I want to start by congratulating the author on doing everything right in the domestic violence front. In my last review, in fact, I stated how if an author is going to talk about subjects such as domestic violence or heavy themes like it - it is their duty as an advocate against it to leave a little note at the end of the book that could help any potential victims. His smile melts a little around the edges, and his eyes lose some of their humor. “At the five-spot,” he says softly. OW/OM drama: Yes The h is with OM when she meets the H. She ends up living with him and having his child. He is a longtime rival of the H, and it definitely causes a lot of drama. The characters in this novel bring life and heart to this story, each with a distinct voice and personality. They made reader love them, they made reader sad, they made reader angry, they made reader laugh, they made reader cry, and they made reader believe in the promise of love and home. It is an extraordinary piece of work, a perfect balancing act with terror on one side and love on the other. This exceptionally well-written novel is all about suspense, thrill and drama, including the relationships between generations and what happens between long-standing friends. Kennedy Ryan doesn’t just write stories, she provides a reading experience with a rich, beautiful narrative and has once again blown me away with the sheer power of her writing. This author is not one to shy away from exploring the full depths of her characters and the world they find themselves in, and never has this been more apparent than in, 'Long Shot.' It’s raw, thought provoking, and edgy, and feels so very real and authentic in the telling making this a heart-breaking story that thankfully healed my heart when I needed it to.

I'm going to be honest, when I started reading this book I thought it was going to be a 2 star read because of prevalent issues. Then when I got to the middle, I for sure thought I was going to rate this 4+ stars. Then the end I couldn't settle because my emotions were so mixed, I went and did the chaotically neutral thing and said it was a three star read. Long Shot drained every bit of moisture from my eyes, and just when I thought I had none left, a torrent would occur again, each drop falling from heartache and deceit, but also from healing and newness. This was a crushing and, at times, unhinged story, but it was also filled with so much hope and worth. Good winning over evil. Right stamping out wrong. A true inspiration for us all.Kennedy Ryan is officially on my list. Not only did she go the extra mile and put in that note and throughly explained why domestic abuse is wrong through her characters story's but she clearly did her research. I want to throw my metaphorical hat up in the air and rejoice because you can see that this woman is passionate not only about writing, but loving what she writes. It's not just some bullshit - it's a story within a story, where she took different testimonies and put it together to create what we now know as Long Shot.

Let me first say, this is not the fluffy contemporary sports romance you might be expecting. This book was BRUTAL. If you have triggers in general about domestic/physical/sexual/emotional abuse, then consider yourself warned to not read this book because this book does not pull any punches AT ALL. I can't emphasize this enough, and I am not one to really give trigger warnings often but this book absolutely necessitates it. August West and Iris Dupree meet in a bar before the two graduate from college. They have an instant spark followed by the conversation of a lifetime, but something prevents them from taking things further than a one time kiss. Their timing is all wrong, but they never forget the connection they felt that night. The five-spot? His position is the point guard, or the one-spot. Shooting guard is the two. The three is small forward, and the four is power forward. The five is . . . Center,” he says, linking our fingers and toying with the hair hanging on my shoulder. “If you were mine, Iris, there would be no doubt what position you’d hold in my life. You’d be center. I’d play you at the five.❞

The modern application of this is deeply embedded not only with the sports system, but with our countries presidents, politicians, TV show hosts, actors etc. The branding of a trophy wife is something that needs to be stopped and needs to be seen as wrong, because when you're moving towards something as focused as equal rights or even to stop the wage gap. These kind of things cannot exist. I couldn't stop listening to this book, throughout the entire shift I listened to it and disconnected from the outside world, I only stopped occasionally to send messages to my friend who recommended me this book because I had to vent about certain scenes. 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 got her freedom because of her strength, determination, love for her daughter and support from her cousin and BFF Lotus. From her incredible man August.