Although I found myself wishing for more passionate moments between the characters, I can appreciate the author's intent. The gradual reconstruction of their relationship required careful pacing, and the emotional development was executed well. Ultimately, even though I didn’t connect with the couple as much as I hoped, their journey was filled with significant and memorable moments.

I throw myself at the altar that is Rachel Reid writing queer hockey romances.

THIS is how you do second chance romance. It has been a decade that Adam and Riley have seen each other and during that time, they’ve stopped not only being friends who Do Things to… not being friends at all.

I loved The Shots You Take so much. I thought it was beautifully written and a very realistic and beautiful story about the grief of losing a parent (not a spoiler; the funeral is how the book begins). The people who are there for you during the first days, the worst days, end up being the ones you recognize as important. And when Adam shows up for Riley after years of silence? Yeah, that’s the stuff.

Rachel Reid is a master of character and by the time we’ve finished the first POV chapters for Riley and Adam, we know them. The plot almost doesn’t matter because these characters are so specific and complex and detailed. I know who they are, I know why things fell apart between them, and I know what they need even if they don’t want to admit it.

Anything Rachel Reid wants to write, I’m there day one. Add this to the list of incredible books she’s written.

Ya know I really wanted to love this. I saw hockey romance and MM and I was sold. What I was not sold on was the second chance (as it’s not my vibe), so that’s a me problem. I didn’t hate this book, but I also was just skimming away at times. Overall cute book! Thanks for the arc !

Book 14 of 2025 - ✅! Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin - Romance | Carina Adores & Rachel Reid for an ARC of The Shots You Take by Rachel Reid, in exchange for my honest review.

Long-time romance reader, first time hockey romance reader, here. The Shots You Take drew me in pretty quickly on NetGalley, based on its adorable cover, and having looked up author Rachel Reid, who has a devoted following. Sports romance isn’t generally my thing - I want to say my first venture into it was via the Baseball Player/Sports Journalist pairing in You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian, and (naturally), I thought it was great. While sports also really aren’t my thing, I like to think that I’m a pretty supportive wife to my sports-loving and specifically, hockey-loving, Canadian husband.

The Shots You Take centers on retired hockey superstars Riley Tuck and Adam Shepard. Riley’s surprise, Adam appears at Riley’s father’s funeral after basically having disappeared from Riley’s life after 12 years. Part of the book is told in a dual-timeline, where the reader sees their relationship at the height of their success a dynamic duo in hockey in the early ‘00s. In ‘24 - Riley is living his life as an out-and-proud gay man in the fictional small town of Avery River, Nova Scotia, and recently divorced Adam is living in Toronto trying to figure out what it means to be his most authentic self. The two examine their past, look toward their future and Adam works to do right by Riley.

I thought this book was very sweet, quite steamy (at around the 72% mark, the book really kicks it into high-gear and goes into about 4.5/5 🌶️’s until the end), and I appreciate that there’s no 3rd act break-up at this particular juncture. I also loved that it was by a Canadian author and it took place in Canada (I mean, it IS about hockey), and was very thoughtful about how it portrayed men’s (especially men in sports) emotions. Additionally, both MCs are over 40, which was also very refreshing.

4.5/5 ⭐️ and 4.5/5 🌶️ - I look forward to reading more of Rachel’s “sad hockey players” books soon! 🏒 🇨🇦 👬

This book was a sweet reminder that it's never too late to make amends and to live the life you want to live.

Riley and Adam's second-chance romance was so heartwarming. I loved the dual timeline aspect between them in their 20's playing professional hockey, and them in their forties living very different lives.

When Riley's father passes away, Adam ventures all the way to Nova Scotia to see Riley, whom he has not seen or spoken to in 12 years. He is now divorced from his wife and has come to accept that he is gay.

I found Adam's journey so relatable as someone who struggled to accept their own bisexuality. While Adam did make mistakes that hurt Riley in their past, I loved the way Adam fought for forgiveness and proved to Riley he had grown. I found myself relating and sympathizing with both characters, and I really believed they deserved their second chance at love together.

I also really appreciated that for most of the book they were in their forties, which is an age group that I feel is often neglected in Romance books.

I really loved Adam and Riley's story.

Riley's father dies (off-page), and at his funeral, Riley's former teammate and biggest heartbreak shows up. Adam wants to be a support for Riley, and to pay his respects to a man he had looked up to for years. Adam sticks around in town, even though they haven't seen or talked in over a decade, just in case Riley needs him, but Riley doesn't want or need the help... does he?

This is a second chance romance for sure. It was a nice change to have the MCs in their 40s. They're no longer playing, though there's plenty of flashbacks to when they were, and they're now trying to figure out their next steps.

I liked that Adam was trying to be the support Riley needed in his time of grief. I appreciate that, and that he was trying to navigate how to handle himself after finally finding his truth. I just wish he was a little less clueless about how his actions of the past might have affected Riley.

I TOTALLY get where Riley was. Losing a parent is no joke. I do wish that, for both their sakes, they had talked earlier about what had happened to split them up. I get it, dudes don't talk about their feelings, etc. But I think some sort of acknowledgement from Riley, or a blow-up, or something would have happened, instead of Riley running and never looking back. Though there is the addiction side of it that Riley was dealing with too.

This was a good romance. There were frustrations in the storyline choices, but it's a good one. Spicy.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in return for sharing my thoughts on this book. Thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity!

This was a super sweet book! I love a hockey romance, so a queer hockey romance? Say less. I do think this leans more towards a Hallmark, single dad trope, less than a hockey romance since both Adam and Riley were retired.

"Unfair. This was all horribly unfair. How was Riley supposed to deal with all of this? A man he absolutely did not want to be in love with was making him dinner and buying him flowers and pie? His favorite pie?"

I adore Riley. His ups and downs, his heartaches and triumphs. Seriously, just read the story for Riley. I like his "small life", as well as his quiet life of yearning for Shep. This is a story about shades of grief, about how we deal with loss.

But it's also really about second chances - to be who you are and accepted for who you love.

"Hockey makes us liars. Liars. About how much pain we're in. Mental health, addiction, all of it."

5 stars!

I absolutely adored "The Shots You Take" by Rachel Reid. WOW, what a book! It's a slow-burning "right person, wrong time" second-chance MM hockey romance featuring two former-friends-and-teammates that is full of learning, growing, anger, angst, regret, reconnection, and grief. The emotion in this story made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me think... seriously, this book made me feel so many different things. It broke my heart and stitched it back together again. The best books move readers in one way or another, and that's what this one did. I loved Riley and Adam so, so much. Even when they were failing or doing something "wrong," I knew there was going to be redemption there for them, I could feel it! Their connection was so realistic and so strong. The banter between them is equal parts catty and hilarious. I can see why some of Riley's or Adam's actions would turn viewers off or be perceived as selfish, and I understand that sentiment. But, as I mentioned, I think their reconnection is earned over time. Their foibles are examined and taken to heart. Each of them changes for the better by the end of the story, whether they took the time to fix themselves or they fixed each other. Whether or not I would have forgiven Adam personally is not for me to say... it's all on Riley. I think that his reluctance and skepticism were warranted, but his forgiveness and faith in the situation are nothing to balk at, either. All I know is I just really felt the love between the two of them, mainly due to Rachel Reid's impeccable writing style. This book is also full of spice, which is very well written and steamy. There are lots of interesting secondary characters, and the setting is really fun, too. This is my first Rachel Reid novel, and I cannot wait to read more books from her. I was blown away by this book in all the best ways!

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel Reid, Harlequin - Romance, and Carina Adores for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

I really like this book! It was sad and angsty but also so funny and sweet. Adam and Riley were such lovely characters and I really enjoyed their small town.

I've loved all of Rachel Reid's books, so I knew this would be the same but it was just such a great read. I appreciated that Adam and Riley were both older main characters, and that their story picks up so many years after a falling out. The tension and love between them was so clear right from the start.

The Shots you take was a sweet, yet steamy, second-chance, ex-teammates, hockey romance. I couldn’t get enough of these two guys. I am here for older MMC’s in my hockey romance. And the spice….oh boy, it was on point. You couldn’t deny these two’s chemistry, no matter how much they may have wanted to fight it. There is so much angst and emotion and Rachel Reid hits you in the feels right from page 1.

Riley Tuck, retired NHL star, comes home after a family death, looking for a fresh start from his early retirement and recent divorce, and to heal his broken heart. Little does he know the one who first broke his heart all those years ago is coming back to beg for forgiveness and attempt to get him back in his life.

Adam Shepard, big time NHL super star, comes home to Nova Scotia to win back Riley. But can he do that after the way things ended when they won a championship on the same hockey team all those years ago? He will do anything to try.

This one had me crying, laughing and crying again. I am a sucker for a good second chance, ex best-friend romance and this one was so sweet. The epilogue was adorable and left me wanting more Riley and Adam.
Trigger warnings:
• Pain and loss

Thank you so much to Harlequin - Romance & NetGalley for this e-arc.


The story is told in the present, but there are flashback chapters that show us the main characters' friendship from its playful start to its tragic conclusion. We get a few flashbacks to the events that led to their breakup all those years ago, but the story is really about moving forward. This one's primary focus is grief, which may sound strange for a romance. This novel was heartbreakingly beautiful, romantic, and sad all at once. I loved every second of this book, and it was very easy to fall in love with Riley and Adam.

4.5⭐️
Thank you so much to Harlequin & Netgalley for providing advanced copies of this book! All thoughts and opinion are still my own.

Everything Rachel Reid writes is an absolutely hit. This was much sweeter and more emotional than some of her other books, while still having her quintessential lovable characters.

While this still fits into the hockey romance genre, we're actually following 2 older MCs, both of whom are retired from the NHL. And I love getting to see older main characters.

This also tackles some pretty heavy topics - (unexpected) loss of a parent, emotional regulation disorder, internal (and external) homophobia, etc.

One of our main characters left the NHL after losing his best friend (with occasional benefits) and in the process, himself. Now years later, after the sudden loss of his father, that best friend returns, resurfacing old wounds. Both of them are working through the mistakes they made years ago, what is next after hockey, and how to cope with grief amongst other mental health issues.

This is told in present day with flashback chapters where we get to see the MCs throughout their friendship - from the flirtatious beginning to disastrous end. It's a second chance romance that requires the reader to forgive the love interest for some pretty harmful behavior. But personally, I really loved the groveling journey.

If you've enjoyed Rachel Reid's previous books, I think the characterization and themes are right on par with her previous books. However, if you're not a second chance romance reader, this may be a hard one for you to get on board with.

It’s been quite a while since I’ve found myself reading a Rachel Reid novel, and I’ve enjoyed her work in the past, so I did my very best to give this one a shot (ha ha). Not to mention that I’m a huge fan of second chance romances, especially when they’re angsty—and they include cute hockey players—but it took me so long to get through this. First because flashing back to previous timelines is a mistake. I don’t care who the author is or what the book is about, if you’re flashing me from now to then between chapters, it’s an immediate no from me. It takes me right out of the story. I should have quit when it happened the first time, but I have a hard time quitting on books because…what if it gets better? What if I miss out on something great?
Let me say this, the only thing great I would have missed out on here is Riley and his dog, Lucky, who both deserved a guy who didn’t fuck and run while he was married. I had no love for Adam from the moment their past started to come to light. It was selfish and entitled for him to just show up when it was convenient for him (and at the absolute worst time for Riley, of course). He was selfish when they were young, and selfish as an adult, and I wanted better for Riley.

I flew through this book, but I had mixed feelings. So much about this book was phenomenally done - mental health rep, Riley's grief, the small town setting. What I didn't love was Adam, the other mmc. While he was absolutely tying to redeem himself in the current day, I couldn't get past his treatment of Riley in the past and just generally disliked him because of that. Once I decide I don't like an MC, it's VERY hard for me to come back from that.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Look, I’m all for a second-chance romance, but this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The story centers around Riley, who’s dealing with the fallout of years of being mistreated by Adam, the guy he’s been in love with for ages. Adam shows up after Riley loses his dad, and Riley’s not exactly thrilled to see him. Honestly, I’m kinda tired of the whole "closeted athlete who slept with his best friend and tried to brush it off" trope—it's tired and played out.

Adam spends the book trying to win Riley back after crawling out of the closet, but Riley’s understandably skeptical, and I get that. I didn’t forgive Adam. I wanted him to grovel—and then some. I don’t think Riley should have forgiven him. While I like second-chance romances in theory, they never seem to deliver enough of a real, sincere apology and actual growth from the person who did the wrong. And most times, the one who was wronged ends up kissing their feet, and that’s just not my thing.

The writing was decent, and the emotions were definitely raw, but there were a few things that bothered me. The kids’ absence was odd, and the whole ex-wife thing didn’t sit right with me either. Plus, the cover art really made them look like they were in their late 20s, even though they were supposed to be in their 40s. That just doesn't make sense to me.

