Thank you to Netgalley and HC for granting me access to this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will post my review of this book when the Harper Collins Union strike is over because their needs were met.

I got an ARC of this book.

Well, this was a book. It was not a book that was for me at all. It was so jock it hurt. But it wasn’t like the jocks I dealt with, it was bro jocks. It was like an exaggeration of the stereotype of jocks. Constant fights, constant homophobia, constant dude. I just couldn’t get into it.

The sex scenes were so bad. They were not graphic, but the parts that were shared made me cringe. The big dick romance trope lives on. The being able to bottom immediately without issues happened again. The being great at sex despite being a virgin and awkward, yep. I am glad there was mention of lube at least.

It wasn’t the worst book I have ever read. I can see people getting into it, but wow, I could not. It wasn’t until the last 10% or so that I found something to cling to. Sandro’s mother being a busybody and actually owning up to her shit was the only plot that mattered to me. I loved her so much. She was not perfect, but she was trying. She was the most human character in the book and the only one that made me actually feel something besides annoyed. I would read parts out loud to my partner and they kept telling me it was ok to DNF, but I wanted to finish. It isn’t often that butch/butch is the focus for ya stuff. I needed to see it through.

Overall, no. Not for me. I did not enjoy and I am struggling to find something positive to say about it outside of the butch/butch part. The two stars was for the idea. Two jocks getting together and it not being this huge deal to them was great. Seeing the biggest issues being their mental health instead of their sexuality was new.

THE LONG RUN by James Acker is a poignant and captivating tale of love and self-discovery. Sebastian and Sandro are high school track and field athletes who come from very different worlds, but they are drawn together after a chance encounter at a party. Despite their differences, they quickly realize that there is more to each other than they knew.

Sebastian, nicknamed "Bash the Flash," is loud and boisterous, but it’s all an act, as he is struggling with the loss of his mother, the absence of his father, and the cluelessness of his stepfather. Sandro, on the other hand, is often forgotten in his large and loud family. As that may be preferable to attracting their anger, he opts to walk to school everyday on a broken foot rather than ask for help, and he is desperate to find a way to escape for good.

As they navigate their growing feelings for each other and the challenges of maintaining your image in high school, Sebastian and Sandro support and encourage each other. They have a crude and sometimes disgusting sense of humor, but it is clear that they are ultimately sweet and thoughtful boys who are on a journey of self-discovery.

THE LONG RUN is a beautifully written and deeply moving story about the importance of being true to oneself. It is a must-read for fans of queer romance and anyone looking for a heartwarming and honest portrayal of young love.

Thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for an eARC of this novel.

Sebastian is starting his senior year of high school with dreams of going to Rutgers on for field and track, mainly spurred by his late mother's dream for him. Living with his stepfather, his dad long gone, he is known as the fastest runner in the state. Enter Sandro, a field member at his high school. An unlikely friendship develops, turned into more - Sandro always knew he was gay, but was reluctant to tell his family, and Sebastian seems to be confused but accepting of his feelings for Sandro.

The Long Run, by James Acker, is a serious, interesting tale of two boys about to be adults, struggling to figure out where they fit in the world. I thought it was well written. It doesn't seem like a usual LGBTQ+ YA Novel, especially since it takes place in the sports world. I enjoyed it, it was a good insight into a world I'm not very familiar with, and I did end up caring about the characters.

Let me start off by saying that while this is classified as a LGBTQ YA Romance, I often forgot these two main characters were only teenagers because they were very mature. Sebastian and Sandro were weary and depressed and held down by life and responsibilities. When they meet, a huge portion of their story is inner monologues and self reflections.

What I didn’t like? The usual plot thickener of a separation. It’s so overdone in romances and honestly in this case I feel like it was not necessary. These two guys had a good connection so it shouldn’t have happened.

What I liked? The story itself was beautiful. The message was profound that sometimes all it takes is one person, YOUR PERSON, to make you feel seen and loved.

I wish we got a future look at the couple after that ending. It felt more like a HFN instead of a HEA.

Thanks to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for the ARC.

