Reviews

Grip by Kennedy Ryan

ri_ri's review against another edition

4.0

“I fell for her before the beat dropped.”

Another remarkable and truly heartbreaking story by Kennedy Ryan and it's no surprise that I loved this book. Kennedy has a true talent of writing emotionally heart wrenching and beautiful stories. I loved the way she represented black community and the interracial relationships in this series and the struggles people went through and still do. It's a story of family, friendships, love and career, and dealt with some complex themes.

Grip starts eight years after Flow's ending. Grip and Bristol want each other but they can't because Bristol loves too much and she don't want to live a miserable life like her mother, so she decided to never act on her feelings until the fear of losing Grip was too much than her fear of ending up like her mother. In Grip, we explore more of the dramatic and messy relationship of Bristol and Grip and also the start of Grip's career in hip hop world.

“Don’t you feel how connected we are?” I ask. “If I break your heart, I break mine.”

Kennedy's writing is riveting, lyrical and poetic in this one and we also got lessons on the origin of rap music and all. She also talked about racism and the struggles of black people and how white privileges impacted their lives and about a black man falling in love with a white woman and how that affected Bristol and Grip's relationship and how they navigated through all the hate and dismay. It was a harsh and emotional journey for them but they tackled all those hurdles together.


➸ Bristol Gray was an amazing female character. She is fierce and driven and very stubborn and even though she had her own hang ups about marriage and love because she never saw any healthy marriage in her life except her brother's, so she was always affraid and reticent to act on her feelings for Grip. As much as she frustrated me with how she was denying Grip's love and affection, it was understandable. She loves truly and wholeheartedly but she never got that love in return except when she loved Grip. I liked her character development and it took her years to finally accept her power of loving with full heart as her strength and not her weakness.

“He hasn't met a love like mine. My love is Pandora's Box. Grip snapped my hinges and pried me open. He let this love out. My love has a wild streak. Good luck trying to tame it.”

➸ Grip aka Marlon James was a refreshing character to read about and the more I read about him and his past, the more I like him. There were times where I felt liked he was forcing Bristol to accept their love but that man was waiting for eight years for her and he did everything in his power to make her understand he loves her but Bristol was Bristol. Though, his playboy personality was also not helping much their already messed up situation. What I really loved was how passionate he was about his music and how he believed in his words and his music. I also loved how close he was with his mother and how he appreciated her love and her choices.

“A fiery chord bridges the distance between our bodies, and I want to pull her close enough to burn me, to hurt me, to destroy me. Sometimes I don’t think I care as long as she’s close. I just want to feel her, even if it burns me alive.”

╰┈➤ The romance was angsty and passionate. Grip and Bristol comes from two very different backgrounds. They had different upbringings, different status and lives but their love for music, poetry and passion brought them together. They shared one unforgettable and passionate week eight years ago and they fell in love but it took them years to accept that love. There were a lot of hurdles before them and most of them were because of Bristol's stubborness and her being a white woman and Grip being a black man. The pining. The angst. The push and pull. The love. Everything was heartbreaking but beautiful. I was frustrated at times because of how they acted. Bristol could've given Grip and her relationship a chance and Grip could've stop playing his playboy personality. Grip and Bristol are imperfect and complex characters but they are perfect for each other. Their love needed time and space and I liked how they started with friendship and how Bristol helped Grip reached the heights of success even though she had to see him with other girls. And the way Grip loved Bristol and chose her over everyone and everything and the way Bristol loves him wholeheartedly was so precious.

“I want to spend the rest of my life feeling this way, like I'm only half alive when she isn't here. There's nowhere she could go I wouldn't chase her.”

The ending chapters were so dramatic and honestly, it was so unnecessary. But atleast that helped Bristol in amending her relationship with her mother and Grip's mother. I loved the epilogue. This book doesn't ends on a cliffhanger and Grip and Bristol had their happy ending but I am so scared of reading Still, because people said that Still changed their lives and it's the most emotional and heartbreaking book in this series and I am not ready for more pain and hurt because Bristol and Grip are so happy in this book and I just want them to be happy but I also can't say no to Kennedy and her books.


“My heart broke loose on the wind. ”

swanlady's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-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

alexisjeree2's review against another edition

emotional slow-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

4.5

Good read. Must read Series 

ssullivan's review against another edition

medium-paced

2.5

samix3reads's review against another edition

challenging hopeful lighthearted medium-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? It's complicated

3.25

bookish_noa's review against another edition

challenging inspiring lighthearted fast-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

4.0

mariaramirez7's review against another edition

5.0

4.5/5 ⭐️

rejh's review against another edition

5.0

wow this book was INSANE.
read the prequel and i adored it and i loved this so much
and kai and rhyson were so cute

kerithesmutslut's review against another edition

5.0

Where have I been?! This book was so freaking good! The first 50% really frustrated me, it was so dang angsty to the point I felt like I would need blood pressure medication. The next 50% was so well done, all I can say is bravo

amberisalwaysreading86's review against another edition

5.0

A Heart attack between Covers!

Kennedy Ryan! Ma'am! I wanna speak with a manager. My gawd woman,this book nearly did me in.

I threw my Kindle,I cursed your name,and then I ended up swooning on the floor.
I've never had a literary couple give me the kind of push and pull Grip and Bristol have.
The indecisive angst gutted me one moment and thrilled me the next. I realize their story isn't over yet, and I'm a total glutton for punishment,so I won't even give myself a recovery period before diving in to "Still".
Just know that this couple is the real deal,and their love and art have made a deep impression,and moved me.