[4.25⭐️]
I loved this book! I literally couldn’t put it down, I devoured it in like two days! The couple is just the cutest and you can’t help but cheer for them. I especially loved Casey, his energy was contagious, he’s the definition of golden retriever energy. This was super fun, light and hot read with a very fast pace. You should definitely read this if you’re into the genre!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for giving me this eARC in exchange for an honest review

Lovely slow burn sports romance.
Adored Casey’s upbeat, friendly energy! Plus, seeing Landon’s journey of opening up and coming out of his shell was beautiful.

Great to have a queer sports romance where sexuality isn’t a barrier or major issue in the plot line. Just two perfectly matched people getting to know each other and figuring out their relationship.

I find books like this so comforting. Just loveable, big hearted main characters finding themselves and finding love.

Oh, how I loved this book! I checked the percentage left so many times, but for the opposite reason I usually find myself doing that—in this case, I didn’t want the story to end!
Like so many others, Heated Rivalry and The Long Game are two of my most favorite books. While this story was less intense, I think I loved it just as much! Casey was sunny and so likable, and Landon was much more reserved and just a big ol’ aloof teddy bear. I immediately became enamored of these two characters and their interactions. The teammates and family members were terrific, each and every one. This is absolutely a book I’ll reread and one that will actually stick with me for a good long while!

RATING: 3/5 STARS

This had a cute premise and sweet characters but there wasn't any driving factor that propelled me through this book like other romances I've read. I didn't really feel the main characters' chemistry deeply. But I think fans of hockey MM romance should give this a try and see if they connect with it!

Time to Shine is peak grumpy/sunshine friends-to-lovers queer hockey romance!

This book was such a joy to read. Like with any hockey book, I understood none of the hockey stuff but that wasn't needed for me to fall in love with its characters.

Both Landon and Casey are mid-twenties, and while both are hockey players, they are otherwise complete opposites.

Landon's pretty reserved, quiet, and prefers to just blend in which is his plan when he's called up to play for Calgary. He's nervous about proving himself, and he tells himself he's only there to do a job and then go home. He's still dealing with losing his sister when he was a teenager, and his life is now fully dedicated to his career.

Casey on the other hand is sunshine personified. He's outgoing, charming, and maybe a bit too loud. Everyone loves him, at least in small doses, he's a star on the team, and to most people he seems to have no worries at all (spoiler, he does.) He loves hockey, people, and sex, and he's openly bi, something that's never an issue to anyone in this book and it was honestly refreshing to have no homophobia in a sports romance.

No one can resist Casey's charm, and his insistence on Landon staying with him has the two opening up to each other and slowly becoming friends. These two guys just fit together, and they were absolutely wonderful.

Casey is the loml, he's so bright and good, and I adore Landon as well. Casey loves sex and has a lot of it while Landon is aspec and has never really been interested in sex until Casey. The way they navigated intimacy and consent was wonderful and had aspects I'd never read before but absolutely adored. The communication between the two was *chef's kiss* and they had so much fun together, in and out of bed.

Honestly, this book was just so fully delightful and wholesome, and while it's set in winter, I wouldn't say it's a Christmas book. I would however say you should read it when it's released because it's pretty damn amazing.

Painfully trite and boring. At what point will women writing about gay men be called out for the fetishization and cultural appropriation that it is. And what's with all the hockey?

Fans of Rachel Reid will not be disappointed! Landon and Casey are swoony, kind, sweet, sex guys who bring out the best in each other. I'm an avid re-reader of the Game Changer series, and I'd put this closest to Role Model, which is one of my very favorite comfort reads.

Reid is a pro at writing intimacy and sex that is as safe and kind as it is hot, and the slow burn of this novel perfectly matched the personality of the leads.

I know I'll be re-reading this one.

This is a delightful read by a master of hockey romance. Light and fluffy and sexy, this book is a great stand-alone romance, perfect for anyone who wants just a hint of Christmas in their reading.

I am all in for a new M/M hockey romance from Rachel Reid, this one featuring two young men on the Calgary team, one who has just been called up from the farm team. Landon knows his time there is limited until the hurt back-up goalie can return, but he is thrilled to finally get a chance to experience all that the pro team has to offer. Casey is a young rising star (having a retired superstar hockey father) who befriends him, offering a place to stay in his large, empty home. Landon is quiet and reserved while Casey is exuberant and extroverted, but slowly they each discover things about each other that leads to a closer relationship. But what will happen when Landon has to return to the farm team? Highly recommended.

Bow to the Queen of hockey romance, friends. Rachel Reid has done it again. I really want to use a hockey pun right now, but even after reading dozens of hockey books, I still barely know anything about this sport. Oops. 😂

Landon and Casey. Casey and Landon. Stacks and Hicks. Hicks and Stacks. I LOVE them. I love this. What a beautiful friends to lovers romance. It was absolutely exquisite.

How do I write a review without giving away too much?! I don't think I can, so be aware, mild spoilers ahead.

The book kicks off with Landon being sent from the AHL to the Calgary NHL team, after one of the goalies gets injured. He is a very closed off individual, very prickly and introverted, mainly due to lingering emotional trauma. Landon Stackhouse is still in a lot of pain, grieving his sister that died 8 years ago. He is not expecting the hurricane that is Casey Hicks. He is completely and hopelessly swept away by Casey's sunny and positive attitude.

Casey is such a sweetheart, a goofball all around, sunshine incarnate. He's very chatty, very outgoing, very extra, if you will. He is Landon's opposite on all fronts, and yet, they end up living together and developing the most beautiful friendship. He is also a bit of a pushover, in the sense that he lets people mock him for not being very bright. It was annoying to see how easily he put himself down, and I wish it wasn't mentioned so many times, but at least Landon, and later the team captain, reassure him he's not stupid at all.

These guys couldn't be more different, and yet they made perfect sense together. The way they take care of each other, so attuned to one another's needs. Landon's sexuality plays a big role in all this, he is 24 and never had sex because he just doesn't experience attraction like everybody else. He doesn't even like to be touched. I think this particular aspect of the book was so beautifully handled, because even if Casey is a horny bastard, he never pushes Landon, he's always understanding and careful and perfect.

There's a lot of hockey in the book, obviously. And I might not know much about it, but I loved every single word, every game, every pass or save, every little detail. I loved Landon's journey, from feeling desperate and scared because he doesn't think he's good enough for the NHL, to finally acknowledging his talent and kicking ass. It was a wonderful experience to see him realising his potential and going after what he wants. I particularly loved his conversation with Gilbert Morin towards the end of the book, I actually cried a bit, because yes! to healthy competition and role models.

Landon's relationship with his parents was an emotional rollercoaster, they all needed to heal and move on, and although it took them so many years to do it, the way it happened felt natural. I loved that Casey had such a healthy relationship with his parents, although they did play into the 'he's stupid, don't mind him' shtick, and that was a bit uncomfortable.

What I loved most about this book?
There's no homophobia. There's no angst and suffering, no hiding, no pressure of being outed, no hate. No conflict. The team was supportive and all around wonderful. 🥺

I'd love for everyone to stop comparing this to the Game Changers series. Yes, they're all hockey romances by the same author, but they couldn't be more different. I'm not sure why everyone was expecting this to be similar to those books, but let me tell you, it's even better.

This was such a sweet book! I really enjoyed the way Landon and Casey differed from each other but brought out the best and complimented one another. The side cast was all really great as well. The book had great pacing, and I really enjoyed that there wasn’t a traditional third-act breakup, but we still got a lovely reunion.

This was such a cute book! I've loved Rachel Reid's other books and this was another hit! Landon and Casey were a great pair. I loved the banter and how they supported each other. The rest of the team was really fun and I loved that there was zero homophobia/concern about coming out in this world. Casey and Landon were together and that was that.

There was a fair amount of angst, a lot of good humour, and a wonderful cast of characters. I hope we get more books in this world!

Rachel Reid is truly the master of heart-grabbing m/m hockey romance! I loved everything about this book from the characters to the themes it explored to the spicy scenes (and focus on consent).

Casey and Landon are absolutely perfect for each other and I loved how they slowly opened up and faced so many challenges together. Every time they interacted was electric and their chemistry was off the charts!!

