Rachel Reid has done it again. This book has everything one could possibly want from a male/male hockey romance. The emotions, the wrestling with grief, the steam, this book has it all. Rachel Reid's characters are always so compelling. Casey is the ultimate sweet bean and genuinely had me laughing out loud at some of his antics. Landon is hurt and self-destructive in the most understandable ways and my heart hurt every time he talked about his family. I also loved how open and communicative they were in regards to their times together and loved the depiction of intimacy being whatever makes two people happy and does not look the same for everyone. READ RACHEL REID!

Time to Shine brings out a softer side of Rachel Reid's repertoire compared to Game Changers, but it pulls you in just the same, While I do not often enjoy third-act breakups there was logic to it that many others lack. The characters Landon and Casey grow on you as they grow on each other. The balance between the sports and the relationship was just right, for me the more action (on both sides) the better. I might have been expecting hot and heavy but came out enjoying a sweet pure steamy love. Rating 3.75 Spice 3/5

Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy!

This was a fun cute queer hockey romcom! Landon and Casey start as teammates who become roommates and all this spending time together leads to so much more. I liked the progression of their relationship and getting to see their chemistry grow as they get closer. This includes plenty of tension, some jealousy, and awkward well meaning miscommunication. Then when they’re together they work so well and bring out the best in each other. Their relationship was so cute and fluffy and spicy. Not only were they good together, but I really liked their characters individually. Casey is a human golden retriever, sunshine, and just cares about people, even if he doesn’t always get the same treatment back. Landon is quiet, introverted, and dealing with his own grief. But with each other there is so much love and caring and chemistry.

Overall, this was a good hockey romcom and I recommend you read it when it’s released!

Read if you like…
•hockey romance
•opposites attract
•forced proximity (teammates and roommates)
•mlm
•🌶️🌶️

Love, love, loooove. This came highly recommended by a romance reader group I’m in and it did not disappoint! If you are looking for a romance that feels like a warm hug look no further. If you want to read about two main characters falling in love and connecting in a way that there is no other possible person for them, this is for you. This has opposites attract, sports romance, a little bit of angst, a splash of found family, humor, and so much love. Also, the spice was wonderful.

I really couldn’t put this down because it was such wonderful escapism. There is heaviness at times, one of the main characters is grieving an off page loss from the past. But it is buoyed by their connection and dynamic. And some of this was just so genuinely funny in a low effort way, definitely not forced feeling rom com.

I can’t recommend this enough. Thank you to Carina Press and NetGalley for the ARC. This was my first by Rachel Reid and won’t be my last.

This book was EVERYTHING. I smiled mostly, but I also ugly cried a few times. Landon and Casey were both so complex in their own ways. Landon and his family were reconnecting on a different level after years of dealing with grief, while Casey was mostly sunshine and dealing with some insecurities. These two just balanced each other out perfectly, and the rest of the Calgary Outlaws added some great humour to the story.

I absolutely cannot recommend Time To Shine enough, it was my first time reading anything by Rachel Reid but I will certainly be reading more from her!

Thank you to Carina Press & Carina Adores for sending me an advanced digital copy via NetGalley in exchange for review

Thank you NetGalley for offering a bunch of LGBTQIA+ romances for Pride Month and thank you for granting me access to this book!

First time Rachel Reid reader and I’m pleased to say it won’t be the last one I read.

Casey Hicks is a star NHL player who’s young, laidback, easygoing and fun who takes everything in his stride. He has good looks and effortless charm. He might not be the smartest guy in the room but he’s genuine and notices people.

Landon Stackhouse is a loner by nature, he’s called up to the Calgary team as backup goalie. He’s just waiting for the injured guy gets better and for him to be send back home. He doesn’t make friends easily and there’s kind of no point since he knows he’ll be sent back home soon.

Casey takes him under his wing and insists Landon becomes his room mate. These guys have absolutely nothing in common except for hockey. Then their bromance turns to romance. Casey’s comfortable in his own skin and Landon discovers who he is with Casey.

I found this book touching and tender & I absolutely loved that this wasn’t complicated or angsty!

Hi.

I was lucky enough to get an arc of this book from NetGalley and the publishers. I will say it expected and very sweet.

I had a cringe moment towards the middle and end of the book but that was just me. For my first book by this author is was nicely paced and well detailed.

Overall, a solid three because everyone is writing about hockey for the most part but I love that it’s m/m. The overall story was really good as I stated.

This was definitely my most anticipated book of the fall! If you like hockey romance then you know who Rachel Reid is. She is the phenomenal author of the Game Changers series (if you don’t know Ilya and Shane then I highly recommend you read Heated Rivalry it is gold standard).

The story is Landon and Casey is sweet, sexy and so so so satisfying. It lived up to every expectation and then some.

