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4.18 AVERAGE
4.18 AVERAGE
I try to dnf as rarely as I can but I couldn’t stomach this one. It deals in really important topics like racism, colorism, relationship abuse, family issues, loss, etc, and I knew that going in. However, I wish this would have included much stronger and more detailed trigger warnings. I have read many books that explore how hard it is to get out of DV including memoirs, but the scenes in this particular one were extremely, extremely graphic, and had I known the extent I likely would have opted out of this book. I will not leave a rating as just because it’s too much for me doesn’t mean that it is necessarily bad.
It also didn’t help that this was pitched to me as a romance story and the description seemed like a romance with maybe a scene or two of past DV, not a story about escaping it with active DV and very violent, very graphic SA with a deadly weapon occurring on-page. I wish I would have had a better idea about the topic of the story so I could have decided whether or not I could handle reading that right now and gone into it prepared. It did have very accurate elements of dv and the author definitely portrayed the feelings of panic, helplessness, and being trapped in a way that made me feel those things.
Aside from the tw issues, I really disliked the main love interest, August. I understand the realities of celebrity and how people can come off as very vapid and self absorbed, however, the way he describes the woman he’s supposedly obsessed with is not at all how I can imagine any person would want to be described or reduced to and quite frankly cruel and disrespectful. In his thoughts he is extremely demeaning going so far as to describe her mouth as “fuckable” while her infant daughter is in her lap and they’re talking about important things. This is so insanely disrespectful that I had to put the book down for a solid few minutes to calm down. He also uses other women to get over the one he’s interested in with no care, consideration, or respect for them. You can’t have a love interest that is extremely disrespectful of other women (and also of the main character to be honest) but sees the main character as so much different than other girls and because of that, deserving of respect. I loved how they bonded over similar life experiences in the first scene, but I am so tired of the played-out disrespectful treatment of women that gets brushed over because he’s nice to the mc.
Overall, this book may be something great for a lot of people, but it wasn’t for me. I really hope that additional trigger warnings are added.
It also didn’t help that this was pitched to me as a romance story and the description seemed like a romance with maybe a scene or two of past DV, not a story about escaping it with active DV and very violent, very graphic SA with a deadly weapon occurring on-page. I wish I would have had a better idea about the topic of the story so I could have decided whether or not I could handle reading that right now and gone into it prepared. It did have very accurate elements of dv and the author definitely portrayed the feelings of panic, helplessness, and being trapped in a way that made me feel those things.
Aside from the tw issues, I really disliked the main love interest, August. I understand the realities of celebrity and how people can come off as very vapid and self absorbed, however, the way he describes the woman he’s supposedly obsessed with is not at all how I can imagine any person would want to be described or reduced to and quite frankly cruel and disrespectful. In his thoughts he is extremely demeaning going so far as to describe her mouth as “fuckable” while her infant daughter is in her lap and they’re talking about important things. This is so insanely disrespectful that I had to put the book down for a solid few minutes to calm down. He also uses other women to get over the one he’s interested in with no care, consideration, or respect for them. You can’t have a love interest that is extremely disrespectful of other women (and also of the main character to be honest) but sees the main character as so much different than other girls and because of that, deserving of respect. I loved how they bonded over similar life experiences in the first scene, but I am so tired of the played-out disrespectful treatment of women that gets brushed over because he’s nice to the mc.
Overall, this book may be something great for a lot of people, but it wasn’t for me. I really hope that additional trigger warnings are added.
“If you were mine, Iris there would be no doubt what position you’d hold in my life. You’d be center. I’d play you at the five.”
Heavy. Heartbreaking. Devastating. Resilient.
August West you are everything.
Heavy. Heartbreaking. Devastating. Resilient.
August West you are everything.
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
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:
Yes
This book was SO MUCH MORE than what I was expecting from a basketball contemporary romance. It was super emotional and pretty dark with graphic depictions of things mentioned in the content warnings.
Iris was so strong. The drawn out plotline over years really allows for so much character growth on Iris’s side. It helps to show how she finds her own strength again after undergoing such trauma. The majority of the book focuses mostly on Iris and how her relationship gets progressively worse with Caleb.
August was so supportive of Iris throughout. I think the only thing that would keep me from a full 5/5 stars was that his chapters didn't have that much depth to them since not much progresses until further on when August and Iris start interacting more. The first half of the book seemed more like insta love based off a few hours hanging out at a bar. That carried a big part of the relationship between Iris and August for such a long portion of the book.
I feel like this was such a good depiction of domestic violence to shine a light on how hard it can be to leave that type of situation. The book even covers scenes where women and others dismiss Iris’s pleas for help or downplay the abuse of other basketball wives. It even covered some power dynamics of the basketball players being rich and famous and how that makes it even harder for women to get out of that situation. It just felt like the book navigated those topics so well and with empathy.
The writing is just so raw, real, and emotional. I cried several times. It was just so good, and I’m going to be running to read Kennedy Ryan’s other books.
Iris was so strong. The drawn out plotline over years really allows for so much character growth on Iris’s side. It helps to show how she finds her own strength again after undergoing such trauma. The majority of the book focuses mostly on Iris and how her relationship gets progressively worse with Caleb.
August was so supportive of Iris throughout. I think the only thing that would keep me from a full 5/5 stars was that his chapters didn't have that much depth to them since not much progresses until further on when August and Iris start interacting more. The first half of the book seemed more like insta love based off a few hours hanging out at a bar. That carried a big part of the relationship between Iris and August for such a long portion of the book.
I feel like this was such a good depiction of domestic violence to shine a light on how hard it can be to leave that type of situation. The book even covers scenes where women and others dismiss Iris’s pleas for help or downplay the abuse of other basketball wives. It even covered some power dynamics of the basketball players being rich and famous and how that makes it even harder for women to get out of that situation. It just felt like the book navigated those topics so well and with empathy.
The writing is just so raw, real, and emotional. I cried several times. It was just so good, and I’m going to be running to read Kennedy Ryan’s other books.
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Pregnancy
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
Kennedy Ryan delivers an emotional powerhouse with Long Shot. This story isn’t just about love it’s about survival, resilience, and finding the strength to break free. Iris’s journey was heartbreaking yet inspiring, and August was the kind of love she truly deserved. The writing was raw, gripping, and deeply moving, making it impossible to put this book down. This isn’t just a romance it’s a story that stays with you long after the last page.
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wheww, this was a rollercoaster. This book changed something in me. I’ve never wanted to step inside a book and hurt a man more than I did with Caleb.
Kennedy Ryan did a good job at giving an informative and descriptive perspective on domestic violence. Iris’s pov gave me a much better understanding of how insidious these situations can be. Although gruesome and gut wrenching at times, the story being told is important, because it is incredibly common. I was rooting so hard for her to get her lick back or to turn the tables.
Now onto lighter things: AUGUST THE MAN THAT YOU ARE *chef’s kiss*
Lotus, you deserve the world.
Kennedy Ryan did a good job at giving an informative and descriptive perspective on domestic violence. Iris’s pov gave me a much better understanding of how insidious these situations can be. Although gruesome and gut wrenching at times, the story being told is important, because it is incredibly common. I was rooting so hard for her to get her lick back or to turn the tables.
Now onto lighter things: AUGUST THE MAN THAT YOU ARE *chef’s kiss*
Lotus, you deserve the world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault
Moderate: Confinement, Toxic relationship, Blood
Minor: Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent