This book was a DNF for me. I got to 30% and decided it was not for me. Hopefully it will be a good fit for someone else!

"Shoot Your Shot" by Fiona Embers is a captivating and heartfelt romance that explores the complexities of love, friendship, and personal growth. The story centers on Roxie and Chris, who reconnect after years apart when Chris moves into Roxie’s building. Their chemistry is immediate and intense, rekindling old feelings and sparking new ones.

One of the standout aspects of this novel is the depth of the characters. Roxie is a strong, relatable protagonist who grapples with insecurities from her past, including the impact of her toxic family and her self-doubt about her appearance. Chris, on the other hand, is a charming and supportive character with his own set of challenges. Their dynamic is realistic, filled with genuine moments of connection and conflict.

What I loved most about "Shoot Your Shot" is how it balances humor and emotional depth. The banter between Roxie and Chris is delightful, and their text exchanges are a highlight, adding a modern touch to their relationship. The inclusion of their pets adds a layer of warmth and relatability to their story.

The romance is well-paced, with just the right amount of tension and resolution. The intimate scenes are steamy and well-written, enhancing the emotional bond between the characters. The story also delves into serious themes like overcoming past trauma and building a supportive relationship, making it more than just a typical romance novel.

In conclusion, "Shoot Your Shot" is a beautifully written story that captures the nuances of rekindled love and personal redemption. Fiona Embers has crafted a narrative that is both engaging and emotionally satisfying, making it a must-read for fans of contemporary romance. If you enjoy stories with strong characters, heartfelt moments, and a touch of humor, this book is definitely for you.

They knew each other from college and now they are not only back in the same city but also in the same house with an apartment next to each other.

I could hardly decide which side I should be on. Everyone had good arguments and I just love them both very much.

Have fun reading for yourself!

I enjoyed this book. Roxie and Chris's love story is different to others. But the way they love is so beautiful unlike no other. Thankyou to NetGalley for this amazing read.

Not my cup of tea. I couldn't get through it. The interactions were all too forces for me to want to stick around and finish the story.

This was a gripping read, I thought the characters were intriguing and I'm going to keep an eye out for more from this author.

Shoot Your Shot by Fiona Embers is a steamy and emotionally charged romance novel that will leave you breathless. The story follows Roxie Nowak, a former basketball player who has a great job in tech and her own swanky place. She doesn't date because she's convinced that men only want someone petite, pillowy, and pastel, which is everything that Roxie is not. Instead, she sticks to casual hookups and enjoys her life.

Chris Dunn, on the other hand, is a hotshot lawyer who is also a hopeless romantic. Childhood hurts have left a gaping hole in his heart, preventing him from having the type of relationship he seeks. When Chris moves back to town and into Roxie's building, their friendship and mutual attraction deepen, and they finally give in to their feelings with blinding intensity.

However, their relationship is threatened when a vindictive ex-lover sets out to tear them apart. Fiona Embers has done a fantastic job of creating characters that are complex, flawed, and deeply human. The novel is a testament to the fact that love is not always easy, but it's worth fighting for.

The pacing of the novel is excellent, and the tension between the characters is palpable. Fiona Embers has a talent for writing steamy scenes that are both sensual and emotionally charged. This is a book that will leave you feeling hot under the collar and emotionally invested in the characters.

Overall, Shoot Your Shot is a well-written and thought-provoking novel that explores the complexities of love, insecurity, and vulnerability. Fiona Embers has created a world that is both tantalizing and relatable, and her characters are complex and deeply human. If you're looking for a steamy and provocative read with heart, then this is the book for you.

Although this book isn’t suitable for my students, I will recommend to friends and other book groups. It’s a very steamy book and I can’t wait for the additional stories from this author.

"Shoot Your Shot" by Fiona Embers is a compelling romantic novel that delves into the lives of Roxie Nowak and Chris Dunn, two individuals grappling with their own insecurities and past traumas while navigating the complexities of love and relationships.

Roxie Nowak, a former basketball player turned tech professional, leads a fulfilling life devoid of serious romantic entanglements. She embraces casual hookups, believing that men are only interested in the conventional ideals of femininity she doesn't embody. On the other hand, Chris Dunn, a successful lawyer with a romantic heart, struggles to find love due to the emotional wounds of his past.

Their paths intertwine when Chris moves into Roxie's building, reigniting a friendship that had been dormant since Roxie's basketball career came to an end. As their connection deepens, they find themselves drawn to each other with an intensity that neither could have anticipated. However, their burgeoning relationship is put to the test when a vindictive ex-lover resurfaces, threatening to destroy the fragile balance they've managed to create.

