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.

Sports romances are really so elite. I throughly enjoyed this book. Some of the anxiety felt a little over played up, to the point where it could take you out of it, but the pining had me in a vice grip. The third act breakup stung something awful, but it was well worth it.

I'm giving this book a very generous 4 stars for a couple of reasons. But first, the negatives.
This first chapter or two were a drag. It took me two attempts to even get past the first page. Not what I have come to expect from Rachel Reid. I also did not love Landon or Casey. Landon obviously had some kind of issues, but they were never named and didn't really make sense to me. As for Casey, I think the author was going for "golden retriever vibes" with him, and instead...it was more yappy chihuahua. A sweet one, but still...

Over all, these two characters just felt...uncomfortable. Inconsistent. This felt like perhaps she had gone back to an earlier work and was retweaking it, rather than it being something she's written since the Game Changers series. It felt immature and regressive.

As for things I liked: Reid did a good job with showing some diversity here in a couple of ways. I appreciated Landon being out and comfortable as bisexual. I understood Landon not really knowing what his tag was, but recognizing he was into men. For me, the description leaned very demisexual/demiromantic. Possibly even more sex positive ace. But I didn't feel we got much closure on him finding and accepting an identity. So, it felt very "gay for Casey" which I don't care for.

I also appreciated the acknowledgement that anal sex isn't the end-all-be-all of MM romances. I really wish that was something that was featured in more books. This is only the 2nd I've read in the past year or so that has explored it at all. And it was well done.

Over all, the diversity, consent, and generally safe sex practices knocked this a little higher in the rating than the story itself did. The story was *fine*. And honestly, Landon and Antton at the end made me think of how I imagine it must be for Marc Andre Fluery and Filip Gustavsson at times --minus the injury drama.

Lastly, less about content, I will say: I don't love this cover. It didn't have NHL Hockey vibes to me and feels --much like the book itself, immature.

Landon Stackhouse has been dreaming of an NHL goalkeeper career, so when he is called up to the Calgary team as their backup goalie, he is terrified. A loner and self-imposed “weirdo” Landon doesn’t know how to talk to other people. That doesn’t stop his new teammate, Casey Hicks.

Casey is used to the superstar lifestyle, since his father is also a hockey star. Making friends and talking to people is not a hardship for Casey. He treats Landon as if they’ve known each other for years. Even going so far as to invite Landon to live with him during Landon’s stay.

Despite Landon’s lack of communication, Casey coaxes him into trying things Landon normally wouldn’t do. A friendship begins to blossom into more, but Landon begins to become uncertain. After all, how can Casey possibly want Landon when his time with the team is up, and he’s gone away?

This was a super cute, down to earth, and emotionally relatable novel. The characters are hilarious, adorable, and sympathetic. While meeting someone like Casey in real life would probably drive me nuts, I do know people with his same energy. I am more like Landon, however, and found myself understanding and feeling the same things he did.

This novel touches so many feelings. Anxiety, fear, grief, but also understanding, determination, and (of course) love. Its about more than a romance, it’s also about families, both born and found. I absolutely loved every word of this novel.

Overall, I rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars.

3.5

This was lovely. Heart-warming and sweet and emotional, and it put a huge smile on my face.

Landon and Casey's romance journey was freaking cute: friends/teammates/roommates-to-lovers and slow-burn galore, opposites-attract (ft. the loveliest, anxiety-riddled, must-be-protected-at-all-costs introvert, and the sweetest golden retriever sunshine boy ever), first times and found family.

I loved them as protagonists, and I absolutely adored seeing them slowly discover their dynamic and watching their relationship bloom.
Both of them struggle with quite a few issues, and I think Rachel Reid did a fantastic job at portraying their struggles: from phobia and sexual discovery to anxiety and grief... everything was done in a really gentle and respectful way.

On the other hand though, I think "Time to Shine" was just a bit too wholesome for me; I know readers seem to gobble that fluff up nowadays, but I'm always going to be more of a fan of the grittier, gutsier stuff in my romances. I also think this book could have proooobably been quite a bit shorter; I don't know, maybe it's a me problem, but I ended up skimming a few of the chapters, especially by the end.

I know Rachel Reid can absolutely write masterpieces, romances with grit and angst, emotional journeys that leave me wrecked for days; I mean, I'm not going to forget "Heated Rivalry", "The Long Game" and "Role Model", to name a few, in a hurry, am I? *clutches heart*
So yes, "Time to Shine" is a lovely, fluffy, enjoyable palate cleanser, and I know lots and lots of people will absolutely fall in love with Landon and Casey's romance, but unfortunately it didn't totally work for me, nor did the writing totally win me over.

