The day I got the email with an invitation to read an early copy of this book was an exciting day! Rachel Reid has written some of my very favorite books and The Shots You Take was probably my most anticipated book of 2025. I’m happy to say that this book did not disappoint. It had my heart in a vice from the first page and slowly released the pressure all the way through until it set it free during the most heartwarming epilogue. I finished the book with tears in my eyes and so much love in my heart for Riley and Adam who deserved every second of their hard-won HEA.

Riley Tuck and Adam Sheppard had been best friends and teammates from their very first season in the NHL. Their friendship morphed into a friends-with-benefits relationship over the years but Adam insisted it meant nothing beyond the physical, leaving Riley drowning in his unrequited love for his best friend. After some poor decisions led to a falling out, the two men hadn’t seen each other in over 12 years until Adam shows up in Riley’s small town in Nova Scotia during the worst week of Riley’s life. Having just lost his father unexpectedly, Riley is in no condition to deal with seeing Adam again. But Adam desperately wants to repair their relationship and help Riley through his loss. Will these men be able to work through their complicated past to find the future neither ever thought they could have together?

This book throws you right into the angst from the very first chapter. Riley is lost in his grief over losing his beloved father when he’s forced to confront his anger over Adam reappearing so suddenly. I liked how the first portion of the book alternated between what was happening in the present day with snippets of important moments from Adam and Riley’s past. It wasn’t easy, it hurt seeing Riley’s unrequited love and how fear caused Adam to treat him poorly. But it helped to justify the anger Riley, rightfully, had toward Adam. I loved how stubborn Adam was, he refused to give up on Riley again. I enjoyed seeing him try to prove to himself, and Riley, that he was worthy of Riley’s love.

The slow burn was so good in this story! The pining and longing were so perfectly executed. Both men were pining hard but now that they were older (hooray for mature characters in their 40s!) and had perspective, they knew nothing good would come from jumping back into anything without working through their baggage. They were both so scared to mess it up again and with that came a certain level of cautiousness that I appreciated. For all the miscommunication they suffered through when they were young and dumb, they made up for it now that they were older and wiser. I loved seeing these guys find their way back to one another, it brought tears to my eyes more than once.

I also loved how this book dealt with the impact of being a pro athlete with a mental illness or who’s gay, particularly 20-odd years ago when these men were just starting in their pro-hockey careers. Conversations surrounding these topics may be changing but back when Riley and Adam were young, neither thing was openly discussed and you wonder how things might have gone differently between them back when they were younger if there wasn’t such a stigma around mental health or being LGBTQ.

Anyway, I loved this book, Rachel Reid is such a talented writer and continues to deliver engaging, emotional stories with characters that burrow themselves deep into my heart. I’ll definitely be returning to Adam and Riley’s story and I can’t wait to add a physical copy to my collection!

Um, hello Rachel Reid, and thank you for Riley and Adam! I thoroughly enjoyed this story of estranged former friends-with-benefits coming back together. I loved the time jump: romances with characters in their 40s are few (and shouldn't be!). I appreciated the small town Canadian setting and the side characters were done perfectly for the story. Steamy scenes were excellently written. I read this in one afternoon and I'm planning to dive into Rachel's backlist next!

I'm always happy to read a romance about people in their 40s, and I love Rachel Reid's writing. The one thing that was odd is that the ending (pre-epilogue) is really abrupt.

This is second chance romance at its finest. I truly believe it’s a difficult trope to pull off but this is flawless. The characters, their history, the time that’s passed, and the conversations/interactions they have all make it not only believable but something to actively root for. Adam and Riley have a complicated history and they’re complex people navigating difficult situations who still deeply care about each other. There’s regret, mistakes, maturity, room for growth and missteps, and above all, an enduring (but recultivated) love. There’s no flinching away from the pain and messiness but the payoff is beautiful and so worth it.

Some authors just know romance. They get at the very heart of it and understand how every glance and brief touch can carry so much weight and longing. The yearning and care and affection that can be communicated through the simplest gestures. There’s an abundance of that here and I don’t know what to say besides chef’s kiss (chef who’s making soup and wearing a lil apron of course).

I’d say this one is more hockey-adjacent in that it explores the detrimental effects such a demanding sport can take on the body and mind and the even more harmful expectations for athletes to accept and embrace it as part of the job. And I loved it! (and that’s coming from someone who typically likes a generous helping of hockey in hockey romances.) Looking at these issues through two retired NHL players trying to reconcile the sport’s impact on their lives both then and now is done so well.

It’s hilarious, it’s emotional (Grieving Novia Scotians are back baby!), and it’s romantic. The dual timeline, the reconciliation, the older mcs, the messiness but ultimate maturity…yeah, you’ll want to grab this as soon as it’s out.

Huge huge thank you to Harlequin/Carina Adores and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. I was ready to do something drastic like sell my soul for an early copy so I’m glad it was a lot simpler than that.

This was fine! This era of cartoon cover Rachel Reid books are just not necessarily what I'm looking for from her - I prefer Heated Rivalry to the type of romance that has a lot of big issues mental health stuff and that takes forever to get the characters actually hooking up. I personally also just didn't love that a funeral was the impetus for these characters reuniting, but that is a person ick.

3.75✨

Rachel Reid continues to commit to the bit of making me feel things about hockey players. This was such a bittersweet story and I enjoyed it! I'm not usually a fan of second-chance romance but this one sold me on the entire adventure.

Special shoutout to the Nova Scotia setting and Toronto slander, gotta respect it.

Overall something felt a bit missing from the experience -- the end? the middle? the timeline? Maybe this one just wasn't entirely for me but I couldn't fall into the story in the same way.

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!! ♾️