This book checks all the boxes
LQBTQ+ rep
Mental health rep
Strong FMC
Marshmallow MMC
Characters that grow
Hockey romance

I loved that Lucy and Jaylen each had their own struggles and that they faced them. The arguments the couple had weren’t juvenile but had merit. Also, who doesn’t enjoy a HEA.

I loved this book! From the first chapter I was hooked and finished in one sitting! Such a sweet, quick read with all the humor, banter and steam I was looking for!

Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this novel through NetGalley in return for my honest review

୨୧ Shoot Your Shot ୨୧
╰┈➤ [2.5 out of 5 ☆’s.]

❝𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝, 𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐲.❞

ʚɞ ⁺˖ ⸝⸝

I would like to thank Canary Street Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review!

ʚɞ ⁺˖ ⸝⸝

I was so excited (and honored) when I was approved for this ARC! I <b>adore</b> Lexi and am a big fan of the content that she posts online, so I was over the moon when I heard that she was releasing a book! :)

There were some things that prevented me from loving Shoot Your Shot, though.

The dialogue wasn’t for me. I’m not a fan of over the top quippiness (i’m not sure if that’s the correct way to describe it). There are a lot of readers that love that though (it all comes down to personal preference)!

I wanted more from this story and more from Jaylen and Lucy. It needed a bit more fleshing out in my opinion. I felt as though I was being told things rather than shown them at certain points (which left me feeling a little disconnected from the characters).

On a more positive note (!!) Lexi promised accurate hockey depictions and she certainly delivered! :) I appreciated the accurate hockey plays, superstitions, etc.

I was also a big fan of the inclusion Queer characters. I love the addition of the pride tape on the cover (it’s fantastic)!

Even though certain aspects of this book didn’t work for me, I do think that it could work for others! It all comes down to personal preference. I’m rooting for Lexi and am excited to see her abilities expand as she continues to write and release more stories. ♡

I'm a sucker for a sports romance - especially hockey. I instantly requested without looking much into it. What a fun book! I loved the contrast between the two characters. Lucy is very true to herself and sticks to her guns. Jaylen is such a sweet and supportive boyfriend and, some might argue, the perfect book boyfriend. This was such a cute and quick read. I was in a reading slump when I started and this was a great book to help get me out!

Lexi Brown knows her hockey, so I had high hopes for this one! Unfortunately, it didn't really deliver. Don't get me wrong, the hockey content is pretty on point (although that moment when Jones gets the A and that contract extension are a STRETCH, not to mention that Jaylen goes from total dude to grade A stud on a show me), it's just the overall storyline that wasn't my jam.

Jaylen Jones was a generational first round draft pick who completely melted under the pressure of his first NHL season. Was it substance abuse as the media speculated? Or was there something else at play? Or was he just not the player everyone thought he was? Six years later, he has found himself washed out on a PTO in Seattle....and it's looking like he'll go unsigned. When some last minute clowning puts a player on LTIR, Jones gets the call he had lost all hope for and signs a one year show me deal in Seattle. This time, it really is his last shot to produce. He needs some luck stat, and he needs it to hold.

Enter Lucy, an aspiring tattoo artist with a terribly abusive employer who farms out a mural commission to her (again, I don't think that's how that works, but admittedly I know hockey much better than art). Lucy hates the thought of painting again after a family blow out at her senior showcase soured her on the medium for good, but if she wants a tattoo apprenticeship, it seems she may have to take this gig and make the best of it. Unfortunately, this mural just happens to be at the local NHL arena - the one where Jaylen Jones plays. That sounds innocuous enough until you learn that Lucy and Jaylen hooked up just the night before with the understanding that Jaylen was only in town for the night, and no mention at all of him being a professional hockey player! Once the shock wears off, Jaylen realizes he is winning more and has his head in the game more with Lucy around. Maybe she is just the good luck charm he needs. Can he convince her to at least hang around through the end of the season? Or will his luck run out when he needs it the most?

