Slap Shot is officially my new favorite book by Kelly Jamieson! I absolutely loved it. It was such a touching story about dealing with grief and finding love again. Oh, and there were a ton of great sports moments, too.

Max was an intense character. He had lost his wife almost two years prior and was just beginning to move on from her death. Moving on was tough for Max. It meant giving his all to playing professional hockey again. It also meant accepting that he was able to feel attraction to someone other than his dead wife. His struggle was real, and uncomfortable. It was easy for him to put everything he had into his training and diet, but personal aspects of his life were tougher.

Meeting Kendra completely threw Max off his game. When one night with her wasn't enough, Max dealt with it the only way he knew how. He made a casual agreement with Kendra. As hard as they both tried, casual wasn't easy to maintain. Feelings grew and they both ended up in positions they didn't want to be in.

What made this story so special was the struggle Max went through. It felt real, raw, and honest. I couldn't help but hurt for him. For Kendra, too. She couldn't have imagined that a one-night stand would cause the chaos it did.

I absolutely loved the way Slap Shot played out. I couldn't imagine the story any other way than it was. It was such a pleasure to read. It makes me excited to see what Kelly Jamieson will right next. I really hope we'll get to see more of the Aces hockey team.

Max's wife had cancer, so he dropped out of hockey to take care of her until the end. Now he's trying to get back in shape and get back on his team. He hooks up with Kendra at a wedding. She lives in New York, he lives in Chicago, so a long distance, no strings attached boink buddies thing is possible, right?

What follows was a bit disappointing for me. Kendra starts out as a strong career woman who falls into needy territory pretty quickly. I dislike books in which the rules are set and then one of the main characters whines about them, and Kendra fell into this category for me. As for Max, he is not over his wife and I didn't get the sense that he was anywhere near ready for a serious relationship. I just don't believe in their HEA.

There's lots of (repetitive, boring) sex, lots of detail about healthy diets and exercise, and little development of the relationship, in my opinion. I like this author and will read the next one in the series, but this one was a disappointment.

I really enjoyed this read, so much that I went back and read the entire rest of the series! I worried initially that not enough time had passed between the loss of Max's wife and his meeting Kendra, but the author pulled it off. I appreciate that this wasn't your stereotypical story, even though the friends with benefits-to-lovers angle is popular. Kendra was smart and successful in her own right, and while she was the first to admit her feelings, she owned them and didn't apologize for it. Now having read the rest of the series, I'm re-reading to see all my favorite couples!

I love the Chicago Aces hockey series!! I've been anxiously awaiting Hallsy's book for some time now and Kelly certainly did not disappoint. It gave me all the feels I knew and hoped it would. I really enjoyed getting Max's POV for the majority of the book. I feel it was important in conveying his feelings and emotions about the loss of his wife, being a widow, trying to move on and the guilt that brought to the surface, and the stress of trying to get back into shape for hockey after a year's absence and abuse of his body. He really is such a great guy!
Max has not hooked up with a woman in a very long time and he is ready to at least allow himself that pleasure again but with no strings. He does not want a relationship or to ever love again. He hooks up with a beautiful, sexy bridesmaid at a wedding who also happens to be a teammates cousin. Kendra is a strong woman who is also funny and sweet and owns her sensuality. I would attribute that last bit to the fact that she is a psychologist turned sex toy creator. The chemistry between Max and Kendra is seriously hot and off the charts!!!! They both want more of that so after their night together, she and Max agree to a no strings attached fling which should be easy since she lives in NYC and he in Chicago. Right?
Famous last words, no strings. It's always easy until it isn't.
The storyline is very enjoyable and I really like the hockey aspect of it as well as the budding romance rising out of the "no strings" arrangement. There are some very emotional moments in this story but they are balanced nicely with humor and hot, sexy steaminess.
The only thing stopping me from giving this one 5 stars was the fact that in his thought process, Max starts to see the relationship he had with his wife Adriana, the love of his life, as not as wonderful as he remembers. I just thought that bit was a little disrespectful to her memory but I also think that maybe he needed to do that in order to allow himself to move on and love again. To see the wonderful things about Kendra he wasn't letting himself see before.
Excellent addition to the Aces series and it certainly elevated Max Hall up to my favorite player now that we really finally get to know him!!!!

I love Ms. Jamieson's story telling in the hockey genre! She makes you just fall for the characters, I stayed up way to late and read this book in one sitting, which is the highest compliment I can give, I could not put it down! Highly recommend this one.

Just when I thought I couldn’t love an Ace man anymore then I loved the others Max just came barreling through my heart! We first saw Max in previous books when his wife was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and sadly we were by his side when he eventually lost her. Now 15 months later Max is trying to get his life back on track. After months of depression and solitude he is determined to get healthy again and make it back on the team.

Enter our beautiful Kendra, Army and Lovey’s cousin, dancing right into Max’s heart at Marc and Lovey’s wedding. With his mind and heart not ready for more these two agree on a no strings attached, beyond sexy, long distance romance.

I’m alive. Pain hurts, but it means you’re alive. And physical pain can serve as a distraction from emotional pain. Apparently, so can physical pleasure.

