I simply don’t have words. Rachel Reid has absolutely done it again. As a rule, I do not like toxic closeted characters and I do not like second chance romance. Ever. And, yet, by God, I absolutely loved every second of this book despite it having both these two themes.

I fell in love so quickly and easily with both characters and the nuance of what they were each going through. I even found myself forgiving past wrongs - which is very unlike me. Usually I write a character off if they’ve been problematic in the past. And yet I found myself truly empathizing with Adam and my heart broke for him. And my god Riley. I just wanted all the best things for him. He’s perfection.

This is a solid 4 1/2 rounded up. I do wish there was more time spent on page with the kids and the ex-wife just so we as readers have a better idea of what that dynamic is going to look like going forward, but I adored every other aspect of the story and cannot wait for the rest of the world to fall in love with these characters the way I did.

It shouldn’t be news that I am a fan of queer hockey romance, and more specifically of Rachel Reid’s gay hockey romances. So it comes as no surprise that I loved this book. But I think what’s so wonderful is that this returns to all my favourite parts of Rachel Reid’s books and hockey romances in general. The angsty years-long pining and yearning, the serious conversations about sexuality and mental health despite their shunning in the hockey world, and a romance that has me giggling and kicking my feet. While this book has less actual hockey on account of the characters being retired, I feel like it’s still a very present part of the story. If it’s not clear, I loved this book, it was so worth the read, and I highly recommend it!

It almost feels a little hard to talk about this book and Reid’s books in general because I’m just obsessed with them and I don’t know how to communicate all the specific details that I loved because I just loved the whole thing. I was so invested in the lives of both Riley and Adam, and I appreciate that they both get to be full characters who mess up but can still love one another and grow. This is a story tinged with grief, but also the joy of having someone you loved so much that you can grieve them so deeply. There’s a push and pull, but also this deep well of feelings that’s present from the very beginning. The characters are so persistent in their feelings, despite the numerous obstacles, and I just basically couldn’t stop reading. The only bad part is that finishing this means once again waiting for a new Rachel Reid book, but it’s always worth the wait.

This is a hard review to write, because I adored some parts and I wish I could rate this book a lot higher.

I love Reid, and while her last book was a bit flat to me, this one started great. Very emotionally heavy and I was ready to have my heart destroyed.

And for a while I did. In the best way. The flashbacks were nicely used and it makes the present story hurt even more.

5 starts for the first 80%. But then the tension deflates like a ballon and the payoff doesn’t feel earned. And the epilogue. The one place to give us at least some of that HEA and we just missed all of it.

I would have given it 4 stars even with the rushed and honestly a bit of a disappointment third act. Because the beginning it is so good. The way Reid handles grief and lost love is so beautiful. And it hurts. But I’m knocking down a star due to how parenthood is portrayed.

I am beyond tired of reading about men being praised for not even doing the barest of minimums when it comes to fatherhood. Adam was objectively a bad father. Just because you don’t hit your kids doesn’t mean you are a good father. The bar is on the floor. I would have loved this book a lot more without the kids.

TLDR: a lot more emotionally packed than her last book, showing that Reid can do heavy when she wants. Sadly an ending that felt rushed.

I have to be in a certain mood to read a second chance book as it's usually something really stupid that broke them up. But I really liked both of our MC's and was rooting for them from the start. I did what to kick Adam in the you know what because he just walked all over Riley's emotions. But they are now 12 years older, and they do the adult thing and have a series of conversations, and they figure out their crap. Oh, and I have to say, I love older MC's, both of whom are in their 40's, we don't get nearly enough of them. Okay so what kept this from being 5 stars, is the lack of hockey. I want my MC's playing in my hockey in my hockey books.

Mein Leseerlebnis

Holt euch was zu trinken, ich habe viel zu sagen!

Die m/m second chance romance mit erwachsenen Helden in ihren 40ern ist das erste Buch der Autorin, das mich nicht total begeistern konnte. Das lag vor allem daran, dass ich mit Adam überhaupt nicht warm geworden bin. Von Anfang an war er mir ziemlich unsympathisch und das änderte sich im Verlauf des Liebesromans leider auch nicht.