But yeah, like I said, I still enjoyed it, and I still cheered for Casey and Landon: both of them are adorable and lovely (and young!), and I freaking loved all the side characters. If there's one thing Rachel Reid always excels at, it's the IMMACULATE found family: all of Landon and Casey's teammates are utter gems, and their families are wonderful.

If you're looking for a hockey romance that's full of sport, heart and just a smidge of spicy and emotional angst, this book is definitely for you! I enjoyed it, despite a few niggles, and I definitely can't wait to read whatever Rachel Reid manages to create next.

I highly recommend this sugary, holiday treat – my first Rachel Reid novel (always a delight to find a new author), which tells the story of Landon Stackhouse, a hockey goalie who gets called to join the Calgary NHL team as a temporary backup, and finds a lot more than he bargained for in the friendly and flamboyantly unabashed Casey Hicks (a star player on the team). First and foremost, I am NOT a sports person, and can commend Reid for writing the sports into the story in a way that was totally digestible and in support of the romance and relationship entanglements. I love the comradery of the team; the refreshing, if dreamlike, non-toxic nature of the other players was such a relief.

The slow-burn romance is equal parts delightful and touching, brushing against themes like identity and self-image in ways that feel refreshing. Landon’s family history and relationship with his parents serve as a catalyst for a lot of healing, and it’s so nice to see family dynamics built around love and acceptance, which are too frequently unattainable in LGBTQ+ stories. Reid creates something warm and cozy, as appetizing as the holidays, crackling fireplaces, and colorful lights that will leave you feeling ready to fall in love.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Time to Shine in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of Time to Shine by Rachel Reid!

Wow such a spicy novel, love the will they won’t they trope! Two hockey players, fall in love, one starts off uncertain! Very spicy. 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

At this point, Rachel Reid can do no wrong! I devoured Time to Shine in one sitting and I adored everything about Landon and Casey. Landon Stackhouse is called up from the Calgary developmental team as a backup goalie in the NHL and tries his best to shake his nerves even though he's terrified. Calgary's young superstar player Casey Hicks slowly charmed his way into Landon's life looking for a new friend to fill the void of his friends moving out of his giant house. After they become roommates, their friendship develops and slowly burns into a captivating romance, with the possibility of Landon being sent back to the developing league looming over them.

Rachel is masterful at balancing hockey play and accuracy with developed characters and a thought-out romance. There are great conversations around sexuality, specifically labeling and self-identifying with different queer identities. The overall mood of the story is warm and comforting, and there are also conversations around grief, anxiety, and self-worth.

Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED IT!

Rachel Reid + Hockey + Opposites Attract = A Must Read.

Rachel Reid has a way of writing her stories that keeps me engaged from start to finish.

Slow burn romance, character growth, chemistry, loveable characters, great pacing. This book was absolutely wonderful!

Highly recommend it

Thank you to Netgalley and Carina Press for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After the first few chapters I thought I wasn't going to like this book at all but I was so glad to be proven wrong! I haven't read any of Rachel Reid's books before, but will definitely be checking them out now!

This was such a cute book! It's a fairly slow burn, friends-to-lovers romance, but I think it's well-paced and I was 100% engrossed in the story throughout. I loved both the main characters, Casey and Landon, and I liked the hockey theme. All their team mates were fantastic side characters and they were all so supportive and like a big family which I adored! I especially liked that there was no homophobic character or storyline and I could enjoy the idealistic universe the author created. The relationship between Casey and Landon was written fantastically, and they were both so open and supportive of each other. I loved how supportive and understanding and non-judgemental Casey was with Landon's sexual inexperience and his uncertainty around his sexuality. I thought it was all handled really well, and I liked that no-one forced a label onto Landon when he didn't feel the need to.

Very briefly, the only things I didn't like about this book were the beginning chapters and some of the dialogue. For me, the plot moved too quickly at the beginning in comparison to the character development. Casey was almost immediately obsessed with Landon, which was partly his very extroverted personality, but I was also left wondering why when they hadn't had much interaction. Landon is also very reserved and doesn't speak a lot, especially in new situations, which I love and relate to, but there wasn't enough written about his inner thoughts and feelings to combat that, so I found it hard to connect initially. The only other tiny thing was that I found some of the dialogue to be a little unnatural. This is not really a negative, but I did struggle a bit at the start with who's who in the team. They were introduced with their full names, then there were nicknames, and it took a little time to get used to who was who.

Overall really loved this book and would highly recommend!

