4.5 stars


This was so!! good!!! I've enjoyed Reid's past writing (to varying degrees), and I think without a doubt this is her best book yet. The main characters' chemistry was fantastic (big ADHD + autistic energy, *chef's kiss*), and Reid sustained tension through the whole story super effectively. (I knew the HEA was going to arrive, but how!!) This book was just incredibly sweet and wholesome -- not to say that it wasn't spicy (it was), but the characters' emotions and tenderness towards each other really leapt off the page.

Absolutely loved this one. I'm planning to pre-order a copy for myself, and who knows, maybe one of my pals will be getting a copy for Christmas too. Strongly recommend!

I really loved the first half of this, liked the third quarter and was meh about the last quarter. It definitely hooked me from the start and I liked both MCs, especially Casey. I cannot resist a himbo. While no labels are ever used, Landon definitely read as on the ace spectrum to me, and I appreciated that perspective. Some of his experiences and feelings were very similar to mine and some were very different, but there's no one way to be ace and every experience is valid. The more I see those various experiences represented, the happier I am.

I laughed quite a bit while reading and even teared up a couple of times. This is definitely much lower angst than this author's other books. It's holiday fluff, which is fine by me. There's really no struggles for either character about their sexuality and everyone is supportive of them. I think it's good to have queer books that are just all about joy, as long as we also have books that delve into the realities of how terrible the world can still be for queer people. This one is all about the joy, with no homophobia or struggles with coming out. I really loved the building of the relationship between the MCs, that was my favorite part of the book.

As things went on, I got a bit annoyed by how easy everything was. Everything just falls perfectly into place. Casey ended up seeming almost too perfect. I wish we'd seen a little more of what it would take to negotiate a relationship between someone who is very sexual and someone who has a less interest in sex. I did like how respectful, patient and supportive Casey was with Landon, even if it did seem a little like it was all too perfect and easy.

And the ending of the book was extremely blah for me. I mean, parts of it were cute and very true to the characters, but I very rarely like a romance to end that way, especially ones with very young MCs.

Despite some things not being entirely my jam, I would recommend this as a light, sweet read with a really lovable himbo. It does have some mentions of Christmas, but isn't super holiday focused. When you're looking for something with very little angst, this is a good bet.

Time to Shine
By Rachel Reid

📚💕⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💕📚

Couldn’t be any better than together!

What a great M/ M book. This book had so much depth and a great love story. Add in the play my favorite sport and this books a win for me. The authors writing flawless and the words are so captivating, the plot had so many twists and turns and none that I was expecting, and many shockingly intimate I have become a huge fan of this author. The author writes with so much intensity and emotion pulled from each book it’s felt page after page. Some are quick witted story lines are so perfect and lets you believe you have a front row seat. So being able to read this love story didn’t disappoint. The authors ability to have two separate individuals struggling in their everyday life and try to navigate someone else’s thoughts, needs and desires was intense and gives all the fills.

Authors Blurb: For Landon Stackhouse, being called up from the Calgary farm team is exciting and terrifying, even if, as the backup goalie, he rarely leaves the bench. A quiet loner by nature, Landon knows he gives off strong “don’t talk to me” vibes. The only player who doesn’t seem to notice is Calgary’s superstar young winger, Casey Hicks.

Casey treats Landon like an old friend, even though they’ve only interacted briefly in the past. He’s endlessly charming and completely laid-back in a way that Landon absolutely can’t relate to. They couldn’t have less in common, but Landon needs a place to live that’s not a hotel room and Casey has just bought a massive house—and hates being alone.

As roommates, Casey refuses to be defeated by Landon’s one-word answers. As friends, Landon comes to notice a few things about Casey, like his wide, easy smile and sparkling green-blue eyes. Spending the holidays together only intensifies their bromance-turned-romance. But as the new year approaches, the countdown to the end of Landon’s time in Calgary is on.

This book has everything I love in a book. Then you add that it's beautifully written and believable. It is easily a five star read. Written in dual POV my personal favorite this story flows so incredibly well that the next thing you know your 80% into the book and loving every second of it. The believable way the characters interact is perfect. Run, Hop, Jump or use your (1 click) finger to do whatever you have to do and get this amazing book. It'll break your heart, you'll want to scream with frustration and it'll let you discover that love just might conquer all. The chemistry is steamy and sweet and oh so romantic.

Thanks Netgally for letting me read and review.📚💕

4.5 / 5

I enjoyed this a lot. Time to Shine is another big hit for Rachel Reid; it has her perfect combo of cinnamon roll gooeyness, sexy times, and heartfelt emotional journeys that really deliver the whole package. This time, it takes on a whole new Christmassy vibe which I really loved.