Er war mir nicht nur unsympathisch, ich hatte auch Probleme damit ihn zu respektieren. Das hat natürlich auch zu Problemen mit meiner Wahrnehmung der Liebesgeschichte geführt. Ganz ehrlich, ich hätte mir für Riley einen anderen Partner gewünscht oder zumindest erwartet, dass Adam zunächst mehr an sich und seinem Verhalten arbeitet, bevor Riley ihm eine zweite Chance gibt.

Im weiteren Verlauf der Buchbesprechung wird es zu Spoilern kommen, weiterlesen auf eigene Gefahr ist also angesagt! Ich muss vor allem in Bezug auf Adam mal meinen Frust loswerden.

Spoiler Anfang

Adam wirkte auf mich insgesamt sehr selbst bezogen, zudem war er nicht in der Lage, sich in andere hineinzuversetzen. Beziehungsweise hat er es erst gar nicht versucht und obendrein hatte er auch noch Probleme damit, sich Fehler einzugestehen.

Ich fand sein Verhalten Riley gegenüber in der Vergangenheit ziemlich heftig und verstand ehrlich gesagt nicht nicht, was Riley an ihm fand. Adam behandelte Riley teils so, als wären ihm seine Gefühle egal.

Im Verlauf des Romans hatte ich nie das Gefühl, dass Adam wirklich verstanden hat, was er Riley in der Vergangenheit zugemutet hat. Riley ging es teils mental richtig schlecht, Adam hat das natürlich nicht so wirklich bemerkt. Dafür lebte er viel zu ichbezogen.

Verblüffend fand ich auch, dass sich Adam selbst als einigermaßen guten Vater gesehen hat, doch anscheinend war er so wenig in den Alltag seiner Kinder involviert, dass diese als Tennies wenig mit ihm anfangen konnten. Er führte den Faktor Zeit als Entschuldigung auf, doch er hätte vor/nach dem Training, an freien Tagen und vor allem über den Sommer natürlich ausreichend Zeit gehabt, um am Alltag seiner Kinder aktiv teilzunehmen und sich mit seiner Frau auch mal ein paar Aufgaben zu teilen. Dass er dies nicht getan hat, muss er sich schon selbst ankreiden und nicht auf die Umstände schieben.

Fans fanden Adam interessant und charmant, auf mich wirkte er oberflächlich und wenig emphatisch.

Adam war als Charakter übrigens nicht flach angelegt, nein, er wirkte auf mich sehr lebendig und ich konnte ihn vor meinem inneren Auge klar sehen. Er wirkte auf mich von Grund auf unsympathisch und daran änderte sich im Verlauf des Buches auch nichts. Im Gegenteil, umso mehr ich über ihn erfahren habe, umso unsympathischer wurde er mir.

Ich denke, dass viele Menschen in ihrem Leben schon mal einem “Adam” begegnet sind. Meiner Wahrnehmung nach einer Person, die sich schlecht in andere reinversetzen kann (und es auch nicht wirklich versucht), die gerne nach Entschuldigungen sucht und die es genießt, im Mittelpunkt zu sehen. Eine Person, die große Probleme damit hat, auf einer elementaren Ebene selbstkritisch zu sein und aus Fehlern zu lernen. Dass Adam im Buch darüber überrascht und verwundert war, dass seine Kinder nur wenig mit ihm anfangen konnten, obwohl er so viel in ihrem Leben verpasst hat, war für mich bezeichnend.

Spoiler Ende!

Schade, aber dieser Liebesroman von Rachel Reid war nicht so schön, wie ihre anderen. Aufgrund des einehmenden Schreibstils und der lebendigen Charaktere, die ich mir leicht als echte Personen vorstellen konnte, bin ich immer noch bei einer mittelmäßigen Bewertung gelandet.

Zunächst wollte ich dem Buch aufgrund der erwähnten Stärken 3,75 Herzen geben, aber da meine Probleme mit Adam mein Leseerlebnis doch so massiv überschattet haben, scheinen mir drei Herzen angemessener zu sein.

🖤🖤🖤

Für wen?

Wer second chance romance Bücher mag und mit Adam als Charakter warm wird, für den könnte der Roman toll sein (Leseprobe checken!).

Andere Leser:innen fanden das Buch so gut wie z.B. “Heated Rivalry”. Dieser Meinung kann ich mich nicht anschließen, da für mich “The shots you take” aufgrund eines der beiden Hauptcharaktere nur mittelmäßig gut funktioniert hat.