Embers crafts a compelling plotline filled with realistic characters that readers can easily relate to. Roxie and Chris are depicted with depth and nuance, each grappling with their own vulnerabilities and fears. The dynamics between them are explored in a way that feels authentic, allowing readers to empathize with their struggles and root for their eventual happiness.

The author's writing style is engaging, drawing readers into the narrative from the very first page. Embers has a knack for capturing the intricacies of human emotions, making the characters' journey feel both poignant and relatable. The pacing of the story is well-executed, keeping readers invested in the outcome until the very end.

However, while "Shoot Your Shot" excels in many aspects, there are areas where it could have been improved. The resolution of certain plot points feels rushed, leaving some loose ends untied. Additionally, some of the secondary characters could have been developed further to add depth to the story.

Overall, "Shoot Your Shot" is a captivating romance novel that explores themes of self-discovery, forgiveness, and the transformative power of love. Despite its minor flaws, the book delivers an emotionally resonant story that will linger in the minds of readers long after they've turned the final page. Embers' poignant writing and well-drawn characters make "Shoot Your Shot" a worthwhile read for fans of the genre.

Thank you to Netgalley and Evernight publishing for this ARC of ‘Shoot Your Shot’ by Fiona Embers.

A slow burn second chance with spice. I’m there. This book was everything I needed and more! I loved Chris and Roxie! They felt perfect together. I cannot wait to continue this series!

This was a quick, easy, SPICY read.

This was a slower burn for the main couple but there was beforehand spice to get you through. Roxie is a retired (injured) basketball player who met Chris through her old college roommate (who he dated) but they lost touch after school and end up living in the same building as adults. After a chance meeting at the mailbox things take off for these two. I loved this quick easy read and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for some SPICEEEE.

My only gripe was with Roxie at times - a few times I wanted her to take some more responsibility for her actions, but as she was a well rounded FMC overall.

What you can expect:
SPICCEEEEEEE
Friends to lovers
Angst
Tall Girl Probs
Trust Issues

Thank you NetGalley, Fiona Embers and Evernight Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It was a good book but I had a problem with it. Their whole relationship seemed one sided to me, at least until the very end and still it was in a limbo. Chris loved her so much, wanted to be with her so much and she didn't seem like it. You could see she liked him and wanted to be with him but I just didn't feel the love she had for him, it all seemed lust and friendship. And when they broke up (both times, the first one wasn't really a break up but it's easier to say it like this) it was always his fault, and it was but it wasn't completely, she had at least 20% of the fault too. It irritated me that he was the only one blamed for everything when she messed up too. He did a very bad thing the second time, trust me I am not in any way excusing him, he deserved her cold shoulder, but I feel like the whole situation and all the build up it wasn't just his fault. I don't know, I feel like he loved her much more than she loved him, for me the feelings she had were like and lust and he deserved better than that. But yeah, overall it was a good book, I just wanted to see some more effort from her and her owning to her part of the break up

"Shoot Your Shot" is a captivating romance novel that takes readers on a rollercoaster ride of love, desire, and second chances.

The story follows the journey of Chris and Roxie as they navigate the twists and turns of transitioning from friends to lovers. With a skillful blending of themes like second chances and forced proximity, the author creates an emotionally resonant and steamy story.

Overall, the book is a captivating mix of steamy encounters and heartfelt emotion.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for this opportunity!

3 Stars
3 Spicy Peppers

Fav Quote: "And for the record, I didn't block your number"
You'll understand the quote after reading the book!

Told in Roxie and Chris's POV.

I'm on the fence how I feel. I enjoyed the read, and I had different emotions while reading.... BUT a feeling that kept coming through was anger.

I didn't really connect with Roxie due to how she thinks and processes. I felt myself getting angry with her, honestly.
Joe and Liz are great..... more so Liz than Joe. I feel like Joe was way to hard on Chris. Speaking of Chris, I liked him as soon as he arrived on the page! I connected more with Chris than Roxie.

Both MC's made mistakes.
They both were hurt from their past, and they needed to work through it before they could see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I didn't like Dave. I really didn't like him... he gave me the ick!
I enjoyed Rick :0... I don't know! Something about Rick peaked my interest!

The Spicy Scenes: There's plenty of spice in this book! I enjoyed a few, but I found myself drifting away while reading some of the spicy scenes. What I do appreciate is the different positions the author wrote about... it wasn't just the same position over and over.

(There is a spoiler in my review on goodreads!)