The Long Run is the gay romance my heart desires, and boy did James Acker deliver. The meet cute of "Bash" Sebastian and Sandro was adorable, finding themselves at a beer pong party in the woods, then, suddenly, kissing. What unfolds after that is a self discovery journey of two boys looking for friendship and love. I found the story heartwarming and I shared in the boys' ranges of emotion, from new love to lust to grief and heartache. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good romance, or any teen looking to read about first love. I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

LGBTQ+. Two high school seniors just trying to make it. The boys have dreams of college, family problems, and more in common than they know. Sometimes a friend shows up when you least expect it.

Many, many kids struggle with these exact problems. I'm glad this book is for them.

Hmmm, how do I begin talking about this book? Initially, I had a hard time getting into the writing style of a teenage boys brain. The book started out really hard to read and it took me awhile to get to know the characters. I feel that was almost part of the plot, being that the characters did not even know themselves. This coming of age story was well thought out and engaged the reader. I did find it a bit hard to keep track of the timeline being that the story could jump days or even weeks. Overall, I enjoyed the story. I felt connected to the characters and liked watching them develop. I feel like the author did a great job of creating a story worthy of empathy, while making it relatable for anyone who may be struggling with their sexuality, friendships, family issues, or themselves. I have to say, I did not love the ending, seeing that the plot was left open ended but was attempting to be hopeful. I guess I wanted love to win and to continue seeing Sandro and Bash work to evolve, support, and push each other.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion of the book.

i’m conflicted. on one hand, there is so much important stuff in this book. the representation of anxiety and self esteem issues was so good. on the other hand, there was a lot holding the book back. mainly the flat side characters. plus i found it odd that the book says AT LEAST 20 times that bash is very hairy. i don’t know why it was reiterated so many times

I read a lot of queer novels, so this was a very similar to the things that I always read. I think it was a good storyline and is great for young adults and queer youth. Everyone could do with reading this book.

This was a well done twist on an old trope (enemies to lovers.)

This was less a flash in the pan, thriller drama book, so much as a slow, building burn full of sensuousness (in a tasteful) way, and discovery.

Questions about sexuality and realizing identity is not necessarily black and white, but more of a fluid sometimes confusing thing. Throw in issues of grief, coming out, confronting toxic masculinity, and bullying - especially within one's family - and you have this incredibly lovely and complex story.

The Long Run is one of those books that once you're done reading it, you will find yourself wishing you could go back and read it again for the first time.

Tropes/topics: YA, LGBTQ+, Sports, in the closet,

Thank you to the author, publisher & NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This is not the usual genre of books I read. I typically read dark romance & fantasy. If I read YA my characters are typically girls but I have been wanting to read outside of my typical bubble. I want to be well rounded with reading!

One thing that was hard for me to read was the terminology being used for a lot of this. It’s high school boys talking.It can get hard to understand if there’s too much slang.

I also felt like things were pretty jumbled around in the beginning. Bash was talking about getting a hair cut then all of a sudden he’s talking to his buddy & he still has long hair.. maybe it was supposed to be a flashback but I didn’t think it was apart of the Lucy chat flash back.

I think many people are going to love this book for the representation that’s in it. It wasn’t necessarily for me because it was just too slow.

This is one of the most down-to-earth teen novels I've read. It's got some of the classic dramas of high school - body issues, where to go to college, how to deal with friends, how to deal with family, how to deal with having a reputation, and, most importantly, how to become the person you actually believe you should be. The two male leads have their own problems in each of these areas, and the way they find solace and more with each other unfolds very believably over the course of the novel. It isn't always pretty, and it gets bad before it gets better, but this is one worth checking out. I can't wait to recommend this to readers.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC of James Acker’s debut Novel, The Long Run in exchange for an honest review.

Here is the description of the book that is written on Netgalley.com:

“Two track and field athletes find an unexpected but powerful love in this unapologetically blunt and unforgettably real YA debut.
 
Sebastian Villeda is over it. Over his rep. Over his bros. Over being "Bash the Flash," the fastest sprinter in South Jersey. His dad is gone, his mom is dead, and his stepfather is clueless. Bash has no idea what he wants out of life. Until he meets Sandro.
 
