This may be my most favorite Rachel Reid ever. Two aged former hockey teammates who had a friends with benefits relationship reconnecting. Riley’s struggles were so raw and real. The push/pull of his relationship with Adam. I read it in one sitting. I had both tears in my eyes and warm fuzzies. One of my favorite things about Reid’s stories is the journey and this one was so good. Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I definitely enjoyed it!

First of all, thanks to Carina Adores and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book before its release.

I am a huge Rachel Reid fan, but I have to admit I was a bit nervous about reading this book because I'm not a fan of second-chance romance and I was not sure I was going to love it as much as Heated Rivalry. But I have to say that I think this might be her best book so far.

I was not expecting to have all the feelings that this book gave me. I know that Rachel Reid can write angst like The Long Game is super sad and angsty so I sort of knew that she could do it but I kind of forgot because Time to Shine is more rom-com so I can say I was highly surprised by the level of angst, like this was angsty from chapter 1, it starts very sadly with the funeral of Riley's dad and the sadness doesn't stop until the very end.

I really wanted Riley to be angrier with Adam for longer, it’s so hard for me to forgive that it was hard to see them being friendly when I felt Adam hadn’t grovelled enough, but alas, I know that not everyone holds a grudge for as longs as me and I understand Adam's issues I really do, I know he wasn't a dick on purpose but still he really broke Riley's heart!

By the end, I was very happy with how their relationship progressed, the forgiveness and the steps they made to be together, and the epilogue was just perfect!

Thank you for the Arc. This was a beautiful read. I couldn’t stop reading. Usually I am skeptical towards reading books with older MCs, but wow id this book made me so happy. The one thing that I constantly kept thinking while reading this was, this is realistic, this definitely would how someone would react. Riley’s grief was nicely written. Rachel Reid, this was a beauty and I’m grateful to have been able to get access to this arc.

I think Rachel Reid's talent as an author speaks for itself when getting my hands on this ARC is what I imagine it must feel like to win the lottery. I've been a fan since the Game Changer days and it has been so cool to see her publish these standalone books in the last few years. The Shots You Take felt like such a logical next step for this author in that we still get the classic hockey theme that Rachel Reid is known for but this book doesn't really center around hockey at all.

I always like when a queer book doesn't center the conflict around be outted and getting a book about 2 retired players who are trying to individually figure out what that post-hockey chapter of their lives looks like is really the perfect way to set up a plot that doesn't center around fear of their own identity. This one was such an easy, peaceful read while also dealing with themes like mental health and grief in a relatable and really well-done way. I devoured this book in a single sitting yesterday and I will absolutely be starting read #2 later today.

I cannot WAIT to see what Rachel does next and I cannot thank the NetGalley gods enough for letting me get a peak at this book early. Seriously, just trust me and go read this book!!

Rachel Reid delivers an emotionally rich and heartfelt second-chance romance in The Shots You Take, capturing both the deep-rooted love and lingering pain between two former hockey players, Riley and Adam. Set against the backdrop of Nova Scotia, the story delves into themes of grief, mental health, and self-discovery, all while maintaining a tender and genuine romance between two men in their 40s.

Riley, grieving the recent death of his father, is surprised when Adam, his former teammate and estranged best friend, shows up at the funeral after over a decade of no contact. What follows is a slow-burn journey of healing, as the two men confront their past, process their feelings, and gradually rebuild the bond they once shared. The flashbacks to their younger years are raw and painful, particularly Riley’s unrequited love and Adam’s struggle with his sexuality, but Reid masterfully handles these tough emotions with care.

One of the strongest aspects of this novel is its realistic portrayal of older protagonists who have lived, made mistakes, and are trying to make things right. The maturity of the characters, coupled with their emotional depth, makes their reunion all the more satisfying. Reid’s exploration of grief and mental health adds layers of complexity to the story, making it more than just a romance.

While the story is beautifully written, the pacing towards the end felt rushed, especially after such a well-developed first half. The last 15% of the book seemed to speed through important events, leaving some emotional moments feeling glossed over. Despite this, The Shots You Take is a wonderful addition to Rachel Reid’s body of work, and fans of her writing will not be disappointed.

This book is perfect for those who love second-chance romances with a focus on emotional healing, complex characters, and a thoughtful exploration of life’s ups and downs.

Such a beautifully written piece of art.. Adam and Riley’s story is fantastic you can feel the chemistry coming off the pages I finished this in one sitting!

Sometimes I finish a really good book, and want to immediately turn back to the first page and read it again. In this case, I wanted to sit with it. I wanted to think about these men all night over a cup of coca, pick apart their brains and decisions. I loved them both, so much REALLY felt for them in way that only comes from really good writing and characterization.

This is a second-chance romance between two former hockey hockey players. They were not only teammates, but were a d-pair (my hockey guys know how romantic that is even on its own!). The story moves back and forth through a series of flashbacks of defining moments in their time together--I'm hesitant to use "relationship," because they were not officially dating.

Which brings me to my first warning: their "before" is not anything close to healthy. They are best friends, but it's one part closeted and in love, Riley, and one part extremely internalized homophobia, Adam, like he does have anyway to even acknowledge he's gay, and it can be difficult to read. Riley has a very hard time with this, coping with his depression the way many often do: with drugs and alcohol. They both get better though! Really processing their emotions, talking things through. I honestly loved seeing a sober character!

Rachel did a wonderful job creating this town. It was homey and beautiful and felt like a hug. I really enjoyed the exploration of the, we'll say side-effects of playing a professional sport. "Hockey makes us into liars." Adam says at one point "About how much pain we're in. Mental health, addiction, all of it." It's devastating but I never want my books, even my romance novels to shy away from that, because it makes the characters feel real.

This book was lovely. It was so wonderful seeing Adam come back into Riley's life and watching them come together. You can read, so clearly the chemistry they MUST have had on the blue line together, chemistry that isn't, can't be lost, no matter how much time has past, or how angry they are with each other.

So beautiful and I'm absolutely going to be rereading this later.

Delicious. Finally, some good fucking food. I've always enjoyed the fact that Rachel Reid took one look at the macho-masculinity of sports culture and went "absolutely not, we're going to get you all some therapy". This was different from her other hockey romances (that I've read), in that we've got a second chance romance on our hands!

Both Riley and Adam were individuals with distinct personalities and goals, and it was nice to see how they complimented each other, both as friends but also as romantic partners. I wish we had gotten to see more of the people in their life--their families are quite present in the first 25% of the book, before the book homes in and focuses on Riley and Adam with the occasional appearance of a side character. But the secondary characters themselves were great, and I liked the fact that Riley wasn't portrayed as this isolated, reclusive retired hockey player, but instead someone with close friends, and someone actively working to better both his mental health and his overall wellbeing.

This book's pace was a bit too fast for my taste--we touched on several severe topics, but the book itself doesn't necessarily linger on them. I wished it did, especially given the fact that some of the topics (Riley's anger issues, the infidelity issue, Adam's relationship with his children, Adam's relationship with his parents and sibling) never get fully resolved, at least to my satisfaction.

Overall, though, this was a nice and quick read. Cozy, hopeful, and very sweet. I like it when characters learn to treat themselves with kindness, and this book has that in spades.

My thanks to Netgalley and Shannon Dales for the early copy.

Wow wow wow, that is truly the best way to start this review. With every book she writes, I am blown away with Rachel's dry humor and ability to write spicy,beautiful, and heartfelt romances. I would almost consider The Shots You Take to be a hockey adjacent romance because this is by far the least hockey centric of all her books, and I feel like that in combination with the beautiful storyline will open this book up to people who may have been hesitant to read hockey romances.

I love dual timeline, friends to strangers, second chance romance and this book blew me away with it's execution of it. Riley Tuck and Adam Sheppard met at 18 years old as rookies while playing in Toronto. They were best friends, roommates, linemates, and friends with benefits. But after a falling out, the pair haven't spoken in 12 years. Riley came back to his Nova Scotia hometown with a broken heart but the love of his family, particularly his father, to support him. When Riley's father passes away unexpectedly, Adam comes to the funeral wanting to support his friend and pay respects to a man he also loved and looked up to.

This is a story about being vulnerable to the ones you love. Riley made himself vulnerable to Adam in his 20's and got his heart shattered. Now at 41, we see Riley let himself be vulnerable enough to let Adam help him navigate the immediate shock and grief of his dad's death. Adam was too afraid to be vulnerable to Riley when they were younger. As an adult, Adam is truly able to be honest with himself about what Riley meant to him and we see him express that vulnerability to Riley knowing he may no longer feels that way. If sole mates exist, Riley and Adam are an amazing example of how love can last over time, distance, and hurt.

Like The Long Game and Time to Shine, mental health and grief play a big role in this story. I think that this book does a really good showcasing the journey Riley goes on from him and Adam's falling out, gaining peace and strength since then, and how to try and not let all that work be destroyed when something awful occurs. Adam isn't in the story to "fix" Riley's grief, but he does such a good job in offering him love and support during that time. We also get to see how Riley is able to help Adam come into a gay identity he denied himself for years.

TLDR: I LOVED this book. It made me laugh, cry, and feel the warm and fuzzies for Adam and Riley's second chance romance. Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for an arc of this book!!

This was a really lovely story. I thought the second-chance aspect was handled very well, with Riley taking time to process and believe in what Adam is offering. Rachel Reid's writing is excellent, as usual. I wasn't a huge fan of the flashback scenes—for my taste, I think the story would have been stronger if it had been told chronologically (or perhaps chronologically with the funeral scene first, as the sole exception). But once the story was solidly in "now," I was all in. I'd gladly have read twice as much about these guys finally growing/being together. Recommended!

My thanks to the publisher/NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

The Shots You Take is easily the most emotional Rachel Reid novel I’ve read, and I’ve read them all. What really stood out was the decision to focus on older characters. It was refreshing to see protagonists with more life experience and emotional baggage.

And the the flashbacks? Absolutely devastating. Reid masterfully weaves together past and present. Each flashback teeters on the edge of heartbreak, and I found myself bracing for the emotional punches Reid so expertly delivers.

It’s a must-read if you’re ready for a book that will tug at your heartstrings in the best way possible.

It was wonderful to read a story about two adorably-flawed men stumbling through their forties. So many hockey romance stories focus on main characters in their twenties, at the prime of their sport, which is great, I love them too! But what happens to them later once they've retired and their body starts squawking loudly that the hits may have stopped, but the pain is still there?

Riley Tuck and Adam Sheppard played hockey together in the big show for many years. Incredible defenseman, the two of them were best friends, roommates, and eventually, friends with benefits. Years later, after a broken heart, Riley quits hockey and moves back to Nova Scotia, only to be stunned by an unwelcome visitor -Adam.

The story follows a contrite ex-NHL superstar as he stumbles to gain back his best friend. This slow burn takes us on a journey through Riley and Adam's lives as they struggle to figure out how to co-exist again, and how they remember the buildup to that first heartbreak years ago.

There were moments in this book where I fully related to Riley - the swelling of emotions and grumbles under his breath. Trying to hold it all together. Being *so angry* at Adam, but at the same time always worrying about his shoulder. Both Riley and Adam were beautifully written.

An incomplete list of the things I loved about this book (sans spoilers):
* Riley taking care of his dog. I cannot tell you how important it is to me that if you include pets in your story, that the owner of said pets actually takes care of them. Lucky is a very lucky dog.
* The crafting of a beautifully landscaped portrait of Nova Scotia.
* Mental health rep and discussions about how hard it was while they were in the NHL to struggle with no support.
* Supportive parental role models in the Tuck family. Supportive friends and town.
* Summers on the water.
* Riley's garden and fashion sense, contrasting Adam's conservative color palette.
* Riley's sharp, biting humor which always got a laugh out of Adam.
* Adam's enthusiasm at the journalist's mea culpa.
* The whole discussion regarding bears.
* That physical relations in your forties looks a lot different than your twenties, and that it can still be just as, if not more beautiful.
* I have 107 annotations in this book. So many little moments that I'll want to remember, be them sad, happy, funny, bittersweet, or charming.

Shane and Ilya forever, obviously, but this might be my new favorite Rachel Reid book.

This felt like a welcome departure from Rachel Reid's previous novels. It's less hockey-centric, with both main characters being retired NHL players, and a bit more melancholy, with a strong focus on loss, grief, and coping in the face of hardship.

After the death of his father, Riley is once again confronted by his feelings for Adam, his former teammate and best friend with benefits, when Adam shows up to the funeral. Adam, who has finally come to terms with his sexuality and holds deep-seated regret for the ways things ended with Riley over a decade prior, refuses to leave Riley's small Nova Scotian town, insisting on being there for him and helping him through his grief. As the two men rekindle their friendship, they're forced to acknowledge their still-present feelings for one another and admit the full extent of their impact on one another's lives.

I adored both Riley and Adam. As individuals, they were complex and nuanced and messy in the best ways. As a couple, they just made sense. The tender, soft feelings they housed for one another were perfectly complemented by their physical and sexual chemistry. I was so relieved that their relationship didn't feel rushed, especially being a second-chance romance. They took time to process their emotions, talk about the implications of those emotions, and shift into their relationship gradually, in a way that was thoughtful and mature.

If you're looking for a genuine, realistic relationship between two people in their forties; a well-crafted second-chance romance; an exploration of love, loss, and grief; or just another really solid hockey (adjacent) book from Rachel Reid, I'd highly recommend this one.

I started this ARC as soon as my approval email came through and had it finished within ten hours or so, so believe me when I say this is one you won't want to put down. 😌

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. I don’t even know what to say. Holy cow. This has immediately and quickly flown to the top of my all-time favorites list. At the 5% mark, I realized I was already all in on Adam & Riley’s story. Completely invested. It’s truly a special kind of magic Rachel Reid has that makes me immediately fall in love with the entire cast of characters. The MCs here are very different people but both are sweet souls you can’t help but feel for (even when they’re being remarkably obtuse and making terrible decisions).

Among other things, this is a book about feelings. How complicated they can be, how important it is to pay attention to them and talk about them, how to figure out how to manage them, and how detrimental it can be to ignore them. There’s also messages of ‘it’s okay to not be okay’ and everyone is on their own journey, making progress in their own time, in their own way.

I genuinely cannot wait to share more on my insta about this book closer to the release date. My hockey romance-loving friends are going to be blown away by this and I can’t wait to screech with them about this book!

*Every time I start a new Rachel Reid book, I think “nothing’s going to top the last one.” What could be better than Heated Rivalry? … The Long Game? … Time To Shine? … And well, now there’s The Shots You Take. Don’t miss this one.

ALL THE STARS!! ♾️

This is a sweet second chance love story! It was pretty low angst. Adam groveled the perfect amount! I absolutely loved the characters and I loved that the Nova Scotia town where it took place felt like a character.

I devoured this tender, loving book in less than a day.

Thank you to Harlequin and Carina Press and Rachel Reid for this ARC

After moving back to his hometown, Riley Tuck faces unexpected grief and the return of his former best friend and unrequited love of his life, Adam Sheppard. As Adam tries to rebuild trust with Riley, unresolved feelings and past complications challenge their chance at a fresh start.

The blurb on this is correct. Rachel Reid never misses. I’ve been looking forward to this book since it was announced. I truly loved Time to Shine and I still think about those characters all the time.

Reader - Riley and Adam are going to be on my mind for a LONG time. The sweetest sad boys. Riley is reeling from the loss of his dad suddenly to a heart attack (relate way too hard to this) and Adam is kind of lost after his divorce and coming to terms with his sexuality.

I loved the dual POV in this, and I absolutely adored the flashbacks. You got so much history packed into these pages. The families were great. Lucky 🥹.

I loved how soft Adam was for Riley. I love how Riley worked to control his emotions. I loved how Adam worked so hard to win Riley back. I love that they were characters in their 40s. I loved literally every single thing about this book. I cannot wait to own a paper copy that I can mark up considering I highlighted half of the book on my Kindle.

Obsessed with them and their love and that epilogue are you joking???

*I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, all thoughts are my own.*

I’m a huge fan of the Game Changers series and it’s often my go to when I want to reread something. The Shots You Take really feels like it has a different, heavier tone. I’m not mad, just impressed by the range of the author. There are a lot of difficult topics here like grief, cheating, alcoholism, and mental health. Plus all of the initial heartbreak followed by healing that comes with second chance romances. Hockey takes a backseat as the characters are both retired and in their 40’s. Lots of emotions that definitely made me tear up.

And I don’t know what good karma points I’ve racked up but somehow I got on the good list and was invited(!) to read this by the publisher through NetGalley. I’m very grateful, thank you!

This was very cute!

I think I've come to the realisation that second chance romances aren't going to be for me. Rachel Reid consistently writes such healthy, well-rounded queer relationships and this book and the characters in it are no exception. Fast-paced, unique story structure, very cute and amazing vibes! I don't think I like the second chance trope, but this is the best I've seen it done.

Thank you so much for the ARC :)

This book was both heart-breaking and healing. It was a true page turner and I could not put it down. This book had me full on sobbing but also laughing. Rachel Reids hockey romances are in a class of their own and I truly don't think she's capable of writing a bad book. It was so easy to fall in love with both Riley and Adam and I loved getting to know them throughout this book.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing me with this ARC

This is such a delightful, sexy, and ADULT book. It's so wonderful to read about hockey players after the hockey is over, and also to read about middle aged queer people falling in love and finding happiness. A+ for the Nova Scotia content, too!