Long Shot

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Discuss your overall impressions of Long Shot. Which were your favorite and/or least favorite aspects of the novel, and why?

2. How did your experience reading Long Shot compare to your experience reading other Ryan titles? What similarities and differences do you notice between this title and This Could Be Us and/or Before I Let Go?

3. Compare and contrast Long Shot to other sports romance novels. What thematic and/or narrative threads do you notice between Ryan’s title and titles like Ali Hazelwood’s Deep End or Ana Huang’s The Striker?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Iris’s discovery that she’s pregnant provides both clarity and additional obstacles in her relationship with Caleb. Have you ever made a decision about a situation only to have the stakes suddenly change? How did you respond?

2. Iris is a determined, independent woman but feels unable to exercise her autonomy within her abusive relationship. How does Iris’s Journey Toward Self-Empowerment resonate with your personal experience? Have you faced similar struggles to claim your voice and story?

3. Iris and Lotus’s friendship highlights the Role of Supportive Relationships in the Healing Process. When have you experienced the support of a close friend during a difficult situation?

4. Both August and Iris are passionate about their professional goals. How does their passion resonate with your own personal or professional ambitions? How do jobs, hobbies, and sports influence your sense of self?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. In Long Shot, Ryan attempts to spread cultural awareness about domestic violence. Do Ryan’s depictions of Iris and Caleb’s abusive relationship subvert or reinforce cultural stereotypes around abuse?

2. Throughout the novel, August grapples with the pressure and restrictive expectations of his job as a professional athlete. How does Ryan’s depiction of this world engage with contemporary conversations about the challenges of a career in professional sports?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. The novel is told from Iris’s and August’s alternating first-person points of view. How does this choice impact Ryan’s narrative? How would the novel resonate differently if told strictly from Iris’s perspective?

2. Compare and contrast August’s and Caleb’s characters. Are they foils for one another? Why or why not?

3. Ryan uses several notable symbols in the novel, such as Caleb’s diamond ring and Iris’s journal. What roles do these symbols play in the overarching storyline?

4. Discuss the significance of basketball to August’s character growth. Why is August so attached to the sport? How does the sport relate to his identity? Does his relationship with basketball evolve across the novel? Why or why not?

5. Explore how the novel’s urban and rural settings influence the overarching narrative mood. How does Iris respond differently to life in Maryland versus life in Louisiana and/or life in California? How do these settings in turn influence her relationships and perception of herself?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If you were adapting Long Shot into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles? Which plot points would you omit, add, or alter to make the adaptation your own?

2. Write an alternate ending to Long Shot, imagining yourself in Iris’s place. What similar or different choices would you make?