Landon Stackhouse, the reserved backup goalie, gets called up to the NHL, and his unexpected friendship with the outgoing superstar winger, Casey Hicks, is a delight to follow. Their slow-burning romance is beautifully portrayed, and I couldn't help but root for them. Reid avoids rushing into explicit scenes and lets their relationship develop naturally. What sets this book apart is the absence of toxic masculinity and the thoughtful handling of insecurities. Even though there's a minor hiccup in the third act, the story finishes on a heartwarming note. If you are into MM and craving a heartwarming sports romance, read this one.

Time to Shine is a sweet and sexy contemporary romance. Strong grumpy/sunshine vibe, along with some really well done themes of loss, grief, anxiety and uncertainty. The main couple are hockey players, and the detail and focus on the hockey aspect of the story line was exceptionally well written. So many books in the hockey romance genre gloss over the hockey in favor of relationship drama. Not in this book. The author got the hockey part right, which made me more invested in the story as a whole. That plus two engaging lead characters made this book a winner for me. 4.5 stars.

Rachel Reid is a new to me author, and based off this book, I would like to read more from her.

Thank you to Carina Press via Netgalley for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

This book was the absolute sweetest! If you’re used to Rachel Reid’s spicier books from her Game Changers series, this one is a bit of a departure from that but, in my opinion, it was just as enjoyable (and still plenty hot!). It was sweet, sexy, funny, romantic, and will leave you feeling all sorts of warm and fuzzy when you’re done.

Landon Stackhouse had always been a bit of a loner and he didn’t plan on changing that when he was called up to the NHL to be the backup goalie for Calgary. But he also didn’t count on his new teammate, Casey Hicks, being relentlessly chatty and friendly, despite Landon’s strong “don’t talk to me” vibes. They were complete opposites but Landon couldn’t help but be charmed by Casey’s laid-back nature and his seemingly endless kindness so when Casey offered Landon a room in his house so he didn’t have to spend his time in Calgary in a hotel, Landon agreed. Their friendship formed fast after that and Landon soon found himself desiring Casey in a way he’s never felt before. Casey was more than on board with going from bromance to romance with Landon but Landon’s time in Calgary had an expiration date and Casey hoped that didn’t mean the same thing for his new relationship with Landon.

Casey was the very definition of golden retriever energy. I loved his character so much. I laughed a lot while reading this one. The dude was a lot, but he knew he was a lot, but he was so darn charming that you couldn’t help but love him. Landon was the complete opposite, I wouldn’t quite call him a grump but he was very quiet and a little awkward and he couldn’t understand why someone as magnetic as Casey would have any interest in him. One of my favorite things in this book was seeing Landon realize his worth over the course of the story, as a friend, boyfriend, son, and professional hockey player. It was a lovely journey.

This book was a slow burn but I was having so much fun reading it that I didn’t even care. While it was never explicitly stated, Landon was definitely on the asexual spectrum (demi, if I had to guess) so he was much more reserved and tentative about sex. Casey was quite the opposite but he was so patient and kind with Landon as Landon explored what he was into. I thought this book was still hot even though there was less sex than a typical Rachel Reid book. The connection between Landon and Casey made their sexual encounters that much more intimate, in my opinion.

I also loved all the secondary characters and both Landon and Casey’s families, some of my favorite moments were when their families were all together. There was a lot of love and healing and the fact that it’s set during the holidays really amps up the coziness of this story. I had a big smile on my face for most of this story and even found tears in my eyes a time or two toward the end. The epilogue was just adorable. I totally fell in love with Landon and Casey and I think you will too!

Okay but this is so cute ❤️
Big thanks to NetGalley and Carina Press for the ARC!
I picked this up because I absolutely loved Heated Rivalry and The Long Game, so I knew I was in for a good time no matter what and I was right!! Is it perfect? No. Did I love it anyway? Heck yeah!
The main characters, Casey and Landon, are so lovable. Honestly, it was impossible not to become invested right away.
At the start, idk why, I had the fleeting thought that maybe this was gonna be a bit boring, but a few pages went by and I was 100% dialed in. I can’t find the quote but in the beginning Landon says something about how quickly Casey wins people over despite being a bit “too much” most of the time, and I kid you not, I had to laugh when I realized it happened to me too! I don’t remember my first impression of Casey but all I know is that suddenly I was one of these characters, completely won over by this 23yo golden retriever with adhd who never shuts up.
And Landon!! His sadness, his grief, was so palpable, I just wanted to reach into the pages and hold him, poor kid.
As with the other works I read of this author, what struck me the most was how easily she made me feel all kinds of emotions. I got butterflies in my stomach, I cried, I laughed, all of it. I love when that happens, when the build up to the moment you’ve been waiting for is so well crafted that a few words can give you an adrenaline rush like you’re actually in the room with the characters.
I felt that Time to Shine was well-written, it had the right amount of hockey, the side characters were interesting and multidimensional, and the main couple is absolutely adorable.
The only reason this is more of a 4.5 stars to me instead of 5 despite all the fun I had, is that it’s all a little too perfect. The characters always say the right things, there’s very little conflict and nobody puts their foot in their mouth in a way that is not cute or easily fixed. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, nothing wrong with not having to suffer through the agony of stupid misunderstandings and easily preventable miscommunication, but maybe this story could have done with a bit more depth?
There were a few subjects that I would’ve liked the author to have explored a bit more, if I’m being honest.
Landon’s sexuality (I don’t mean defining it, I mean his journey and his feelings about it), the impact of what happened to Erin on Landon’s family (it was one of the major plot points but then the resolution was a few lines and a hug), the past 8 years of Landon’s life, Casey’s relationship with his family, and more real world consequences to what’s happening around them. It was a little too cute and perfect.
Final thoughts: I loved Casey and Landon’s characterization, their relationship was so cute and I loved the way they talked to each other (Casey is so funny). Plus, there were some killer lines that I absolutely loved.

