A review by bribreez
Hook Shot by Kennedy Ryan

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

*Check trigger warning before reading.

5⭐️/ 4🌶️

I’ve quickly become a fan of this trilogy surrounding NBA basketball players, the romance, the angst, the anticipation that builds throughout each story, and ultimately seeing how each set of characters are. This story followed, Lotus DuPree and Kenan Ross. Both, Lotus and Kenan were introduced in, “Long Shot”, Lotus is Iris’s cousin and Kenan is August’s teammate. Even from that first book, there was an instant spark that formed between Lotus and Kenan. I’ve always been fascinated by both Kenan and Lotus from their different perspectives, personalities, and just wanting to dig deeper into their backstories. This story had, age gap romance (Lotus was twenty-five and Kenan was thirty-six), single dad trope, he falls first, she’s a fashion designer and he’s a NBA player. 

Kenan Ross was not only am amazing NBA player, but also a loving, devoted dad to his daughter, and head over heels obsessed with Lotus. Kenan has always been present in the previous books, with his tall stature of being six feet seven, muscular, and toned, it was impossible to not notice him right away. I’ve always been curious about Kenan especially with how he was always described as being a man who kept his guard up, didn’t reveal much about his emotions, basically he was mysterious and introverted to most people, but revealed the truth to those closest to him. As much as I love a man with confidence, Kenan’s introverted personality caught my eye, and his idea of just having quiet time made me want to snuggle up with him! Haha. Kenan was also a dedicated dad to his daughter, and despite all the issues he had with his ex-wife, when it came to his daughter, Simone, he always went above and beyond for her. 

Lotus has and always will be the baddest *beep* you’ve ever met! I love Lotus! The calm strength that Lotus had was awe inspiring and showed the level of power she wielded. Most people would easily give into their anger or negativity, but with Lotus she had a sense of calm that even when she was upset or angry, held a gentleness to it that exuded power and honestly invoked more fear to those who tried to go up against her. I also loved how Lotus was able to bring Kenan, a giant handsome man to melt into a puddle, acting like a love sick man over her. Kenan was mystified by Lotus’s allure and he was CORRECT! Lotus was easily lovable, but I also found her to be mysterious and intriguing the more I read about her. Lotus was a queen and I adored her from her blunt and sharp personality to her amazing sense of fashion! 

The level of intimacy in this book was both passionate and genuine. For Lotus, she had always been someone who maintained clear boundaries when having sex which meant no intimacy. As long as Lotus scratched that occasionally itch of sleeping with someone she was good, but at some point it felt like nothing was the same as before. The theme of intimacy was a significant one for Lotus especially with what she experienced at a young age, that trauma was still inside her that she hadn’t fully come to terms with. I think having Lotus confront and reflect on her trauma and trying to understand what she really needed in a relationship was an important part of her overall journey. Seeing the way Lotus was with Kenan from spending time together to eventually having some sexy times illustrated that with Kenan she experienced true intimacy that she had always blocked out of her life. So, with whatever that Lotus went through, seeing her with Kenan made me really happy for the both of them. Plus, Kenan and Lotus matched each other perfectly! Those two shared a raw, passionate, and at times primal feelings when it came to their sexual intimacy. 

The connection and chemistry between Lotus and Kenan was beautiful and all kinds of amazing to watch unfold. I feel like from the moment Lotus and Kenan were first introduced in, “Long Shot”, it has been a build up of tension within basically years of them always seeing one another. So, the fact that Lotus and Kenan finally got together was really perfect! Not everything was easy for them (as most relationships aren’t) from dealing with Kenan’s ex wife to Lotus working through her trauma, and both Lotus and Kenan learning to open up to one another. There was vulnerability that both Kenan and Lotus shared with one another that made their romance raw and honest. As much as I loved Lotus being her usual blunt and feisty attitude, seeing her with Kenan was a newfound love that she nor Kenan had ever experienced before. I loved the progression of romance in this story, and with Lotus and Kenan stealing whatever moments they could share between their busy schedules made me swoon and almost want to cry tears of cry. 

I loved Kenan and Lotus! This book was truly beautiful, emotional, heartfelt, and even at times heartbreaking. Kennedy Ryan had such a unique way of writing her characters in a way that makes me consider all the aspects of the romance and more. Lotus truly was inspiring and I wanna be as strong as she is! Lotus didn’t let anyone take her down, she was a force to be reckoned with, and with her innate ability with the things MiMi taught her, she truly was more than we could possibly understand. Kenan was such an introverted man, but with Lotus he was open, happy, and in love that he hadn’t truly felt before. Lotus and Kenan were my favorite characters alongside August and Iris. This story tackled different issues from Lotus’s trauma from her childhood to even Kenan with his family. With so many emotions surrounding Lotus and Kenan’s story, it didn’t feel overwhelming, but just enough to fully grasp the reality of what they experienced. I’m a sucker for romance and Kenan Ross was a man in love who did anything for Lotus. I swooned over the romance and love that kept growing between Lotus and Kenan. (Sigh) lots of love and towards the end it had me in tears of joy and a little bit of sadness. Kennedy Ryan made me fall in love with Kenan and Lotus and it was easy to adore them! This whole story was amazing and I really enjoyed reading about Lotus and Kenan. The epilogues were chef’s kiss, made me cry even more tears of joy haha, but most of all, it showed the beauty of Kenan and Lotus’s love. Highly recommend reading this book! 
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