4.25 stars - I am going to like pretty much anything that’s a sports romance and a second chance romance, so there is no real surprise that I enjoyed this. I really enjoyed that the main characters were in their 40s, as you don’t often see that. I will say that I am woman reading an MM romance, and this book feels like that is the target audience it’s trying to reach. I’d be curious if someone who has been in an MM relationship would find the dynamic in the book relatable/realistic.

The Shots You Take is the mother of all second chance romance stories. So, so heart wrenching. Other tropes include gay awakening, best friends to lovers, and grief/comfort. Ultimately, the story is incredibly uplifting and redeeming, but it takes some time to get there. Plenty of angst along the way, but also emotional depth, forgiveness and second chances. The slow burn of reconnection is sizzling. 100% recommend if you're into this genre.

ARC received from Carina Adores via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

This book is why I struggle so hard with second chance romance. Ideally Riley would have told Adam to kick rocks after what he put him through over 2 decades and found the true love of his life but alas that isn't the story I read. This is my first Rachel Reid novel but it won't be the last. I really liked how she wrote tension, character depth and angst. I'll give her a second shot but not on a second chance romance. LOLLLLL

When I tell you I AM A SIMP for older MCs with a lifetime of experience behind them finally ready to settle down and find their HEA. I loved Adam so much and fully believe he deserves all the good things in this world. These 2 had a tense history, spanning decades and a lot of trauma, so I wasn't sure how this romance (and especially Adam) was going to win me over but, eventually, it did!!!!! I was screaming to call the "red flag guy" multiple times throughout the book tho!!!!

What I enjoyed: the groveling was top tier and I love that Riley still made Adam work for it even the Adam was so apologetic. Adams story tugged on my heartstrings and really brought his character full circle for me, even though he had a million opportunities to do better, in the end he did and I tried to focus on that. And the fact that these MMCs were older just added to the charm.

What to expect:
-Older MMCs (both are in their 40s)
-Ex hockey teammates to friends with benefits
-Small town/hometown return
-Second Chance romance
-friends to lovers
-Grief

I do think Adams family/ex-wife could have been more present. It felt intentionally left out which made this seem like a lack of closure on how they integrated with Riley and Adam as a couple but otherwise I loved the pacing and heart in this book.

By the end I would've gladly laid in front of a train for Riley.
3.5 stars / 1.5 chili pepper

Awe this was so beautiful. Usually not a fan of second chance romance but this was done beautifully. Thank you to NetGalley and Rachel for letting me read this ARC!

The thing that always draws me to Rachel Reid's novels - the hockey aside - is the emotional depth of the characters.  Boy oh boy, did both Adam and Riley have emotions in spades.  So, yeah, I cried through probably three quarters of this book.  But don't let that put you off because a) I'm an emotional person and b) it's just so good.

Riley Tuck is grieving and grieving hard.  Having just lost his father, he's awash in emotion and memories.  Unfortunately, I related to Riley's situation, having lost the most important person in my life a few years ago.  His heartache, his lost-ness, his anger were all very real and raw for me.  The way he threw himself into work was also very familiar, and it only made me want to hug him that much more.  That said, I also understood how he was using his anger - and work - as a shield from facing reality.  That his father was gone.  Oh, and that the man who'd broken his heart was desperately trying to catch a minute of Riley's time.  

Adam Sheppard's lived a charmed life, or at least, that's how it seems.  However, he's come to some conclusions since retiring from the NHL and one of them involves his old teammate, Riley.  To Adam's credit, he doesn't expect much, if anything, from Riley.  He knows that his actions in the past were pretty crummy, and all he wants is a chance to apologize and potentially rekindle their friendship.  That he hopes for more goes unspoken.  In the flashbacks, Adam doesn't always come off as the best person, but it's obvious that he's matured and become better.  Does it fix the past?  Of course not, but it's a step in the right direction.  

The Shots You Take is a wonderful, emotional story of love, loss, and redemption.  While the story itself lacks in actual hockey, the culture and the community surrounding the sport is well represented, both the good and the bad.  It's a heartbreaking tale of lost love and second chances, one that's worth the tears to find the happily ever after.

The Shots You Take is a beautifully written second Chance Romance. Adam and Riley will own your heart and soul with their struggles and regrets about what transpired. These two will have you all up in your feels as they learn to accept themselves and try to rekindle a flame they thought was lost but was only dimmed.

This was the first book by Rachel I’ve read but it won’t be my last. Her prose was seamless and timeless in its execution. The emotions she elicits within her characters will cut you deep but also heal your broken pieces as theirs are healed. Loved this story so much and can’t wait to read more from Rachel.

If you like:

~ Small Town Romance
~ Second Chance
~ Friends-to-Strangers-to-Lovers
~ Sports adjacent
~ Slow Burn Romance

You’ll like this:

“The Shots You Take” is a MM hockey romance in the loosest sense. Honestly, it would be more fitting to say that this novel is what happens when a MM hockey romance matures and grows up. It has depth. It has emotion. It’s not cookie-cutter or stereotypical. It’s realistic in its pain, grief, and growth.

Our characters are in their 40s, retired from hockey, and learning to live life outside of the NHL. They had a relationship in their twenties and it went sideways, but life kept on lifing.

If you’re looking for an emotional second chance romance, this is a title you should read. The hurt/comfort trope shines in “The Shots You Take”. There is a lot of pain, a lot of grieving - both for people and for lives that could have been - but there’s also a lot of relief and joy for second chances.

“The Shots You Take” is a slow burn, filled with the full spectrum of emotions. Check for any content warnings if necessary, and read it when you’re emotionally ready, but don’t miss this. This is Rachel Reid at her best.

I found The Shots You Take to be a heartbreaking, devastating, and beautifully written story about grief and love and discovering self. It's an emotional, hard-earned second chance romance between two retired NHL defensemen set in a small Nova Scotia town, and I found myself emotionally invested in both Riley and Adam from the start. (WARNING: The story opens with the sudden death of a parent, so be aware if you're sensitive to this theme.) Our main characters are grown men in their 40s, and I really appreciate seeing some older characters and life post NHL career in a hockey themed romance.
I definitely cried multiple times while reading, but it was so compelling I couldn't put it down. I know I often see requests for books that will help us through an emotional catharsis, and this is a perfect story for that. (I see you, my fellow "I need a book that will destroy me" folks). I finished TSYT several days ago, but I needed it to settle and to think about what I wanted to say about it.
It absolutely crushed me to watch Riley go through losing his dad, and trying to figure out what comes next for him. I loved that it wasn't instantly easy for either him or Adam after seeing each other again. The struggle feels really honest and authentic. The mental health representation was so good too. It was inspiring and hopeful to see Riley and Adam claim their issues and not just dive right back in because it would feel good temporarily. HUGE props to Rachel Reid. This book could not have been easy to write, but it turned out beautifully.
Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin, and Rachel Reid for the ARC opportunity.

Oh Rachel Reid…you know just how to suck me into a book and make me never want to put it down. The Shots You Take was no different - the characters, the story, the setting, all of it kept me turning the pages for more.

Riley Tuck and Adam Sheppard were roommates and teammates when they first started out in the NHL together in Toronto. They’re best friends and more than that, but things never quite go how they’d like and things change with their relationship. We see moments of their early days together via flashback and it’s heartbreaking to know what happened but also to see it happening in detail as well.

The majority of the book takes place in the present day, starting with the funeral of Riley’s father and Adam’s reappearance in his life after more than a decade apart. Their second chance is colored by grief, emotions and hurt in the beginning and, at points, it’s a little difficult to read in both the present day and the flashbacks. Riley’s pain over what happened between him and Adam is palpable and the events that happened afterwards completely changed his life, taking him out of the professional hockey world and forcing him to face his demons while building the quiet, small town life he loves so much. Adam comes into town during some of Riley’s toughest days, looking to right his many wrongs with Riley and make up for treating him so poorly when they were younger.

