The Long Shot by A.L. Brooks
$9.99 / E-BOOK
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Description
A slow-burning lesbian sports romance about taking a chance with your heart.
Talented golfer Morgan Spencer has never won a major but it’s so close she can taste it—no thanks to her sexist father, a golfing legend who won’t even give her the time of day.
Television producer Adrienne Wyatt has thrown herself into her career after her lover left her a year ago. She has a brilliant new plan: a documentary featuring Morgan’s rise and rise, capitalizing on the young woman’s star appeal.
The main problem is that the reserved golfer treats Adrienne’s plan like an invasion of privacy. The other issue is her growing feelings for the irritatingly attractive woman—an unprofessional lapse that would get her ridiculed by her peers if anyone found out.
When things come to a chaotic head, as fierce desires, risked careers, age differences, and dreams all come into play, what will win?
Additional information
| Publication Date | August 2019 |
|---|---|
| Formats | epub (for Kindle Reader/Kindle Apps, for iBooks, Nook etc.), mobi, and pdf |
| Length | 93,000 words |
| Language | English |
| ISBNs | 978-3-96324-248-9 (mobi), 978-3-96324-249-6 (epub), 978-3-96324-250-2 (pdf) |
| Publisher | Ylva Publishing |
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If you encounter any problems, please select “Contact Us” from the menubar, and we will get back to you as quickly as possible.10 reviews for The Long Shot by A.L. Brooks
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cheekybugger13 – :
When I heard that A. L. Brooks was going to release a book about women’s professional golf, I was intrigued even though I have zero knowledge about the sport except if you wanna count my Wii experience with it! Well, at least I was familiar with a few golf terms, i.e. birdie, par, bogey, fairway, the usual basics. Anyway, “The Long Shot” was a delightful read for me. I never read any golf-related lesbian romance before this so it was a delightful as much as an educational read for me. As usual, Brooks crafted a compelling age-gap, slow-burn love story with the professional golf environment as the backdrop.
Firstly, I was glad that Brooks constructed the story with a dual-POV, 3rd person narrative, because I found both MCs fascinating to explore. Plus, telling the story from both sides allowed me to explore both of their personal relationships with other characters. Brooks’ innate skill in creating intriguing secondary characters and developing a natural rapport with the MCs was always a source of additional enjoyment for me when I read her stories. No exception here. I loved Adrienne’s character, first of all, because she had this air of sophistication but grace in her personality with a touch of humour, her adorable, totally unwarranted self-deprecating awareness of herself. I enjoyed all her scenes with Jenny, her bubbly, hyperactive, Morgan-smitten assistant-cum-protègè. The sharp contrast that Brooks’ deftly defined in their personalities made their rapport and camaraderie all the more captivating and utter fun to read about! And just wait ’til you read about Adrienne and Morgan’s mum later on in the book! Brooks’ subtle depiction of their encounters and interactions was written with adoring effect that captured their natural solidarity with each other.
On the other hand, Morgan was described ever-so effectively as this “lost puppy” who was missing something in her life. I had such a blast reading her scenes with her BFF, Charlie! Charlie was a riot, I absolutely loved her unconditional support and love for her best mate in anything and everything but never failed to give her the most brutal and harsh reality check when needed. That’s the epitome of a best mate, innit? With Brooks’ seamless portrayal of these characters, I felt like I knew them.
I was utterly absorbed in Morgan and Adrienne’s undeniable chemistry from the start that just grew in sizzling proportions the more they rejected or denied their true feelings for each other. All their pent-up, compressed feelings that became unbearably harder to cage in eventually combusted in a desperate, all-consuming, passionate, heated rush of emotions of erotic proportions! The elevator scene….!! PHWOAR!!! Brooks’ detailed description of Adrienne and Morgan’s respective verbal and non-verbal body language, emotional turmoil that surfaced between them, their mannerisms whilst fully aware of the very tight space they were in, from their argument that started off as contentious slowly turning into a kind of fury that burned with desire and allure even more from Morgan’s POV as Adrienne closed in on her, to that moment of acute intensity and desperation between these two, was written with such seductive passion and erotic fervour! And Adrienne’s warring emotions after her hasty exit and Morgan’s reaction? Brutal and oh-so impactful!
Essentially, this story was weaved in two prongs with the love story as the conduit. At least that’s how I interpreted it. One was about Morgan’s journey toward reconciliation and letting go of the powerfully destructive Svengali hold that she allowed her father to have on her psyche all her life. A mental and emotional destruction that haunted her life, specifically her career which had been marred by her desperate need for his approval despite his blatant favouritism, sexism, misogyny. Yeh, her father was one of those who favoured sons to daughters, relegating the female gender as lesser than. Yeh, those fun ones! Imagine clawing yourself towards getting any kind of attention, love, support, let alone, approval from your mum or dad only to be left with cuts and bruises every single blasted time. That was what Morgan had to contend with all her life. The other prong was Adrienne’s journey toward self-worth and acceptance in regard to her age, falling in love with the most unexpected, unfathomable person.
I loved Brooks’ slow-burn approach to telling an authentic love story especially when there were clearly professional lines slowly being challenged and crossed, conflict of interest being tested when it came to Adrienne, a documentary filmmaker/producer charged to make a documentary about pro golfers with a special profile focus on Morgan’s personal and professional life. Yeh, when the subject of Adrienne’s project was also the object of her attraction, not to mention the constant nagging voice reminding her about the wide age-gap between them, things just got more complicated as their friendship turned into something undeniably hard to ignore! Between the two of them, obviously Adrienne was the one with the bigger risk, more to lose, if their impending relationship were discovered before her film project ended.
Whilst I’m not really a big fan of angst unless it has a purpose and plays a role in the characters’ development and growth, or a relevant tool to move the story forward. In this one, Brooks’ construction of the angst was via a series of “traps” introduced early on which were obviously tools for an eventual fallout, something that I reckon Brooks knew would create this cloud of uncertainty, tension and overall unease in the reader’s mind as the story progressed with Morgan and Adrienne’s relationship slowly taking shape. Well, Brooks succeeded because I was on-edge throughout waiting, bracing myself for the other shoe to drop! Needless to say, it was an intense, utterly engrossing experience for me to explore how the 2 MCs manoeuvred their way around the obstacles including their logic-v-heart internal debates especially when it came to Adrienne – her biggest concern was the wide age-gap between her and Morgan, which not only reflected her past relationship, but also her insecurities about being with someone 18 years her junior. In other words, all the angst was totally worth it because at the end of the line, Brooks had ready for us a reward that was totally satisfying!
Back to Morgan’s internal struggle about her fractured relationship with her father, it was fascinating to explore how Brooks deftly interconnected Morgan’s almost-predictable “choking incidents” whenever she was on the verge of winning the majors, with the deep-seated emotional and psychological effect her father always had on her. I appreciated Brooks’ mindful exploration of the various stages of Morgan’s psyche before reaching the much-awaited epiphany. It allowed me to experience Morgan’s mental growth in layers that reflected her gradual achievement in fulfilling what was missing in her personal life – love and support.
The psychology of human behaviour dictates that when a child (in this case, Morgan) feels that one of the parents steps up to support her (Morgan’s mum), visibly defying the authoritative parent (Morgan’s father), she feels a sense of security, emotional and psychological relief, which then propels her to stand up more openly without guilt. When the child finally feels fulfilled in matters of the heart that was hollow before (web of loneliness), feels loved, cared for and supported coming from a source outside (Adrienne) her family’s cocoon, it provides the needed psychological and emotional strength to overcome all the negative thoughts and impressions of herself as a result of said authoritative parent’s absence of approval. You’d be surprised just how powerful love can be when it’s honed and flourished! When the feeling of unworthiness is lifted and replaced by a sense of pride and achievement, it’s surprisingly seamless to let go of that boulder. When we let go, the veil of negativity is lifted, the weight is lifted off of the shoulders, so to speak. With the sense of security and inner peace finally achieved, the soul is set free. Essentially, that was Morgan’s catharsis when she finally realised and accepted wholeheartedly with confidence and will that the vicious cycle she had been trapped in as far as qualifying her achievements and worth with approval from her father could be broken. Speaking of Morgan’s father, I was relieved that Brooks didn’t go the Hollywood way as far as the implications of Morgan’s epiphany was concerned. Instead, she portrayed Morgan’s journey of truth, reconciliation and letting go with a sense of realism. **Disclaimer: This is only my own interpretation.**
As for Adrienne’s struggles and insecurities about her wide age gap with Morgan’s, I was delighted that Brooks really delved into the subject matter at great length including issues related to physical intimacy. The realistic conversations between Adrienne and Morgan about their huge age difference were crafted with conscientious earnestness that resonated affectingly. Instead of discounting it, avoiding or denying its existence, Brooks turned the tables and confronted it head on with open honesty through the represented characters in the story. Well done, Ms. Brooks!