Sandro Miceli is too nice for his own good. The middle child in an always-growing, always-screaming Italian family, Sandro walks around on a broken foot to not bother his busy parents. All he wants is to get out and never look back.
 
When fate—in the form of a party that gets busted—brings these two very different boys together, neither of them could’ve predicted finding a love that they’d risk everything for…”

The reason why I am adding this since I am sure it is written above any review you would read of mine is that when reading the book, I got a totally different feeling about some of this. The description of Sebastian is the exact feeling that was conveyed. He was lost. But I had a totally different understanding of Sandro. I thought he was the youngest in the family, not the middle. The youngest by a lot. It also seemed to me that it was more than he didn’t want to bother his busy parents with his broken foot, it almost seemed as if no one had the time to take care of him and just had him walk places, at least that is the feeling I got. Maybe that was the author getting into the psyche of the character or maybe it is how it was written, I am not certain. I also found a few editing issues in the book, although I am not sure if this was an unedited copy..

Overall, it took me a while to get into the book but once I was in, I couldn’t put it down. Two lost boys who found each other, first as friends and then as more. Both were missing something in their families but were able to connect with someone who helped them through their struggles. Both experiencing their first true love.

The author did an excellent job exploring what I assume to be the struggles an LGBTQ+ person goes through with possibly accepting their feelings and telling their loved ones. Also, the does he/she doesn’t he/she like me that people go through, although it's been quite a long time since I have experienced that and first love. And I loved the play on words for the title.

#JamesAcker #TheLongRun #YA #ContemporaryFiction #Fiction #RealisticFiction #HighSchool #Death #LGBTQ+ #POC #Multicultural #YoungLove #FirstLove #Family #Friends #FamilyDynamic #Changes #FamiyDrama #FindingYourself #SelfDiscovery #NetGalley #ARC #November #2022

Thoroughly enjoyed this book! Being a story about two high-schoolers struggling with their sexual identies, while navigating the world of being "jocks", it was surprisingly steamy! Which I loved!!!!! The intimate scenes were both authentic and humorous. Awkward and endearing. It was as if you were living their experiences in real time, right alongside them.

I fell head over heels for both Bash and Sandro. They were quite the pair. I thought the author did a wonderful job of bringing out the positives in both individuals, while also showing their most vulnerable sides. Life is hard when you're a senior in high school and every possible wrench was thrown into these two's paths. Their teammates, their families, their friends. They all had their opinions and assumptions.

Bash's relationship with his step-father was one of the most raw and heartwrenching parent/child storylines I've read in a YA book. I loved seeing the evolution of their relationship over time and how they navigated the unknowns of life without Bash's mother.

The Long Run had so much relavent content related to today's society norms and queer stereotypes. James Acker wrote an emotionally gripping love story, while also managing to keep it hilariously funny and sickeningly sweet. I couldn't believe this was their debut novel! Blown away, really! I cannot wait to read more by this author!!!

Shout out to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC e-book of The Long Run.

Thanks netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for a honest review.

This book was a rough read at the start. It felt very much like a "hello fellow kids" with swear words coating every page. From the synopsis of the book I was expecting more in line with what we have seen with Heartstopper or Boyfriend Material which can be dark at times but it's mostly light hearted. Mostly OK and I could see if this book having a impact on a young person if it was in the right hands.

I loved the enemies to lovers aspect but also... didn't like it? Sometimes it made me so mad but in the absolute best way! I loved this. I'm recommending this to any of my friends/followers who loved Heartstopper as much as I did.

First of all, this may be just me, but I can't say that I like the cover art. There's something off about the faces! Personal preference and all that though.

I did like the characters... a coming of age/figuring yourself novel about two track stars. both of them have a lot going on in their lives. Well written...enjoyable!

A debut novel, this is a YA story of two high school athletes (track and field) trying to negotiate their senior year amidst discovering more about themselves and each other. Bash and Sandro unexpectedly realize they have feelings for each other and must navigate not only that but everything else coming of age throws at them. Recommended..

The narrative was a little much. Trying-too-hard teenage voice. Family dynamics of both characters was interesting but a little lacking on development. Some of the characters felt stereotypical and flat.