Ich freue mich aber trotzdem schon sehr auf das nächste Buch der Autorin, denn das sollte wieder in der Welt der Game Changers spielen und sich um Luca Haas und den Mann hinter dem Maskottchen der Ottawa Centaurs drehen (laut Infos von der Autorin).

I have loved absolutely everything about this book. From the fact that the characters are middle aged to their flaws, right to the groveling.
The angst felt by Riley at seeing Adam again, the anger he beautifully expressed, sealed the deal right from the start for me. There might be nothing I hate more than a character being deeply hurt by a loved one and forgiving them easily. But Adam works for it, and I deeply appreciated the fact that although his neglectful ways are not something anyone can get behind, his vulnerability allows us to empathize with his journey all the same. Riley deserved all the happiness and I’m so glad they got it together.
As a side note, I will say that the portrayal of the teenage kids and their disinterest in basically everything was spot on and made Adam even more endearing to me.
I can’t wait to read Reid’s next gem.

Rachel Reid does it again. I don’t think there’ll ever be a time when Rachel writes a book and I won’t fall completely in love with it and its wonderful characters. The Shots You Take sucked me in right way and, not gonna lie, turned me into a sobbing mess for a big chunk of this book.

Riley and Adam started their pro hockey careers together and became best friends soon after they met...until they weren’t. Meeting again, 12 years after they last saw each other, in a moment of deep grief for Riley and a new moment in life for Adam, promises complications and possible new heartbreak. But also, maybe a chance to get things right this time. To be open with each other, and perhaps give themselves the chance to make each other truly happy after all those years apart.

A hockey romance but make it after their careers are behind them. Older and wiser?

This story was tough at times, that’s true. Dealing with grief will always be a delicate topic, and second chances don’t work well every time. However, Rachel Reid has a talent when it comes to working with hard topics. She’s careful, compassionate, and get us through everything and on the other side, well not unscathed, but maybe changed in a good way.

It’s not all sadness and grief, though. There’re happy moments and good memories. There’s support, community and companionship. There’s so much love. Love in all shapes and form.

This book was brilliant and I recommend it with all my heart.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

MM
Retired hockey players
Second chance romance
Friends to lovers
Mental health rep

Rating; 5/5 - I will definitely re-read this one
🌶️: 2/5 - there are a few explicit intimate scenes
🏒: 3/5 - hockey is definitely a part of this book but understandably less so due to the characters being retired

TLDR: I loved this and think everyone should read it.

I absolutely devoured this book. It was so good!!! I like reading books about established adults and I love a good second chance romance. There are some heavy themes in this book (grief, mental health, self discovery/acceptance) and they are all handled really well in my opinion. If you are already familiar with Rachel Reid, I think you will love this book. It definitely has a different flavor from her other books but it's still delicious. It reads a bit like Time to Shine. If you're new to Rachel Reid, I think this book is a good place to start. The book jumps back and forth in time giving the reader a great understanding of the relationship between our main characters.

Ultimately, this was just a great read and I highly recommend it.

This book is so tender and real and everything I wanted and expected from this author. I enjoyed that both characters were in their 40s. I am usually not a fan of second chance romances because I find the reasons for the first "breakup" to be trivial or silly, but that was absolutely not the case here.

I really enjoyed Adam's growth and acceptance. I feel as though his story was a very authentic one and even though he spent most of his life denying his identity and then in the closet, there wasn't a huge focus on any trauma surrounding it.

The grief storyline with Riley was also handled with care. I could very much relate to his story.

Together these two definitely had excellent chemistry and it was nice to see some flashbacks while having the main focus be them in the present.

I highly recommend to any fans of later in life characters and coming outs, second chances, and tender stories with lots of heart!

I’ve had the pleasure to receive an ARC of this book and like Okay I spent the past two hours just trying to organize my thoughts for this book because wow it took me by surprise by how stunning it was.

As someone who struggles day to day with the same diagnosis as Riley Tuck, I was speechless by how seen I felt. I’ve read plenty of books that speaks about Anxiety and mental health in general, but barely a book that really shows how nasty it becomes and how it feels. It felt so purely raw that I had to just randomly scream sometimes (you can ask my roommate) because I wasn’t sure how else to react.