I loved this so much!! Hockey romances can be tricky for me but I think this was done so well. I loved the actual gameplay, and the characters felt accurate. It was also grumpy x sunshine which is my favourite romance trope!! AND THEY WERE ROOMMATES

Loved it and I'll definitely get the audio when it comes out. Holy moly, how much I love these two characters!! Casey is total sunshine and Landon is such a good guy who's way too hard on himself. I loved getting to see Landon learn to accept how much Casey loves him and that he deserves to be loved *sigh* it was just wonderful. I love Rachel Reid's writing, her pacing, character development....it all hits right. I really enjoyed the slow burn here and loved that Casey and Landon become really good friends before they start hooking up, and how almost everything plays out. There's less hockey play time than other stories from Reid's Game Changers universe but that just serves to allow 'Time to Shine' to be more hurt-comfort and relationship centered. Recommended!

I’ve read a couple of the authors m/m hockey romances from her Game Changers series. This is not part of that series but is satisfying and wonderful on its own. Landon Stackhouse is called up from a Calgary farm team to be back up goalie. He is a quiet giant guy with goalie quick eyes and a giant arm span. He wants to do well but doesn’t expect to last long in the big leagues as main goalie will be back soon. Casey Hicks is exuberant in his enthusiasm for life, friends and of course hockey. He is the smallest person on the team but quick and it helps that his father was a national hockey legend. He reminds me of a golden retriever bouncing around people never wanting to be alone. He welcomes Landon a step further and offers to let him stay at his large house instead of living out of a hotel.

Casey breaks through Landon’s shyer ways and a bromance begins. But the clock is ticking for their time together to end. This really is as sweet as the cover looks, but of course Reid can deliver steamy when the moment is right. They do manage to spend Christmas together but other than that I wouldn’t consider this a holiday romance. Very enjoyable.

Time To Shine is the new book by Game Changers series author Rachel Reid. I absolutely loved every book in the Game Changers series and ran to request this one. I feel like I may have judged this one differently if I hadn’t read and LOVED the Game Changers. I had super high expectations and while this book is good and will satisfy most hockey romance readers, I just wanted more.

Goalie Landon has been called up from his AHL team to the professional Calgary Outlaws while their goalie is injured. Landon is a fantastic goalie but has some confidence issues and social anxiety. When he arrives at the Outlaws he meets Casey, who is his exact opposite- out going, super energetic, from hockey royalty and completely out. Casey bought a huge house but hates to be alone in it. When London needs a place to stay Casey offers up his house. Landon the loner and Casey with his golden retriever energy are total opposites that become best friends…. And more.

There are things I liked and things I didn’t.

What I liked-
Landon.. oh Landon. He is such a lost soul between his tragic loss and his own issues, he’s a mess. But such a lovable mess, I wanted to just wrap him in a hug. I loved that the team accepted Casey as bi and were so open and loving. I enjoyed the banter between the team, both Casey and Landon’s families, the slow burn worked for these two and the friendship that they built.

What I didn’t like-
In the first half I didn’t really like Casey that much. He does a few things that I wish he hadn’t which I will not spoil. They both are young in the league and I wish they were a bit more seasoned, sometimes it read a bit YA.

Don’t get me wrong, this book is good but if you are looking for Game Changers level of steam/ characters/ angst you will not find that here. If I hadn’t read The Game Changers series this book would be rated higher. That said I feel like Rachel Reid has set up a new team that I really want to read more about and will continue to read everything she writes.

Thank you to the publisher (Carina Adores (Harlequin))
and NetGalley for an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts are my own. Time To Shine has a pub date of September 26, 2023.