Time to Shine is my third read by Reid, and it absolutely cements her as a favorite author for me. I look forward to reading all the rest of her books, and I already have plans to reread a few, too. This one is no exception - it'd be a perfect wintery reread and I can't wait to get to know these boys all over again.

I loved Casey so much more than I thought I would at the beginning: he is the epitome of golden retriever boyfriend, with so much depth and a heart of gold. I think Reid really knows what she's doing when it comes to characters and how relationships form between them. The pacing felt perfect, and while the plot itself wasn't super exciting, I think it let Casey and Landon's relationship really shine.

Landon carries around so much emotional baggage, and the way he unfolds throughout the story was beautiful to witness. He is someone we relate to and root for and feel so deeply for - I even felt pride for his accomplishments, and how far he came by the end.

I absolutely recommend picking this one up (and all Reid's other books) come September 26th.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Rachel Reid, and Carina Press & Carina Adores (Harlequin) for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is perfectly fine.

I’m a longtime fan of the Game Changers series by the same author, and though I respect that Reid is out here showing us she can write outside of that world, Ilya casts a long shadow and I missed seeing him here. It’s unfair to Reid and unfair to this book, but there it is.

Conversely, for those overwhelmed by the hype of the Game Changers series, and Heated Rivalry in particular, this might actually be a good entry point into Reid’s writing. You can get a feel for what she can do before deciding if you want to go on to tackle her now larger than life Game Changers series.

And so what did I struggle with here? The S L O W pacing. The first 60% of this book is the buildup leading to that tipping point where the characters give into their feelings and do something about it. And for the whole first 60% I felt like I was waiting for something, anything to happen. We see in the Game Changers series that Reid can write compelling prose about high stakes hockey and team camaraderie, but here, for me, it fell flat. I was not invested the way I hoped and even expected to be.

But surely there are positives here? Absolutely. Casey was earnest and eager and a fool whose antics I laughed at a lot. A true sunshine in a romance with grumpy/sunshine vibes. And Landon was a grumpy sort of introvert who was open to love while at the same time thinking that it was something he’d never find. He was awkward, socially but also in his body, and I loved the way Casey helped him get over himself and let go. These two were so tender. So sweet.

So, in the end, I’d say this book is fine, though imo it lacked some of the charm and high stakes hockey we find in Game Changers. Even so, I’d recommend it for all Rachel Reid fans.

Received an eArc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Time to Shine is a fun m/m sports hockey romance. The first 10% was a little rough with some clunky writing and honestly I told myself to give it until at least 25% before DNFing, but I was happy I gave it a chance as the writing smoothed out and Hicks and Stacks swept me away with their romance. It ended up being a fun, quick read.

'Time to shine' is a book that transport you to the cold months, where the warmth of two good characters is all you need.
-
I always say that when a book feels special to me it is very difficult for me to write a review because it is just really difficult to put into words feelings and sensations. Although I also think that many times all I have to say is that you have to read this book and find out for yourselves if it will make you feel that much.

It is one of those feel good books, you enjoy every minute of it and all of the time you just have a smile on your face. I also think it is very complicated to make a simple story, get so much and enjoy it so much. Besides keeping you hooked for so long. I can't tell you anything else about the story except that it's a wonderful story that you have to read. You won't regret it, that's for sure.

The characters are also adorable. From the first moment you can connect with them and enjoy every moment we can see them. For me the book was even short, because I could really spend a lot of time reading about them and just watching them being happy.

This was such a fun opposites attract hockey romance!

Landon is a loner who prefers to keep to himself, so when he’s called up to the NHL to fill in for an injured player, he just wants to keep his head down and do his best to not get sent home immediately. His new extremely outgoing teammate offers him a place to stay during the couple months he’ll be playing pro, so the two polar opposites find themselves living, working, and commuting together.

The two two could not be more different, Landon is reserved and quiet, while Casey is a bit of a class clown, but they start to find a middle ground as they grow closer together, all while knowing their time together is limited.

Things I enjoyed:
-the relationship between the two
-their friendship turning into more
-their explorations of Landon’s limits
-their friendships with their teammates
-their family relationships and how they dealt with them
-the humor
-the spice
-Bi rep and (probably though not explicitly said) demi rep


Things I did not enjoy:
Casey sleeping with other people until past the halfway point of the book. It takes something away from the romance for me when I have to read about them with other people, especially that far into the book. Once the relationship has started in any capacity, even if it is still platonic, I don’t enjoy reading about them hooking up with someone else

Overall though I did like the book, it was fun and light but still emotional at times. It was soft and sweet and I really enjoyed the characters!

