{"id":38600,"date":"2018-11-22T09:00:46","date_gmt":"2018-11-22T14:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=38600"},"modified":"2018-11-20T15:01:37","modified_gmt":"2018-11-20T20:01:37","slug":"review-long-shot-hoops-1-by-kennedy-ryan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=38600","title":{"rendered":"Review: Long Shot (Hoops, #1) by Kennedy Ryan"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4><strong>Buy: <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2DxC9D9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kindle ebook<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2DxFa6D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Paperback<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2FG3O7w\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Audio<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n<hr \/>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><!--Yasr Overall Rating Shortcode--><div class=\"yasr-overall-rating\"><div class=' yasr-rater-stars'\r\n                           id='yasr-overall-rating-rater-6bb981e769251'\r\n                           data-rating='5'\r\n                           data-rater-starsize='32'>\r\n                       <\/div><\/div><!--End Yasr Overall Rating Shortcode--><\/strong><\/h4>\n<hr \/>\n<h4><strong>Review<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><strong>5 stars!<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i>&#8220;If you were mine, Iris, there would be no doubt what position you\u2019d hold in my life. You\u2019d be center. I\u2019d play you at the five.\u201d\u00a0<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Iris and August meet one night and they share a moment unlike one they\u2019ve ever felt. But Iris is attached and they end up parting ways despite the disappointment both feel. They bump into each other over the years and the connection is strong as ever but still they can do nothing about it. \u2028\u2028Years later, August\u2019s life couldn\u2019t be better in the NBA while Iris\u2019 dreams crash around her as her life takes turns she didn\u2019t plan for. Then life brings them together and it seems that they will finally have their chance at love only to be bombarded with challenges that seem impossible to overcome. Can they fight the battles they face and find love or were they never meant to be??<\/p>\n<p><i>Long Shot<\/i> is the first book I have read by Kennedy Ryan and it will definitely not be the last! Realistic, powerful, honest, and raw, it\u2019s a forbidden love story full of all the feels that will rip your heart out before piecing it back together. It is an intense read that will make you hurt for these characters as if they were part of your life. It\u2019s a book you can\u2019t help but be invested and one you&#8217;ll be thinking about long after the last page is turned, and I loved it even when it hurt.<\/p>\n<p>August and Iris are amazing and both have found a special place in my heart. They are vulnerable and real, and it was easy to connect with them and become fully invested in both their lives. They are complex and well developed while still being relatable and my heart both cried and smiled for them.<\/p>\n<p>Iris is a fighter. She does what she needs to do to survive and protect the ones she loves. The things Iris goes through are awful, emotional, and devastating. I found myself crying for all that was lost and all that she experiences. It\u2019s gut wrenching and horrific but August is with her through it all.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i>&#8220;In my dreams I choose him, my prince, instead of the fraud. In this parallel universe, at this second-chance juncture, I turn right instead of choosing wrong\u2026 and there only there, we are together.\u201d\u00a0<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>August is simply amazing. He has a heart full of love and is one of the sweetest and most caring heroes I\u2019ve met. He gives Iris the support she needs without pushing or crossing the boundaries dividing them even when he is desperate to pursue her. He is a good man who proves his loyalty and love over and over again.<br \/>\nAugust and Iris are something special. Even though there was no chance of something happening between them in the beginning, the pull they felt towards each other never faded no matter how much time passed. With every interaction they connection grew deeper even if they couldn\u2019t do anything about it, and I felt the truth behind their feelings.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i>&#8220;I started falling for him the day we met, and I haven&#8217;t stopped falling since.&#8221;\u00a0<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>When they got their chance, I wanted to rejoice only to be full of nerves thinking about how everything would work out with all they had to overcome. They were such wonderful people who had so much love to give and wanted nothing more than to give it. They grow so much in this story with all they face and they prove their strength time after time. They fight for each other and refuse to back down when they are needed most. I loved them both and I wanted nothing more than them to find their HEA.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i>\u201cEven when you think you\u2019re defeated, dig deeper. Go harder. Press, because there is something worth it on the other side.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Overall, <i>Long Shot<\/i> took me on an emotional rollercoaster I didn\u2019t want to end. The gorgeous writing, the powerful story, and the wonderful characters surprised me in the best possible way, placing this book on my favorites list!