Such a beautiful second chance romance and example of how to support someone through grief. Rachel Reid is becoming a must read author for me.

A great story of redemption and second chances. The characters were well thought about and they made you want to root for them. It also shows how hard life can be where it is a death of a family member or coming to terms with who you are.

Thank you to Carina Adores NetGalley for the ARC!

Rachel Reid is one of my favourite romance writers and I will devour everything she writes so I was delighted to be given this ARC.

I really enjoyed this one. I’m unsure how I feel about second chance romance, and truthfully I feel Riley could’ve been angrier. But I kept reading as I really enjoyed the storyline and I think it was handled quite well.

The portrayal of grief after parental loss was excellent and very hard-hitting. I feel awful for Riley and I’m glad he got his happy ending.

I do recommend this to those who have read Rachel Reid’s previous books, and I will definitely look to get my own copy.

Rachel Reid does it again! The Shots You Take is an emotional, second chance romance with grownup characters and lots and lots of feelings. I adore this story, especially its fantastic mental health discussions and the journey Riley and Adam each take to find their HEA.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hockey teammates Adam and Riley were best friends and lovers. But Adam denied his sexuality and shut down any time Riley mentioned feelings, and married a woman and had kids. Now more than a decade later, Riley’s beloved dad’s dies, and Adam shows up at the small town Nova Scotia funeral. He wants to support Riley, but Riley is grieving and has years and years of heartbreak and despair to leave behind. Can he move past his hurt and have a second chance at happiness with Adam?

I adore these two and just want to give each of them a hug. Do I also want to yell at young Adam for being a dumb dumb? Sure. But his journey makes sense, even with all its bumps along the way. The poignant story is mostly vibes and great characters. Not only do I adore Riley and Adam, but the secondary characters, from Darren and Tom to Lucky the dog are truly special.

The time Riley and Adam spent apart clears the way for them both to develop as individual people, which is what makes it believable that they can finally forgive and move ahead years later. The mental health discussions here are great, both with Riley’s matter of fact portrayal and with the recognition that professional hockey has had a terrible track record when it comes to mental health.

Clearly I have a thing for romances with grownups lately, and The Shots You Take is a wonderful example. I love seeing older characters earn their HEA, especially when the road to get there is a little messy. Rachel Reid writes an amazing romance, and Riley and Adam’s book is a special, emotional story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was so good! It was such a beautiful and emotional story about second chances.

Riley and Adam were best friends and teammates until Riley left his hockey career and broken heart behind him. After an unexpected tragedy, Adam travels to Riley’s hometown to be there for him even though it’s been years since they’ve seen each other. Fighting through grief, Riley starts to remember why he fell for Adam in the first place, but they have such a complicated past that he isn’t sure they’ll ever have a future together.

I really loved Riley and Adam. They had so much history, pain, and love between them. There were so many times that this book made me cry. I was rooting for these two the entire time and waiting for them to get their hard earned happy ending. I also loved that they were in their 40s because you’re never too old to fall in love and finally live the life you were always meant to live. This is a perfect read if you’re looking for an emotional second chance romance, best friends to strangers to lovers, lots of angst, and a satisfying grovel.

THE SHOTS YOU TAKE by Rachel Reid is an excellent second-chance story set in Nova Scotia. Star defenseman and team captain Adam Sheppard and fellow defensive player Riley Tuck were best friends, and then more, before a panicked reaction blew everything up in the most painful possible way. More than a decade later, Adam heads to Riley's hometown of Avery River to try to repair that friendship.

Rachel Reid's story is beautifully written and I could not put it down. Riley and Adam have each worked hard over the years to reach a better understanding and peace with themselves, and it is deeply moving and heartening to see them then wrestle with their feelings with regard to each other. There isn't one magical conversation or quick fix, and I loved seeing their friendships and families provide some real support as well.

Ms Reid has written another story for the keeper shelf.

This was an unexpected Rachel Reid—I ended up loving the middle-age characters and think that’s refreshing in romance. I like the second chance at love & the grief elements. This one wasn’t as “fun” as the first Rachel Reid I read but it’s still an excellent version of what it is, MM hockey romance set in Canada. I’ll continue to read everything she puts out.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

✨”Being normal about you. I can’t do it. I’ve never been normal about you. Don’t want to be.” ✨

After moving back to his hometown ten years ago, Riley Tuck left his major league hockey career and his broken heart far behind—at least, that’s what he thought. But when an unexpected tragedy strikes, it brings ex-teammate and former best friend Adam Sheppard back into his life. Adam’s not sure he’ll ever win back Riley’s trust after the way they left things. But as Adam helps Riley navigate his grief, long-buried feelings start to resurface.

Eight books in, I’m convinced Rachel Reid is our lord and savior 🙂‍↕️🙏 She just never misses!!!

The Shots You Take is Rachel’s latest standalone hockey romance. It doesn’t take place in the Game Changers universe and the Time to Shine universe (I think? I’m not sure about that because they have similar covers and vibes, but idk).