It wasn’t a bad book, but it wasn’t anything special either. If you’re into second-chance romances, you might vibe with this, but it wasn’t my favorite.

ARC provided by Netgalley and Carina Adores; review is voluntary.

I've really enjoyed Reid's books over the last several years. Gay sports romance is one of my favorite subgenres and Reid does an amazing job writing feelings, yearning, and realistic angst. In this book, both characters are a bit older and instead of worrying about contracts and the team, they're focused on life post-hockey and what to do with their futures.

There were a few flashbacks to the past to show what happened between Adam and Riley, but most of the story takes place now after both men are retired. There's not a lot of action in this, more grief and forgiveness, so the pacing was a bit slow for me.

This was a nice story and I liked having characters that were a bit older and less worried about image and what the public thought. Read this when you want to be in your feels for a bit.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Carina Adores and NetGalley for the copy.

This book didn’t so much captivate me as it consumed me. I felt every ounce of emotion poured onto the page - all the hurt, anger, hope, and elation. It was simultaneously the best book I’ve ever read while also being a totally gut-wrenching experience. It’s the kind of second chance story that has you on the verge of tears yet filled with hope all at the same time.

The overarching theme for this one is grief, which might seem odd for a romance, but it’s woven into the fabric of the story. It’s the grief Riley and his family share over the loss of his father (TW: death of a parent off page but recounted on.) But it’s also grieving lost time and missed opportunities - decisions made and regretted. Wounds inflicted that time never healed. The kind of grief that turns bitter, never reconciled, and unwilling to stay locked away where it can never hurt you.

This probably sounds depressing, so let me reassure you there’s plenty of hope and love to balance it out. There’s no mistaking what Riley and Adam share, who they are to each other, or what their mistakes have cost them. The way Rachel Reid depicts their growing feelings and relationship - both then and now - is moving and powerful. These guys and their connection are endlessly captivating, and I was definitely rooting for them every step of the way.

I also want to acknowledge the astounding way Rachel Reid conveys Riley’s battle with mental illness. It’s not skirted around or swept under the rug; it’s front and center, a huge part of his thoughts and actions in a way that feels real for once. It’s messy and chaotic, and NGL, it might make some people uncomfortable to share his emotional space. But experiencing his vulnerability, fear, and uncertainty - and everything that comes with it - is the truest representation of who he is, and I love him even more for it. Not to mention seeing Adam work so hard to understand and support him didn’t hurt either.

So if you love second chance romance and friends to lovers with older MMCs, give this one a shot. It’s a moving, captivating, all-consuming emotional ride that I’ll be thinking about for a long time.

This book was emotional, romantic, and heart-wrenchingly beautiful all at the same time. I felt all the feelings, except anxiety, which is what truly made this a 5 star read for me. It was angsty without being stressful and I find that to be a very difficult balance to achieve. This is a second chance romance which follows Riley and Adam, two characters in their 40's that reconnect more than a decade after their relationship imploded in their 20's. They're brought back together by the death of Riley's father, which throws grief into the powder keg of emotions that they're both trying to deal with.

What I loved the most about this book was each character's maturity. Maybe it's their age, or the perspective of having taken so many years to think about what transpired between them, but both Riley and Adam come into the situation with very healthy boundaries. Adam comes back into Riley's life after facing all of his demons. He accepts his sexuality, owns up to his mistakes, and offers himself to Riley in any way that Riley will take him. Riley has dealt with his mental health, maintains a strong support system, and knows exactly what he deserves.

We get a few flashbacks of the events that led to their breakup all those years ago but mostly this story is about moving forward. The flashbacks we do get show a "right person wrong time" dynamic which makes watching these characters fit back together like puzzle pieces even more beautiful. I loved everything about this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Adores publishing for a chance to read this book. Give me hockey romances... yes. Give me male hockey romance with another male.. Yes i love my M/M romance books. Adding hockey yes please always sign me up. I read one of her books before and the energy from the characters she writes is just electrifying and so perfect and such a page turning. The romance was one thing but the hockey in here just made me love the sport all that much more and im a big Dallas Stars fan. It was so easy to fall in love with both Riley and Adam in this book and i enjoyed every moment in this book. If i could give it more then a 5 star i would.