What can you expect?
🎄hockey
🎄the ultimate cinnamon roll MC
🎄friends to lovers (my favourite)
🎄 one bed (this is so freaking sweet)
🎄the most supportive teammates and family
🎄 a little Christmas

This is not all light but as usual Rachel Reid takes heavy things and makes your heart stretch and expand. The rollercoaster ride is worth the heartache.

I loved loved loved loved this book!

Thank you @netgalley and the talented, amazing @rachelreidwrites for this ARC!

#timetoshine #romancebooks #romancereader #romancereadersofinstagram #mmhockeyromance #hockeyromancebooks #mmromancereader #mmbooklovers

Tender, sweet, and cozy! Everything I’d want from a holiday romance with the bonus of a sports romance twist!
I loved Casey’s sunshine-chaos energy just as much as I loved seeing Landon gain confidence and open up around his new team, and especially around Casey.
I had a smile on my face the whole time, reading. And I can definitely see myself making this a yearly reread!

Rachel Reid. Hockey. Roommates to lovers. Holiday theme.
I mean there’s seriously nothing to go wrong here! This was adorable and I loved it! Every book by this author is a win!

5 Stars!

I screamed. I cried. I kicked my legs. This book!!!! I don't even know if I can truly form words for this.

I absolutely adored the Game Changers series so I know Rachel Reid can do no wrong, but this book honestly exceeded my expectations. I will not stop talking about it and I will recommend it to anyone who will listen to me. I've been heavily in my hockey romance era and with books like this, it'll never end.

Landon gets called up to the NHL when their backup goalie is injured. He goes to Calgary knowing he'll be there a few days, maybe, and he'll be warming the bench, but this is his chance to show that he's not just AHL material (as he's been a beast in the net there!). So when we arrives to Calgary and finds out he'll be there a couple months, everything changes - this is a REAL chance to play in the NHL. And on day one when Casey walks up to him with his neon pink laces and starts chatting like they're friends, Landon doesn't know what he's getting himself into, except he eventually decides to move in with Casey. I mean, he can't just stay in a hotel for the 2 months he's in Calgary, right?

Casey is a golden retriever. He quite literally never stops talking, doesn't care if anyone is actually responding, he can have a whole conversation with himself, but more than anything, he doesn't like being alone. So why did he buy such a big house just for himself? Inviting Landon just makes sense - it gets him out of the hotel for his extended stay, but also Casey doesn't have to be alone anymore. And sure, Landon is a bit shy and tends to need some time alone, but they can be friends, right?

Everything about this book just gets me. I read it in basically one sitting (it counts if I went to sleep but didn't get out of bed until I finished it the next morning... right?) and as it ended I was ready to start over from the beginning. Casey is literally sunshine and Landon is just an anxious guy trying to play some hockey while dealing with his grief.

The characters were so well-developed and just had so many different aspects that we got to see and watch them grow through. It was so well-written and just really brings you into the story, both the actual hockey but also the romance that develops. Quite a bit of opposites attract but it just works.

I highly recommend this to anyone who loves romance and especially sports romance, but honestly I will be recommending this to everyone I know who reads (honestly, I've already started). Rachel Reid does it again!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Rachel Reid for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Landon is a hockey player asked to fill in for Calgary’s team. As a quiet and reserved person he mostly goes unnoticed however, his teammate Casey offers him a place to stay and they both catch each other’s eyes.

This was such an enjoyable queer romance! It was sweet, a little bit spicy and made me feel all the feels! I highly recommend reading this because it’s AMAZING!

Where to begin? I think expectations are probably a good place to start. I am a huge fan of Rachel's Game Changers series. Like many others, I love it with all of my heart. At this point, I'm sure everyone that reads in this genre has heard about it even if they haven't read it. It is one of my favorite series, not just for sports romance, but all romance. Ilya and Shane are unbeatable for me. They are the gold standard by which I measure all other couples.

Why do I mention all of that here? Because it's hard to dethrone the king. No one has yet, and sometimes I wonder if they ever will because the mark is too high. I say all that to say that while it's unfair to make comparisons to the Game Changers universe, it's hard not to. When I think Rachel Reid, I think Game Changers. I've known all along that this book was its own thing, but getting my brain to come to terms with Rachel Reid, hockey romance, and not having any of the characters I know and love from Game Changers was a bigger battle than I thought it would be. Once I did though, I was able to judge Time to Shine on its own merits and not in the shadow of the GCU.

Time to Shine was a lovely read overall. It was low angst with all the warm, cuddly feels you want in a book with a Christmas setting. Rachel is great at creating memorable characters that nestle into your heart, snuggle up, and make themselves comfortable. Landon and Casey were no different. Their grumpy and sunshine personalities hit the mark, although I found that they both leaned too hard into them at beginning. Casey was a bit too OOT and childish, and Landon was depressingly gloomy at times, but as the story progressed, their personalities evened out and meshed well together.