I also loved that this book was set in my home province, which I don't see often (and always feels special). Def rec picking this one up for a winter/holiday romance!

Thank you to Carina Adores Press and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Apparently, I’m a sucker for opposites-attract hockey romances. Part of me thinks I should maybe try watching an actual hockey game one of these days, but a bigger part of me knows I’d really just prefer to curl up with more books like Rachel Reid’s Time to Shine.

There is so much to love about this novel, which follows Landon and Casey as they battle their individual demons and grow closer during Landon’s call-up as Calgary’s backup goalie. For two heroes who couldn’t be more different, their growing friendship, attraction, and (ultimately) love was a delight to read—believable, well-paced, and just so satisfying. I seriously loved watching Casey’s character develop; although he didn’t navigate the kind of trauma-based healing Landon did, he did reassess his ‘dumb jock’ self-image and learn what he’d be willing to sacrifice for an all-in kind of love. These two characters really did bring out the best and most genuine sides of each other, and I couldn’t help but cheer for them from start to finish.

I also want to say that I loved, loved, loved how the characters grow together despite their very different experiences of sexuality. We see early on that Casey has a very strong sex drive while Landon seems to be somewhere on the acespec. For the record, the world of romance needs more swoony ace- and demi- MCs, and authors need to take note of how well Reid wrote Landon—he’s relatable and swoony without being hyper-sexual and I, for one, am here for it. This is for sure the thing that tipped my review from four stars to five.

I cannot wait for more people to read this novel because, quite frankly, I want to talk about it. So, put it on your TBR list, and then catch me at the coffee shop so we can rehash all the things to love about Time to Shine.

Over four stars, but not high enough to rate it 5

*contains light spoilers*

I really enjoyed this book, incredibly easy to read and super enjoyable. I wouldn’t expect any less from Reid, as I loved the Gamechangers series.

I really loved Landon and Casey, I found them both relatable and easy to fall in love with.

While not explicitly stated, Landon does read as neurodivergent and possibly Demisexual or another sexuality under the ace spectrum. The one downside to this is I do wish both aspects had been explored a tad more.

Casey is energetic and humorous, and his kindness and quirks made him easy to read about.

The story is heartwarming. It was paced well and ended on a really nice note.

The main thing keeping it under 5 stars for me is that there were a couple things that got introduced and not explored more (mainly Landon’s “think helmet” and sexuality and Casey’s journey with his own struggle of people “chirping” too much about his intelligence”)

Overall, I love Reid’s work and will continue to look forward to future releases!

Thanks for the eARC!

It’s no secret I love Rachel Reid, and this was another hit for me! I will say I think I do myself and Rachel a disservice by comparing everyone to Ilya & Shane, but I don’t know how to stop. 😭 While Landon & Casey weren’t quite at that level; they were still a lot of fun! Fluffy, charming, funny, and a touch of angst. All the things you love to see.

These two were both kind of clueless so there’s some bumbles along the way, but nothing crazy. I actually really enjoyed jealous Landon.

He was in a terrible mood. He took a long, grumpy shower, and then grumpily put on clothes before grumpily heading back upstairs because he really was starving.

The 3/4 breakup was a little predictable, but I think that’s true in most books so I don’t even dock them for it at this point. Overall it was a light and enjoyable read about a goofball and an anxious mess who bring out the best in each other.

“So I’m a problem?” “Best problem I ever had.”

Yeah, I'm not even surprised I loved this. It's pure sappy fluff in the best way (and I say that as someone who generally dislikes sappy fluff).
It's such a sweet friends to lovers where everyone else knows they're in love before they do. Where they can't stop looking at each other and smiling like idiots.

The book is also, in traditional Reid-style, filled with loveable side characters. It's also not only rainbows (heh) and sunshine. There's anxiety, phobias and grief.

And demisexual rep! Or grey ace. Landon never labels it, but I'm reading him as at least on the asexual spectrum somewhere. Casey is an absolute sweetheart who cares deeply about everyone and I would have loved to have a friend like him (or maybe not, because I'm not sociable).

Anyway, I'm rating this because of it's vibes and I'm sure there are flaws but when your in love with a book, its flaws becomes part of that love. 5 sappy, fluffy stars.

/ Denise

I think I just found a new favourite book?! Like holy shit, did I love this. I've read all of Rachel Reid's Game Changer books, and while I enjoyed every one of them, this one completely blew me out of the water, I loved it so much. And as grateful as I am to have gotten the chance to get an advanced copy of it, I'm devastated I can't go out and buy a physical copy so I can annotate the shit out it. I highlighted SO many bits of my Kindle version.

SO! This is a holiday AND a sports romance, but I don't think you need to save this book for your December TBR to read around Christmas because the Christmas stuff is probably only about 30% of the story. Read this all year round!! (That said, I'll probably be rereading or listening to the audiobook of this in December as part of my yearly holiday readathon, because I can't help myself.) Hockey is a BIG part of this, so if you like your sports romance to actually have a lot of sports happening, this is a great one. I can't think of a lot of other hockey romances I've read where the main character is a goalie, so it's really fun reading the sports scenes from Landon's perspective.

Landon and Casey have a fantastic character dynamic that I'm a huge fan of - I love small loud popular character x tall quiet shy character romances. I also love the dynamic of a character that is very sex positive and has a lot of sex with a lot of people versus someone who is more untrusting when it comes to sex and hasn't had it often or at all, and this book gave me that. They never actually use the term asexual for Landon but I'm putting this book in my asexual shelf because Landon, to me, reads as being on the ace spectrum, and I really loved the way his and Casey's relationship slowly developed. Lord, give me more books about touch-adverse characters slowly learning to CRAVE the touch of a specific person they feel connected to in a way they've never felt with anyone else before.

This book has representation to 3 things I REALLY liked: adults that are scared of the dark (Casey), adults that haven't had sex but don't make getting laid a huge part of their personality (Landon), and side representation!! It's SO rare to fine m/m romances where one of the characters isn't a top or a bottom or a verse, but is in fact a side (a mwlm who doesn't participate in anal at all), and I loooved seeing that here. And while there's no anal sex in this story there is still quite a lot of really hot and sweet sex scenes in the second half of the book.

I cannot express just how much I adored both Casey and Landon. They had such a lovely strangers to friends to lovers story going on, and the humour!! I laughed out loud so many times during this book, they had some really great banter between the two of them. There was also the perfect amount of pining and angsting over each other for me as well.

Wow. I fell really hard for Casey. He’s so sweet and endearing and fun. I love how his charismatic personality balances out Landon’s more serious or stoic personality. Almost grumpy/sunshine-esque but Landon’s not that grumpy. Landon seems like he could be demisexual, but never labels himself that way. I actually lol’d a few times and got a little teary at some of the more emotional bits. 🥹

I’m ever so grateful I got approved for this ARC. Thank you Carina Press and NetGalley!

Rachel Reid did it again! Time to Shine is just a delightful little queer hockey romance and from chapter one, I didn't want to put it down. It's fluffy, and sweet and will make you have warm feelings in your heart.

I want to preface this by saying this does not have the same vibes as the Game Changers series. I'm not even sure if this will make sense, but it feels just lighter over all? There are still some darker themes that are tackled in the book, but again, the tone and vibe was just lighter overall. Less angst, more fluff and I ate it right up.

Casey is a sweet little golden retriever who is afraid of the dark and I wanted to give him the world. Landon is an introverted sweetheart who is dealing with unresolved feelings over the death of his older sister and I wanted to give him hug (he would reject it, but the desire to hug him is still there! lol). Throughout the story we get to watch them develop a beautiful friendship, sweet crushes, provide each other comfort, and fall head over heels in love. And it was cute as hell!

I really loved how Rachel handled Landon's sexuality in this book. It was honestly such beautiful a-spec (specifically implied demi but not called out on the page) representation, that it made me want to cry. The safe space that Casey created for Landon to explore his sexuality made me feel things, warm glowy things. Like, the tenderness and love between these two was *chef's kiss*. It was also the perfect amount of steam for the tone of the rest of the book.

TLDR; I could read a million more chapters of these two just hanging out at home and being precious and I'm so happy this books exists. I already can't wait to reread it.