Constantly impressed by how Rachel Reid writes hockey romances that feel different and unlike any of the others she has written before. While The Shots You Take has an exploration of mental health like The Long Game, and while it’s also a lot more rom-comy and less smutty like Time to Shine, this one has a more melancholy tone to it.

There’s a lot of grief and longing in this one. Grief as Riley starts the book off having just lost his father, but also grief for what his relationship with Adam used to be.

Second-chance romances are always either a hit or a miss for me. It’s usually a miss if we don’t get to see what the characters’ relationship was like before the breakup, but that was not the case with this one!! We get brief glimpses into Adam and Riley’s relationship before whatever happened between them happened, and they RUINED ME.

Simply, I love it when a romance has so much angst, longing, and yearning that it becomes painful!! I LOVE SUFFERING !! I love it when a romance book ruins me ✋😔

This might be in the top three Rachel Reid books for me? I need to do a full reread, but I think it’s just behind The Long Game/Heated Rivalry in my ranking (I don’t think anything will ever dethrone those two. They are everything to me. I would die for Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander).

All of her books are amazing! I would definitely recommend them for anyone who loved hockey romance!

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin/ Carina press for the E-book. My opinions are being left voluntarily. Rachel read writes books that never miss and huge fan of their writing. I have loved every single one and this is no different. This had so much heart, passion, growth just everything we love to see in books.

Will absolutely need a trophy forbmy shelf

4.5/5☆

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

happiness by taylor swift
sharpest tool by sabrina carpenter

this book was on the more heavier, emotional side compared to the author’s other romances. this second chance is not only about forgiveness but also about grieving and self discovery through starting over. it was interesting to see the perspective of adam who is a retired hockey player and divorced father in his 40s that recently came out and seeing how lonely his self discovery journey was at this point in his life. we also got to see riley hockey teammate and secret fwb going through the grieving process of losing his beloved father. it was nice seeing riley and adam help each other with their own separate journeys. yes this is a second chance romance of adam trying to win riley back but this book is so much more. layered with so much

SPOILERS INCOMING
also this second chance romance was more on the SLOWWWER side. trust takes time to earn back but at times it felt like the plot was dragging. then towards the end, it felt very abrupt like confession then it ended like oh? that’s it? i didn’t love the inconsistency of that where we have a slow building of this relationship throughout the book but we never fully got to see the relationship in the end. the epilogue was nice though. we got to see flashbacks of riley and adam’s past together, i wish we got more of their relationship instead of their sexual chemistry. anyways i still enjoyed riley and adam’s story like the part with the moon snail shell and riley’s dad GOT ME

I requested and received an eARC of The Shots You Take by Rachel Reid via NetGalley. Listen, I love a Rachel Reid romance. When I saw this on NetGalley I was so freaking excited. Riley Tucker left his major league hockey career behind ten years ago along with all the baggage that came with it. When a family tragedy brings his former teammate and ex-best friend with benefits Adam Sheppard back into his orbit, it's all too much at once. Adam fears he may have made a mistake returning to Avery River, Nova Scotia but he's determined to make things right for the way he handled his relationship with Riley in the past. As Riley reluctantly allows Adam to be there for him through his grief, feelings and sparks of desire begin to resurface, but the men must confront their past to begin again.

This book was oozing sex and angst from the start, which I absolutely love. I’m definitely the type of romance reader who loves a little a hurt along the way, so it seemed like Reid’s latest book would absolutely be a hit for me. The story opens at Riley’s father’s funeral. Adam has returned to declare his love, to beg for forgiveness, because nothing is more romantic than a funeral. I didn’t instantly connect with either of the protagonists, which isn’t entirely surprising — I’m not a big reader of sports romance, but Reid is an exception to that rule (Time To Shine and the Game Changers series both rocked my world.) Usually with these stories there’s a wall of tightly constructed masculinity that I have to break through, which was the case here. But the sexual chemistry between the men was amazing and I was eager to learn about their shared history, so that definitely cultivated my interest in the story.

I really enjoyed the flashback chapters, but I couldn’t help but wish there had been more of this, with a stronger focus on shared history rather than past sexual exploits and let-downs. I feel like this would have helped me to better understand the emotional aspect of Riley and Adam’s relationship. I had a few lingering questions that I felt needed answered, because it seemed like several things were hinted at but never fully addressed. I would have liked a better sense of who Adam was as a character and what really drew Riley to him. In contrast, the chapters set in the present, which make up the bulk of the book, really nail the second-chance relationship with all of the reservations and awkwardness that comes along with the reunion between the former teammates. The Shots You Take is a solid romance that definitely has elements of Reid’s signature charm that make it a fun, if uneven read.

How do you follow up the <b>masterpiece</b> that is Heated Rivalry/The Long Game? With The Shots You Take.

As a hockey player, I get recommended hockey books <i>constantly</i> by non-hockey friends and I have read (and hated) almost every single one. You know why? Because I am chasing the high that eventually I will find someone who writes a good hockey romance like Rachel Reid. She is the gold standard.