I utterly loved all the intense action scenes involving the game of golf! Even with the measly knowledge that I obtained (from Wii!) of the sport, I felt very much a part of it because Brooks skilfully described in vivid detail everything that was happening on the golf course during the tournaments that Morgan was participating in, all the terms used, strokes made, the landings, etc. Especially worth mentioning is the British Open major tournament toward the end of the story, which I thought Brooks captured the intensity, excitement, suspense and thrills that rained down on Morgan and the other players with thrilling results as they fought for the major win! I was captivated during the entire scene, holding my breath as if I was there watching, cheering quietly for Morgan! It was such a fun reading experience! Not only did Brooks manage to capture the realistic feel of the game of golf, she also grasped the “other” intensity of the sport – in the confines of the press conference room! Yup, there’s no professional sports without the press asking questions and prodding potentially scandalous/controversial reactions/remarks from the professional athletes, is there? I couldn’t help being reminded of Cheyenne Blue’s “Code of Conduct,” and Spangler’s “Love All,” who also captured those scenes well! FUN!
All in all, I utterly enjoyed exploring the slow-burn romance between Adrienne and Morgan along with all the intricacies that came with their path of submitting to their attraction, to falling in love, to being in love. I especially loved how Brooks ended the story. That view of their future…..lovely, sensual, romantic…
I wholly recommend “The Long Shot” to fans who love to explore a brilliantly crafted love story that involves the thrills of professional golf, or any sport for that matter, and all that it entails, i.e. competitions, rivalries, behind-the-scenes goings-on from tele-commentaries to the press, made more excitingly fun and decidedly complicated with the involvement of a film crew centring on the producer herself, and all the tangled web of professional and personal rivalries, diva handling that came with it whilst the featured pro golfer goes through a life-changing journey that forever alters her view and perspective about her life in love, fulfilled with a renewed sense of ownership, freedom and contentment.
**I was given, with much thanks and appreciation, an ARC of this book, by Ylva in return for an honest review.
Karola – :
***free ARC
Although I know nothing about golf, I love stories about different kinds of sports. A.L. Brooks did a nice job with this book, combining a love story (with an age gap) with family problems, jealous ex-girlfriends, the focus for top athletes, company policies… to read this book felt like you‘ve been on the green, too!
I really enjoyed this book, it was not my first book of this author and it will sure not be the last.
petra – :
I love this genre. Sports, competition and athletes in pursuit of achieving their ultimate goals. What’s not to like? This is a slow-burning sport romance. Family expectations, ex-partners, new relationships, media scrums all come together in a well written and enjoyable story by A.L.Brooks.
The main characters, golfer Morgan Spencer and television producer Adrienne Wyatt are surrounded by a wealth of friends, family and colleagues who ensure the storyline is always interesting and strong. The age gap between Morgan and Adrienne creates insecurity for Adrienne (and an interesting sideline), whereas family pressures cause Morgan pain and self doubt. Throw everything together and you have a book that makes you want to keep turning the page to find out what happens next.
This is a great story that is all about the slow burn and lead up to an ultimate goal.
I received an arc in exchange for a honest review.
Carolyn McBride – :
The Long Shot is exactly what I needed after a horrible, no-good, very bad day. It has conflict, yes. It has an age-gap that is a hurdle for one of the characters. It has sexism, drive, ambition, bitchiness, and growing feelings. Oh yeah, and golf too. *grin* You don’t need to be a golf-enthusiast to enjoy this book. I kept up, and I have a mere passing interest in the game. But you shouldn’t read this for the golf.
Read it for the sense of hope it carries throughout. For the ‘will-she-get-over-the-age-gap-baggage’ question. Read it if you’re a romantic.
Yes, it’s a piece of fluff. But damn good fluff that can ease the pain of a horrible, no-good, very bad day.
Betty Harmon – :
I chose to read The Long Shot by A.L. Brooks not only because I like the author, but also because I could tell from the cover the story would involve golf. I like golf. It is a fun game. I haven’t played golf in a few years and was never very good at it. The best you could say about my golf game was that I got a lot of fresh air, sunshine and exercise while experiencing lots of sand, water, and tall grass. My biggest handicap was actually hitting the ball when I swung the club at it and avoiding the alligators in the swamp next to the course, but I really liked the game. Maybe reading about someone playing golf could be just as interesting…and less dangerous to everyone around me.
This is a lovely slow-burn sports romance. The author did an excellent job researching the game. The settings are vivid and well described, and the characters are realistic, both main and secondary.
The tale centers on Morgan Spencer, a rising star in women’s pro golf. She is consistently in the top five in the field of players, but has never won a major tournament, a fact her judgmental father, a retired star in men’s pro golf, never fails to mention. Morgan’s stress is raised even further when she agrees to become part of a documentary about women’s pro golf, using her as a major part of the film. This means a production crew headed by Adrienne Wyatt follows her around as she practices and plays in different tournaments, preparing for the next major. There is chemistry between Morgan and Adrienne, but also a lot that could tear them apart, including the age gap. Adrienne is eighteen years older than Morgan, and feels every single year as she gets to know Morgan better.
