I have been following Lexi on TikTok since before she announced her novel. Having a hockey romance written by someone who actually played hockey ruined other hockey romances for me in the best way. Can not wait to have a physical copy of this baby in my hands. Can not recommend her enough!

Shoot Your Shot by Lexi LaFleur Brown
Length: 252 pages
Source: NetGalley eARC
Publication date: March 11, 2025

Lucy Ross is a cranky, guarded artist who’s hoping to land a tattoo apprenticeship where she currently works. Jaylen Jones (JJ) is a sunshiny, somewhat naive NHL player who’s down on his luck (and himself) after he’s dropped from his contract. When they bump into each other on JJ’s last night in Seattle, a not-so-meet-cute turns into a one-night stand … which turns into a “puck luck” situationship … which turns into a relationship that neither of them expected. Unfortunately, the things they both want—and the work they need to put into themselves—might keep them apart.

I’m a hockey fan, and it’s always disappointing when a book misses even the most basic factually correct information about the sport. That’s definitely not the case here, and the author’s knowledge shines through and helps carry part of the story. Those details and the mental-health representation were the strengths of the book.

That being said, I felt little overall interest in Lucy and Jaylen as a couple, and it was an effort to finish the book. I was almost halfway through before I felt any emotional tie to Lucy at all, and it was fleeting. Mostly, I found her unlikeable, which surprises me because I usually gel with bristly, black-cat characters. Jaylen was sweet but ultimately, he felt bland and too letter-perfect. I wanted to see more of the work they put into their self-growth and into each other.

Shoot Your Shot in general does way more telling than showing, which not only kept me from getting invested in these two but also left the book lacking depth. Instead, it felt weighed down with awkward, rushed sex scenes; heavy-handed jokes; and uneven pacing with abrupt scene changes and confusing conversations. Instead of showing me how Lucy is so cool, it told me she was cool 487 times (that’s an estimate). Instead of showing me JJ’s biggest regret, it told me at least a handful of times why he felt bad about his past. It would have been more impactful to see that played out on the page.

While the description of Shoot Your Shot checks off a lot of representation boxes (black MMC, bi FMC, lesbian bestie, gay bestie), the number of overdone queer tropes in the book is … uncomfortable. Not all lesbians drive a Subaru or date granola partners; not all gay men are dramatically loud or looking for the next easy hookup; and not all bisexuals are promiscuous or stuck in some kind of male-female love triangle. I read a lot of queer romance—way more than MF romance—and testify that an author can represent the community accurately without boiling the characters down to a stereotype.

Still curious?
🏒 Black cat/golden retriever energy
🎨 Opposites attract
🏒 Failed one-night stand
🎨 He falls first
🏒 Hockey superstitions

Final thoughts: While the execution is off, I love the premise of the book and the attention to detail surrounding hockey. CWs: anxiety, depression, panic attacks, alcoholism (parent), emotional abuse by parent, substance abuse (not MCs), fear of needles, queer stereotyping, minimal sexual content (4 short explicit scenes between MCs).

2 ⭐️
2 🌶️

— A

Thanks to Harlequin/Canary Street Press, Lexi LaFleur Brown, and NetGalley for an eARC of this book. All opinions are mine.

It was cute, I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would. I didn’t really like Lucy’s character. The writing style did make it hard to follow along at times.

This was so cute! Jaylen felt a little too golden retriever for my taste but the representation of mental health be portrayed was spot on! The way these two just fell into a seriously relationship felt very real as well!

Shoot Your Shot is a fun realistic hockey romance and a great debut for Lexi LaFleur Brown. Admittedly, I was excited to read Shoot Your Shot as I enjoy following Lexi on social media. Thank you Harlequin & NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC!

The structure and the pacing of the book was great. The style of writing drew me in immediately, the characters were relatable, and I found myself rooting for them all. I do wish the secondary character relationships were a bit more developed as they sometimes felt forced or rushed. It was a fun hockey romance read and I would 100% continue reading if it expanded into a full series.

There were a few factual things that unfortunately drew me out of the story. The first one I'll admit is a bit nitpicky, but the Buffalo hockey team being named the Buffalo Bisons threw my attention for multiple chapters. The Buffalo Bisons are the actual name of the Minor League Baseball team in Buffalo. The second was that Lucy was on the Seattle Great Wheel when she was seven, but is 25 currently. The Seattle Great Wheel opened in 2012. The everyday reader may not notice these details but as someone that grew up in Buffalo and lived in Seattle they jumped out to me.

Overall rating: 3.5 stars

well, its a book!

didn't enjoy this, nor did I hate it. I just failed to captivate me. I didn't find there was a foundation for their relationship, the characters had a backstory but lacked depth. i didn't like any of the characters, they were just kinda there.

thanks to netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Hockey Romances have become all the rage, but this was a nice change of pace from the macho dominant man in many of the books.

Jaylen (JJ or Jay) is a golden retriever hockey player and also one of the few Black men in hockey trying to find a long term contract when his playing hasn't been up to par. Lucy is an artist trying to break into tattooing and flying by the seat of her pants looking for home. There's a host of side characters as well that make this book an absolute delight of a read.

The Best things: Therapy is talked about and attended by both JJ and Lucy, honest conversations are had, and people admit their failings.

The spice is spicy and the hocky is icy hot!

This was a really good time and I look forward to reading more from Lexi LaFleu Brown.

Shoot Your Shot follows Lucy, who is frankly a hot mess, but she’s a likable hot mess. She jumps from relationship to relationship, doesn’t have a stable idea of what’s next in her career, and just wants to do her thing. That all changes when she meets Jaylen Jones, who, admittedly, she doesn’t recognize at first.

The two share a night of passion, and the next day, it seems like things are done. However, JJ gets a call that he’s headed to Seattle, where the two met. Since JJ got such good news after seeing Lucy, he’s determined to find her and make her his good luck charm. While that might seem a little strange, hockey players take these things very seriously.

At first, Lucy is pretty resistant, but she eventually agrees, and the two end up texting, spending time together, and finding ways to see each other. From the start, it’s clear JJ is very into Lucy, and she’s understandably scared. The thing I found most interesting about these two is the different traumas they had in their past and how they impacted their decision-making.

The way LaFleur Brown wrote these characters just felt so intensely real. I could imagine having a cup of coffee with either or both of these two. It was as if they could jump out of the book, and I’d be ready to hang out with them. Maybe that was just me, but I really loved JJ and Lucy as characters.

The only thing I didn’t absolutely love was the third-act conflict. Though it did make sense, it was a little frustrating how things played out. Either way, this was such a fun read and has me excited about what’s next from Lexi LaFleur Brown.

I had high hopes for this one but this just wasn’t it.the pacing was really awkward. The characters just didn’t feel fully developed. It didn’t even feel like the main characters had much time together before he was like I love you. HOW?! Ya’ll don’t know each other at all. The spicy scenes felt like they were over before they started. This had potential but it just was blah

I loved this book! I saw a lot of reviews saying it kinda gave wattpad fan fiction and honestly, what’s wrong with a little fun? Lexi did a great job of inserting her knowledge of hockey and what being with a hockey player is like + adding little quirks here and there. I’m super excited to be able to read this again when it comes out in stores!

I really wanted to love this book. A queer hockey romance with a bi FMC should have been right up my alley, but unfortunately, Shoot Your Shot just didn’t work for me.

The biggest issue was the writing style—it relied too much on telling instead of showing, making the story feel flat. The writing didn’t flow smoothly, and the characters felt more like a checklist of traits rather than fully developed people. The romance, which should have been the heart of the book, lacked the chemistry I was hoping for, and the intimacy scenes were awkward enough that I found myself skipping ahead.

I struggled to get through the ebook and ended up switching to the audiobook, which, thanks to the dual narration, was the best part of the experience. The narrators did their best to bring the story to life, and I credit them with getting me to the finish line.

Overall, while I appreciate what this book was trying to do, it just didn’t deliver for me. If you’re a die-hard fan of queer hockey romances, you might still want to give it a shot—but don’t be surprised if it misses the net.

As a lover of hockey romance novels, what a fun joy to read one written by the partner of an actual player! This was genuine, emotional, and so, so much fun to read. I fell in love with both characters instantly and their relationship. I can't wait for more from Lexi!

Thanks to Harlequin for this e-arc!

There is so much to like about Shoot Your Shot - broody, hurt Lucy and sweet, sunshiny, healing Jaylen, the good luck charm premise, an artist finding her passion again, (did I mention Jaylen?), and a lot of depth to these characters/verisimilitude to their worlds. The LGBTQIA+ rep was also a welcome and casual addition that made the world feel more well-rounded. I thought there was a lot of charm and chemistry - overall, the book was really fun to read! And I loved the way Lexi LaFleur Brown used her own hockey knowledge to make things feel more real.

That said, there were a few things that didn't work for me - mostly, they were little writing things and a little bit of the pacing/development of the actual romance; I wanted to see more of their journey coming together. I felt like we got a lot about their individual growth and I missed some more description of the relationship growing. That said, I think this is worth picking up and I will definitely pick up whatever Lexi puts out next!

Jaylen is a down on his luck NHL player who is desperate to save his career. Lucy is a serial dater and runs away from relationships and anything that may involve a commitment. When they run into each other both are not interested in a relationship, but Jaylen seems to find Lucy a lucky charm. Lucy and Jaylen eventually find themselves in a relationship, but an opportunity for Lucy comes and she has to make a decision.

It is a lighthearted and funny romance. It also has deeper themes of mental health and healing from a deep emotional turmoil. A great quick read with a happy ending.

*I received this book (Via eArc by Netgalley) for free from the Publisher ( Harlequin Trade publishing | Canary Street Press) in exchange for an honest review*

Okay, so I’m a huge hockey fan, but I never really got into hockey romance because I didn’t think it would be my thing. But Shoot Your Shot totally proved me wrong—I absolutely loved it! The romance was fun, the LGBT rep felt super natural, and the spice? Way more realistic than what I usually see in romance books, which was a huge win. As someone who actually follows the sport, I was blown away by how real this book felt. You can tell Lexi knows hockey —especially since she's a former WAG. It honestly felt like she put a piece of herself into the book, and I loved that. There were moments of awkwardness mixed with complete sass, and plenty of funny parts too. It was so engaging that I read it in one sitting! And then there's Lucy—sassy, fun, and the kind of bestie you'd want for a girls' night who’d also have your back. Her handling of the whole "good luck charm" scene with the other WAGs was just iconic. Jaylen was kinda hilarious in his own way and you get the interactions of him with Lucy vs his teammates. There is a brief moment about grief that is lingering thought out the book, it does take you out but it gave me a bit of the reality of what was happening in the actual hockey world. If Lexi writes another hockey romance, I'm 1000% reading it. Highly recommend this book if you’re looking for a fun, spicy, and a new hockey romance to pick up!

This was really cute! I really liked both Lucy & Jaylen individually and I think they complimented each other well! I especially loved the mental health rep and the queer rep in this! I got a little bored in the first quarter but once the plot really got going, I enjoyed it!

This is a fun hockey romance, which touches on topics usually not seen in hockey romances. There is a queer cast of supporting characters, which is fun to see in a sports romance. There is also some discussion of racism against the MMC, as well as mental health, which are less common in sports romance.

I did need to remind myself how young the characters were a couple of times, especially Lucy, as there were times that she felt immature, though she did grow over the course of the book.

I enjoyed this, and would recommend to anyone looking for a cute quick hockey romance.

I received a free advance review copy through from Harlequin through NetGalley and my review is voluntary.

“Shoot Your Shot” by Lexi Lafleur Brown is an enjoyable, lighthearted romance with plenty of charm, but it doesn’t quite reach its full potential. The chemistry between the characters is engaging, and the story offers a fun escape, but the plot can feel predictable at times. Some of the character development is a bit shallow, leaving certain emotional moments feeling rushed. While it’s a pleasant read for those who enjoy contemporary romance, it doesn’t offer much in terms of depth or originality. Overall, a solid, feel-good book, but not a standout.

This was a fun Hockey romance debut from insider and former WAG, Lexi LaFleur Brown that sees bisexual disaster Lucy and aspiring tattoo artist unknowingly hooking up with Jaylin, JJ Jones, a clutzy, Black hockey player one night and getting talked into acting as his good luck charm.

Set in Seattle, Lucy and Jaylin spend more and more time together and inevitably start to catch real feelings. I liked that this wasn't just about their chemistry and sexual relationship (which were top notch) but also had emotional depth, exploring Jaylin's undiagnosed anxiety and depression and Lucy's complicated relationship with her absentee, alcoholic father.

Great on audio narrated by Kristen DiMercurio and Jamal Roque, this was a standout interracial, queer hockey love story full of humor and found family that is sure to delight fans of authors like Bal Khabra, Becka Mack or Elle Kennedy. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

I LOVED this book! I really can't wait to tell everyone about it because I enjoyed it so much. I particularly enjoyed the internal character development of both protagonists. I love a fluffy romance where we get some true emotional depth, and this one delivered. I also appreciated that one protagonist was queer and had a full queer life and that her experience and community was not a throwaway. I will be looking for more books by Lexi LaFleur Brown.