Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan

29 reviews

tatata's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Check the trigger warnings bc it is pretty graphic and I did not and was therefore real surprised and not at all prepared. 

At one point the fmc gets raped at gun point (actually several times), she gets beaten, isolated, degraded and basically forced to have her baby and be with her abuser

I gave it 3stars at first but I realised that I was waiting for the book to become enjoyable for most of the book and it only got enjoyable at the 70ish mark therefore 2 stars

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Racism, Death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Murder

gabichatslit's review against another edition

5.0

This book was so much more than a love story or a second-chance romance. It was life-affirming. It was a reminder that better things await on the other side of people, things and situations meant (and sent) to destroy you. I’ve had a copy of Long Shot for years and I had always been intimidated by the story and its subject matter (PLEASE READ/TAKE NOTE OF THE CONTENT AND TRIGGER WARNINGS). And at one point I resigned myself to just skip the first book and read BS and HS w/o understanding whatever interconnectedness that links the trilogy but I’m so glad that I read it. This book was tough and at times I was microdosing it, reading in short spurts bc I could feel the heaviness/since the pain that was coming and couldn’t handle it, but it was so worth it in the end.

Often times, when reading contemporary romance, I find myself frustrated and irritated when the FMC’s are dealing with a no good man/love interest, whose clearly not who he pretends to be and they keep falling for the lies. However, because of the tenderness and love from which Mrs. Ryan was writing Iris and her story (the stories of so many real women), all I could feel was compassion and empathy. And maybe because there were moments where I saw the behaviors of men I trusted or the lived experiences of women close to me, all I could do was extend grace to Iris. Because while this book might be unique, the experiences detailed are not.

Every time I read a KR book, I think there’s no way I could love her and her writing more than I do, and then she surprises me and I find a deeper well of respect and admiration for her craft and the stories she tells. I’m also thankful to all the people who sat with her and shared their stories that helped her write this book. The strength and courage those individuals possess, is commendable.

August and Iris’ journey and eventual love story was one I won’t forget anytime soon. They cracked me open and I am truly changed. Their HEA was so earned and I loved watching Iris return to herself and learn to trust herself again. I loved August and his brother’s interactions (I called it early on and they did not disappoint), I loved Iris and Lotus, and Kenan’s “who the hell was that??” lol I loved August’s mom and Deck. I loved MiMi and I loved little miss Sarai.

It’s rare that I come across love at first sight in romances that I read and even rarer that I enjoy them, even though I’m still not sure if that’s the best way to describe the beginning of August and Iris’s story. But in every interaction between the two, you know it’s more than lust that’s bringing them together. Like their connection is so much more than just physical. It’s just greater. Their dynamic reminded me a lot of Luca and Ever’s in Luca by Grey Huffington, another one of those undeniable connections that makes little sense and is larger than life. 

‘I’d play you at the five.’ Whew. Seeing August stand ten toes down for Iris even when he couldn’t see/didn’t know all she was going up against. His commitment to her and their family— to his princess, he was a hero/love interest, unlike anything I’ve ever read. I truly believe every book I read after this will be weighed differently against how this book made me feel. 

I’m starting Book #2 immediately, and I’m so looking forward to watching Jared come to know and understand why August would walk to the end of the earth, sacrifice anything, for the person that made his soul come alive. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Cursing, Grief, Sexual content, and Blood

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, and Stalking

simplysimone's review against another edition

dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Emotional and gut wrenching 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Rape, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Death of parent

bribri99's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Rape, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

bijouxreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Sexual violence, and Gaslighting

cathyo_113's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I love this book, but also finding myself wanting to chuck it against the wall. I don’t think this is a Romance book. The first half the book is spent showing how Iris and August are living separate lives and come together at different points with a deep connection and tension between them. Theirs is a love story. It’s heartbreaking and for Iris, tragic, but ultimately this is not a romance novel.

There is no happy ending or happy for now for both characters before the epilogue. There’s certainly resolution of a major plot point for the MMCs.

But really, this is a contemporary sports fiction novel with romantic elements and an emotional love story between the main characters at the heart. 

I never felt - from the start of the book - that Iris was in love with Caleb.

I also never understood why her character would willingly choose to have a baby with a man who, for all intents and purposes in this book, sounds like he sabotaged their contraceptives. For all her grandstanding to August about what an independent woman she was she caved when she found out she was pregnant with someone who she barely liked.

There are descriptive depictions of physical and emotional abuse, rape, and sodomy against the FMC. Yes, there is a trigger warning at the start of the book about intimate partner violence but, this was hard to read and, admittedly I skipped those parts of the book to finish the book and intermittently went back to read/skim for context. 

I’m bothered that the real love story for Iris and August, where they can truly be together and with each other is comprised of 144 pages (prior to the Epilogue) while 264 pages are dedicated to detailing Iris’ toxic relationship with Caleb, including detailed pages of the intimate partner violence Iris suffers, and August’s pining for Iris while seeking physical pleasure with other women. 36 pages are dedicated to the epilogue and bonus epilogue where the HEA/HFN happen. 

Again, I loved the writing and story telling in the book. I kept turning each page because I had to know what was happening. But I just wish this would have been a duet rather than this all-in one story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Death, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Stalking, and Violence

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

sarahowusu's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Rape, and Violence

Moderate: Gun violence and Suicidal thoughts

hoesluvdiva's review

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This book took my soul for a ride.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, and Death

madame_fool's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

🌶️🌶️🌶️ holy shit. I was not mentally prepared for the turmoil of this book. It’s great, don’t get me wrong, but it’s TOUGH. The content warning was NOT enough, it should have explicitly stated there was actual scenes of rape and domestic abuse. Definitely could have been triggering to some readers. My pool heart goes out to all survivors 💔

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Gaslighting, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, and Gun violence

Moderate: Murder, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Violence

caitlin_plotsandpints's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Murder, Domestic abuse, Violence, Pregnancy, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness