This book is for all of you who love low angsty romances with some depth and fully fleshed-out characters. The story is nothing groundbreaking, but it’s sweet and cozy and warm, and sometimes I don’t need more.

wow I loved this story so much! there is so much love, laughter, acceptance, respect, & all around wonderfulness in this story from start to finish🩵

Landon & Casey are absolutely perfect for one another, I loved their relationship being built on such a good friendship first. both of these boys had my heart— Casey is the definition of sunshine & rainbows. he lights up everyone all the time by always being the kindest, most inclusive friend. & Landon is as sweet as a cinnamon roll, always showing kindness, respect, & love in spades for everyone around him. both Casey & Landon have some demons to battle & they both are so, so, so freaking supportive & loving to one another as they do 🥹🥰

while this story is full of love & laughter— I laughed so much reading this story— it also dealt with fears & grief & hurt that has lingered throughout their lives. so while I laughed I also cried for these two beautiful souls who find comfort & safety in each other ❤️

I could go on for a very long time about the amazing wonderfulness of this story, so let me leave you with this: if you’re looking for a sports romance, full of love, laughter & feels, set around the holidays, this is for you completely. one of my top fav reads of this year 🩵

3.75⭐️ THIS WAS SO CUTE!

I love sport romances with my whole heart. I swear I should probably give watching games a chance, because if they manage to get me half as interested as these kinds of book do I may actually pay money to go see one in person.

Now, this story is about Landon -the quiet and serious goalie that's waiting for his big shot in a reserve team- and Casey, who is the most obnoxiously extroverted character I have ever read. They are polar opposites, but they fall hard for each other and it's so stinkingly cute.

Casey is openly bisexual and an absolute player. He loves sex, freely and often. Landon, however, is a v1rgin and has never really felt the urge to change that. He refuses to put on label on his sexuality, which I thought was so freeing and interesting. But I do know that I have never read a character better explain the experience of being grey-ace better in my life. I felt so, so seen in Landon inability to muster up that kind of interest in someone who he didn't really want to get to know and ultimately couldn't imagine wanting. I've tried explaining what it feels like to people in my life before, and his description is something I think I will come back to if someone ever asks me again what it feels like.

I loooove LGBTQ+ books. Especially ones that go further down into the alphabet and don't just stick to the first two letters lol. What can I say? I love smutty books -yes, not every ACE person is sex repulsed- but I get that it's a niche topic so finding books with characters within the ace spectrum can be difficult, but I found one!

I really like the pace the story set, and Casey was an absolute dream when it came to respecting, protecting and consenting! Every time they were together it became more and more obvious how they were made for each other (even if I know for a fact that, as a home-body and resident introvert like Landon, irl it would be impossible to survive any type of relationship with someone as socially demanding as Casey). And I do have to say that one of the only reasons why this book isn't well over 4 stars for me is because Casey kept having sex with other people for about 50% the book... Which I can't say I'm super cool with, tbh. I know that they weren't together or anything, but I had a hard time watching the parade of people in Casey's side.

Anyway... amazing, absolutely adorable book. Totally recommend it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 / 5
🌶️🌶️.25/5

This review has already been uploaded to Goodreads :)

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

Rachel Reid does not miss! If you have not read her other books, I highly recommend them.

Time to Shine is an MM hockey romance. Casey is a bisexual pro-hockey player dealing with loneliness and fear of the dark. Landon is a semi-pro goalie who gets temporarily transferred to Casey's team when one of their goalies is injured. Landon has never been with a guy and seldom feels attracted to people. He is also sad about the untimely and tragic death of his older sister and feels guilty about some choices he made afterward.

I loved the complexity of all the characters in this book. There was a good mix of external and internal angst and I really like how the romance progressed. Both MC's character arcs were very well done in my opinion.

If you are looking for a spicy and swoony MM hockey romance, definitely check this out!

When Landon Stackhouse is called up to the NHL to serve as the backup goalie he has finally gotten the chance to prove himself, but along the way he learns more about himself than just how to play hockey in the NHL. Casey Hicks is the teams jokester and a major people person, the complete opposite of Landon, but when Casey invited Landon to live in his giant house with him, these two complete opposites attract.

I have read many hockey romances over the year and absolutely love them, but this is my first MM hockey romance I have read and I did truly enjoy it. The characters were so likable and endearing and while there was a good amount of steamy moments between the two, there were even more sweet moments to help even everything out. Each of the main characters had their own issues that they needed to work through and I liked glow the author showed this, instead of making the characters near perfect with no flaws. My only complaint is that sometimes the characters harped on their flaws too much, this might sound contradictory to my last sentence. But in clarification, I enjoyed that they had flaws, just not how much they were emphasized. Anyway, I am always going to be a fan of hockey romances, with my preference being the male/female relationships, but I fully enjoyed this MM pairing. I highly recommend this sweet romance to anyone looking for a good romance read!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

Easy 5 stars. I loved absolutely everything about Time to Shine. Rachel Reid is a magician who keeps sucking me into these gorgeous, perfectly crafted worlds. Time to Shine was a pure delight to read and I didn’t want it to be over - so much so that I purposefully slowed down reading it so I could stretch it out. This is a truly lovely holiday romance and I can’t wait to read it again.

Landon Stackhouse and Casey Hicks are two of the sweetest cinnamon roll characters I’ve ever read about and I just want to wrap them up and protect them from anything that could harm them. Watching them go on this journey and and slowly fall in love is so rewarding - they balance each other out in an unmatched way. Casey is outgoing and exuberant - always the life of a party and a bit much; Landon is reserved and shy, riddled with guilt and unsure of himself. In most ways, they are total opposites - and yet, they work. They listen to each other and immediately respect and honor each other’s boundaries and limitations. They communicate openly with each other, even when they’re still unsure of *why* something is happening and it builds such a beautifully honest relationship.

Their relationship is built on consent - constantly checking in and ensuring that none of their boundaries are being crossed. What I loved about this is that they weren’t afraid to stop each other if something began to be too much or was uncomfortable. That’s such a realistic element that I truly appreciated. Also? This is really hot. Like…plain and simple.

This is a queer normative and sex positive world and I love it - it has none of the hypermasculine, homophobic toxicity that’s ever-prevalent in sports (and many sports romances). Casey is bi and loves sex, and he’s fully supported by every member of the team. Landon, on the other hand, is a virgin and unsure about his sexuality but likely aspec/demi and Casey was such a gentle and understanding presence to guide him through that journey.

This book is laugh-out-loud funny and has all of Rachel Reid’s impeccable charm and hockey knowledge. She fully embraces the “goalies are weird” stereotype and there’s a specific scene that made me laugh so hard I had to stop reading to compose myself. But it’s balanced beautifully with the emotional connection between these two fantastic characters. They have their insecurities and traumas and they work through them together.

I truly cannot wait to read this again - I’m already planning a holiday read through to get into the spirit. I loved everything about this and want 10 more in this world!

Thank you to Carina Adores and Netgalley for the Advanced Copy!

Okay, this one took a little bit for me to get into, but that was more on me than the book. I did have a hard time liking Casey at first, but I grew to enjoy him!!
What I REALLY want to talk about is LANDON. Even though the label "asexual" is never said, this man is very clearly on the ace spectrum and it's handled WONDERFULY. He enjoys it with Casey, but clearly states his limits on what he is and isn't okay with, and even says that sometimes he won't want to be touched at all. He talks about how the idea of sex felt uncomfortable to him, and that it still does sometimes. And Casey is fully 100% on board with it. It was just handled so well and I loved that a lot.

There were hints of angst in here, but they got resolved fairly quickly. Overall, this was a fun contemporary romance.

Also!!! Nova Scotia rep!! So fun to find out that not only was Landon from my city, but so was the author. Always wonderful to read something written by someone local to me.

4.5 stars

Thank you Netgalley for the arc!

Ugh this was so fucking cute. I love Rachel Reid's writing and her top tier hockey romances.

Landon had just been called up to the NHL to temporarily replace Calgary's injured goalie. While getting to know his new temporary home he becomes enamored with his teammate and new roommate Casey. Casey is all smiles and eager to help his new friend fit in. The more time they spend together the more they both begin to realize that there's more to this than just a friendship. But with Landon being in Calgary short term, what does that mean for them?

• forced proximity (teammates & roommates)
• virgin mmc
• opposites attract

Casey is that talkative and friendly guy that everyone loves. He's a people person and loves life. Landon is quiet and reserved and dealing with the demons from his past but he can't help but be put at ease around Casey and his charming ways. This was such a cute Christmas romance and I'm so glad I got a chance to read it!