Overall, my biggest beef was that the main characters seemed a bit underdeveloped, and I'm really not a fan of having one character behave in a manner that is super shitty just to act as a foil to demonstrate what an outstanding person the other one is. I similarly got nervous with the whole Cam aspect of the story that this was just going to be another wounded-man-needs-a-caretaker story, but luckily it was not that! I did appreciate that Lucy and Jaylen's relationship seemed very mutual and mutually beneficial, which is rare in this genre. I also did appreciate the brief mentions of Cam's story that we got. While hockey players disproportionately come from very well-off families where their friends are less likely to fall in with drugs and gangs than professional players of other sports, this is a hugely impactful dynamic for people from low-income communities who experience success, and the survivor's guilt can be hard. She doesn't touch on that as much as on the limited aspect of Jaylen missing Cam's funeral (which honestly, I don't think is as awful as Jaylen seems to think it is, and I wish someone would have told him there are worse things to do to someone), but I just appreciate the inclusion of that dynamic.

Also, I personally really like that the sex was kept to a minimum here, but I know that's not what everyone comes to this genre for! It's high banter, low sex :)

Much thanks to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for the review.

Finally a hockey romance that just makes sense!! I’ve been following Lexi for a while online and think she’s absolutely hilarious and so when I found out that she was writing a hockey romance I had high hopes for it considering she quite literally lived one herself. Let me tell you, this lived up to my expectations by a mile. It was funny, flirty, had great hockey portrayal, and a cast of lovable characters. Nothing about it felt cringe or unrealistic like other hockey romances I’ve tried to read. All the characters felt very real and the way that they confronted and dealt with issues that they faced in their lives also felt very authentic.

Once I picked this book up I was unable to put it down and read it all in one day and that’s the number 1 sign for me that a book was enjoyable. I fell in love and saw pieces of myself in both main characters and couldn’t wait to see what happened next in their story. If you’re a fan of hockey romance, or just sports romance in general this is perfect for you. Even if you’re not, give it a shot because I think you would enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley & Canary Street Press for the E-ARC!

I was really excited for this book when Lexi first pitched it online and so excited to receive this eArc from netgalley and harlequin! Lexi Lafleur Brown is a great follow on tiktok and her humor really comes through in all the characters so well. The pacing felt pretty decent, especially for a debut novel.

There were a lot more specific pop culture references than in the average romance that could make this feel a little harder to get into for some folks but they were all for me!! I thought both POVs were handled so well and I enjoyed the amount of time we spent with the characters' friends. The hockey culture was real and what we got of the sport was so good. I thought Seattle was represented really well and I liked that we still spent time in the queer scene with Lucy's friends and didn't just go straight to WAG life.

Black cat x golden retriever is a trope that was getting pretty oversaturated in romance but I really liked this one. I love a book with such focus on mental health and on the characters supporting each other's journeys rather than just trying to fix everything for each other.

Honestly, I didn’t have high expectations going into this book—I was mostly just thrilled to be chosen for an ARC and eager to dive into a sports romance written from the perspective of a real-life hockey spouse. So, I’m happy to say that I absolutely loved it! The authentic LGBTQ+ and BIPOC representation added a meaningful layer to the story, making it even more compelling. I finished the book in a day because I just couldn’t put it down; I was fully invested in the characters and rooting for their happy ending.

5 stars for all of the accurate hockey talk and scheduling and superstitions etc but 3 stars because i didnt really feel a connection between the two main characters. I think this was a great first book for a new author and cant wait to see what Lexi does next. I think her writing and story telling capabilities can only continue to grow if her first book is an indication.

I loved the topics this book included touching on hardships with parents, mental health, and finding your place in the world. It made the book relatable.I had a hard time loving the characters and felt as though at times there was a lot going on at once. It felt jumbled and rushed.

This was a cute book! It felt more like a YA read, with some spice. Very inclusive read and I'd recommend this to someone looking for a quick hockey romance that has more accurate hockey references than other hockey romance books I've read, which was appreciated

Worlds collide for Lucy, a badass, outspoken aspiring tattoo artist and Jaylen, a superstitious hockey player trying to make a comeback.
Lucy becomes a reluctant good luck charm and their chemistry is off the charts. Watching them navigate their emotional issues makes their connection feel earned and satisfying.
I hope there will be future books featuring their friends and teammates stories.

I had high expectations going into this book knowing it was being written by an author with top-tier hockey knowledge and my expectations were met! This hockey rom-com had lots of hockey and comedy but I wish I felt a bit more romance. There were some aspects of the book I felt like I needed more detail. Overall I loved this book and loved Lucy and Jaylen's connection. This is a great debut book and I can't wait to get a physical copy on my hands!

