TW: Childhood sex abuse (graphic), attempted suicide, parental abandonment

This wasn't my first Kennedy Ryan book but it has been a minute! I had forgotten there are a lot of traumas in her books that she likes for her MCs to overcome. So this is your warning there is a graphic child sex abuse occurrence and it was awful to read but it does make you understand the FMC more. Also there is a secondary character that attempts suicide, if you're at all triggered by these two topics please be safe and take care of yourself first and foremost. I believe Kennedy mentions which chapter to skip the whole scene just in case in the front of the book.

I really enjoyed Lotus and Kenan's chemistry, they were very hot for each other from the very beginning. I've read the first book in this series but it's been so long so I don't remember any mention of them. They often reference back to previous meetings between the two so I'd like to go back and read those to get a taste of what they are talking about. But anyway, yes they are very smokin'. I enjoyed how Kenan always thought of himself as introverted but really was an open book with Lotus. And Lotus, man she's had it tough, I'm so glad that she finally has someone to choose her above all else.

All of the trials and tribulations the couple goes through seemed legit for the lifestyles of a professional athlete and a fashion designer and for a recently divorced dad. Kenan continuing to put Simone first was really lovely to see and I really dug the voodoo aspect that Kennedy chose to assign to Lotus. I have no idea how accurate it is but it added a little bit more of "magic" to an already great story.

I'd recommend this book and author to any contemporary romance or sports romance fans...maybe not too much romcom in it but the love story was fantastic on it's own. Thank you so much to BloomBooks for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

The final book in the HOOPS Series follows Lotus (Iris' cousin) and Kenan (August's teammate). And this one is definitely an emotional one. While I love seeing Iris and Kenan's love story unfold, I love that Kennedy Ryan spends so much of this book making sure that they do the work they each need to do in their own lives before giving them their HEA.

In Long Shot, we see that Iris and Lotus have such a strong bond and we see more of that and their childhood in this book. Lotus is a survivor of childhood SA and it is something that she really begins to process in this book and seeing that journey made me SOB.

I also loved seeing the cultural aspects of Lotus' childhood and the way they have continued to play a huge role in her life.

The love that Kenan and Lotus share is such a beautiful one and I cannot recommend this book and series enough!

Thank you to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for this earc.

To be honest I had such a hard time getting into this and I am relieved to have finished it. I felt like it moved very slowly. And it couldn't hold my attention. The characters I felt were kind of bland

I love these books so much and everytime I read them, they get better and better. Lotus broke me, Kenan was a precious gem. His ex wife is the absolute worse. I cried more times than I want to admit

“I have found the one whom my soul loves,” he quotes. More tears rain over my cheeks; a release years overdue. I weep for every time I’ve felt unloved, unwanted, unnecessary, and imperfect. It’s all there in the look he settles on me. To him, I’m more than enough. I’m all that he wants.”

This just may be my favorite book in this series. I really enjoyed the personal journey that both Keenan and Lotus went through and the romance 🥹. Their connection, chemistry, the drama and the friendship made this such a good read. I really really appreciated the healing that Lotus had to go through that stemmed from the trauma she went through.

Something that was really interesting to me in this book was Lotus’s spirituality. The combination of New Orleans voodoo and christianity and how it shaped her relationship with Kennan and also her healing was so unique and different. At first I was like huh but I really liked how it played out especially with the Song of Solomon verses and also the voodoo healing(?). Like always the way Kennedy Ryan writes friendships and healing was really well done and I liked the glimpses of characters from the first 2 books. Please check cw’s before reading.

Tropes/themes
- Single dad
- Age gap
- Healing
- Slow burn
- Sports romance

4.5⭐️

This is one of the best books I’ve ever read! Lotus + Kenan = perfection!!!
The best main characters. I loved them separately and together. The plot was fantastic and entertaining. This series is great! Highly recommend.

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

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book. It was good, the story, the character building, their fears and vulnerabilities were just to the point. The richness of each side story, how the infos were placed, not dumped and woven into the thoughts and dialogues.. I did enjoy every sentence. Kenan and Lotus were.. a-mazing!

God this book had me a hot mf mess the entire time. It’s so good and beautifully written and I am absolutely beyond obsessed

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc.

This was probably my favorite of the trilogy. Like the others, I thought the book was well written. I like Kennedy Ryan’s writing style and how well she conveys her characters feeling in the book. It was definetly an emotion roller coaster and make sure you read the trigger warnings in the beginning.

Rounded up from 4.5
Just as Lotus has sworn off men to figure out what is missing in her life, gorgeous basketball player Kenan walks into her life. But even if he is currently picking up the pieces of his, he simply can't resist Lotus.
This is book 3 in the Hoops series, a single dad, age gap romance, and my favorite in the series! I loved the chemistry between the two MCs and their constant communication. I would've liked for Kenan to be more supportive about Lotus' powers and faith and not so judgmental about it. And their was a lot of what I feel was unnecessary drama thrown in for show, but I didn't mind tons, most of the story had me swooning.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.

I love this new cover - OK, I skipped book two because I couldn't resist this cover. But that's my business!
Lotus is the epitome of a woman whose aware of her own mind. She has a plan to fix her life. He's been hurt publicly and his main goal is his daughter. They have an attraction that can't be denied regardless of their individual ls intentions. I love the trueness of these characters! They didn't play games, they rolled with the punched and dealt with the situations like adults. I appreciate that!