If you're familiar with Rachel's books this definitely isn't as spicy or angsty but I liked that it was cozier and had lower stakes. This was an absolute delight and I could not put it down!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

If you’re looking for something very easy to read and like sports romance, then I think you would enjoy this book.

There was a good balance of actual hockey games, romance, and family aspects.

I liked that we just jumped into the plot and there wasn’t unnecessary background information given. There were funny moments throughout the book which I really enjoyed. I also really liked that the book had shorter chapters. I ended up only giving it three stars because there was something about the writing that just didn’t get me super invested in the characters. I liked them and I liked the storyline, but something was missing.

Some of the dialogue was cheesy, but other times it was cute. I liked Casey and Landon’s banter and their dynamic was really fun. They would give each other a hard time, but were so caring of each other’s needs when it was needed. Casey understood and respected Landon when he needed space, and Landon was there to take care of Casey and his fears.

The book touched on deep topics but was also lighthearted and fun. Landon and his grief was a very large part of the book and I thought it was a good touch to show why Landon acted the way he did. It added depth to the story. I enjoyed the parts with Landon and his family. It was really touching to see how much they loved each other, but how the death in the family affected them differently.

It was such a slow burn but it made it all the more satisfying when they finally got together. What I didn’t love was most of the time after they got together it was just them hooking up. And it was very detailed. We got cute scenes with them as their relationship was building, but once they had their first kiss we didn’t see them do anything mundane together, it was just constant sex. Which some people may like to read about, and if so you would really enjoy this book, but I am not one for too much of it, so I didn’t care as much what was happening to their relationship. I would have like to see them going on dates or other things like that, even if it was just once or twice. But all of that went away once they got together. I did like that Casey was so understanding and didn’t pressure Landon to do anything he didn’t want to do.

If you don’t enjoy reading detailed sex scenes, this would not be the book for you, because there were a lot of them.

I know Casey likes sex and that’s totally fine, but he talked about it all the time. That was basically his only personality trait. Casey was a very loving, fun and kind character, so he did have more to offer, but it seemed like all he could talk about was how he was always horny and constantly having some sort sexual activity. It got to be too much for me personally.

I did enjoy the angst toward the end of the book. It was short and wasn’t drawn out, but it didn’t feel random or out of place. I thought maybe it was resolved a little too quickly and too perfectly, but it didn’t need it to be too dramatic since it is a romance novel. So I wasn’t upset that it was resolved quickly. It felt realistic and didn’t feel like the author was just adding drama to add drama.

Overall I think it is worth picking up if you like sports romance with spice thrown in, because I didn’t dislike it by any means, but it wasn’t one of my favorite reads because I couldn’t completely connect with the story.

in the hustle and bustle of real life responsibilities, sometimes a cozy, low-angst teammates-turned-buddies-turned-roomies-turned-lovers (*catches breath*) tale between two complete opposites just hits the spot.

Casey is the embodiment of sunshine, runs on golden retriever energy, and even moonlights as a bottomless well of kindness. the endearingly candid transparency he exudes in every interaction with the world makes him the perfect foil for Landon's more solitary existence of quiet observance.

what resonated with me the most was the way Landon's sexuality was portrayed. while not explicitly stated, i believe he is somewhere on the ace spectrum, demi sprinkles included, and the casual but never underplayed discussions on consent, personal boundaries - all without batting an eye - was wonderful. i imagine i could count the number of mm romances where penetration isn't the end-all be-all in smexy scenes on one hand, so huge kudos to the author!

one of the things i most look forward to in Rachel Reid's books is the cast of side characters. she excels at creating well-rounded teams and a sense of comradery amongst personalities that not only mesh together effortlessly, but also turn you into their biggest supporter. loved rooting for these guys.

again, if you're looking for something gritty, something with heaps of suffering in store for your hockey players, consider recalibrating expectations. in line with the cover and story ambience, think holiday romance levels of depth, with relatively simple resolutions to arguably paralyzing conflicts. this, in part, arises from the writing style around the main characters - Casey and Landon are in their early 20s, but they also read incredibly young, as in i wouldn't have questioned it if you had told me this was YA/NA. it doesn't change the fact that this story came to me at the right time and delivered on the warm and comfy feels, but certainly keep that in mind if you were expecting something more "adult."

