Long Shot: A HOOPS Novel

Hoops Series, Book 1

By: Kennedy Ryan

Narrated by: Sean Crisden, Jo Raylan

Length: 13 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

A forbidden love story set in the explosive world of the NBA . . .

Think you know what it's like being a baller's girl? You don't.

My fairy tale is upside down. A happily never after.

I kissed the prince and he turned into a fraud. I was a fool, and his love—fool's gold.

Now there's a new player in the game, August West. One of the NBA's brightest stars.

Fine. Forbidden. He wants me. I want him. But my past, my fraudulent prince, just won't let me go.

*Contains domestic abuse not involving the hero.

©2018 Kennedy Ryan (P)2018 Tantor

So Many More Than 5 Stars!!

I am still speechless to what I should be writing for this review. Kennedy Ryan has this beautiful way of telling a story that you can relate to and just be in that moment with her characters. Sean Crisden and Jo Raylan embody everything these characters feel and go through. AMAZING narration!!

Iris and August have a few things in common; 1) they are both huge basketball fans, 2) that they both have troubled pasts that have impact on their lives as adults, and 3) they have this instant connection that can be seen from a mile away. Iris and August meet at a bar on possibly the eve of his biggest game ever. She is watching her favorite team and he is drawn to her like a moth to a flame. They have a wonderful conversation that is easy and charged with sexual chemistry. However, when the bartender lets them know they can't stay any long the two of them have a moment of do I stay or should I go. Because life is complicated they go their separate ways but that one brief encounter forever haunts them. Their story is not an easy one as a matter of fact it is hard, heartbreaking, and just painful at times.

Their story is beautiful, heart breaking, funny, sexy, and so very relevant. There are some trigger warnings for abuse and trauma but if you can just be in the moment with these characters, feel with them there is resolution.

This is specific video review will be included in the August 2018 wrap-up.

For other video book reviews check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Rom Book Talk.

Long Shot comes to life!

i read the book and waited for the audio version so I could do a re-read, and it was absolutely worth the wait. Long Shot cane to life with the narrators, and added to the intensity of situations and emotions. It cut straight to the heart.

Long Shot is by far one of the best books I've read. Its a real life story with a very relevant story line, all set in the exciting world of basketball, with all the good, bad and the ugly.

August and Iris. The characters draw you into their lives. You feel their joy, their struggles, their pain, their successes, their loss and their love. "Oh, the feels." They are so real. They're human.

Their story is fiction but it could be your own story. Ok, maybe not being a basketball superstar, but that adds to the depth of the story. I don't want to tell the secrets of the story, but there are parts that will shred you. It will make you really think. Have I ever judged someone before for this very thing? Have I missed something in someone I know? Would I recognize it and how would I handle it? What if it was me?

The supporting characters are equally as engaging. MiMi, Lo, Kenan, Deck, Jared, August's mom.

Love waits. The timing must be right to take the shot.

My favorite quote is "I'd play you at the five".

Long Shot is an absolute "must read". You will love August and Iris. You will be gutted with the story. And you will fall in love as they find the strength to fight their way to that perfect moment and take the long shot.

I think the author just made the game winning shot at the buzzer from mid-court. Long Shot is amazing.

Heavyweight

Heavyweight in the most beautiful and agonizing ways a story can be! It kept me anxious and angry, frightened and scared. Then there was a light at the and of the longest tunnel. In spite of the very sensitive matter, domestic abuse, the love story is one of unmatched passion and chemistry. We all should be as blessed to have what August and Iris did.

Wow! What an amazing, emotional book!

I loved everything about this book. I went in severely underestimating it and was hooked from the start not wanting it to end.

The narration was spot on too.

Very heavy themes, mixed feelings.

This is my first book by Kennedy Ryan and when I saw it on Audible’s Escape Package, I snapped it up.

