It is brilliant, an emotional ride that left me swaying. Long Shot is one of those stories that will stay in your mind for days after it is finished but has marked your soul for much longer.

There was no denying that the man wearing number 33 was her center. Even in her lowest of lows, Iris found her light in August. This man was determined and he stayed true to his heart. As time passed and they were separated by more than the miles, the bond between August and Iris still grew stronger and more intense. These two were meant to be, even if circumstances were working against them. It was magic from the first glimpse and chemistry that flowed like warm honey. Still, underneath of all the ugly, all the anguish and all the anger there is a beautiful love between August and Iris that I envied and coveted.

Long Shot was filled with cold hard truths and made me look into places that I never believed I would and examine sports culture in ways that I truly never thought of – the ugly, the violence, the cover ups and money used to make thing simply disappear. It left me in triumphant tears and it made my heart ache. Long Shot shattered everything I thought I could feel. All of these things wrapped in true love stories that melt the heart and affirm that some things are worth fighting for. I’ve seen them take risks, delve into controversy and break glass ceilings. I’ve been fortunate as blogger to get to read some amazing stories from some truly talented authors.

Everything I could say, anything at all seems inadequate for the story that I finished. I’ve tried very hard to put my feelings into words for this book, and words really do escape me.

Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan