Arini's Reviews > Hook Shot

Standalone Series

#1 Long Shot — 3.75 Stars
#2 Block Shot — 1.5 Stars
#3 Hook Shot — 4.5 Stars

I’m overflowed with emotions right now I feel like I might combust at any second. I’d gone from feeling completely moved by these two lovebirds’ enduring love, slightly spooked by Lotus’ voodoo instincts, to having ovaries exploding reaction whenever these two have even the briefest contact with one another.

Dimensional characters
I liked that Kenan isn’t the typical overwhelmingly cocky loud mouthed H. He’s bitter and angry, but he’s also loving. He has a calming presence with a wild edge of overprotectiveness. He’s a good man, a responsible father, and definitely a great lover. Meanwhile, Lotus is such a kickass h. She’s damaged, but she’s strong. I adored the confident and self assured way she handled things. I loved that she works in a fashion industry. I really admired how dedicated and passionate both her and Kenan are with their careers.

Rollercoaster of a romance
Kenan and Lotus’ relationship isn’t always all sunshines and rainbows. They have outside forces working against them that make them doubt their relationship. Kenan with his failed marriage and mentally unstable daughter. Lotus with her haunting childhood trauma. However, despite all that, I loved how they slowly build trust for one another and tackle off their insecurities and differences. They don’t have fights caused by petty misunderstandings bcs they are honest and always communicate with each other.

Realistic personal struggles
I really appreciate how uplifting the author exposed Lotus’ healing journey is. I loved that she didn’t write it in an abrasive manner or treat Lotus’ trauma as a mere plot device of a sort that was thrown into the story just for the sole purpose of complicating the main characters’ relationship. On the contrary, she really dove deep into the issue. She showed and made us understand Lotus’ pain and how a survivor like her could make a breakthrough in her suffering.

I also liked how the author let us see into the extent of Kenan’s family’s problems. I hadn’t expected him to father a fourteen year old daughter. I’m used to reading about single dads with little babies children. I think they are less complicated to portray in books. That’s why this one fact about Kenan gave me new perspective on how destructive a divorce could affect teenagers. The arguments with Kenan’s ex-wife was a little over dramatic though.

Overall, this book is emotional, unputdownable, and phenomenally sexy. It talks about real personal problems, sensitive and serious issues and doesn’t sugarcoat them in any way. It’ll hit you right in the feels. I laughed, I cried, I blushed, I got angry, empowered, and about a dozen other emotions coursing through me during my reading of this book.