From the start, I was completely invested in Casey and Landon as a couple. Their chemistry was great! They were cute and sweet and just steamy enough. I loved how they naturally fell into step with one another. They each recognized insecurities in the other and gradually worked to fill the gaps with comfort and companionship. The way they became quietly protective of one another fostered a tenderness between them that warmed my heart. There were several moments that had me grinning like a fool from how sweet they were together.

While I love Rachel's writing style, I didn't love the pacing in this book. The first half went by too slowly and not a lot happened until Casey and Landon finally got together. Once that happened, it felt like bam, bam, bam one thing after another. Too much, too close together, and not enough time spent on things I wish had been expanded on. That was a bummer, but I rolled with it.

Overall, there was a lot to like about Time to Shine. It wasn’t a 5* read for me, but I feel good about giving it 4*. Even though there were things I didn’t like and decisions made that didn’t make sense to me, the good outweighed the bad. I came away with my heart feeling happy even though I wasn't charmed in all the ways I had hoped. If you love Rachel Reid, I think you’ll love this book once you separate it from the GCU in your mind. If you haven’t read any of Rachel’s books, I’d recommend starting here. I think you’ll enjoy Time to Shine much more if you do.

I received an ARC from Carina Adores via NetGalley in exchange for my review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

You know I will absolutely eat up every hockey romance and this book was no different. I really enjoyed this book. I loved seeing Casey and Landon fall in love. This book was so heart warming. I will definitely be checking out more books by this author!

If you're looking for a super cute, grumpy sunshine, opposites attract, friends to lovers, queer hockey romance, I would highly recommend this book!

Time to Shine: ★★★★☆ (4)

Pub date: Sept 26 - PREORDER YOURS NOW!

Thank you NetGalley and Carina Press for an ARC, all views are my own.

I was so excited to dive into this new world that Rachel Reid decided to gift us! I loved her books in the Game Changers series and hoped this would be just as good. It definitely was. Still an amazing hockey romance except this time it felt sweeter and less angsty. I loved how the MCs Casey and Landon interacted and how Casey’s sunny loving personality drew Landon out of his shell. This was a quick and delightful read.

*I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

This book managed to be romantic, tender, funny, and spicy, and I really enjoyed it! At times I felt like the writing was a little basic/simplistic, but that did mean it was a very quick read. I really enjoyed that the MCs were fully accepted by their teammates and families, and that homophobia wasn't used as a plot point. Sometimes it's nice to have that escapism!

Overall, this was highly enjoyable and I would recommend it.

3.5/5 stars

I read the Time to Shine sampler a few months back and immediately requested the full book. I wasn’t disappointed.
Time to Shine is a male/male hockey romance focused on Landon Stackhouse, a Canadian hockey player brought into Casey Hicks, our other main character, a team in Calgary after the goalie was injured.
Landon is a very shy character. After the death of his sister Erin when he was sixteen, Landon immersed himself in hockey but never felt good enough to reach a higher team (I don’t know the right terminology, sorry!). He’s very closed off and keeps to himself at all costs.
Casey Hicks is quite literally the complete opposite. He’s like a golden retriever. He loves meeting and being around people as much as possible. He genuinely just loves socialising and meeting Landon is no exception. Landon seems totally overwhelmed by Casey’s affection, but he embraces it nonetheless. Casey is open and confident in his bisexuality, and it was refreshing to see a character embraced by his teammates rather than being judged.
The two form a friendship after Landon moves into Casey’s house and it was great seeing the character development between them. Going from both staying at opposite ends of the house separately to them laughing and enjoying each other’s company to then seeing some romance slowly develop.
Casey was a more complex character than originally expected and Landon compliments these struggles well.
I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys hockey romance or MM romance.
Thank you for the eARC!

This book was so sweet! Likeable characters and palpable angst. I loved how open the characters were about sex and how it displayed how there is not one way to have sex - and having someone who respects you is what truly matters. Overall, nothing groundbreaking with the plot, but such a cute book that made me feel warm and cozy.

Time to Shine is an very readable opposites-attract, grumpy-sunshine m/m hockey romance. The themes of healing and self-discovery, along with the characters' chemistry and their developing tender romance make a very cozy, entertaining holiday read.

DNF @ 25%

You have no idea how massively sad I am that this book didn’t work out for me. I was so excited for it but ultimately it just didn’t do anything for me and that’s 100% a me problem, and not the book.

There’s a chance I may try and pick this up again at a later date, because I do love the premise but that’s about all I came to love. Actually, I loved Casey but that’s it. Those two things. Landon was not my type of character from the get go and the rest of the team just didn’t give me the happy feelings I was expecting from a RR hockey romance. Maybe I was spoiled by reading The Rest of the Story earlier this year but I was expecting a close knit team dynamic like that and I was put off when I didn’t get it right I’m the beginning. The team was nice enough but not enough for me, obviously.

Also the last names of half of these characters. I. Cannot. They’re awful and it’s so off putting for me.

BUT as always, I encourage you to pick this up if it sounds like it’ll interest you and make your own judgements.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.