I loved that both of these MCs were in their 40s and acted like it. They had real conversations about tough things, confronted the hurt that kept them apart, addressed all of the things they’ve learned about themselves while they weren’t part of each other’s lives and generally acted like adults. It was real and refreshing and felt right for this second chance romance. The things that Adam did to Riley in the past were horrible, but his dedication to making things right between them and all of the things he did to make that happen made me finally believe that he was there for the right reasons.

This book handles some heavy topics - toxicity in professional hockey, grief, mental health, addiction - in a way that seamlessly wove them into the story and made it feel real, like Riley and Adam were real people I could meet tomorrow. Their story wasn’t typical and it wasn’t all happiness, but it was real and that made their HEA even more rewarding to read because they worked for it and grew as individuals to get there together.

[arc review]
Thank you to Harlequin Books for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Shots You Take releases March 4, 2025

Riley and Adam spent their late teens and early twenties as best friends, roommates, and teammates in the NHL. They even shared many passionate moments together behind closed doors, though Riley’s love was always left unrequited by a man who stayed closeted until his forties.

After a tense and almost irreparable fallout lasting over a decade, Riley and Adam reconnect for the first time when Adam shows up to the funeral of Riley’s father.

This was an angsty, right person wrong time, second chance romance, and yet… I never found myself rooting for them as a couple.

The dynamic between Riley and Adam always felt largely disproportionate (one person constantly giving, and the other only taking), and quite frankly, Adam toyed with Riley’s feelings too much over the years for him to have the audacity to come back into Riley’s life and emotionally manipulate him again at his most vulnerable state — the damage was done and Riley deserved to finally move on and shed the weight of Adam’s humiliating reactions and the detrimental affects those had on his mental health.

I DNFed if at 25%. I love second chance romances but I just couldn't connect with those two characters. Their past relationship was full of red flags and it hurts me reading it. Adam couldn't accept who he was and he hurts so much his best friend who was in love with him.

Then, when they meet again, Riley is grieving and seeing Adam again hurts him but he's so angry and emotional, he punches the wall many times and it triggered me.

I absolutely loved other stories by this author and I think this book will be liked by many but it wasn't for me.

Read it if you love :

✨ Small town romances ;
✨ Second Chance Romances ;
✨ LGBTQ Rep ;
✨ Slowburn ;
✨ Retired Hockey Players ;
✨ Mental Health Representation.

Thank you to Carina Adores for my gifted review copy. My opinions are my own.

This sorta second chance love story starts out with a funeral and a surprise attendee. Riley is reeling from his dad's death, when his ex-best friend and ex hockey teammate Adam Sheppard shows up to the funereal.

Riley has a lot of complicated feelings that he is dealing with, running from a lifestyle that harmed him, running from Adam when feelings weren't returned, running from the limelight, dealing with the grief of losing his father, but also healing nestled into his supportive hometown. Adam made a lot of mistakes that ended up costing him his best friend, his wife, and he's attending the funeral to try and fix some of his mistakes.

There are some miscommunication issues, but it's because conversations aren't had, but this story has all of the emotions building to the actual fulfillment of the missed conversations, because Adam isn't going anywhere, and Riley is stubborn as well. I love that Riley and Adam are not in their 20's, they are full grown adults, in their 40's, with all the things that happen at that stage in life. This is an emotional rollercoaster that you are excited to ride because you can see the good parts coming, and there's plenty of good times, even during the grief.

Highly recommend this story.

I am first and foremost a perfectionist. That is most debilitating when it comes to things I truly care about. It’s taken me months to attempt this review because I so badly want to be able to convey my deep love and appreciation for this book in a way that honors what Rachel Reid has so graciously given. This is a story I will return to time and time again because the pain is so so so worth the journey and destination for these characters. There are few novels that convey what Reid manages to convey in this story. THIS is what second-chance romance should be. This is what a relationship to another person - what we owe to the people we love - should be.

One of my favorite aspects of Reid’s novels are that her characters are so well defined. It feels like I know them because they inhabit not only themselves but also their surroundings. They are defined through their homes, their interests, their friends and family. One-dimensional is not a term that could ever be seriously used when describing the characters in these stories.

I don’t always love second chance romances because they too often rely too much on history being told and the relationship development suffers. However, The Shots You Take is not afflicted with this issue and was very satisfying in the reparation of the relationship and the development of the characters. The conflict between Riley and Adam was not simple or superficial. They make real efforts and take healthy means of repairing their relationship, especially Adam. He is patient and is clear that he has no expectation of Riley to reward him with forgiveness. Their interactions and the representation of loss and grief were deeply emotional and had me in heavy tears that resulted in having to take a few moments in order to continue. I’m not a frequent crier, so when I react this way it’s a sign of effective writing to get at the core of emotion.

It’s a strong statement, but I think The Shots You Take may just be my favorite book I’ve ever read. I’m not sure there’s a book more manful to me or representative of the care I want to receive and see in the world.

As always, I will take whatever authorial gift Rachel Reid offers, and I will cherish it. Thank you, Rachel!

🏒 THE SHOTS YOU TAKE by Rachel Reid 🏒
💙 A steamy, second-chance hockey romance you won’t want to miss!

🔥 What to Expect:
✅ Ex-teammates, ex-best friends… and ex-lovers 👀
✅ A second chance at love (with all the tension and history)
✅ Grief, healing, and rekindled passion
✅ A small-town setting with big emotions
✅ MM sports romance with heart-melting tenderness & sizzling chemistry

💙 “He left me behind once. I won’t let him do it again.” 💙

Riley Tuck thought his past was exactly that—his past. He left his professional hockey career and heartbreak behind a decade ago, settling into a quiet life in Avery River. But when tragedy strikes, the last person he expects—or wants—to see again is Adam Sheppard.

Adam is a massive NHL star now, but he’s never forgotten Riley… or the way things ended between them. Coming back to this small town brings back every memory, every regret, and every lingering feeling. The chemistry? Still off the charts. The wounds? Still deep.

Now, Adam is determined to prove that some shots are worth taking—even if he risks losing everything all over again.

If you love:
🏒 Emotional, slow-burn MM sports romance
🏒 Best friends-to-lovers-to-strangers-to-lovers (yeah, that kind of second chance)
🏒 Small-town charm with big emotions
🏒 Tension, angst, and undeniable heat
🏒 A swoon-worthy redemption arc

…then THE SHOTS YOU TAKE is your next must-read hockey romance!

📚 Tag a friend who needs an emotional, heart-melting sports romance with all the feels! 🏒🔥

#TheShotsYouTake #RachelReid #HockeyRomance #SecondChanceRomance #MMRomance #SportsRomance #BookTokRecs #SpicyReads #EmotionalAndSteamy

A compelling second chance with complex, mature (in age) characters!

Adam Sheppard and Riley Tuck were NHL teammates, roommates, and best friends…with secret benefits. Eventually pushed to his limit by the now married Adam, Riley walks away from their team, from Adam, and eventually from hockey. Ten years later, Riley has built a life in his small hometown when tragedy brings Adam back into his orbit. Is this the same man he knew before, or do they have a new chance to be who they were always meant to be?

I’m a sucker for a flawed MC, and Adam certainly fits the bill. Though he has worked on himself, he’s far from perfect in his attempts to mend fences with Riley. For older characters, both men had some emotional immaturity to work through, but I was rooting for them all the way! Riley’s (justified) anger with Adam and the angry tension it caused during their reunion was chef’s kiss, and I’m always bought in for some hefty pining.

I love a dual timeline, but the flashbacks to their youthful friendship and affair didn’t feel as fully formed as the current story. The story as a whole was compelling, though, and I did enjoy the way it came together and the work they had to do to get there. A solid book and one I recommend for anyone looking for something a little outside the box in a hockey romance!

*I received an advanced reader copy from the author and am voluntarily leaving my review*

Fantastic! Rachel Reid can do no wrong. This latest book is an achy breaky second chance story that navigates grief and internalized homophobia with aplomb.

Rachel Reid continues to sizzle with this hockey romance I didn't know I needed in my life. It was an emotionally charged book from the get-go, and had me feeling all the feels. I also don't know why but it was refreshing to read about characters in their 40's and queer ones at that. My heart really broke for Riley and all he had been through, and was very much Team Riley all the way. Adam, I know had gone through some soup searching and given the context, it was a bit easier to understand his behaviour in their past (and I had to keep reminding myself that men in their 20's can be real dumb dumbs). It was a slow burn but it had to be, and the weaving in of the past was well done and didn't overpower the story. The secondary characters provided the right level of support but the story was really focused on Adam and Riley. Seeing them come together after all these years apart, first as friends, and then as lovers, was a joy to read. I couldn't put it down and practically read it in 2 sittings. I have a feeling these two will linger in my brain for a bit longer.

My only "issue" is in the cover design - Riley should be taller and larger than Adam! Even the positioning doesn't justify why Adam looks taller!

Heart Flutters: ❤️❤️
Steam: 🔥🔥

This dual timeline, second chance book tugged on my heart strings constantly throughout. I ached for Riley as he was grieving and also trying to process his ex best friend with benefits being around after 12 years. I also felt for Adam as he was coming to terms with the fact that he lived a lie for the first 40 years of his life. Their past was truly heartbreaking because you can tell there was love there but so much denial on Adam’s behalf that he didn’t want to even try to reciprocate the feelings to Riley. I am so glad that there was so much communication in this book. These adult men, while both extremely sensitive to things that were happening, Riley especially, were able to break down the barriers and have meaningful conversations and work through everything together. This is beautiful and I absolutely love the execution of the dual timeline.


Thank you for this arc in exchange for an honest review!!

The Shots You Take
By Rachel Reid

This is a MM hockey romance, so if that's not your thing, keep moving along.

There are so many layers to this story. I do love the back and forth to the past and present, it allows you fully experience the highs and the lows. And the inclusion of mental illness and the impacts gave another dimension to the story and to Rileys character.
This book will be hard to read at times and you'll want to tuck yourself in and bask in the slow burn that is Riley and Shep.

I'd never read Rachel Reid when I requested this from Netgalley. I've heard good things about her Game Changers series, but I haven't gotten a chance to read them yet. The Shots You Take convinced me to add those to my TBR!

The Shots You Take is a second-chance romance about Riley and Adam, two ex-best friends and hockey teammates whose friendship (and not-so-casual sexual relationship) ended disastrously over a decade ago. They haven't seen each other since. When reunited by a loss, they finally begin to address their ongoing feelings. 

The story is told in dual timelines: present-day is set in 2024, and the past is set over several years in the early 2000s. The present storyline is filled with pining, grief, anger, and healing. The past timeline is messy, steamy, and doomed.

As I've said before, I love the second-chance romance trope. Books that do this trope well always have some of the best character and relationship growth. I love it when a romance really explores what makes two characters want to be together and how their relationship will be better this time. Rachel Reid did this well in this book. Riley and Adam, in their 20s, couldn't make their relationship work, but the more mature versions of themselves know their feelings and are brave enough to fight for their relationship.

This is a romance book that you can easily devour in a weekend. It makes you ache and cry but then rewards you with a mature relationship that feels earned.