The spoiler section really shows how I feel. I'm glad I felt so upset/angry. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of smiles within the pouting! The author did a good job pushing my buttons !

Altogether, enjoyed the rollercoaster! If you love a sports romance with spice, this is for you. OH, don't forget the 'only one bed' trope hehehe! ;)

I really liked this book! The characters had great chemistry, and the progression of their relationship also was paced well. Can't wait to read the next one!

Dabney: You've read this plot before. Hero is sure women can't/won't really love him (he was rejected in the past and it HURT) so now he's sworn off love and sticks to sex only relationships. He meets the woman of his dreams but HE STILL JUST CAN'T TRUST, so, even though she's clearly the one and she HAZ FEELINGS, he continues his rakish ways until--SNAP!--love finally becomes the thing he realizes he truly deserves and wants.

Except, here, it's a she.

Not a plot we see much in romance. Lisa, what did you think about the story of Roxie?

Lisa: Roxie absolutely reminded me of Dee from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, only way more confident and MUCH less of a hot mess.  I love seeing role reveals like this - I loved seeing Roxie hook up with other dudes to wash the feeling of TRUE LOVE out of her mouth - only to feel bad about ignoring Chris.

Dabney: I can't decide if she's a mite too self-destructive for me. Like, WHY run from true love? is it only her conviction that men just dig her for sex? (This is a plot I'm seeing more in contemps and, in some ways, it seems very retro to me.) And I have to say I found the whole men like to bang Roxie but not seriously date her because she isn't small and blonde a bit much. I'd hazard that the same men who seek Sydney Sweeney look alikes to be their OTP are equally DTF same. I had a hard time buying that Roxie, just because she's tall and brunette, could only find men interested in only hooking up.

But I'm ancient. Lisa, am I missing something here?

Lisa: Well, they'd gladly do the same thing to Ms. Sweeney - trust me, I know of men who are the types of dudes who would do what they do with Roxie but ply their wares upon young blondes.  Yeah, that's a small blemish on the books' credibility.

Dabney: The thing is, except when she was being an idiot, I really liked Roxie. She's smart, very good at her job, has a wickedly sharp sense of humor, and, in general, is one of those people you meet in a book that you'd totally like to grab a drink with. What did you think of her?

Lisa: Honestly, she's probably my favorite romance heroine of the year so far because of all of those things.

Dabney: I also liked Chris. I'd be happy if my kid brought him home as a friend or a date. He's smart, full of zingy quips, and is cleary deeply loyal to those he cares for. I liked him so much that, when Roxie refused to cut him slack for any of his missteps, I thought she was being overly extra.

Lisa: Chris is smart, normal and super fun - definitely an excellent hero.

Dabney: This is certainly, for a book that is less than 225 pages long, chockablock full of sex, all of which involves Roxie. She has sex with four different guys and all of the scenes are detailed. Which is fine because Ember writes excellent sex scenes. And, props to her given her dedication to writing Roxie the rake's many hookups judgement free, she manages to show that, when it's sex and love, it's a different and better kind of sex.

Lisa: Oh yeah, this one borders on a hot rating for a reason. And I liked the detached fondness of all the hookup sex versus what happens with Chris, which feels more real, so to speak.

Dabney: My biggest complaint is, especially given how short this book is, Roxie's insistence on HAVING THINGS HER WAY ONLY. Chris was clearly deserving of her trust, love, and great blow jobs--I got a bit bored of the endless stream of NO Roxie defaulted to.

Lisa: I found it more psychologically complex; she was clearly punishing herself here.

Dabney: I think I needed more words to understand that Roxie was complex as opposed to unnecessarily self-destructive. That said, I suspect she's a heroine that will resonate with many.

This is a very modern romance and I liked that about it. I'm here for a romance novel's casual sex enthusiast being female. Once Roxie opened up her heart a bit, the power dynamic in the book seemed fab and fair. The sex scenes are focused on female and male pleasure in erotic and realistic ways. Those who are willing to forgo traditional assumptions about women looking for some good D rather than love will find Roxie and Chris' story appealing.

Lisa: If it breaks down the walls surrounding stigma attached to romancelandia slut shaming, I'm all for it.

Dabney: It's a B read for me. Roxie took too long to let herself fall for very kind Chris and the book seemed padded with more sex than plot. But, overall, it's a fun, sexy read.

Lisa: Going a little higher with a B+ because I really liked hero and Heroine alike - the sex was enjoyable and I can't complain that too much was enough.

