Far from it, and so much better than I could ever have anticipated. It would appear that August West and Caleb Bradley have been rivals on the basketball court since middle school, competing against each other, and not in a healthy competitive way. Oh no, it’s pure hatred, which only gets worse when Caleb’s girlfriend Iris DuPree gets in the mix. A love triangle that takes a sinister turn, a story with so many highs and lows, that left me reeling with the uncertainty of what would happen. I was hooked on the story, the characters and most definitely the adrenaline coursing through my veins with each turn of the page. I’m a huge fan of sports romance, and NBA is new to me. I’ve got to say the whole package was addictive and exciting. Full five stars from me. I received a copy of this book from the author via GoodReads. This is my honest review.
This book had me feeling all sorts of emotions. I was seriously feeling all sorts of emotions. I highly recommend u pass this book to your daughter, your best friend.
Check out out this author she doesn’t disappoint..
I was captivated by the prologue and then so completely hooked after the first chapter of August and Iris’s story that I couldn’t put it down until the very end. KR was not afraid to tackle the tough subject of abuse using the backdrop of the professional sports world and she did it beautifully and honestly. An epic read that spans 10 years and told from duo POVs helped to develop the plot and characters well. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Block Shot. NOTE: Even though this is technically the first book of the Hoops series and each book is a standalone story, I was glad that I read the novella, Hoops Holiday, prior to this story as it was chronologically set before this story and makes more sense to read it first as the two characters from that novella make a frequent appearance in this story.
Everyone is talking about their favorite reads of 2018. This is one mine, along with her Grip series. Excellent writing!
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.
**MAJOR TRIGGER WARNINGS**
**I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED FOR AN ADVANCED READER’S COPY**
”SHE REMEMBERED WHO SHE WAS, AND THE GAME CHANGED”
WOW!!!! What a book!!!!! LONG SHOT is one of the best books I’ve read this year…And, Kennedy Ryan has gained a new fan…..
While some authors of books with this subject matter and this kind of intensity, give us “trigger warnings,” I commend Kennedy Ryan for not following that trend….Survivors are not fragile…If we were, we wouldn’t be survivors; we would still be victims…I am not a victim and neither is LONG SHOT’s Iris…She is a SURVIVOR and, definitely, the HEROINE of the book…..
LONG SHOT was recommended to me by my friend, author, TC Matson, and I’ll be honest, she had to “talk me off the ledge” more than once….But the horror and intensity of Iris’s life with Caleb was authentic and gut-wrenching and the unfulfilled love between Iris and August was heartbreaking…LONG SHOT is an emotional book, and Kennedy Ryan’s talent of bringing every emotion to the surface is unmatched…..It’s obvious she did her research, because this book is a true story for so many women…Some of us are lucky to find our August, while sadly, many are not….
Btw, is that guy on the cover, hot or what??? It was easy to think of him as August as I read the book, and I promise you are going to fall in love with August West….Total sweetheart…..I wish all Iris’s could find their August…
LONG SHOT is nearly 500 pages, but I couldn’t put it down, which is why I’m writing this review at 3:50 am…I loved it…. Sign up for Kennedy Ryan’s newsletter at the end of the book and get the Bonus Epilogue, “DOUBLE OVERTIME”…You don’t want to miss that….
I actually did not know what to expect with this book. During an online book chat, Kennedy was one of the authors who stopped by to introduce herself and promote her books. A few weeks later, I decide to check her out. I am so glad I did. This story is not for the faint at heart and very intense. It deals with real life situations and one woman’s journey through a life she never would have imagined. The courage of Iris and the unwavering love and support of August is inspirational. Good Read.
HOLY SHITE! I was pre-warned about all of the emotions I would feel during this book. Man did Kennedy bring on the emotions, STRONG!
From the moment we see Iris and August together I knew these two were special. Not even as a couple, though they were, but as individual people. Iris is just so passionate about the game, and about life. Then we have August who is basically planning for every possible scenario in life. From what little conversation we saw, I really got to see how special they were.
Let’s talk about August first. This kid has so much damn talent and I love how he was constantly remembering his dad. But at the same time, with that talent, came TONS of ego. I was really happy when he got that ego checked a few times. But damn was he also passionate! The game was his life, but I love how determined he was to have something to fall back on.
Then we have Iris, she’s almost the same way. She has a clear path for her life and doesn’t want to end up like her mother. Her story was really heart breaking, and her continuous story just kept breaking my heart. Now somehow I did not sob during this book, I think maybe my emotions were somehow on hold for a while? In any normal circumstance, I would have sobbed throughout this whole book. The things we saw her go through are things that I never even thought of possibly happening to a human being. The raw ache she felt, man did we feel it too. Kennedy is so good at that. She’s so good at getting us to feel those same emotions. We were raw right there with her.
Family was a really important theme in this book. If it weren’t for family August and Irish would have had much different lives after they met. They both had THE BEST families, minus the douche canoe that was Caleb. I loved their families so much, especially Jared and Lotus. These two really made August and Iris shine. Supporting characters are equally as important, and these two had a monumentus role in this book.
With all that said and done, I can’t give too much away, BUT YOU NEED TO READ THIS! Kennedy is so damn talented and this book is really a shining star. It has so many emotions and layers, although you want to see when the good times come, you don’t want it to end. When it ended I was about to throw my kindle!!
ONTO THE NEXT!!! Can’t wait!
I have mixed feelings about this book. I would have given it a 5 star rating if not for a couple things (which I’ll explain in a bit).
This book is really well written and it’s a decent length being a little bit over 400 pages. Ms. Ryan could have easily made it a duet but I’m glad it’s one longer book instead. Technically this could be labeled as a slow burn romance because the hero and heroine aren’t even a couple until the 60% of the way into the book, even though their feelings for each other start as soon as they meet. The heroine was in a relationship with someone else when it starts and she’s with that man through 50% of the book. The time frame of the story is 4-5 years in length. This didn’t bother me. I was happy that they were older when they finally got to be together.
This book dealt heavily with domestic abuse and rape. I do not mind this theme in a book as long as I’m not living with the heroine during the domestic abuse phase of her life. Unfortunately, that’s what happened here. I think there should be much more detailed trigger warnings for this book. There are two VERY detailed and violent rape scenes that were deeply disturbing. I know these things happen in real life and it’s a serious issue. But I don’t need to read actual rape scenes to know how horrible they are and how evil her “boyfriend” was. I read the first scene, skimming the last few paragraphs of the worst of the abuse and completely skipped over the second one, lightly skimming a paragraph here or there so I could tell when it was over. Maybe these scenes helped shed a light on the issue for some readers, but I really felt the scenes were unnecessarily detailed. And did there really have to be two? There were so many other ways Ms. Ryan could have gone about writing how horrific Caleb was to Iris rather than putting detailed rape scenes in there. For this reason I took away a star.
I also didn’t enjoy August’s inner commentary of his sexual exploits in the beginning. At least there weren’t detailed scenes of his four way and other sexual encounters. Aside from that, I did really like August as a hero. I don’t think I’d ever label him a book boyfriend of mine, but he was devoted to Iris and her daughter and treated her with love, kindness and respect. He waited for permission and consent from her well before he knew what Caleb did for her.
Iris was a good heroine but I have my issues with her as well. She was so headstrong and insistent on not being like her mom (who lived as a “kept” woman/mistress and even prostituted herself at some point) and following her own dreams, and yet she totally let Caleb steamroll her in the beginning (before he became physically abusive to her). I was so frustrated with Iris, saying one thing and then doing another. I know she was trying her best for her daughter and he was a complete snake who laid subtle traps for her, but I was annoyed with her for ignoring the signs until it was way too late.
I give this book three stars because it was very well written and I do think it’s good to have books that shed light on the issues of domestic abuse and rape and how the system fails victims and protects abusers. I just think some of it was too much and to detailed and that there should be much bolder trigger warnings on it’s Amazon home page and at the beginning before the book even starts.
There are also three or four very detailed sex scenes between Iris and August that are great and show what a loving and healthy relationship should be like. There’s many uses of the F word as well as other curse words.
This book is just BRILLIANT!!