Rachel Reid's queer hockey romances are nothing short of perfection. Time to Shine has the most wonderfully, hilariously endearing main characters, and watching them fall in love was truly a delight. This book made me laugh, made me tear up, and made my heart go bananas!!!

Thanks to Carina/HarperCollins for the advanced copy! This review reflects my unbiased opinion.

How timely that I got approved for this ARC in July because it certainly felt like Christmas when I got that email!

I should start with a full disclosure that Rachel Reid's voice just works for me every time. Also, one of the promos for this book said "There were so many beds, actually (but they shared one anyway)", so I went in ready to love this book. And it didn't disappoint! It is an utter delight. Landon and Casey are well developed and so very endearing. I love how the reader can grow to appreciate Landon even more as he opens up to Casey. And I feel like everyone knows someone like Casey who really knows how to make people feel welcome and seen. I agree with some other reviews that their behaviour skews to the younger side but they are still pretty young and these guys have kind of small, contained lives and pretty much no relationship experience. Their emotional maturity (or lack thereof) actually feels pretty authentic.

And while overall this is a pretty light, low-conflict book, heavy on the domesticity, it hits on some serious stuff around grief (content warning for death in the family in the past.) Something about the pacing hit just right for me - I was usually smiling or laughing but there was enough depth in between to keep it from being too fluffy.

This is definitely a more-vibes-than-plot book - which is my favourite - and it's done just right! This is a stand-alone book - not part of the Game Changers universe. The world these characters live in is a lovely one. The secondary characters are great and this team might rival the Centaurs for good vibes. I even liked the hockey (which is saying something, because I don't read these books for hockey!) This is a slower burn than what Rachel Reid is probably best known for but it's just right for these characters (see also: great demi rep). Read this book if Role Model is in your top Game Changers books or if you, like me, could read Cat Sebastian's Cabot books over and over again.

I love a Rachel Reid m/m hockey romance so much. They're real, sweet, sexy, and give all of the HEA that a romance deserves. Every one of her books makes me happy and Time to Shine is not an exception to that rule.

I read this in one sitting (an entire day) because it was that welcoming a story. It’s adorable, funny, sexy, and the characters were so lovable, flaws and all. Such a lovely read.

RATING 3.5 STARS

Time to Shine is a stand alone, MM hockey romance by Rachel Reid. I loved Rachel’s Game Changers series and have been so excited about this new book. The cover is adorable. But, I’m sad to say I ended up not enjoying it as much as I hoped.

Landon Stackhouse is twenty four years old and is a very talented goalie for the Calgary Outlaw’s farm team. When the back up goalie for the Outlaws is injured, Landon is called up to the NHL. His dream come true. He doesn’t even mind that he’ll most likely sit on the bench all the time. Just to be there among his idols is enough. Landon is a super quiet man, very much a loner, very introverted, and very shy. So all of this experience is going to be so much for him to take in.

Casey Hicks is twenty three years old and is the star winger for the Outlaws. He’s opposite to Landon in just about every way. He’s like a puppy, always bouncing around, always talking, always trying to plan something for after games to get all the guys together.

When it becomes obvious Landon will be with the Outlaws longer than he thought, he’s going to need somewhere to stay other than his hotel. Casey just bought a huge house for himself but there was one big problem with that...he can’t stand to be alone. So Casey has the perfect solution, Landon will be his roommate for the time he is with the team!

Both Landon and Casey have some history. Landon is still trying to come back from a trauma his family experienced several years ago and Casey with his own phobias. Together, they seemed to settle each other. Even though they couldn’t be more opposite, they seemed to balance each other. At the same time, they both began crushing on each other. It was an attraction born from friendship. But Landon was only in Calgary until the goalie he was replacing was cleared to return to the ice. His time in the big leagues has an expiration date.

So, first, this is a very slow burn romance, which by itself is fine. My biggest issue was with Casey the first half of the book. I just couldn’t personally justify his actions. I really can’t say what they were without spoiling things but it really bothered me. I did like the character development of both men, the effect they had on each other. And it had a super sweet ending which added a half star to my rating. But due to Casey’s actions and the slow burn, I just could not warm up to them the way I wanted to.

This ending up being a really sweet story. At first, I wasn't sold on either MC. Hicks was super flighty and I was sure he was going to end up demanding things Stacks wasn't willing to give. And Stacks started out kinda boring (which actually really fits because that's how he seems himself). But they both grew on me, especially Hicks, He was such an attentive and considerate person. The amount of care and respect that he gave Stacks, and the fact that he did not judge or shame Stacks for anything, was really amazing. I also super loved how much of a merry ray of sunshine Hicks is. I wouldn't call this a grumpy/sunshine pairing since Stacks isn't really a grump, but it has a bit of that feel to it. Overall, it's a pretty solid story.