I are ally liked this book SKennedy Ryan has the ability to kidnap me with emotional deep trope exceptionally well executed
Beautiful as I was expecting. Thanks NetGalley for ARC

Hook Shot is an incredibly well-written novel. The story follows Lotus, a complex woman confronting her childhood trauma, as she falls in love with Kenan, whose messy divorce means he has plenty of problems of his own. The characters’ patience, love, and fight for one another makes it a special relationship the reader has the privilege to witness.

I always appreciate when authors include content warnings at the beginning of their book, and it is especially appreciated that the author included the specific location of a graphic scene in the book which could trigger certain audiences.

My absolute favorite aspect of this book is the vivid imagery the author provides in her writing. The descriptions are some of the best I have ever read and are truly an example every author should follow.

Some of my favorite imagery is “We linger that way, lingering in elastic seconds, stretched for us to revel in one another”; “a communion of flesh and bone and heart and soul”; “here between our chests, our hearts beat like ancient drums”; “I feel his eyes on my profile as tactile as a caress.” Every page includes such descriptive writing I was shocked at how vividly I was able to sense the emotions and sensations of the characters.

I really liked the unique perspectives this book offers; for example, the book illustrates the meaningful place voodoo has in New Orleans culture. I especially appreciated the diversity of the characters in the book; the inclusion of characters from so many different backgrounds is an example of how all books should be (and an accurate representation of our world today).

While I appreciated the respectful manner in how Lotus’s healing process is written, I would have liked to read more about her healing process, especially as towards the end it is not mentioned as much. Healing from trauma is often a continuous process, and I wish the book reflected that more.

I also would have liked to have had more of Kenan and Simone’s relationship explored and discussed especially in the later part of the book. I liked Kenan less as a character because not enough was included about his role as a father. Although this was a side plot, I think it would have been prudent to include more about his development as a father in order to fully flush out the story.

Kennedy Ryan is an incredibly talented writer and it is clear she puts a lot of thought and work to her writing. It is admirable to see so much research and dedication to one’s craft. I would love to read more books by her and I look forward to seeing what else she comes up with!

Hook Shot was such an emotionally draining romance but I loved every word of it. I just wanted Kenan and Logan to be together already! My emotions seriously went through it.

This was my favorite of The Hoops series. The love was a roller coaster with some twists and turns but a great story with a confident and strong FMC paired with a MMC that was exactly what she needed.

Kennedy Ryan is the absolute QUEEN of making you work for a happy ending and this book was no exception. There is pain and sadness but there is also joy and laughter and sparks.

Check trigger warnings before reading as it does describe child sexual assault and a suicide attempt.

So so so good! What amazing chemistry and vulnerability shown by Lotus and Kenan. Ryan dealt with heavy topics in this series and handled each with incredible believability. Absolutely great conclusion and I loved getting updates bout the other couples from previous books. So dang good!

Kennedy Ryan does is again! More spicy, fun, and addicting romance from the queen of the genre - fans will love this.

Kennedy Ryan blew my mind with this read about a divorced, veteran professional basketball player father and a free spirited, mid-twenties fashionista with a dark and traumatic past. I can only describe this read as utterly gut wrenching and magnificently earth shattering! I have no idea how I survived this book with the minimal tears I shed.

Kenan was getting out of a tumultuous relationship with his spiteful ex-wife and trying to do right by his teenage daughter while he balanced family and his career. He wasn’t looking for a relationship or even a fling when he laid eyes on Lotus for the first time. But once she burrowed into his thoughts, she never left. She was this constant yearning that he hadn’t felt before, pulsing though this veins every time they shared the same space.

Lotus kept her heart under lock and key but never deprived herself of physical relationships. She knew what she wanted and didn’t let anything or anyone get in her way. She was an up and coming fashion genius, working for one of the most prestigious designers in NY. She was strong, independent and feisty. But whenever Kenan came around, she could sense his presence and it shook her to the core.

“I need simple,” I repeat. “But I want you.”

The relationship that these two characters formed was nothing short of amazing! Their compatibility despite age, professional and personality differences was astonishing. These two just clicked on every level! Opposites truly did attract in this book!

I was completely enamored with the storyline around Lo’s southern bayou upbringing. The traditions that surrounded her ancestors and their views and practices of voodoo and other superstitious activities completely fascinated me and really brought an element of mystery and suspense to the story. Something so taboo made for a great change of pace for a romance read.

I don’t want to give too much away about some of the unfathomable and disturbing situations that resonated through this book, but I will say that Kennedy took you down to hell and back in this read, on more than one occasion! She is not afraid to write about the hard stuff and take characters to depths most romance authors wouldn’t dare to!

“We stare at one another across centuries, across continents, across time and space, and I actually believe that I would have found him anywhere. There is no place, no spot on the continuum of time that could have hidden this man from me.”

Hook Shot was everything I could have hoped for and more! I laughed, I cried, I cringed and I squealed! The ending to Kenan and Lotus’ story was magnificent and I just loved experiencing their journey from friends to partners and can’t wait for more (please say there will be more!!!)

So we met the two characters in the first book and I am so happy that they got their own story. It was beautiful seeing their growth through the series and I absolutely love the new covers their gorgeous
I may need to pick up the whole series
5 stars because duh

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

Lovely cover. Lotus and her merry band of ladies just didn't catch me. There were some formatting issues in my ARC that didn't help. I stopped after chapter 1. It's easy to read and easy to follow.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC.