Kennedy Ryan never disappoints! I’m very excited about starting this new series from her. This book made it to one of my Top 10 favorites of all time. Iris Dupree was one of the best fictional characters and one of the strongest characters I’ve ever read about. This book was simply fantastic and a wonderful way to kick off this series! I can’t wait for more.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for the arc of this book!

⤷‧₊˚4.5⭑
“you can be on my team.”
“oh, i lob a smile up at him, much too close to flirting.” “And what position will i play on your team?”
His smile melts a little around the edges, and his eyes lose some of their humor. “At the five spot,” he says softly. The five spot? His position is the point guard, or the one spot. shooting guard is the two. the three is is small forward, and the four is power forward. the five is… “center,” he says.
“if you were mine, iris, there would be no doubt what position you’d hold in my life. you’d be the center. i’d play you at the five.”

kennedy ryan always writes amazing, heart wrenching storys. but this here is my number #1.

this was amazing and even if i always would recommend this book !please! check the trigger warnings this is not a cute rom com. it has a lot of heavy themes. that being said the characters are work of art no kidding they are amazing. iris is one of the most beautiful and strongest fiction character, her story is heartbreaking. i cries so much but this means a lot to me.

truly a masterpiece.


some more quotes because why not:

“i should have done this the night me met,” i whisper into her mouth, my head spinning from breathing her air. “it should have been me, iris.” her eyes squeeze shut and a tear slides over her cheek. “i know” she bites her lip and nods. “it should have been you.”

“People have no idea what some women go through behind closed doors or what keeps them there.”

“you are pure. you are enough. you are strong.”
“Strength. dignity. courage. all these things belong to you. take them back. your soul is yours. your heart is yours. your body is yours. yours to keep and yours to share.”

* I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

Kennedy Ryan did a fantastic job with this book. It was very well written and I loved the characters. This book may not be for everyone because of the graphic content, which the author does warn the reader about on the first page. I will absolutely continue this series.

Would recommend!

August and Iris meet and feels an instant connection to each other. Unfortunately, she's with his rival Caleb- a truly despicable guy. They meet again years later and their connection is still undeniable. Will true love conquers all?

This is a very intense and emotional book. There are some trigger warnings: domestic and sexual abuse and rape. Iris and August are both strong survivors and they made this book terrific.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

Wow this was such a powerful and beautiful story!

Kennedy Ryan has quickly become one of my favourite authors and this story is one that will stick with me for a long time.

When Iris and August meet their connection is undeniable. However Iris is in a relationship with Caleb - August's rival in the NBA. The first half of this book was very tough to read. It was so heartbreaking seeing the horrific things Iris suffered. (Trigger warnings for domestic abuse and rape.) I have so much respect for Iris, she is so strong, resilient and brave.

I loved August's character. He is so kind hearted, tender and loves Iris unconditionally. It takes a while for Iris and August to get their HEA but when they do its magical.

I also enjoyed all the side characters (baby Sarai, Lotus and Mimi) and how they added at this wonderful story!

I’ve read this masterpiece a thousand times. This is one of my favorite series ever. As a DV survivor, this story was healing for me as well. This is also what got me into sport romances so thanks for that 😂 I’ve been obsessed ever since!

Reading this book was a visceral experience. I have never experienced such a full body response to a book before. Kennedy Ryan is truly in a league of her own in the way she crafts emotional romances, and her prose is written in the most poetic and elegant way. Let me tell you, this one is INTENSE. If you are a sensitive reader, please consider reviewing the trigger warnings prior to reading. However, if you are willing to go along for the ride, what you will experience is truly memorable. Iris is a fantastic female main character, and her journey toward personal strength and healing is an important one to read about. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

Long Shot was the last book I read in July and I binged it in one day, it was THAT emotionally good.

Iris is a graduating college student who is currently dating up and coming basketball star, Caleb. However; when she meets August the night before his match up with Caleb's team, her world turns on it's axis. Iris cannot be with August though. She's pregnant with Caleb's daughter and life isn't the best for the years to come. Being with who she's truly meant to be will be a long shot, but one that she'll try to put at the center of her life.

Long Shot is my second read by novelist Kennedy Ryan but the first one I ADORED from her. The emotional tones that Ryan writes in pulled at my heart strings and allowed me to truly feel for Iris and August. Please know that this book deal with sensitive topics (such as domestic violence) and please treat yourself with care while reading Long Shot.