What a book this was. I ‘ve been dying to read this book after seeing so many great things about it. I m so glad I read it it was amazing. The story is just so good. It’s not like your normal love triangle at all. The story is so intense in parts the things Iris goes through are just horrible. My heart breaks for her she is such a strong woman. Life hasn’t been kind to her at all. For such a young woman she has been through pure hell. Iris has seen her mum want a certain life where she has men look after her no matter if the men are good or bad. Once they had money and looked after her she was happy. Iris never wanted a life like that. She wants to be independent have her own thing and money she has worked for. Her love for sport and basketball is where she sees herself working. She has been to college and is nearly where she is meant to be it just at her fingertip. But again life turns on her she starts to think maybe she isn’t meant to be happy.
August is a very talented basketball player. His fortune is very bright there hasn’t been a player like him in year. Everyone is already talking about him becoming one of the best players in the country. The night before the match that is goin to set him up for the top draft pick. He meet Iris who makes him feel like he is in top of the world. He doesn’t understand it he used to just having girls when he wants them and that it. But the connection he seem to have with Iris is stronger than anything and all they do is talk. Ye he would do anything to kiss the girl plus more. But he just send to be able to open up to her. Life has been a bit rocky for August to. He wants to make his family proud and do well and live the dream. But he knows that the dream of being a top basketball player can be hard on him and on the people that he love. This is what I love about August he is so grounded and level head. He doesn’t get to big for his boots. All he wants is to play ball and have the girl he is meant to be with. But life isn’t that easy.
This book is one of my favourites this year. This story is intense scary loving annoying happy let just say your on an emotional rollercoaster throughout the whole book. The twist are brilliant and I didn’t see it coming. The love triangle between Iris Caleb and August is a lot different to the rest I ‘ve read. I m not a huge fan of them so I was a lil nervous starting it. But once I started I couldn’t put the book down. I hook from the start. Irises story had me in tears in parts she shouldn’t have to deal with the stuff she did. I just wanted to hug her throughout this book. I loved August so much to be is the total opposite to Caleb which is good to be honest. I would highly recommend this book. It’s the first book I ‘ve read from this author. But I know it won’t be the last. Her writing is brilliant. This book does have a few sensitive issues but I have to say she’s does them so well. I really can’t wait to read something else from her. I m excited to read more from this series to.
This is a story of two people who meet at the worst possible time, but it was such a beautiful meet cute moment. Who can possibly pass up the moment August and Iris share that one night in a bar? August is one of the best college ball players when he meets Iris, but she has a boyfriend that stands in their way. What comes as a surprise to August is Iris is dating his basketball rival and it doesn’t stop him from thinking about her. Iris is all about living her dream just as August is all about living is dream but sometimes dreams do not come true. August and Iris’s dreams get derailed when one person manipulates a turn of events that will challenge both in many ways. Iris is a stubborn spitfire who is living the life she didn’t dream up because she will not take up control of her life. August is a beast on the court and a sweetheart off the court. The first moment he sets eyes on Iris he knew she wasn’t going to be easy to forget. Their chemistry is intense, and it heats up the pages with sparks that will set you on fire. When Iris and August meet again doing charity work both their lives take another turn that will set them on a path to a future they could look forward to.
“Long Shot” touches on issues of emotional and physical abuse that we have seen so much of around these days. I am so glad that Kennedy thought to write about things that are touching the world today. This books really does show you how some can feel real fear when they are being abused and do not know what their next steps should be. Iris and August must get through the past to give themselves the future they want. The story was a little long winded, but I love the message and the characters were written without all the drama. I loved the secondary characters and hope I get to read a story about them when Kennedy writes it. This novel will make you laugh, cry, and pray for a happy ending. You will fall in love with August and will want to know what you can do to get a man like that. Iris will make you fight for her when she is down and cry with her when she is being stubborn. It’s a brilliant story of two people who fight their way through life having regrets and making the tough decisions.
Just finished listening to this in audio and any words I will have to describe how I feel for this book will seem inadequate. I recently stumbled upon Kennedy’s books and all I can say is, where has this incredibly talented author been all of my life? Long Shot isn’t simply your typical sports romance. It is a read that fully engulfed every part of me. Told in dual POV, we get the story of Iris and August, two people who on the surface would never be together, but you know that nothing, I mean nothing, would keep them apart. Set against the back drop of the NBA, sports agents and million dollar contracts, Long Shot addresses many difficult issues with a realness and a rawness that is unparalleled. This forbidden, slow burn, angsty, painful, emotional book is one I will never forget. Thank you Kennedy Ryan for bringing us this fantastic story.