This was a very moving story about second chances and finding love in the wake of survival. This was a very hard story to read, but Kennedy Ryan did a fantastic job at balancing the heartache with the tenderness that came from Iris’ relationships with Lotus, August, Sarai, and Mimi. I was so moved by Iris’s resilience. I also love how she heaved herself, but Lotus and August were there to support her through her healing.

(I'm going to list all the TWs at the end, I definitely urge you to read them before picking up the book)

This is my first Kennedy Ryan book, and I'm blown away by her precision and compassion when writing about domestic abuse. Yes, there is a main romance, and both of them have povs, but what you might not know from the blurb is that it takes ~60% of the book for the FMC to come out of her abusive relationship. There is a lot of abuse on page, including physical violence and repeated rape at gunpoint, and it felt like my heart was shattering as I read through it all. But again, I need to stress here how good a job Kennedy Ryan has done in portraying the reality of abuse on page, and in writing the FMC's struggle for surviving and her eventually successful (but many times failed) fight to leave with her kid.

As for the main romance, it's super swoony, and I loved the honest and healthy relationship they both had. And the epilogue was just the best.

TWs (please, please read these before you read the book) -
(1) extreme and continual domestic by a partner including beating, hitting, threat of guns, rape at gunpoint, forcing her to have sex without him wearing a condom, threat of taking away their child if she did not comply, calling the police and social services on her when she tried to escape, cutting her off financially, cutting her off from her family, buying off some of her family members, threatening her family if she did not comply, trapping her with a pregnancy by using a condom with holes in it, stalking and attacking her after she left
(2) on page postpartum depression which is later used against her when she tries to escape
(3) deliberate foul play in a sporting event leading to massive injuries
(4) on page victim blaming of women who "failed to leave their abusers". There are cruel comments on page, and this is something the FMC struggles with when considering that her story would come to light.
(5) rape of a minor (past, secondary character)

I would also urge you to read other reviews, in case I have missed any TWs.

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

Thank you so much @Read_Bloom for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 08 August 2023)

SYNOPSIS | August meets Iris at a bar the night before his big final college basketball game & they instantly hit it off. At the end of the night Iris confesses that she has a boyfriend so their relationship cannot progress past friendship. The next day August learns that she is the girlfriend of his childhood rival and whilst they are on very different paths, they always seem to come back together.

WHAT I LIKED:
- big fan of the 'right person wrong time' trope
- that it doesn't shy away from exploring a dangerous & abusive relationship as well as reclaiming your body & mind from an abuser
- Iris's inner-strength & perseverance was a beautiful thing to read
- this is my first book by this author but it definitely won't be my last

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- I wanted more of them on the page happy together (I dislike it when couples get their HEA in the final couple of chapters)

Long Shot is the story of August and Iris, they meet by chance one night at a bar, hitting it off instantly and realising there is something special between them. Unfortunately Iris is already in a relationship with Caleb a basketball player on a rival team to August.
Caleb is an obnoxious and dangerous whose controlling behaviour towards Iris soon turns into horrific episodes of domestic violence, unable to escape this dark world she is thrust into she has to stay for the sake of her daughter.
Although a heartbreaking story August stands out above all, he has never stopped loving Iris and eventually as Iris fights her way out of her brokenness her strength and ability to heal mentally as well as physically is supported unconditionally by August.
This is a heart pounding story of love and hope, tense and at times very dark this is a page turner that leaves you breathless but above all it is uplifting with a beautiful and satisfying finale.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

Iris and August. Star-crossed, the one that got away, never really meant to be. That's what it feels like upon first meeting, when the two connect in a way neither has with another before, only to find there's something, or someone, in the way. Their worlds collide on the night of the Big Dance, but it's at the game that August discovers Iris chose his nemesis, Caleb, long before he'd stood a chance. They never forget the feeling, but each moves forward with the life they selected. August a star rookie for a new team and Iris, the partner to another star rookie. Unbeknownst to August, though, Iris wants to get away, because her basketball prince isn't a nice one, he's a tyrant.

August is the basketball star you dream about, with an ego and a heart. He's an alpha without the a-hole, a young man raised well with his dreams secured. Iris is a driven, stubborn women with huge sports dreams as well, but she's tied to a wealthy, controlling boy who only knows how to get his way. Long Shot is a story of basketball, dreams, and a wilting flower who finds a way to bloom in the darkness. It's about lust, love, heartache, and the way you hold onto your hopes with a long shot dream of them coming true. It's passionate and difficult, a story that will break you apart and put you back together. A story that, for some, will resonate in ways that they felt a book might never. For others, it will be an eye opener into the pain that many experience and the overwhelming joy and strength that comes from making it through. It's a lengthy book, but it needs to be to tell you the whole story, the true story for many, and to give you the ending readers, romance lovers, and people in general deserve to have.

