Rachel Reid's latest book, Time to Shine is so sweet. A total opposites attract, first time romance, I literally smiled the whole way through.

As always, Rachel Reid does a great job setting the scene of what life is like for these hockey players, and there are some exciting hockey scenes too.

I also really enjoyed all the family interactions. Both Landon and Casey have interesting backstories, and seeing everyone come together is marvelous.

Of course, the main plot of Time to Shine is the romance. Reid writes crazy hot and sexy dialogue, and because it's a bit of slow burn, when these guys get down to it, it's smoking. These boys do friends to lovers beautifully!

What an absolute pleasure.

Such a fun and cute read! Both characters have a lot of depth and go through their own emotional and self-discovery journeys throughout the book but the romance is definitely the star of this book as our heroes think and explore their own sexualities. I've liked every Rachel Reid book I've read, but this one is an definite winner!

When Landon Stackhouse is called up from the farm team to play backup goalie for Calgary he's incredible excited (and a bit nervous) even if he's likely to just be sitting on the bench for most games. He's a bit of a quiet loner but despite his tendency to give off short answers and sit quietly alone, the team embraces him when he arrives...no one more than the chatterbox (and superstar of the team) Casey Hicks. Casey immediately treats Landon like an old friend and always fills the silences between them with chatter. Casey is laidback and charming and effortlessly social, everything that Landon struggles with.
When Landon learns he will be staying with Calgary a bit longer due to the original backup goalie's injuries, Casey offers to let Landon live with him in his new massive house. It works out for both of them as Casey is secretly afraid of being alone in the massive house at night.
As their friendship blooms the pair both fight against their growing attraction for one another while juggling their own issues and trying to find a way to convey their feelings.

I literally could not stop reading this. When I was approved for this book I was ecstatic. I love queer hockey romances and, of course, Rachel Reid is a master of the genre. Her love of hockey is obvious. I'm always disappointed when a hockey romance doesn't include enough hockey and, as always, Reid delivers. Casey and Landon are SO CUTE together. Their interactions are super sweet. I also am completely obsessed with the fact that there was never a "coming out to the NHL" story line in this book, which is SO common in the sub genre. The whole team knows Casey is bisexual. No one cares. It was so refreshing not to have to deal with that whole plot line in yet another hockey book. I devoured this in one night and am feeling such deep ennui about it being over. I could read another three hundred pages about these two adorable goobers.

Highly recommend this new standalone from a master of the hockey romance genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press/Harlequin for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Absolutely heartwarming! The vibe in this is very light, despite the heavy things that Landon and Casey carry. Part of what sets the easy tone is that neither one of them is stressed about coming out or being caught together. Their teammates, coaches, and family members are all important to the story and they are unanimously supportive for these guys. I love all the hockey bro chirping and bonding! There's so much humor (thanks largely to Casey), tender intimacy, and cozy domesticity. Reading this made me feel like I was a soft little marshmallow floating in a mug of hot chocolate.

As an asexual person, I really love the demisexual rep in this romance! I love that Casey is absolutely down for whatever Landon wants and needs, that he never pushes him for more, and is happy with all aspects of their relationship. As they gradually get closer - emotionally and physically - it was a delight to see how transformative the experience is for both of them. While not as high heat as the Game Changers books, Time to Shine delivers moments of spice and tenderness that gave me all the feels! Highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for allowing me to read this book for an honest review.

If you’re into M4M romance, give this a try. I know absolutely nothing about hockey, but that didn’t really matter in this case. The story was sweet and the sex scenes were hot. That’s pretty much the baseline of a very enjoyable gay romance.

Time to Shine is so, so sweet. Rachel Reid once again delivers a funny, sexy, fast-paced hockey romance, but this time the MCs are younger, the central conflict has nothing to do with homophobia, and we've got a bit of a Christmas motif to top it all off.

Landon gets picked up for a few months as a goalie by the Calgary team when their 'backup goaltender' gets injured, and shortly befriends, becomes roommates with, and subsequently falls in love with his teammate Casey, an unfiltered, kind, compassionate himbo. The two early 20s bbs have to figure out whether they can make a relationship work once the player Landon replaced heals up and Landon gets sent back to his home team.

I love how RR approached the grumpy/sunshine and friends to lovers tropes in this one (not to mention a fun take on 'only one bed'), as well as her exploration of sexuality (Landon reads to me as demisexual or grey-ace, but I might be misinterpreting that... regardless, it's a lovely portrait of different ways of engaging in sexual relationships), grief, and self-doubt. The only thing that didn't really work for me was the ending, which I thought was a little too tidy and more cis-heteronormative than necessary for the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press for the ARC!

Landon and Casey are my new favorite couple!! Omg I'm still all giddy over this book and that epilogue.
These two didn't like to be alone for different reasons. When Landon gets called up to Calgary he meets a very chatty Casey. Casey is the son of a famous hockey player and loves everyone and is a flirt. He offers his house for Landon to stay at while he's there. Que the forced proximity, roommate trope. Omg these two!!
Landon is a virgin who doesn't like to be touched and has been through personal loss and his focus is on hockey. Casey is so perceptive of everyone and gives him space without leaving him alone. But he has his insecurities though he's so upbeat it's hard to see them.
The slow burn as these two got to know each other was beautiful. Loved how thoughtful they were and the heartache of not knowing if you will be traded and if you can make it work.
And loved their families!
Please normalize love and accepting love in all it's forms.

Thank you rachelreidwrites HarlequinPublicityTeam & HarlequinBooks for the gifted copy for my honest and voluntary review.

When I stumbled upon Time to Shine, I was ecstatic to discover its LGBTQ representation, hockey theme, and heartwarming premise. But I was worried because I hadn't read anything by Rachel Reid, and I am pleased to report that the book not only met but exceeded my expectations. It truly made my heart happy, and even with serious moments, the YA feel makes it a good pallet cleanser.


Rachel Reid built a world that felt dynamic, authentic, and that didn't need me to know anything prior, which was a concern for me because a lot of people talked about her past works and possible ties. The Characters you find give pure opposites attract and feel authentic to their age and their challenges on and off the ice. I would say you should read it when it's released because it's delightful, heartwarming and frankly just an amazing read.

Un délice, un bonbon, un bon gros kif livresque à l'état pur ! ♥
Quel plaisir de retrouver la plume de Rachel Reid dans un nouveau roman mettant le hockey à l'honneur !
C'est une romance doudou, délicieusement tendre et douce, avec des personnages adorables et attachants à souhait.
D'un côté on a Casey, le golden retriever du casting, le bon pote, le mec qui a toujours le sourire, qui a toujours envie d'aider, qui a toujours une blague en réserve, qui a une énergie débordante et un charme canaille à toute épreuve.
De l'autre, on a Landon, son complet opposé. Landon est réservé, discret, toujours en retrait.
Au début du roman, il a une opportunité professionnelle incroyable en rejoignant en tant que goalie remplaçant l'équipe de NHL de Calgary, réalisant ainsi son rêve de gosse. Seulement, c'est à double tranchant car non seulement, il peut de nouveau être transféré du jour au lendemain dès que le back up goalie sera de retour sur la glace, mais en plus il a la pression incroyable de jouer en ligue pro ! On sent que Rachel Reid aime le hockey, et c'est un bonheur de lire la façon dont elle nous transmet cette passion.

La relation entre Casey et Landon est très jolie, elle évolue lentement, on est dans le slow burn, c'est très tendre, ils sont vraiment trop mignons tous les deux, c'est typiquement le genre de romance qui me fait swooner et qui m'a mis des papillons dans le ventre. Côté vestiaire, on évolue aussi dans un univers potache, très positif, où la masculinité toxique est absente, et ça fait du bien que pour une fois, l'homosexualité des personnages ne soit pas un enjeu dramatique. Les coéquipiers de nos héros sont très cools et même taquins, ils apportent une bonne ambiance, sont vraiment sympas et c'est chouette de voir Antton endosser le rôle de mentor de Landon, tout en restant humain et accessible.

Toute douce et romantique qu'elle soit, cette histoire n'aborde pas moins des moments difficiles dans la vie des personnages, notamment celle de Landon, qui reste profondément marqué par un évènement traumatisant qu'il n'a encore pas réglé. Casey traîne lui aussi ses propres casseroles et tous les deux vont s'aider mutuellement à aller mieux.

La couverture évoque une ambiance hivernale, et on aura bien un petit passage durant les Fêtes, ce qui donne lieu à des scènes drôles et charmantes, et aussi quelques passages qui réchauffent le coeur.

Une très jolie histoire donc, j'ai maintenant hâte qu'elle sorte pour pouvoir me procurer la version papier et la relire ! ♥

An adorable story that gave me everything I wanted out of a hockey romance! Landon and Casey are the epitome of GrumpyXSunshine and I loved seeing their friendship blossom into so much more.

Casey’s fear of the dark is something some people might consider childish, but it’s a real fear and I bet a lot of people are going to be able to relate to this character trait. I thought that the way Landon deals with grief, even though it’s been so many years since his sister died, and how it affects his whole family, was very well-written and it resonated with me. There is no expiration date when it comes to grief, and the way Landon opens up to Casey and shows him this side of himself was beautiful to experience as a reader.

I knew where this story was going, but I didn’t mind that one bit and loved the journey it took for Landon and Casey to get there, both with their relationship and their hockey team. I devoured this book in less than two days because it was just so cute (and those steamy scenes were very well-done!), so I absolutely recommend everyone check out TIME TO SHINE when it releases on September 26!

This was the first book I've read by Rachel Reid and now I'm a huge fan! I think I smiled and giggled through this entire book. It was incredibly well written and the characters were super relatable. Casey was written as patient and understanding, which was interesting (in a good way!!) to see paired with his competitive & goofy sides. I loved that both Landon and Casey helped each other through trauma and learned how to comfort one another.

My wife and I had the roommate to romance experience which is probably one of the reasons why I absolutely loved this storyline. 100% need to own this book!!

Thank you NetGalley and Carina Press & Carina Adores (Harlequin), Carina Adores for the eARC!!

Thank you NetGalley for the copy of this book to review!

Rachel Reid always writes amazing chemistry between her main characters and this one is no different! Landon is in the AHL as a goalie when he is called up to the NHL. When he gets there he doesn’t expect to be there very long. Casey is on the NHL team Landon joins, he is Mr.Sunshine and is kind and welcoming the moment Landon walks through the door. And Casey isn’t the only nice person on the team, everyone is so kind and supportive. There’s no mean hockey culture in this book. People love their spouses and respect the people they hook up with.

There are so many little romantic moments between our guys and I melted each time. I also sobbed when they were dealing with the loss of a loved one. Just each moment between them is perfect. I want to reread this and I’m going to buy it when it comes out. I had over 40 highlights/notes and I was trying to be conservative with it. Just another win from Rachel Reid.

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC and @harlequinpublicityteam @harlequinbooks for the complimentary galley. All opinions provided are my own.

How much of this book did I read with a smile on my face? Impossible to know but Time to Shine by Rachel Reid is *adorable* (asterisks for emphasis) & I highly recommend it when you want an extra dose of sweet sweet sunshine.

Like the Game Changers series, TTS features pro hockey players but this one has an added layer of suspense bc goalie Landon is temporarily filling in on other lead’s Casey team. The professional stakes for him are huge & it really ramps up the romantic and emotional tension too.

Moving from a roommates to friends to lovers arc, this romance is sweet & soft like advertised in the first paragraph, with a golden retriever & terse hero pairing that really got to my heart. In a change from hockey romances I’ve read before, the team Landon joins is aware and accepting of Casey’s bisexuality & various team members pop in & even encourage them (however indirectly) on their romantic journey.

Time to Shine is a feel good book that pleases on so many levels: sports romance, friends to lovers, pro therapy, great communication between leads. Give it a try & then come shout about it my DMs!

4.5⭐️. Out 09/26.

Please see a trusted reviewer’s list of CWs.

[ID: Jess’s white hand holds the galley in front of a line of multicolored zinnias. Trees & a blue sky are in the background.]