During chapter one I became excited. The writing was superb, the chemistry between Iris and the hero (August) was intense, warm, romantic, and the pull between them was so delicious I could not wait to read their journey towards happiness. But I was being teased, because the novel took a turn I had not anticipated. The only warning given in the blurb: “Some aspects of this story may be sensitive for some listeners.” Well this is an insufficient warning for what I experienced as a reader, living vicariously through Iris’s experiences with an abusive, manipulative, violent (rape trigger), controlling man (not the hero), and for too long.

Kudos to Ms. Ryan who nailed the insidious nature of domestic violence. I felt Iris’s terror and pain and my sense of justice was insulted. When it felt there was no end in sight to Iris’s pain and suffering, I stopped listening. It was too real and too much.

I thought I was done, but this novel is so well written and the love between Iris and August so compelling, I couldn’t stop thinking about them. I went back and skipped ahead to chapters where Iris and August were free to pursue a relationship. These chapters set me at ease, and were loving and sweet – a counterbalance to what had come before. Once I experienced the happy ever after, I had the courage to go back and listen to the chapters I skipped. Now I can say I listened to the whole story, but I had to do it out of sequence to cope with the heavy themes.

Usually, if I love a book, I’ll go back and listen again to the romantic moments. In this case, I went back to re-listen to the parts where Iris became the architect of her escape, recovery and happiness. In those pages, Iris proved to be clever, resilient, and kicka$$. She faced her demon and battled him herself. She didn't wait for a saviour – I loved that.

For me, the writing is excellent with language containing beautiful, vivid imagery. Ms. Kendall’s observations are spot-on and her characters are multi-dimensional and real. The chemistry between the leads is palpable. However, the domestic violence portrayed was too uncomfortable for me because it was an excellent depiction of the devastating crime.

While the writing is 5-star, I didn’t feel Iris and August had enough book time together to outweigh the heaviness of Iris’s suffering. Iris and August’s time apart was too long for me (even if it was realistic).

You will love this book if you can stomach the gritty, emotional, unfairness of life that interrupts the romance between two good people.

I listened on Audible and was treated to the brilliance of narrators Sean Crisden and Jo Raylen. What magnificent, emotional, award-worthy performances. I believe their performances anchored me and were a strong factor in my returning to finish the book in my unorthodox way.

Long shot

This book/ audible was written and performed exceptionally well. I felt very emotional on this roller coaster!
When it got hard to take, I soldiered on!
Felt real and heartbreaking.
This should be made into a movie! 👏👏👏

Delightful Plot Twists that kept me gripped

This book is not for the light weights. The rape scenes are gruesome and at one point I felt completely hopeless for Iris. And then... then the story twisted and then further down twisted some more in a delightfully unexpected way. Hands down the best romantic book I've read all year.

Loved August West

Narration:
loved Sean Crisden’s narration! Five stars to him and 4 stars to Jo Raylan’s narration.

As for the story, well...I struggled through most of it mainly because I really did not connect with Iris at all. She irritated me a lot, unfortunately. However, I did not give up on the story because I LOVED August and I did enjoy the suspenseful side of this book which was actually larger than the romance side of it.

Once August and Iris managed to figure everything out, I found myself enjoying more “their story”.

Great book if you’re in the mood for a suspenseful read!

Wow!

I did not know that this story was s going to be so packed with so much of an emotionally charged subject. It was fully developed story. It kept me rivited, I did not want to put this book down. I picked this book because of the narrator Sean Crisden but found No Raylan. She had a way of drawing the listener into the story. She was quiet at time when it was so dramatic in the story. Dealing with the subjects of date rape, privilege and mental illness the way this story does was brilliant. I was here experiencing each blow with Iris. Wow! Love this very painful story.

Brilliant!

Another breath taking read by Mz Kennedy! The characters had many layers and depth. The story left me rushing to turn virtual pages wondering how would Iris escape her situation? How will August find his way back to his one true love?

The narrators did a fabulous job capturing the emotion and spirit of each character. I’d recommend this read to anyone.