Review: Grip by Kennedy Ryan

Grip (Grip, #1) by Kennedy Ryan
Series: Grip #1
Published by Self-Published on March 2nd 2017
Pages: 382
Genres: Contemporary, Romance


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***This is not a cliffhanger.***

Resisting an irresistible force wears you down and turns you out. I know. I've been doing it for years.

I may not have a musical gift of my own, but I've got a nose for talent and an eye for the extraordinary. And Marlon James - Grip to his fans - is nothing short of extraordinary.

Years ago, we strung together a few magical nights, but I keep those memories in a locked drawer and I've thrown away the key. All that's left is friendship and work.

He's on the verge of unimaginable fame, all his dreams poised to come true. I manage his career, but I can't seem to manage my heart.

It's wild, reckless, disobedient. And it remembers all the things I want to forget.

Make sure you grab FLOW, the FREE prequel first! FLOW is chronicling the week of magical days and nights that will haunt Grip & Bristol for years to come. GRIP is the full-length conclusion of their story.

I apologize in advance to the author of the next book I read. Their book may be wonderful, but there’s no way right now that it can live up to the way Grip by Kennedy Ryan touched me. The feels! Oh my goodness, the feels! I’ve lost the ability to even. My book hangover is a living, breathing, horrible/wonderful thing. I read the free prequel, Flow, yesterday morning because I’d heard good things about it, and hey… free. I loved it and immediately 1-clicked this full-length conclusion. Thankfully, I had the day off, so I stayed in my PJs and dived straight into Grip. This story sunk its claws into me and would not let me go. I didn’t come up for air until I finished.

Grip is a fabulous mosaic of passion, sacrifice, angst, understanding, and hope. It’s a love letter to the dreamers, the disillusioned, and the oppressed. It’s a song underscored by multi-faceted characters and an addictive plot.

On the surface, Bristol and Grip seem all wrong for each other. They come from completely opposite cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. Grip is a gifted poet and rap artist; Bristol is his no nonsense manager. Bristol’s huge heart is well guarded; Grip loves fearlessly. Bristol is obstinate; Grip is patient. Her sharp mind and tough edges spar with his smooth, charismatic personality and equally bright intelligence. The way they challenge and inspire each other creates a lasting connection that is soul deep. To say there are bumps along the road in their eight-year friendship, though, would be a gross understatement.

The story touches on some sensitive and thought-provoking social issues that you would not typically associate with a romance novel. The topics are handled with reverence, though, and enhance the true focus of the story, which is love and acceptance. Love between a parent and child; brother and sister; best friends; soul mates; understanding between adversaries.

He hasn’t met a love like mine. My love is Pandora’s Box. Grip snapped my hinges and pried me open. He let this love out. My love has a wild streak. Good luck trying to tame it.

That’s not to say I didn’t experience frustration and indignation while reading the book. I had to curb the urge to toss my beloved Kindle across the room a time or two. However, that only served to make the ending all the sweeter.

I could sing Kennedy Ryan’s praises for days. There’s an intensity and authenticity to her writing that is incredibly affective. Her words vibrate on the page with phenomenal prose.

I want so much more than her body. She has thieved my soul, and I need to feel the reciprocity, the exchange. To know I’ve pilfered her and taken everything that she would offer and anything she meant to hold. Because that’s what she’s done to me.

Grip is easily one of my favorite books of 2017, and I know it will linger with me for quite some time. Open your mind. Open your heart. Experience the love.

Recommended for fans of:
The music industry
Angst
Slow burns
Social commentary

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