Reading the book I felt that I knew the characters for years, and it gotten to the point where I was just like “ADAM WHY” or “RILEY NO ITS OKAY” as if we were besties and they could even hear me. The character development for both Riley and Adam was just so immensely perfect. They both needed to learn and grow. It was a book where you understand why they needed all those years apart, they both had so much growing to do but they couldn’t depend on each other to that growing up.

All in all, fantastic book. Had me screaming, curling up, rocking, and maybe tearing up at some points. I think I’d go as far to say it’s my favorite book, hands down.

Beautiful characters, beautiful writing, an amazing cover, and a lot of really funny jokes in there.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 (if I could it’d be infinity stars/5, cause it genuinely broke my scale)

Rachel Reid is the queen of gay hockey romance smut, and she does not disappoint with her new book! This book was heartwarming, Canadian, spicy, and sweet. Only in a work of fiction would a Toronto hockey team win the Stanley Cup.

Adam and Riley used to be best friends, but the toxic masculinity of the NHL and one of them continuously denying their sexuality lead to a decade of them not talking. When Riley’s dad passes away and Adam shows up to the funeral, Adam must prove that he has changed and is ready to accept everything he denied in the past.

I was worried I would have to read about the toxic reception of a beloved hockey player coming out, but this story focused more on Adam’s early understanding of his identity and making amends for his past mistakes. We get a lot of mental health representation with Riley. This feels more like a small town romance with hockey vs a hockey romance, but because both characters have had time apart to age and mature we get a deeper understanding of both themselves and their relationship to each other. I would highly recommend this book to those who love spicy romance, Canadian book settings, hockey romances, and queer romances!

4.5 stars
I loved this book. It made me almost cry multiple times and this means the emotions were so well written in the book. Adam and Riley had such good chemistry and a very complicated history.
I loved the setting of Avery River, Nova Scot’s. Hockey romances don’t usually have retired players as the love interest and this one had two and it was so good.
I loved seeing their story and them moving back towards each other. This was an amazing second change romance.
It did feel like the epilogue happened in a rush but I still loved this book.
It also felt like Adam never talks to his kids, but this seemed intentional to fully show how disconnected he felt from his kids.
I loved this book and the familial, platonic, and romantic relationships featured in this book.

*thank you NetGalley, Carina Adores, and Harlequin for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel Reid is so good at what she does. These characters are flawed and their story is complicated but it still pulls at your heartstrings. Adam and Riley were teammates and inseparable best friends. They also hooked up quite a bit and with no discussion. When the breaking point comes, it leaves Riley bereft and Adam bewildered and the two don’t see each other for years. When they meet up again, they have to come to terms with their past mistakes and heartbreaks. This really is such an emotional and realistic love story. I have such a warm spot in my heart for Rachel Reid’s books and characters. I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

Classic Rachel Reid - a fantastic MM hockey romance from a different place in players’ careers. It’s also a second-chance love story and is full of angst and a bit of miscommunication and a fiery relationship. Will write a full review closer to publication day.

Rachel Reid does it again!! Heated Rivalry is one of my all time favorite books so I couldn’t wait to read this new book from her genius brain. The yearning, the tension, the connection between the two characters, absolute perfection. I could not put the book down. No literally I stayed up until 4:30 am reading, it was that good. 10/10!

Gah. Loved it! This is one of those books you have to slow down on so that you don’t miss the details. Lovely, moody, romantic, angsty. Character development is so rich. I could see Riley’s house in my head (and I seriously want to visit). Thanks for sharing this lovely story. This one is my favorite Rachel Reid book!

This book was fantastic. Reid has this great skill for adding heart and depth to her books without making the entire story feel heavy or unsexy. I loved both MCs and desperately wanted them to figure things out and be together. Their relationship growth was great and seemed paced well despite only happening in a week, but given their background it just worked. Everything about this was great. Also, the way Lucy and Cole were depicted made it so clear that Reid has had personal experience dealing with teenagers, because it was perfect.