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of the book - this is my honest review :)

Time to Shine by Rachel Reid is a queer/MM hockey romance that is like a warm, cozy, positive hug of a book. Landon, an AHL goalie called up the NHL for the first time, isn't sure how he's going to fit into the team, being quiet and introverted. He isn't given the chance to fade into the background as Casey, the life-of-the-party star winger automatically takes him under his wing, and when Landon ends up staying with the team longer than expected, offers him a place to stay in his home. This is a win-win situation because Casey - for all his positive, outgoing nature - hates to be on his own and finds his own (big) house daunting, and having a roommate makes it seem less overwhelming. From there, the two build a friendship, bromance, and eventually a romance that's completely heartwarming and lovely.

It's really nice to read a queer hockey romance that leans into a lovely, positive and low-angst world (because sometimes, that's just what you need). There's a great dynamic between both characters, playing in on the opposites attract trope, without it overpowering the narrative. Casey - for all that he's a full-on personality - is incredibly emotionally intelligent and a complete cinnamon roll. He's out and proud and welcoming and inclusive of everyone. I also appreciated the exploration of a character figuring out his sexuality (Landon is coded as demisexual).

I hope there's more books set in this world with these characters, because it was honestly just a delight to read.

4/5 stars

Time to Shine by Rachel Reid was a lovely romance read, that definitely put me in the mood for winter. This story follows Landon Stackhouse and Casey Hicks, two hockey players that end up on the same NHL team out of Calgary. Casey is a four season veteran of the NHL, and Landon is just getting his start by being called up from the AHL - people-loving Casey immediately attempts to befriend Landon by offering him a place to stay for free and to help show him the ropes. After a little bit of flirting and a lot a bit of crushing, can these two end up with the relationship that they both deserve?

This was my first book by Rachel Reid, and I absolutely adored it. I loved the balance of characters and plot, although I could have used just a tad more tension between the two main love interests. I will definitely be picking up more by this author in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Holy wow.

TIME TO SHINE by Rachel Reid is the bubbly, sparkling delight of a hockey romance we all need.

Landon Stackhouse gets called up to be the backup goalie for the Calgary Outlaws. While the team as a whole is welcoming, his new teammate, superstar Casey Hicks, offers him a room in his big house, and the outgoing Casey cajoles him into a friendship that surprises them both with how well they mesh.

Rachel Reid’s writing is moving and lovely, describing Landon and Casey’s unfolding friendship and their inner selves with warmth and compassion. They each have struggles they guard from everyone, except they are able to come to see the genuine acceptance and support the other offers.

I loved seeing Casey and Landon interacting with their teammates and their families. They are clearly cared for, although we also see at times how imperfect relationships can be. Ms Reid’s scenes had me frequently smiling and laughing aloud, and sighing with pleasure.

Time to Shine is definitely a keeper.

This was a wonderful slow burn hockey romance and I enjoyed every single word of it! I loved both of our MCs in the story, Landon and Casey. They seemed an unlikely pair as you got to know each character, but they were so wonderfully perfect for each other. Landon is quiet and reserved, carrying a bit of the weight of the world in his shoulders as he plays in the AHL for Saskatoon. Casey is his opposite in that he’s outgoing and energetic, loves people and never stops talking (ever) and is an All-Star for Calgary in the NHL. Casey immediately makes it his mission to befriend Landon when he’s called up to the NHL to backup. What ensues is a wonderful friendship that develops between Landon and Casey as they get to know each other, and open up and share their secrets that they haven’t shared with anyone else before. As their friendship unfolds some fantastic UST starts to brew between them, where they each try to hold in their growing feelings. There was something so wonderfully sweet with their relationship, that it really just pulled at me. The support they both provided to each other as Landon worked through his grief and anxiety, and Casey with his own fears he faced of being alone. I wasn’t impatiently waiting for that first kiss and more, I was so there for the slow ride they took to get there. I loved the firsts they explored together and the patience and care that Casey showed as Landon discovered his sexuality. Not only did I adore these two and their story, but the rest of the characters that made their story so memorable. They were so impactful to the story from their respective parents, teammates, and coaches. This was a fantastic read, and I highly recommend giving this a read!

I loved this book so much! It's a charming hockey romance, largely set around Christmas, that will make a perfect cosy Christmas read.

Casey Hicks is downright adorable, and I love the way his and Landon Stackhouse's ("Stacks") characters complement and complete each other. They build up such a deep emotional connection as they realise their feelings for each other; inspiring and encouraging the other to see their self worth.

