A review by isitcake
Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan

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

2.5

I went in not knowing there would be domestic abuse and rape. I really don't like these types of "romance" books. Reminded me a lot of Colleen Hoover's Ugly Love, which I disliked for the same reasons. I also really hate when literally the entire book could have been prevented if she had just gotten an abortion. She didn't even want the child! But it's never even considered as an option. 

August and Iris meet at a bar and are instantly connected, but she's dating his rival basketball star Caleb. Iris wants to be a sports journalist(?) but is knocked up by Caleb, she finds out way later he poked holes in the condoms because he wanted to trap her in a relationship with him. Rather than get an abortion, she turns down her job offer and has a daughter Sarai. Caleb and August are both drafted into the NBA. Iris becomes isolated from her friends and family. Caleb starts beating her, raping her at gunpoint, and she can't leave because he hires a bodyguard Ramone to constantly watch her and act as witness - reporting her to child services and freezing her out of all her accounts the one time she tries to run away. She feels trapped and there's no way for her to leave with her daughter so she stays and continues to be abused for 1+ years(?).

One night its really bad and Iris manages to get away after with the help of her cousin Lotus (likely a FMC in next book), where they go to a hospital and pictures are taken which she uses to get full custody of Sarai in exchange for signing an NDA. Iris takes another 6 months living in the swamps of NOLA before taking a job offer in San Diego with, turns out, August's half brother Jared with who they have formed a sports agency together. August and Iris get together and everything is going fine until those abuse pictures are anonymously mailed to all major new by Caleb's doctor brother Andrew who was complicit up until now helping heal Iris. Caleb loses his NBA position, all his endorsements, disowned by his dad. Iris goes into "hiding" back in NOLA but Caleb knew all abotu it and comes to rape/kill her. Iris is shot in the shoulder and shoots him in the stomach. August shows up and they watch him bleed out. Then they're HAE together.
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