🧡 Friends to Lovers
🏀 One Bed
🧡 miscommunication


“That the harder I fall for her, the more likely she is to just drop me.”

“I’m completely fucking gone for you.”


Roxie is a tall ex basketball player who could’ve gone pro had her career ending injury never happened in college. She switched gears to focus on computer sciences and has a great gig now despite missing what could’ve been. She roomed with her friend amy off campus and meets her new bf and spends quite a bit of time with him playing video games and chatting. They both are totally into each other but of course would never pursue.

Chris is Amy’s ex bf from college (10 years have gone by since) and he just moved back to Madison, Wisconsin for a position he really wanted. While checking mail he runs into Roxie and they live on the same floor just down the hall for each other. That night he sees a guy going to Roxie’s and is immediately jealous but says hey to Roxie on his way back to his room.

The guy with her gets all possessive and Roxie is not about that. Especially since they are just FWB. Roxie ends up blocking him after he leaves because he’s trying to start a relationship and be missive when she doesn’t want that at all with him. The next weekend Dave just shows up at her door when her and Chris are walking the hall together and he gets upset. Christ threatens him in lawyer talk and Dave backs down.

Chris & Roxie get so close so fast and start spending all of their time together. The sexual tension is high and they finally make out and start on to more when Chris stops it because he knows Roxie isn’t a relationship gal and he doesnt want to be a hookup. When he leaves Roxie calls a different FWB and girl what are you doing no… Roxie completely shuts down and they barely see each other for weeks. She is heartbroken because she let him in & he shut her down.

ONE BED trope and it was great!

We get miscommunication trope which is one that I really don’t love. They continue to not hear the other one out during arguments and they never tell each other the full story immediately.

Roxie’s sisters name is Malorie and that’s exactly how my sisters is spelled. Loved that connection!

It felt like sometimes bigger fancy words would be thrown in but the rest of the book wasn’t written that way so it felt a little out of place. I had to look up a few of them because I had no idea what they meant.

Occasionally some run on sentences & some bad grammar that may have been missed in editing. Which i don’t really care as I am not great with that either. I know some people won’t like that.

Overall this story was cute & fun. It’s a great debut romance novel! Thanks NetGalley, the publisher & Fiona for letting me read this book early! Comes out March 14!

Shoot Your Shot
By Fiona Embers

If you’re looking for something spicy I recommend Shoot Your Shot! 🥵Heat Level 6 🍆
Chris MMC believes in love and relationships but Roxie’s FMC is his polar opposite.
Moving back to Madison taking a job with the University. His building the same as Roxie’s and that’s where they reconnect.
I enjoyed that that they didn’t just meet fall in love and live HEA . Their's took a while to form any kind of friendship and or relationship. Roxie’s having trust issues causing all sorts of mixed signals hurting people in the process. Don't forget Chris’s story is one for the books. 😉 Between these two off and on doesn’t cover what’s in store for them.
In my opinion Roxie should have been held accountable for more of her actions. This my only qualm
I would recommend anyone to read this she did a fantastic job, I can’t wait for the next book in this series.
Thank you Victory Editing NetGalley for this ARC

Shoot Your Shot:
https://www.netgalley.com/.
catalog/book/321012
Pub Date: 14 Mar 2024
Archive Date: 10 Mar 2024

"Shoot Your Shot" is a captivating romance novel that takes readers on a rollercoaster ride of love, desire, and second chances.

The story follows the journey of Chris and Roxie as they navigate the twists and turns of transitioning from friends to lovers. With a skillful blending of themes like second chances and forced proximity, the author creates an emotionally resonant and steamy story.

One of the most remarkable aspects of this book is the perfect blend of thought-provoking character dynamics and the way they evolve emotionally throughout the story. The honest portrayal of the vulnerabilities and complexities of love adds depth to the story, making the characters feel authentic.

However, although the emotional depth of the characters is a strength, there are moments when the protagonist's internal monologues and self-doubt can feel repetitive and overwhelming.

Overall, the book is a captivating mix of steamy encounters and heartfelt emotion. If you are a fan of erotic romance or enjoy sports-themed love stories, then this book is a must-read.

Content Warning: This book contains explicit sexual content, strong language, and themes of insecurity and self-doubt.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley #ShootYourShot
I love this slow burn friends to lovers the author wrote with the main characters. The main characters are two people who struggle with coming to terms with finding love. Roxie is former basketball player who uses casual sex to fill the void of not being what men want (shorter, smaller women.) And Chris is a man who grew up mostly neglected by his rich parents. Overall, I enjoyed the small town romance and the characters relationship throughout the book.