Rachel Reid just never disappoints. She is so in her bag. This story is tender and sweet and sad. There were points while I was reading this that my chest physically hurt!!! The power that she has!!!!!! Adam and Riley are such well written characters; they are real to me. My friends in my head. The way that this book discusses grief is done so well and with so much care. I love love love Reid's ability to really tug at your heartstrings. I FELT so deeply for these characters. The timelines of the story also are just weaved together perfectly. The town in this book is its own character. I love it I wish it were real. I guess I have to book a ticket to Nova Scotia now and just pretend! RR you will always be famous to me. Amen.


I will post a full review on my bookstagram page @yeahimreading closer to the release date (like a month out.)

Thank you so so much to Harlequin and Netgalley for this eARC!

If you’re in the mood for a hockey romance that delivers both emotional intensity and sizzling chemistry, "The Shots You Take" should definitely be on your radar. This story about former best friends with benefits, Riley Tuck and Adam Sheppard, isn’t just about scoring goals on the ice—it’s about navigating loss, trust, and the fight to find love again. With time jumps between the present and 15 years ago, we’re given a poignant look at two men who need to confront their past before they can even hope for a future.

Now, I’ll admit that "sweet" isn’t the first word that comes to mind when I think of this book. While there are definitely tender moments, the story leans far more toward heart-wrenching territory than sugar-coated romance. Riley and Adam’s journey feels raw and authentic, especially as they tackle heavy themes like grief, toxic masculinity, and mental health struggles. If you’re looking for something that goes beyond lighthearted flirtation and digs deep into the emotional scars people carry, then this dramatic hockey romance will give you exactly that.

Set against the small-town backdrop of Avery River, Nova Scotia, the story doesn’t shy away from the tough stuff. Riley, now in his forties, has been dealing with the fallout of his father’s death while Adam, a major league hockey star, returns home to an icy reception. The unresolved tension between them is palpable, and the complex dance of reconciling their past while navigating present-day struggles makes for some truly compelling moments. Whether it’s the simmering tension between them or the vulnerability that spills over during the most unexpected times, this book doesn’t hold back.

There’s a lot more at play here than just a second-chance romance—it’s about finding your footing again when life has thrown you more curveballs than you know how to catch. The story’s nonlinear structure, with flashbacks to years earlier, adds an extra layer of depth, showing us how Adam and Riley’s relationship first formed, fell apart, and eventually rekindled.

Of course, the hockey scenes add a touch of heat, but what stood out to me was how well the story handled the emotional impact of parental loss and the difficulties surrounding mental health. It’s refreshing to see characters in their forties grappling with real-life issues, and it brings a maturity to the story that’s sometimes lacking in sports romances.

Fair warning: the book does come with some content warnings, including themes of grief, found family, alcoholism, homophobia, and a brief mention of suicide. While these elements are sensitively handled, they do add a heavy emotional weight, so be prepared for that.

Overall, "The Shots You Take" is a poignant, sexy, and gut-wrenching read that will appeal to readers of dramatic second-chance hockey romances. It’s the kind of book that reminds you that while life may take a few unexpected shots at you, sometimes, it’s the shots you take at happiness that matter the most.

Genre: hockey romance

Riley and Adam are retired hockey players, both now in their 40s. When they played hockey together, they were best friends with benefits, but unable to put a more permanent label on their relationship. They haven't spoken in over a decade, but when Riley's father dies suddenly, Adam comes to the funeral, in part to try to make amends. Through sheer stubbornness, Adam is simply there for Riley... which is a lot, since Riley is not only grieving his father but also losing Adam years ago too.

Well, f*ck if that wasn't perfect. If a book about grief could ever be comfortable, this book is it. It's such a very different energy from Rachel Reid's other books, and yet the same care towards character development and sensitivity towards raw human emotions.

With both characters in their forties, there’s a richness to both Riley and Adam that we don’t often get with younger characters. We see snapshots of them when they are young twenty-something hockey stars, which serve as a heartbreaking background to why Riley is years-retired, single and living in his hometown, and why Adam is newly retired, divorced, and a deeply uncool dad. Hockey was their lives, until it wasn’t. Adam and Riley were everything to each other, until they weren’t. Both of those things broke them both in different ways.

The Shots You Take feels like Rachel Reid's particularly wonderful brand of hockey romance crossed with Cat Sebastian (You Should Be So Lucky) and Linda Holmes (Evvie Drake Starts Over) in the absolute best and most mature way. This is the best that a second chance romance has to offer: two middle aged men finding their way home to each other.