Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan

84 reviews

bananenbrot's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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? Yes

3.5

Before reading this book please look at the tw!
I really liked this book and it had potential to be a five star read but it was extremely gory and very disturbing. The explicit scenes of rape and violence weren't what I was prepared for when I wanted to read a romance with a complicated setting.  Maybe thats my fault for not reading through the tw or the publishers fault for not labeling the book correctly. I felt like this book was more about the domestic abuse than about the romance. 
I also have some other minors problems with the book, like how the MMC wasn't empathetic enough for my liking. I mean I don't expect him to react perfectly in every scenario but he doesn't even concider to ask her about a lot of things and when he does he's a bit judgy. But the biggest fault of the book were definitely the overly explicit scenes of abuse.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Blood, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Violence, Death, Murder, Rape, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Confinement, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail

amanda_reads13's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-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

4.5

Iris meets August in a bar and they feel an instant connection, but the timing is all wrong - he is entering the NBA draft and she is dating his rival. Years later August renters her life, but she is suffering in ways August couldn't even being to imagine. 

I went in blind and this book was not at all what I expected (in a good way). I was expecting a cute basketball romance... It's so much more than that. This book has so much depth and emotion. It is a story of survival, of the magnitude of motherhood, and learning to trust after trauma. There were many parts that were very hard to read, so please check the trigger warnings. This book will run you through the ringer; it is gut-wrenching and heartbreaking, yet incredibly beautiful and so powerful. 

All of these character are incredible.  Each one is so full of heart that you cannot help but love them. Iris's story is such an important one. Her story will break you. It is easy to look at people and judge, but it really shows you that we never know the battles that people are fighting.

The world sees her as a ballers wife, with access to anything and everything she wants. In reality she is being controlled, tortured, and abused by her boyfriend daily.

Iris is the definition of strength. To endure what she did and to not only survive, but to find a way to thrive after all she went through gives you hope. Hope that there is life and love after such incredible trauma. Hope that you can endure the most horrific abuse, yet regain your power. This is a story of her strength, her perseverance, and her will to survive. 

How can you not love August? He is so patient and empathetic. All he wants to do is protect and take care of Iris and Sarai. I love how he always puts them first and never diminishes Iris's dreams. He fights for her in every way he possibly can. His love for her is so pure. 

The love between Iris and her family was a highlight in this book. Their connection highlights the importance of surrounding yourself with people who love you unconditionally. Lo is an incredible supporting character, she is the best friend we all need. I cannot wait to read her story. 

Iris and August have an undeniable connection. Their story is about defing the odds. It is about how patience, love, trust, and strength can help us endure, to live. You can tell that Kennedy put so much time, care, and research into this book. It is truly a powerful read. She is able to create such deep and interesting characters and tackle an incredibly difficult topic with so much heart and empathy. This book will stick with me for a long time.

One small issue I had was that for the first part of the book in August's POV it felt like Iris was a "prize" in a testosterone filled competition with Caleb.

I'm.so glad that Caleb gets what he deserves. He is worse than scum. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

clareasday's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Violence, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Sexual content, Blood, Domestic abuse, Rape, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

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

fir3bear's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

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

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

tannerlauren's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Gun violence, Sexual content, Rape, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

ororoboreal's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Murder, Misogyny, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual content, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Death

emmytig93's review against another edition

dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

So I want to start my review with this. Everyone likes different things. Objectively this book wasn’t bad, but it sure wasn’t my cup of tea. I couldn’t connect with August or Iris. I felt for Iris, I really did, but the on page SA and abuse was too much for me. I understand why it was on page, but it definitely affected my feelings on this book. If you are someone who really enjoyed this book that is great. I unfortunately did not, and it was hard for me to finish. I also really think there should be a bigger trigger warning in the front of this book. The one that is there didn’t convey what Iris was going to go through. If this is on your TBR, please don’t take my review as negative, and give it a shot. You might enjoy it and it be exactly what you like. Just make sure you go in with open eyes of what is on page and honestly pretty graphic at times.

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: 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