Review: STILL (Grip #2) by Kennedy Ryan

STILL
Kennedy Ryan
Publication date: September 24, 2017
Series: Grip #2
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Format: Audio book
Source: Hoopla
5 Stars

GOODREADS  

S Y N O P S I S

**STILL is the conclusion of Grip & Bristol's emotional journey. You must read FLOW, the prequel, and GRIP, book 1 before beginning STILL**

I'll be there.
Through thick and thin.
Ride or die.
You can count on me.

The promises people make.
The vows we take.
Assumptions of the heart.
Emotion tells us how we feel, but life...life has a way of plunging us in boiling water, burning away our illusions, testing our faith, trying our convictions.
Love floating is a butterfly, but love tested is an anchor.

For Grip and Bristol,
Love started at the top of the world
On a Ferris wheel under the stars
But when that love is tested, will they fly or fall?

M Y   T H O U G H T S

Still is one of those books that, when I finished it, I knew I would never be able to come up with words that would do it justice. It was jaw-droppingly good. Kennedy Ryan is amazingly gifted and has a talent for story telling that is, for me, almost unrivaled. Emotional, gripping, and utterly realistic. She creates characters that are so fully realized, so flawed, and so passionate. Combined with her powerful writing, her poetry, and her attention to detail, it all culminates in a one of a kind reading experience.

Grip and Bristol faced new challenges in Still. Grip’s career was skyrocketing, Bristol continued to represent the latest and greatest at Prodigy, and Grip’s focus was pulled more and more to the issues of social injustice that were his passion. Forced to confront those who would condemn their relationship, they found themselves continually looking inward and counting on their deep commitment to see them through. They loved deeper, they fought harder, and they faced challenges that tested the very fabric of their connection.

If I thought I loved Flow and Grip (the prequel and the first book), Still took it all to the next level. The characters I loved cemented themselves in my heart and I loved with them, struggled with them, and cried with them. Bristol’s never-ending compassion continued to be both her strength and her weakness. Again and again, she was willing to overlook petty jealousies and cruelties, to rise above, and extend an open hand and build bridges. I loved and admired this about her. And her unconditional love for Grip, her iron will when it came to loving him and defending him, was her strength.

When I thought of my husband, I didn’t dream in color, I dreamt in character.

And then there was Grip. He owned me. A musician, a rapper, a poet. A man of conviction, who saw hard truths and was willing to not only speak them but work to change them. His desire to do more, be more, to keep learning, to effect change. His openness, his patience, his utter devotion to Bristol – he was the best kind of man.

I’ll never forget this moment when, through the abject fear and despair and exhaustion saturating her eyes, I glimpse her trust in me. It’s the greatest gift I’ve ever received.

There were moments during Still that my heart beat quicker at the passion between Bristol and Grip. Moments that I practically melted from the way Grip expressed his love for Bristol. Moments when I fumed over the small-minded hatred they encountered. And moments when I had tears running down my face for the unbelievable heartache they endured. Still delivered it all.

My eyes will never stray.
My heart will never wander,
gladly leashed to you all my days.
I am fixed on you.

Kennedy Ryan writes more than just a love story. She manages to interweave social issues, poetry, humor and heart and combines it all to make a story that is vast and rich and relevant. Still was smart and thought-provoking, beautiful and gritty - and completely unforgettable.