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4><strong>Hoops<\/strong><\/h4>\n<div data-post-id=\"37923\" class=\"insert-page insert-page-37923 \"><p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"37922\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?attachment_id=37922\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Long-Shot.jpg?fit=150%2C234&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"150,234\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Long Shot\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Long-Shot.jpg?fit=144%2C225&amp;ssl=1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-37922 size-thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Long-Shot.jpg?resize=80%2C122&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"80\" height=\"122\" \/>\u00a0 <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"37924\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?attachment_id=37924\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Block-Shot.jpg?fit=150%2C234&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"150,234\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Block Shot\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Block-Shot.jpg?fit=144%2C225&amp;ssl=1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-37924 size-thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Block-Shot.jpg?resize=80%2C122&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"80\" height=\"122\" \/> \u00a0<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"41071\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?attachment_id=41071\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Hook-Shot.png?fit=200%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"200,300\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Hook Shot\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Hook-Shot.png?fit=150%2C225&amp;ssl=1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-41071 size-thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Hook-Shot.png?resize=80%2C122&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"80\" height=\"122\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Hook-Shot.png?resize=80%2C122&amp;ssl=1 80w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Hook-Shot.png?zoom=2&amp;resize=80%2C122&amp;ssl=1 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 80px) 100vw, 80px\" \/>\u00a0\u00a0<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"39709\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?attachment_id=39709\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Hoops-Holiday.jpg?fit=150%2C234&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"150,234\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Hoops Holiday\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Hoops-Holiday.jpg?fit=144%2C225&amp;ssl=1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-39709 size-thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Hoops-Holiday.jpg?resize=80%2C122&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"80\" height=\"122\" \/> \u00a0<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"65083\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?attachment_id=65083\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Hoops-Shorts.jpg?fit=200%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"200,300\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Hoops Shorts\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Hoops-Shorts.jpg?fit=150%2C225&amp;ssl=1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-65083\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Hoops-Shorts.jpg?resize=80%2C122&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"80\" height=\"122\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Hoops-Shorts.jpg?resize=80%2C122&amp;ssl=1 80w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Hoops-Shorts.jpg?zoom=2&amp;resize=80%2C122&amp;ssl=1 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 80px) 100vw, 80px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Long Shot (#1)<\/strong> &#8211; (August &amp; Iris)<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=38600\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Review<\/a><br \/>\nBuy: <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2DxC9D9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Amazon<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2DxFa6D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Paperback<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2FG3O7w\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Audio<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Block Shot (#2)<\/strong> &#8211; (Jared &amp; Banner)<br \/>\nBuy: <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2PHonoY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Amazon<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2DQ0Agn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Paperback<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Hook Shot (#3)<\/strong> &#8211; (Kenan &amp; Lotus)<br \/>\nBuy: <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2Wwjjmb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Amazon<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2YDgjGn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Paperback<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><strong>Hoops Holiday: A Holiday Collection<\/strong><br \/>\nBuy: <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2M2Fn3Z\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Amazon<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2SRp77A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Paperback<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><strong>Hoops Shorts: A Hoops Novella Collection<\/strong><br \/>\nBuy:\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3aRXZnQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Buy: Kindle ebook \u00a0| \u00a0Paperback \u00a0| \u00a0Audio Review 5 stars! &#8220;If you were mine, Iris, there would be no doubt what position you\u2019d hold in my life. You\u2019d be center. I\u2019d play you at the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":37922,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","yasr_overall_rating":5,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"Product","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[454,47,50,49,9,124,29],"tags":[929,762,48],"class_list":["post-38600","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-audio-recommendation","category-dark-gritty","category-favourite","category-feeeeeeels","category-romance","category-sobfest","category-steamy","tag-hoops","tag-kennedy-ryan","tag-review"],"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":false,"span_bottom":false},"number_of_votes":0,"sum_votes":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Long-Shot.jpg?fit=150%2C234&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7gaNL-a2A","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38600","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=38600"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38600\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/37922"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=38600"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=38600"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=38600"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}