I love love love this book! Rachel Reid makes reading about sports fun. I stayed up late and woke up early to read about Landon and Casey. The words flowed off the page and I could not get enough. I love the representation we see in both characters without making a huge deal about being ~different. I will always read whatever Rachel Reid writes but I hope to come back to the characters of this world soon. If only I had another of her books I haven’t read to help with this book hangover.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this eARC! Landon gets Casey, Casey gets Landon. And together they GET it. They understand what it feels like to slip comfortably into love but it also scares the crap out of them. The way Landon beats himself up and the way Casey hides his insecurity behind his mask of cockyness on the ice hits so hard. The healing journey they both go on, their undeniable chemistry, the absolute comfort of just holding each other in their arms is palpable. And the action on the ice pulls you right in and makes you root for Calgary the whole time. Rachel Reid truly never misses!

Thank you @netgalley for sending me an ARC of Time to Shine in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely loved this book! It's character-driven, and both Landon and Casey have great character arcs! Landon lets go of his family trauma and makes up with his parents, while Casey gets more self-esteem.
They're relationship is very loving and respectful, I was so glad to see that Casey respected Landon's boundaries and didn't push him. They had both been holding burdens without having anyone to share them with, but they find solace within each other.
The ending is extremely emotional, especially with the doubt of wheter or not Landon will stay in Calgary with Casey. I won't spoil what happened, but I'll say that I believe it was resolved quite nicely!
I really enjoyed this love story and if you're a fan of emotional romances and hockey, you probably will too!

TW:mentions of death and car crash, getting high, getting drunk, sexual content, phobia of the dark.

I absolutely adored this grumpy sunshine story!

I cannot count the amount of times I caught myself smiling as I read this, and all the times I was laughing out loud.

Landon and Casey are delightfully thrown together in this opposites attract, and with some good old forced proximity.

Landon goes through a number of emotional journeys in this book, and I loved how Casey did his best to be supportive in a way that Landon needed. The acceptance shown throughout this book, not only between Landon and Casey, but their teammates and family was a joy to read.

I cannot wait to see what else this author writes, I have enjoyed so many of her books, and eagerly wait for more.

This is the absolute sweetest romance, so soft, so fluffy, so full of acceptance. I absolutely loved both Landon and Casey as characters, and this book was such a comforting read. I already know I will be rereading this.

As an asexual person, I really loved Landon's storyline. He gives off huge aspec vibes, and I loved that this was always just fine with Casey, and it was never a point of conflict. They just communicated and figured out a way that worked for them. The one thing I would have liked is if asexuality had been named on page, not even necessarily with Landon claiming a label under the umbrella, but just a general acknowledgment.

4* A surprisingly sweet and tender romance, without a single label, which is refreshing.

This is set in the world of American-Canadian hockey, which we Brits are unfamiliar with, but there's both enough info to explain the sport, and not TMI to make my eyes goggle. Plus, I've read the author's Game Changer series, which was brilliant, so despite not loving hockey, I knew I'd be getting a good read.

This took me a while to get into it, as poor Casey came across as OTT and Landon came across as depressed - I don't think there's another word for how he was, and understandably so - and it wasn't until quite a bit into the tale that we saw each guy more clearly. I did wonder how two such opposites could ever work, but they did, because as one character said towards the end, Casey cares about people and reads people and seems to know what they need.

What I liked about this is that Landon didn't get labelled. Not by himself, not by Casey and not by his teammates. I have an idea of what most would call him, but I think his depression, his sort-of-estrangement from his parents, his guilt and his feeling of self-worth, which at times was poor, defined him more than his sexuality did. In the end, what he and Casey seemed to go into, worked for them both, as Casey's experience made him open and receptive and see how much Landon was struggling with, and he never put an iota of pressure on him. Not about sex, not about coming out, not about what it would mean media wise, etc. They seemed to simply care about the other and figured out that everything would work out. I particularly liked how each guy told their family; there was no big drama, but lots of support and some helpful suggestions that felt entirely organic, not empty words. This is another lovely tale from this author, so persist with the slow beginning, as it's definitely worth a read.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Carina Press & Carina Adores, for my reading pleasure.

What can I even say?? I absolutely LOVED this book. Landon and Casey were such a beautiful example of opposites attract in a way that really felt human and not super forced. I also really liked that the author didn’t use the miscommunication trope as a way to seed drama in the relationship. There was one moment that COULD have been considered miscommunication, but really I think it was Landon needing to come to grips with his own issues.
Overall, I read a quote where the author described the book as having “Frog and Toad vibes”, and I honestly couldn’t agree more.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this one!