The Shots You Take is a wonderful look into "older" relationships, second chances stemming from personal growth, and the journey you take as a queer human who took a long time to accept who you are.

And a dash of hockey. Just a dash. Perfection.



What's Inside ↴

✨ Both MMcs are "older"/40s
✨ Second chance romance
✨ Latent LGBTQ+ internal acceptance
✨ Some mentions of substance abuse and not the <i>best</i> parents (and a set of parents who were/are amazing for balance)


Pros ↴

✨ What can I say? Rachel Reid is genuinely the gold standard for hockey romance. She just <i>gets</i> it. What it's like as a queer human in a masculine/straight space. What it's like to be conditioned from a young age to ignore who you are. The friendships you find and the friendships you lose along the way. She just understands it. She doesn't lean on hockey to tell a story but fits it into the challenges the MMCs face. This is what I loved about the Game Changers series and why this story really hit home for me. I actually think this is the least hockey-centric of her books and it really shows her strength as a writer.

✨ A second chance romance that leans on flashbacks but in the <i>right</i> way. It's so hard to do second chance tropes in a way that grips you, but also twists you at the end. Rachel Reid gets this right in how she treats this story. While the present time is only a week or so, you get 20 years of history in a very non-linear way. She gives you questions and answers them four chapters later and really does a great job keeping you hooked. I have a hard time with second chance because authors usually give too much away or accelerate the plot in the present time too fast (or slow). This was the perfect blend.

✨ Thank god for not having a story about 20 year olds. I still love those (Ilya and Shane 4eva babyyy), don't get me wrong. But in my mid-30s, watching marriages amongst friends fall apart due to being closeted as a 20 year old, etc., I really felt this book in my core. She nails how it feels to "find yourself" after 30+ years of denial and the reactions of folks around them. This story is a trojan horse for a larger message, but you never see it coming.

✨ I have been starving for a good Rachel Reid story and I seriously just cannot recco this book enough. She could write a grocery list and I'd read it.





Cons ↴

✨ THE ONLY CON is that Riley breaks down rather fast. I love a good grovel and I felt like he didn't get enough from Adam. BUT, that's true love isn't it? Forgiving someone once you realize what was going on was larger than yourself? Ugh. I still love this story.



Give me 1000 more pages in this universe and I will just eat it the f up, man.


<i> I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.</i>

4.5 stars

I have read all of Rachel Reid's other books and while this one wasn't my favourite of hers I still really enjoyed it. I love a good second-chance romance and the premise of this one featuring two former hockey players (one with a long successful career who has recently retired and one who retired early cutting off contact with the other) was great. The chemistry between the characters was palpable and I loved getting to see them fall back in love with each other after being apart for over a decade. I also appreciated the way this book dealt with grief and mental health, particularly in the ways it related to hockey but I did wish there was a bit more actual hockey in this book. Since this book follows two FORMER hockey players this book doesn't have as much of the same exciting action that active hockey games bring to Reid's other books which results in a much slower book overall. That being said I still really enjoyed this book and will continue to read any future books Rachel Reid writes.

A heartfelt friends-to-enemies-to-lovers second-chance romance that explores themes of heartbreak, mourning, and healing. While the story is set in the world of hockey, I found myself missing the sport's presence—it’s not as hockey-centric as I expected, with the focus primarily on the emotional journey of the characters.

The main characters, both in their 40s, bring a sense of maturity and realism to the romance, tackling real-life issues that make their relationship both relatable and touching. The dynamic between the two men is tender and realistic, with wonderful chemistry, offering emotional depth with more love than steam.

Although it wasn't my favorite book by this author, it was still an easy and fast read that I devoured as soon as it became available. Despite some pacing issues and my wish for a more developed happy ending, the novel still provides an enjoyable experience. It's a lovely read for fans of emotional romances that focus on growth, second chances, and the complexities of love.

This was one of the sweetest hockey books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Riley and Adam are the perfect friends to lovers/ second chance couple, seeing how they have grown together throughout time.

The flashbacks were perfect, showing how people act when they feel the need to hide their identities versus the future where they feel accepted by themselves and their loved ones.

I laughed, I cried, I started looking up more gay hockey romances to read in the future. This was my first read from the author but it definitely won’t be the last.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy read.

Another scoring romance by Rachel Reid. The characters felt realistic and likeable, as did the romance. This can be an enjoyable read for both new and current fans of Reid, as well as anyone looking to dip their toes into a sports romance.

This was a fantastic novel. It's highlight is the main characters, Adam and Riley. Their relationship is an ever-changing thing, once friendship, then something more, now nothing at all, and Rachel Reid shows each stage incredibly well.
The tension between the two of them is impeccable and I really loved the look into the life of NHL players once their career has 'finished'.
Another great novel from Reid!

Really enjoyed this book! Fast paced and super cute. Both the main characters were interesting and the romance wasn’t cringey, which I always appreciate in a book.