This was an enjoyable read. As a hockey fan, I appreciated having an accurate representation of hockey. It was a quick read. The characters were diverse and funny. I loved the Seattle representation.

3.5 stars rounded up

"But I can love you the way you deserve every second you let me."

Hockey Romance has become a favorite genre of mine, so imagine my delight when I saw that this book was written by an actual hockey wife!

Jaylen and Lucy are very much opposites and have the opposite of a meet cute - everything that could go wrong during their chance first encounter does. And it had me cracking up! Both are a bit down on their luck both professionally and personally, but when Jaylen's luck suddenly changes after meeting Lucy, he's convinced she's his good luck charm. Very VERY begrudgingly, Lucy agrees to tell him 'good luck' before his games.

Lucy is very much a black cat leading lady. She holds nothing back, can be standoffish and isn't afraid to give you a piece of her mind.

Jaylen, on the other hand, is sweet, sensitive and caring to a fault.

Over the course of the season, we see their relationship blossom into genuine friendship and then love, even if there are a few missteps along the way. I particularly loved the way they help each other work through mental health struggles, personal issues and grief.

However, overall the book fell a bit flat for me. All of the components were there, it just felt like something was missing.

As a fan of hockey and of Dr. Lexi’s tiktok, I’ve been so excited for this release! I loved the representation and all the intricacies of the NHL world. With that though, if you have never watched hockey, some acronyms or terms may be a little confusing but they don’t actually add to the plot if you don’t have the full understanding.

I loved JJ and Lucy’s story- opposites attract and black cat/ golden retriever duo. I loved how real everything was, how they weren’t perfect, how they were both able to grow individually, and became better for themselves. The spice was spicing! I just wish we had a bit more backstory and depth on some of the side characters (Wells, Maya, Cooper). Can’t wait to see how her writing grows in the next one!

~Jaylen & Lucy~

“I usually paint houses for the people I love, but every time I tried to paint your apartment, I kept seeing your face. I think my Finding Home series is complete, because when I’m with you I feel like I’ve finally found it.”

~Black cat x golden retriever
~Forced proximity
~Grief & mental health rep
~Found family

I was really excited for this book, especially since I’ve been following Lexi for a while but I was a little…underwhelmed. It was definitely a solid read, but it didn’t feel like anything new. I feel like there was a lot of the storyline that we didn’t get to see (especially about the development of their relationship, so it felt a little rushed. But then other times, I liked that certain aspects weren't too deep (the grief rep was great but it wasn't too heavy, in a good way). Overall, it was a great debut book and I’d be excited to see the series evolve (if there are plans for more!) ◡̈

This was such a fun read! I loved reading about the overall Seattle atmosphere and having the same landmarks repeated throughout the book. That part made me feel like I really knew the area as our two leads knew it.

I loved how Lucy and JJ met. It felt like they stayed true to their character from the opening scene. Seeing their whole personalities through the book was really fun. It felt like they complimented each other so well and were able to understand each other without verbal communication.

There was so much packed into this story that I felt like I truly knew both of these characters. Some of the story could have been spread out a little more, but overall I absolutely ate up this book!

Thank you to Canary Street Press for the ARC through netgalley!

Had me hooked from the first page. The diverse cast of characters, the well explored and explained world, and the witty, sarcastic, and funny dialogue were top notch. The spice was there just enough to satiate that part of the romance but didn’t drag on for too long nor did it give me the ick that a lot of spice can. It was a good blend to add to the story and intimacy of the characters. I actually felt like these characters really knew each other and built a friendship even though we didn’t have to wait long for them to get together. We spent the novel with them playing cat and mouse with their feelings and it paid off in the end. Only slightly picky negative was the timeline. It was a bit muddy for me at times where I was questioning how much time had passed at points.

This was an incredibly endearing story about two people coming together and through that helping each other go from chaos to calm in their internal worlds. At first, the story is your normal romance story—solid yet still one dimensional and then it builds and builds into something very intentional, layered, and comforting. It's a hopeful and endearing read. You will fall in love with all the characters and marvel as they overcome their struggles and past traumas. And it was a delight to see so many polarizing worlds come together and find common ground and deep love and respect for each other. A worthwhile read.