If you didn't know I am a massive college basketball fan, now you know. Sometime in high school I just decided that was the sport and age group I was going to be a fan of and I went all in. March Madness is my time, I am Iris in front of the TV, so Long Shot, from the first time I read it to now, the second time, is relatable from a sports girl perspective. The extra time Ryan takes to get into the game, the feeling, some of the stats, is so important to paint the full picture and really, it's time well spent for readers like me.

Long Shot is the first in the Hoops series and it's an incredibly romantic, angsty read that I cannot recommend enough.

As per usual, Ms. Kennedy Ryan did not disappoint! I loved everything about this book! Kennedy knows how to write a romance that adds in just the perfect amount of drama and inner turmoil. This book really does this perfectly. I'll line up and read anything Kennedy Ryan writes!

An excellent, heartfelt and authentic start to a promising series. Kennedy Ryan is growing on me and is undoubtedly one of my top authors of 2023!

Long Shot is the first book of the Hoops series and is an intense read. Kennedy Ryan does not only shed light on the cut-throat, relentless nature of basketball but also domestic violence and abuse. Readers are warned that the description can be detailed and vivid and is not for the faint-hearted. Though it is a romance read, and the chemistry and growth of our beautiful protagonists (Iris and August) are heart-soaring, this book is so much more. It sheds light on belonging, the wisdom of the people who have walked before us and connecting to our true selves. This book spoke to me on multiple levels, and I was left reeling with a severe book hangover. The author has a distinct and amazing writing style etched with a mark of authenticity. The supporting characters have so much potential; I cannot wait to dig into their stories!

“ I have the power to determine when I share myself and when I will withhold. Your body is yours. Yours to keep and yours to share.”

Thank you to NetGalley & SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for this e-ARC. This honest review is left voluntarily.

This book does deal with some heavy subject matter but did so in a way that felt real but could definitely be triggering for some people. I haven't really read a lot of sports romances that deal with basketball so I was excited to give this one a go. I liked both the main characters. August is a true gem of a human being and Iris is such a strong individual who has gone through/is going through a lot. I couldn't help but root for them.

💔💔💔 This book is an eye-opener and heartbreaking! 💔💔💔

This story breaks your heart, tears it apart and lets it bleed to death. It is not for the faint and weak of heart. It is an outcry to the world, to finally open their eyes and see behind the façade of the poor and weak and helpless, to save them from their misery and the endless suffering they have to endure, and to protect them from the monsters of this world.
God knows this story is not an easy read, but it is excellently written, with a topic that is unfortunately all too often glossed over and swept under the carpet: Violence and abuse against women, in whatever form!

I read another Kennedy Ryan book earlier this year and it was really well done, which drew me to this one.

Lovely cover. I am not really a fan of basketball stories, and this one didn't catch me. I stopped after chapter 1. It's easy to read and easy to follow.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC.

So this book. I don't know what to say. I totally recommend it. Just be warned that it isn't a light book. What you read is not just fiction because it happens to too many people.

Let's talk about the good stuff. I loved August. He was a good man. A beautiful man. A pure man. I loved everything about him. And just his whole character I adored. Iris was a strong woman. A beautiful person. A powerful woman. And she went through stuff no one should have to but she came out the end. She had something to fight for and fight she did.

Now the bad. The book contains triggering topics. And it's not talked about lightly. I don’t have a lot of triggers but this book took me on a ride and at times I had to take breaks and I cried.

This book did have a happy ending. A happy love story. She got her prince. She and her daughter are safe.

Review also posted to Goodreads

DNF at ~20%.

The premise of this story was great, but the trigger warnings definitely weren't detailed enough for me to anticipate the kind of content that was included in this story.

So, unfortunately, based on some of the sensitive subjects covered in this story, I will not be continuing to read it.

2 ⭐️ because I'm not able to submit this review without a rating.

NOTE: ARC received in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Just wrap me up in a blanket and serve me some tea. You know how you get that feeling when you want to read a book that's going to give you the emotions? This is it. It's the book you read when you want feels.

Whew, Kennedy Ryan always takes you on an adventure. One of the good things about reading these kind of stories is knowing that the villain is going to get got, and with any luck in a very spectacular fashion. So although some parts were hard to keep pushing through due to the subject matter, the amount of winning at the end was worth it.

The way August just knew, from jump, that Iris was his. It's what book boyfriend dreams were made of. And he's not sitting there doing the minimum because ole dude was beyond evil. I feel that Iris's emotions and thoughts surrounding her situation was well thought out and treated with care.