Thank you NetGalley andharlequin for sending me an e-ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating 5/5☆
E-book/Paperback
304 pages
Pub day September 26, 2023 - upcoming release
Harlequin books
Gr avg. 4.46/5⭐

This was my first Rachel Reid book and now I need to read the entire backlist. If you read Rachel's books which do I start with?

I really loved this book we get
Grumpy sunshine
Forced proximity
Workplace
Roommate
It was honestly a delight. I love hockey so this was a great sports M/M romance.

If you're open to MM romance definetly pick it up

Time to Shine is a fun, opposites attract romance that has everything you’d want in a romance.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When Landon Stackhouse joins the Calgary hockey team as the reserve goalkeeper, he’s finally offered his big chance to play in the NHL. But what he doesn’t expect is to fall for Casey Hicks.

Casey is one of those people who is always full of joy and tries to make everyone around him happy. So from the start Casey treats Landon like an old friend, even though they’ve only met briefly in the past. When Casey invites Landon to live with him while he’s with the team, the pair become inseparable.

Throughout Time to Shine, Rachel Reid does a brilliant job of writing about acceptance in every form, and this book is just so uplifting and engaging. Although she touches on a range of issues throughout the book such as anxiety, loneliness and grief, Rachel’s brilliant style of writing makes it well-balanced throughout the story without shoving anything down the readers throats.

This book comes out on the 26th September and I would definitely recommend reading it!

Thank you Netgalley and Rachel Reid for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

M/M hockey romance is one of my favourite genres, when it’s written by Rachel Reid I know it’s going to be brimming with emotion and drama, and Time to Shine is all that and more. When Landon Stacks is called up to mind net in the NHL he grabs the opportunity and loves every minute. He’s a loner, definitely not a people person, that said he’s most definitely humbled to be playing in the NHL in particular because he’s playing alongside his idol net-minder. Casey Hicks is the exact opposite of Landon, he’s a true people person, he’s doesn’t particularly like his own company and he welcomes Landon’s friendship with open arms, opening up his house and his life to Landon for as long as he’s on the team. A wonderfully refreshing romance focussing on relationships and friendship, honesty and emotion. Both Landon and Casey open up to each other for the short time they have together, both knowing the clock is ticking. Emotional, sweet and a little bit sexy. I loved it. I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley. This is my honest review.

4 stars

Christmas Deaths Content: Yes - in the past Landon's sister died and he thinks about it kind of a lot because what is Christmas if not the time to be emotionally haunted. Or actually haunted. (note: there aren't any ghosts in the book. probably.)

The combination of Christmas and hockey should be lethal to me because I am very critical of both but this is the rare book that manages to do a pretty good job with these topics! Perhaps it is the simple and clear writing or the soft romantic beats or the complete lack of sexuality crises in a homophobic hockey league but it all came together to make for an easy, enjoyable read.

I liked Casey a lot but he did come across as kind of childish which made the explicit sex scenes a little weird to read. And Landon going from "probably asexual virgin" to "sex every night" immediately was a bit jarring. They're both young and dumb and it definitely comes across that way.

Overall, a cute and enjoyable book.

I’m convinced there really is no way Rachel Reid is ever going to write a bad book. While I miss her Game Changers series, she comes back strong with Time To Shine and a new pair of boys to make you melt. I would simply die for Casey, I’m sorry. I wanted to give him the biggest hug and a pointed side eye to every person that’s cer made him fell dumb. As for Landon, I appreciated his development despite his Demisexual nature fully being flushed out. It wouldn’t be a Reid book without hockey, so this almost feels like stepping back into the Game Changer world, which I LOVE, but I’d love to see Reid do something totally different in the future

This is the book I’ve been waiting for! Rachel reid gives us a hockey romance novel with ace-spectrum representation!! Though it is technically not explicitly stated, I believe Rachel Reid has stated that her intention was to have Landon be on the asexual spectrum. And honestly it’s really well written, and I love when we get good representation.

Casey is like a golden retriever of a human being who doesn’t like to be alone; however some of his team finds him annoying and make fun of him for saying dumb things. Landon is super quiet and gets called up to be a backup goalie, but needs a place to say when it becomes slightly more long term. When Casey offers his house to make it feel less lonely, Landon moves in. They go from reluctant teammates to friends to roommates to more. Their relationship is just really cute and I love them. They gradually confide in each other the things that they are struggling with and are able to support each other as they become closer. This gives the book a level of intimacy and depth that makes it feel believable.

These two are the golden retriever/house cat opposites attract relationship, and I love their dynamic. I loved their dynamic and their relationship as it progressed.