What I loved most about this book was that we essentially had our couple together from the very beginning. While yes it started as just “friends with benefits” type thing you could see that from the very first contact that these two were so much more. We get to watch Max grow and heal under the love and safety of a woman who understands exactly who he is and where he is in life without judgement or expectation.

I thought hockey would make me happy and fill my life. But I know now it won’t be enough, because having you in my life made me happy. You made me feel again… things I didn’t want to feel, because I was scared.

Swoon alert! Do not miss out on these two! Hit that one click button stat!

3.5 rating. Slap Shot is the fifth book in the Aces Hockey series, it's Max (Hallsy) and Kendra's story. The book deals with a difficult subject, climbing back into life when you suffer the loss of a spouse. Hallsy wants to play hockey again after taking time off to care for his wife who eventually passes away. I get how difficult it must be when overcoming grief of that magnitude, but the story just dragged on in parts. Max is focusing on getting back on the roster for the Ace Hockey team, and is very clear on that when he meets Kendra, but you get rather tired of hearing him say it over and over again. Loved Kevin and Max's dad, both added a lot to the story. Overall not a bad book, just not great.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book

It feels like I've been waiting for Max's story for so long. It was written perfectly. Not depressing at all, but with compassion for his late wife's passing and how he's dealing with it. Kendra is so understanding. I love this series and can't wait to see who's story is next.

Set in Chicago which I loved, Max and Kendra had some major chemistry and the intertwined hockey story was great too.

First book I've read in this series- very emotional reading about someone grieving for his spouse. This story started almost 1.5 years after her death, but Max's feelings, which are so well described in this book, are still very, very raw. Then he meets someone he's physically attracted to. They connect and find out there's more to each other, more than friends with benefits.

When is it a good time to move on? Is it even ok to move on? All these are brought to surface in this story. Some reviews say Max is going back and forth and needs to make up his mind. Well, each person grieves in his or her own way. I liked how the author explores Max's stages of grief.

As for Kendra, she had a load of baggage too going into this "friends with benefits" arrangement. But I like how she is still hopeful for love.

And all the hockey parts? Bonus for a hockey lover like me.

*I received an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

When Max and Kendra meet at a wedding, the attraction between them is instant. They both are not interested in a relation and with Max staying in Chicago, and Kendra in NewYork, a fling works best for them. The tug of attraction between them is so strong that soon the fling turns into a long distance relation. With Max still dealing with his wife's death, what will happen when feelings come into play.
Slap Shot was a very intense read about enjoying life without guilt after intense grief. It was a great romance between two people who have a lot of baggage and despite that make things work. The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is because the story is from Max's POV and there were a couple of instances where I would have enjoyed knowing things from Kendra's POV.
Can't wait to see who in the series is next to fall.

"She's like metal to my magnet."

Slap Shot was my introduction to Kelly Jamieson, and it was a pleasure. After reading the synopsis, I couldn't resist giving it a try. It was a sweet #SportsRomance with a broken #HockeyHottie. Broken bad boys are my Kryptonite. I can't resist them. And Max was no different. I fell for him, but that doesn't mean I didn't see his flaws. He received quite a bit of unsolicited advice from me as I tried to help him see the error of his ways. Of course he didn't listen. They never do...

Kendra was a breath of fresh air. I really loved her character. She was fun and entertaining. She was just what Max needed to bring him out of his cocoon. He'd insulated himself, hiding away from the world while he mourned. He'd pulled away from friends and family and even his beloved hockey. Seeing her dancing and having fun at a mutual friend's wedding reception caught his attention and awakened his libido for the first time in a very long time. He wanted her, but just for the night. At least that's what he told himself.

The friendship between Max and Kendra was very sweet. They laughed and teased each other. They kept it friendly without putting any pressure on each other for more. They both understood that he didn't want a relationship. He'd closed off his heart when his wife died, so it was no longer available. She knew that going in. Too bad her heart didn't listen...

I really enjoyed this story. I read it as a standalone. After meeting some of the other players, I'm interested in going back to read their stories as well.

I am a huge fan of this series! I love the setting. I love the guys. I love the hockey. This is the 5th book and it takes a huge twist from the pattern of the previous books. Max is a hockey player and we see him prepping to go back to work, but the bulk of the story takes place away from hockey. Max and Kendra meet at a teammates wedding and hit it of with tons of s3xual chemistry.

What follows is two people professing to only want casual while really heading toward a relationship. What I couldn't get over---having read the rest of the series---is how isolated Max was. Clearly he was struggling with moving on after his wife died. I know his teammates supported him while she was sick and when she died. Where the heck was the support when he was feeling so much guilt for moving on?? Kendra was a saint. It helps that she has that psychology degree. But, really, Max was so all over the place about what he was feeling. No one could have stepped up and given him permission to not forget, but to move forward?

I missed the hockey in this one. Loved the romance when there wasn't the angst. Great to see Army and Dupe and Rupper again as well. I'll read more. This one just wasn't my favorite of the series.