I was simply blown away with Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan!
I loved the plot and the characters with their phenomenal chemistry.
I devoured this book in a matter of hours today. I could not put it down. I honestly don’t think I did put it down.
Seriously this is the best sports romance I’ve ever read! Shatteringly stunning, smartly written, utterly captivating.
It's a MUST READ sports romance layered in heartache and steamy hotness!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Bloom Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing
eARC!

I will read ANYTHING from Kennedy Ryan. Her writing is absolutely unparalleled. The way she captures the intense, multi faced emotions involved in relationships where things are much more muddled than black and white is incredible. Her characters are dynamic and interesting with layers and layers of development. Long shot is no different. In fact, I think this might be my favorite of her books (although it’s so hard to beat Queen Move) August and Iris are just incredible human beings. The strength and maturity shown through their hardships is impressive. Iris especially is a character you just find your self so attached to, you would literally move mountains for her. This book is not an easy read. In fact, it’s a deeply sad, hard to hear story. But it’s important, and it’s motivational and it’s the ultimate story of human endurance. 5 stars.

This book is more than a sports romance! It was addictive to read and I flew through it. This book was centered around domestic abuse and what survivors & victims face. It’s a very emotional read but well worth it. This book had me feeling all the feels!

Thank you NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5/5 ⭐️

this is my third go at a kennedy ryan book and i can already tell I’m going to add the rest of her books to my never ending tbr

her writing is SO GOOD! the patience, care and caution she takes when writing these books does not go unnoticed.

with all that being said. this book deals with incredibly heavy topics and i recommend doing your research and taking care of yourself by reading reviews and checking the trigger warnings before picking it up.

I’d never read a basketball romance but I had a truly great time and i’m excited to see where the rest of the series goes!

thank you to netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS BLOOM books for an e-arc!

Kennedy Ryan can do no wrong. All of her books that I have read are absolute bangers and Long Shot is one of the best! It’s a very very heavy book with many major trigger warnings but it’s just beautifully done and a riveting story. If you are okay with reading the triggers (check storygraph) I would definitely recommend the book!

There were parts that were hard to read, but it was a book that needs to be read. This book made my heart hurt at times, but I think as difficult as Iris’s story was to read, it was more empowering than anything. No matter what hardships Iris goes through, she finds a way to stand on her own two feet. I can't wait to read more in this series. I will be recommending this book!



Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

TW for abuse; rape; domestic violence; assault; etc

Wow.

Going in I figured this was just another Sports Romance and I'd be fine with that. Boy, oh boy, was I wrong. This was a story of August and Iris. Their love was never supposed to be. At times I thought it would never be.

I had to put this book down sometimes because it hit home for me in a bad way. But I am so so glad I didn't get too emotional to finish.

5⭐️

Having this privilege to read this once again is such an honor. To read these words Kennedy Ryan has written from women who have been SA gives them a voice, returning their power back. So heartbreaking, but one of the most beautiful stories I have ever read, This will always remain as one of my favorite reads of all time. And can i just say I want some of my pancakes too🥹😂🥰

"Loving again was a long shot, and I wasn't sure I should take it, but you were so patient."

Kennedy Ryan has done it again this book was amazing and I’m so glad I read this. There’s so much emotion, pain, realness and love that was in this book. This story is about Iris (fmc), her survival, strength and love and it was such an important one. We see how intimate partner violence affects Iris in her relationship, the horror of it and how she was able to survive and later find love.

This has a love story in it but it’s not a romance book. It’s a story that shows and gives voice to women that have been through domestic and intimate partner violence. It shows their strength and resilience, the stigma and isolation they go through and also the hope of survival, healing and love again. The romance was touching, sweet and spicy but I'm glad after some sort of healing for the main character. This story is so important to me and it was sometimes hard to get through because of what was happening to the main character but it’s such a beautiful story that everyone should read if they can,

This is also a sports romance that has basketball which is one of my favorite sports. I hardly see basketball in romance books which made me love this book even more. I can’t wait to post all my favorite quotes from this book because I have so many. This book rereleases on August 8th so be sure to check it out!

The story flowed well and the characters were well developed. I recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.


****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

4.5⭐️ After reading and loving Before I Let Go, I was eager to dive into Kennedy Ryan’s backlist. When I saw she had a series centered around my favorite sport, I had to prioritize it! As expected, Long Shot was so much more than a typical sports romance. If there were only three words to describe it, I’d pick powerful, raw and emotional. There are a lot of painful truths, as the main character, Iris, is a fighter and survivor of domestic abuse, but Kennedy does an amazing job pulling us away from the darkness with some hope, resilience, comic relief with two side characters and one amazing hero, August. A special story all around.