The book deals with some heavy themes including grief and insecurities, but manages to strike a tone that feels inspiring, rather than tragic.

It was wonderful to see a sexually inexperienced (and possibly ace/demi) character be treated with such care, and be able to find a safe place to explore their comfort levels with sexual intimacy and build their confidence.

The hockey was brilliant too. I loved this exploration of a fictional NHL league that's far more accepting than the real one and I really hope Rachel Reid continues writing in this world to bring us some more great books!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Landon was just called up to play as goalie for the Calgary team: a huge achievement, especially since it's his first time playing for the NHL. But Landon is very much not a people person, and when his new roommate Casey, who is incredibly outgoing, takes an interest in him, it's overwhelming. Still, Casey is offering Landon a free place to stay, which is much better than the thought of staying in a hotel for the next couple months until the team's regular backup goalie recovers from an injury.
But Landon, who rarely feels attraction toward people, is definitely starting to have a crush on Casey. And Casey, who almost never goes home alone on a night out, is starting to wish he could be with his new roommate, instead. But he's not sure Landon is even into men. Besides, they both know better than to have any sort of sexual or romantic relationship with a teammate, or a roommate, let alone someone who's both.
But as they both help each other deal with deeply hidden secrets, it gets harder and harder to avoid the attraction they both feel.

Time to Shine is sweet, with lots of sex-positive rep. Landon is clearly aro/ace, and Casey is clearly NOT, and that is handled in a really great way. This was a fun read that definitely did deal with some harder topics (like the death of Landon's sister almost a decade ago, and how the grief impacted his family). I absolutely want to read more from Rachel Reid.

tw for sibling death

Thank you for the ARC! Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I didn’t think the characters were well flushed out, and the tension between Casey and Landon was lacking. I wish the book was a little longer so we could actually see how the two characters fell in love with each other, and I thought the main miscommunication was pretty irritating. The ending was also incredibly rushed.

Tropes:
Grumpy x Sunshine (ish)
Workplace Romance
Hurt/Comfort
Long Distance

When I say this book had me making poor life choices, what I mean is that I stayed up until 4am on a work night to finish it. I absolutely LOVED Landon and Casey’s story. Casey is a lovable goofball with great intuition into people. Landon is reserved and knows his time in the NHL is limited, so he’s there to make an impression on the coaching staff and management, not lasting connections with temporary teammates.

Both MCs have deeper issues that they are reluctant to share with anyone, but are able to eventually open up and confide in each other. While they know that their time is limited, they’re able to bring each other out of their shells and grow together on and off the ice. They may have an arrangement during the time Landon is called up, but will their ever-growing feelings be able to survive when he’s sent back down or will their relationship end like Landon’s dreams of staying in the Pros?

This book is a must read if you’re a fan of MM Hockey Romance. It had me going through all the emotions, and like I mentioned earlier, making poor life choices that had me stay up until 4am to finish it. I’ll absolutely be buying a physical copy when it comes out, and probably the audiobook too if there is one.

This book is a light and seasonal (read: Christmas vibes all over the cover are not accidental) hockey m/m romance, and yet instead of leaning back and enjoying the fluff I ended up picking at its loose ends as I read it. It's a second one by Rachel Reid I tried, the first one being Heated Rivalry, and while the author and the setting are not dissimilar, they have very different tones. It's the choice of protagonists, I think.

Casey is meant to be the golden retriever type, a bundle of energy and chatter (and what looks like a textbook case of undiagnosed ADHD), which could be charming -- especially juxtaposed against more closed-off characters -- but for some reason, he was really annoying. It was in parts the fact that people constantly talked him down, including himself and his own family, and partly that his happy-go-lucky approach to life read to me as quite superficial. I don't mind seeing in my romances the main leads with other people, but the way Casey blindly filled in his time with any people at all to address the void in hiself seemed more callous than sympathetic. And Lindon didn't earn too many sympathy points either: for the longest time it made no sense as to why he would give himself so much emotional turmoil, and his moods oscillated quite a bit. If only more of Lindon was the version of him that talked to Casey about lizard... But oh well.

But if you are looking for a seasonal gay hockey romance -- man, I don't think there are too many books out there that offer just that.

Thanks to Netgalley and Carina Press for an early copy for the book.

I loved the premise but couldn’t get past both how rude everyone was to Casey and how innocently dumb he was at the beginning and it really put me off the entire book. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.