Slap Shot
Aces Hockey #5
Kelly Jamieson
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Not your typical sport romance. This one included so much more. Definitely made you feel some emotions while reading this one. And as usual Kelly Jamieson did a great job writing this sweet story.

Thanks NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Max Hall has just survived the worst year of his life, losing his wife and giving up hockey damn near killed him, but now he is finally ready to put it all behind him and start fresh. It's been a long time since he has enjoyed the company of a woman, honestly he isn't so sure he can handle it, but his body is demanding he find a way to deal. When he catches a glimpse of a beautiful bridesmaid on the dance floor, something inside him shifts, and for the first time in a long time he wants to share his bed with a woman, so he digs deep, musters up some charm and tries his best to lure her in. Surprisingly she returns his interest and offers him a night of strings-free fun, but the question is once he has a taste will one night be enough?

To say that Kendra Armstrong's luck with finding a good man is terrible is a complete understatement, every time she thinks she has found a good one, he shows his true colors and breaks her heart, so she has decided to keep things string-free from here on out. It's not like she has time for a serious relationship these days anyway, then she meets hockey star Max Hall and suddenly a string-free relationship doesn't seem like enough for her. He is charming, sweet, and knows how to keep a woman satisfied behind closed doors, but he doesn't do serious.... now she has to decide rather she can keep these unexpected feelings of hers under-wraps or tell him and risk losing him altogether!

Slap Shot is a story of second chances, hope, and finding yourself again after loss, with a lot of delicious sexy times mixed in here and there!! I loved my time with Kendra and Max, they started off as a unlikely couple, but with time, (and a lot of hooking up), they realized they had a whole lot more there then just a simple friends with benefits relationship. And it turned out to be quite the beautiful thing to watch unfold, of course there were lots of bumps along the way, but I think that is what gave it such a realistic feel for me, and made is so plausible. I have been waiting for the opportunity to get better acquainted with Max, and after reading his story I have to say he might just be my favorite player from the team yet, he was sweet, sexy, and definitely worth the wait!! Highly recommend this one, Max is certain to leave you with smile... and a permanent blush!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this title.

I don't follow this series as closely so I don't know of Max prior to this but had no trouble. At the start I didn't know sbout him becoming a widower or was it mentioned before the whole enchilada on the history etc won't touch on it. I will say I liked the way the author handled him here his struggle with getting his career back and finding new meaning. Told in his PoV which I liked how it was written, you understand his struggle and his determination to get back in the game.

Max and Kendra had an easy start they fell into their routine.The chemistry was very much there from the start. Everyone grieves and deals their own time and way, he took his time. I appreciated that he wasn't ready another relationship yet and honest about that part. You can clearly see that he had trouble.It started as a rebound no strings for them I can see how it eased things along and it also helped Max along in a little way.

Kendra isn't perfect but having her pshycology background helps her in a way. She a sensitive side too which helps she gets Max and his problems. I get why he had a hard time with his moving on but I feel bad for Kendra in a way despite it them being on the same page they felt more than fuck buddies at some point that Max was in confused on his emotions. It gives one whiplash at times.
That will be the big hurdle for them in the end if he get finally accept that and really move on.

In the ones I read in the series so far this felt very relatable, real, and full of meaning. It was emotional, angsty, sexy and heartfelt. It had a storyline that grabbed me right away,I enjoyed this one more than expected.

This is a beautiful love story about a personal journey from grief to joy. For the second time, I’m overwhelmed by Kelly Jamieson’s craft and sensitivity when writing about the process of grieving (the first was with “Dancing in the Rain”). There’s lots of showing instead of telling in this book.
I loved the story, the characters and their interactions. I’m not a hockey fan but I liked reading about the game, the players and the sports context.
The hero, Max Hall, is wounded and lost after his wife’s death. He’s just a great character, unassuming, loyal, humble, determined and disciplined about his goals. He sometimes acts like a jerk but he then recognizes it.
The story is told almost completely from his point of view (first person) and it’s great to have a male’s voice, with realistic man’s language (and cussing), thoughts and reactions (his jealousy and pouting is so much fun).
The “big broody hockey dude” has a cut body (but besides that we don’t have a detailed description of his countenance, something I appreciated) and he’s gorgeous, but he doesn’t even know how hot he is (and how sexy that is), as the heroine points out.
The heroine is a great character too, with a rather unusual business. She’s strong, warm, caring and full of joy.
Nothing is very straightforward or predictable in this story and there’s always a touch of uncertainty until the HEA, and I really enjoyed that.

I'm sad to say this was a DNF for me. I tried several times to get into it and read, but I just couldn't. The characters weren't relate-able to me and I was kind of annoyed by Max. I don't think he's a bad guy or anything like that, I just found him annoying. I think it was his inner monologues.

I really wanted to like this book. It was different from your usual sports romance. But I just wasn't feeling Max. Too broody and moody! I didn't like the way he used Kendra and wasn't man enough to own up to his feelings. In fact, all they did was have sex. That muddled things a lot for them. And on Kendra was too much of a martyr for my liking. She should have made Max earn her love back. After all the giving and loving she had for him. I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Slap Shot was such a fun read from beginning to end. I really loved every character, all were so well written, and just really fun to read.