Please, please check trigger warnings before reading this.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bloom Books for an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

♾️/5
you guys. this book. it was AMAZING.

i’ve never read a book more raw, more heartbreaking, more beautiful than this one. this book gave me hope, broke it, ripped me apart, and then put me back together again. this book was hard to read at times… but seeing how patient August was with Iris… such a sweet, unconditional love.

please please PLEASE look up TW before reading this book.

Reading Long Shot was absolutely gut wrenching and this definitely is a boon that NEEDS to come with a long list of trigger warnings and content warnings. Without giving too much away, the depicted scenes of rape are extremely brutal and graphic and in my eyes extremely traumatizing. I am not sure where to draw the line between needing to state the reality of many many women and it being trauma porn.
Nevertheless, the story is an absolute must read. The women Kennedy Ryan writes are extremely strong and don’t need any men to save them!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I don't have the words to describe how much I LOVED THIS BOOK.
It was so real it gave me anxiety. Caleb was absolutely a piece of shit and Iris's mother, omg I wanted to kill her myself. What a bunch of despicable human beings.
August was so sweet and man, the love he has for Iris , and the respect, got me all swoony. Their love storie was so beautiful it made cry.
I really loved this.

Kennedy Ryan’s Long Shot is more than just a love story, it's a story about survival and finding trust in yourself and others again. This book was heartbreaking, beautiful, and inspirational. It opened my eyes to what it looks like to find love and healing again after trauma.

There were times that I had to put this book down because of all the emotions I was feeling. My heart ached for Iris and what she had to go through. Her story was tragic but beautiful and I loved her so much. Kennedy Ryan put tons heart and research into this book that it felt like I knew August and Iris and saw them grow as people before they came together as a couple.

I absolutely loved the way Iris and August’s love story played out. Their love was patient, kind, honest, and one I loved reading about. This was my first Kennedy Ryan book and it won't be my last!

Thank you Kennedy Ryan for writing such a beautiful/heartbreaking story with such heart and understanding. You are absolutely amazing!

I loved this book from the start. The way they meet, their banter was funny and the chemistry was there from the start, I loved that for once it involved basketball. August and Iris were two soul mates, wonderful characters. If you love sport romances this one is perfect for you.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for the ARC!

I have loved the couple of Kennedy Ryan books I’ve read and this was no different! I love basketball and there aren’t enough basketball romances out there!

This one was packed full of emotion (check your TWs!) as our MC has been through massive trauma and tragedy. The romance is a bit insta-love for me but the story overall was really impactful and raw. This isn’t the light and fluffy sports romance that you might be expecting, so definitely go in knowing that this one is heavyyyyy but also so powerful.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kennedy Ryan for the e-book. Wow this was an intense and moving read. Be sure to check the trigger warnings because this gets graphic.

“Struggle does not make you weak. Struggling against those who hold us is what makes us, over time, stronger than they are. Strong enough to fight back strong enough to win.”

I went into this knowing that Kennedy Ryan does her due diligence and she tackles difficult issues eloquently but honestly. What she writes here is based on countless interviews with survivors. It’s hard not to heard their voices in these pages. This is a story about domestic abuse, celebrity privilege, sexual violence and emotional healing. Yes there is a sports romance between the two main characters but that is not the main theme here.

I’m ashamed that at the start of this book I had thoughts like “you don’t owe him anything. Walk away.” Or “if you don’t want this, it’s ok to terminate.”. But as the book progressed I realized that I made the judgements that so many people make of women who are being controlled by their partners. The violence is graphic but it’s not gratuitous; it’s important to understanding and feeling deeply how even “strong” women can become trapped in a cycle of abuse. I had to set the book down and just sit with the heaviness of knowing that while the characters are fictional, the situations are not.

“ I have the power to determine when I share myself, and when I will withhold. Your body is yours. Yours to keep and yours to share.”

Iris and August are soulmates and I know the insta-love trope gets a lot of flack but it feels different here. It’s not necessarily “insta-love”, it’s immediate attraction and it’s that pull you feel when you find someone who “sees” who you are from the beginning. I believe there are people that our hearts just know they are safe with. It’s not always romantic but it’s visceral. That’s what Iris and August’s relationship felt like.

The thing I really appreciated here was that while August had a role in Iris’s recovery, he wasn’t the key. It took space and time, family and friends, therapy and treatment to get there. It was just as important as the message that you never know what happens behind closed doors. Recovery isn’t linear and it isn’t singular.

Bravo Kennedy for another amazing book. You continue to blow me away with your work. This one will stick with me for a long time.