HOOK SHOTby KENNEDY RYAN
A deeply emotional standalone romance set in the worlds of professional basketball and high fashion.
Divorced. Single dad. Traded to a losing squad.
Cheated on, betrayed, exposed.
My perfect life blew up in my face and I'm still picking up the pieces.
The last thing I need is her.
A wildflower. A storm. A woman I can't resist.
Lotus DuPree is a kick to my gut and a wrench in my plans from the moment our eyes meet.
I promised myself I wouldn't trust a woman again, but I've never wanted anyone the way I want Lo.
She's not the plan I made, but she's the risk I have to take.
A warrior. A baller. The one they call Gladiator.
Kenan Ross charged into my life smelling all good, looking even better and snatching my breath from the moment we met.
The last thing I need is him.
I'm working on me. Facing my pain and conquering my demons.
I've seen what trusting a man gets you.
I. Don't. Have. Time. For. This.
But he just keeps coming for me.
Keeps knocking down my defenses and stealing my excuses, one by one.
He never gives up, and now...I'm not sure I want him to.
"I need simple, but I want you."
It's after reading books like this that I want to sit down with Kennedy Ryan and just talk to her; find out how she does it, where she draws her inspiration from. How does she write a book with so much vivid emotion? I want to explain to her how she affects me so much with her words. All the words she strings together effortlessly with a mere 26 letters. The smallest denominator in our language, and yet she wields them as if they have the strength of a sword. They are so powerful and so moving and I am one of her biggest fans.
There is such an abandon in her storytelling. It flows easily and confidently, and I love that!! I am in complete awe of her storytelling abilities, but I am equally in awe of her characters. They aren't weak. They aren't misguided. They are relatable and understandable, with a pain that is tangible, and an emotional connection that's tantalizing. I just want to know how she does it. It's almost like a subdued intensity. It's so subtle, but anxiety-pang-inducing. Kenan and Lotus have so much chemistry that is undeniably extraordinary. Undeniably. They have this type of connection that most can only dream about....a true soul mate.
"I have found the one whom my soul loves."
Song of Solomon 3:4
Her words are so romantic and they bring out so much more than I could ever begin to describe. I love that Kennedy's books always transport me. She always gives me a love story worthy of my own emotions and reflection. But she also has a knack for stretching my thought processes, beyond my comfort level or understanding. This one tested me on a few different fronts, and while I wasn't completely comfortable with some parts, it was a captivating read that I could settle in and enjoy with wonder. There was a different tone to it that I haven't read in any of her others. It was sobering, sure - there were a lot of difficult times in this one, but there was an edgier feel to it. One from a world I know nothing of. Grittier, dirtier, bolder than anything I would know first hand - the city life, the culture, the vibe. It was just an all encompassing story in that aspect.
And to be perfectly honest, I am very shocked that I didn't highlight as much as I thought I would with this book. There was something different within these pages that bewitched me, sucked me right in, and I never really stopped reading to make notes or highlight much. I have loved these stories, starting with Long Shot with August and Iris to Block Shot with Jared and Banner, and now I can add Hook Shot with Kenan and Lotus to that list. She hasn't given her characters an easy road in this series and I can appreciate each obstacles they all overcame within their own stories. Not easy by any means, because she writes about the kinds of things that aren't spoken freely of and I respect her and commend her for tackling these hard to broach subjects.
Here I am, just a reader sitting on my couch, once again, put in place by her words - completely mesmerized.
Oh! And now I want to try étouffée....
"I was raised on hope and weaned on miracles so the exceptional feels familiar to me."
~BEE
My Long Shot Review: http://bit.ly/2ubai8W
My Block Shot Review: http://bit.ly/2O6KCjm
My Hook Shot Review: http://bit.ly/2HZTHtO
~MEET KENNEDY RYAN~
I'm a wife, a mom, a writer, an advocate for families living with autism. That's me in a nutshell. Crack the nut, and you'll find a Southern girl gone Southern California who loves pizza and Diet Coke, and wishes she got to watch a lot more television. You can usually catch me up too late, on social media too much, or FINALLY putting a dent in my ever-growing To Be Read list!
~CONNECT WITH KENNEDY~
I really do appreciate your honest reviews!
ReplyDeleteYou & I must share a brain... since I read the Grip Series, I have also wanted to sit down with Kennedy. I, too, don't understand how she just makes me FEEL when I read her words. I cannot WAIT to read HOOK SHOT!
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