As you can see, this is a complex and well thought-out story. I really enjoyed the entire book, from the golf to the romance. The Long Shot kept me interested from page one to the end, and I think you might enjoy it as much as I did. And I promise to let you (and the poor gators) know if I ever decide to try golfing again.
I received an ARC from Ylva Publishing for an honest review.
Karen Reno-Cobb – :
I love sports romances! My wife watches golf tournaments every weekend as a huge Tiger fan, so I know just enough about golf to be dangerous. Besides being a [rather large] age gap romance mixed in with an off-limits workplace romance, this was a super slow burn and I couldn’t wait for the main characters to finally get together. The secondary characters added a lot as well, from the other golfers in the field to the best friends and the mother. My only complaint would be that maybe the first half was a little long, but it did make for a very complete backstory. There’s a lot of great stuff going on in this story.
Ameliah Faith – :
This is a WONDERFUL story!! I just adored it. The characters are fun and relatable and the writing excellent, but I would expect no less from Ms Brooks. I fell in love with both Morgan and Adrienne. I LOVED the age difference between the two women, who doesn’t love an age gap story? Both women are so strong, able to overcome their fears of a relationship (and for Adrienne, the age difference) while overcoming the pain of their past lovers. Morgan especially has so much on her plate, with a father who is a total jerk, the pressures of her job, overcoming her intense desire for privacy and her shyness, the stress of the documentary and having to open up more… she handles it really well and its admirable to see how she does it. This is a great book and a pleasure to read. Even if you aren’t a fan of golf, don’t pass this one up!
Patricia Iserman – :
This story kept me reading way past my bedtime.High praise right there.
I watched women’s golf when Annika played.She deserved her own fan fiction stories.
It is always a pleasure to read a book that is written by a skilled author such as A.L.Brooks.
The story is centered around a professional golfer who has yet to win a major tournament.
Her struggle is not helped by a film crew that is suddenly following her around as part of a documentary on women in sports,nor is the constant disparaging comments from her father who believes women golfers are less worthy then men golfers.
Add a beautiful older women into the mix and we have a charming,thoughtful,emotion filled story.
I loved it.Enjoy.
Karen McIntosh – :
Golf, family friction and the most adorable love story. That is ‘The Long Shot’ by A.L. Brooks. Morgan has yet to win a major – and as the daughter of a multiple major winner father the pressure is always there. She’s also been unlucky in love and comes across to the media and public as cold. In reality she’s anything but. When a tv company wants to make a documentary about the women’s game with her as the main focus, she’s not keen. Producer Adrienne is respected and a supportive mentor to those in her crew. She’s not about to shaft Morgan, but Morgan doesn’t know that. Their powerful attraction is a no-no while they are working together on the documentary. But I’ve rarely rooted for a couple more than this pair.
I loved Morgan. She was vulnerable due to past heartache and had a lot to deal with regarding family issues. But she was an absolute sweetheart. Adrienne was quite a bit older than her and worried about the age-gap. Morgan was drawn to her immediately and who could blame her? Their story was tender and loving and had me swooning. I especially liked that a more mature character got to shine. An excellent story. Highly recommended.
I was given this ARC for review.
stephasselin – :
The Long Shot by A.L. Brooks
Morgan Spencer is a talented professional golf player. Andrienne Wyatt is a Television Producer.
Their lives get entangled because of Andrienne’s documentary mostly about Morgan as she tries to get her hand on the Major prize, much to Morgan’s dismay at first. Will spending too much time together break their chance at friendship, or will it help it develop into something more?
This book came over me like a surprise. Not because of who writes it, because I am a HUGE A.L. Brooks fan, but mostly because I am rarely a sports fan, at all. I hate watching it, talking about it, hell, even read about it. I know next to nothing about it and I’m fine with that. Therefore, the fact that I enjoyed myself so much while reading this book surprises me. The writing is as good as it always is while reading any of Brooks’s books, so there is nothing more to say about it. The characters are funny and loveable, well, maybe except for Morgan’s father. I spent most of the book wanting to throw him under a bus. But other than that, the story flows so nicely it’s almost impossible to drop the book once you start reading it. The characters are all adding a lot to the story. Morgan’s mom being adorable as it can get. I loved it.
I suggest you all grab a copy because the story is worth it. Grab a few more by A.L. Brooks while you are at it.
*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
@RainbowMReviews