I went into this book with pretty high expectations, knowing who Lexi LaFleur Brown is. I hoped her knowledge of the hockey world would elevate a subgenre of romance I already loved. Instead, the added realism of the sport, and the behind the scenes action, also felt like info dumping, like the author was trying to prove she knew more than other hockey romance authors.

The main female character's humour was funny, but it got old fast. It felt like we couldn't go two sentences without something being a joke.

I also felt like the connection between the couple wasn't as strong as I had hoped it would be.

Overall, it was an okay read and I would rate it 2.5 stars out of 5.

I enjoyed the plot and the supporting cast of a characters but unfortunately I really struggled with both Lucy’s and Jaylen’s personalities. It made it difficult to root for them.

NHL insider Lexi LaFleur Brown delivered a steamy, superstitious hockey rom-com where luck and lust collide. After a one-night stand, struggling hockey player Jaylen Jones believes aspiring tattoo artist Lucy is his good luck charm, leading to a deal: texts for wins, favors for fame. What started as transactional sizzled into spicy tension, but their chemistry felt underdeveloped; their connection lacked depth, making their ending hard to believe. While I loved the "black cat x golden retriever" dynamic, Jaylen's bi rep was barely explored, and Lucy's career struggles deserved more focus. The slow-burn flirtation and obsessive MMC tropes worked, but pacing dragged. Still, smut lovers would enjoy the heat, and hockey romance fans would adore the superstition-fueled plot. 3.5/5 stars for a fun but flawed debut. Perfect for fans of sports romances, grumpy/sunshine, and spicy situationships.

This had all the ingredients for a fun hockey rom-com—superstitions, steamy tension, and a quirky opposites-attract dynamic—but it didn’t quite score a hat trick for me. The premise is cute: JJ, a superstitious hockey player, believes Lucy is his good-luck charm after a one-night stand, and she agrees to keep texting him for luck in exchange for tattoo practice. There’s definitely chemistry between them, and some of their banter is fun, but I found myself wishing for more depth in their connection. Lucy’s "not like other girls" vibe got a little tiresome, and JJ’s golden-retriever energy was sweet but sometimes felt one-note.

The hockey details were well-researched (no surprise, given the author’s background), and I appreciated the bi rep and mental health themes. That said, some of the side characters leaned into stereotypes, and the pacing dragged in spots—especially when the miscommunication trope kicked in hard toward the end.

It’s a decent debut with some charming moments, but I wanted more emotional weight and less reliance on rom-com clichés. If you’re a die-hard hockey romance fan, it might be worth a shot, but it didn’t fully win me over.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

After following Lexi on TikTok for so long, I knew she was not going to let me down with her book. I love not only a good hockey romance (with actual hockey terms and properly used- thank goodness!) but I love the representation of multiple sexualities and it not being turned into such a stereotype. The banter between Lucy and JJ was fantastic and I flew flew flew through this book. Can't wait to see what she writes next!

With the amount of hockey romance out there, I’m not sure what compelled me to pick this one, but I’m glad I did! It was a cute story.

JJ’s hockey career is almost over when he has a one night thing with Lucy. He failed to secure a new contract with the Seattle Rainiers. But after his night with Lucy, things seems to turn around. He gets a call from his agent that someone on the team is hurt and they actually do want JJ. He plays that night and has one of his best games of his life. In fact every time he talks to Lucy, he plays amazing. Is Lucy his good luck charm?

Lucy is an aspiring tattoo artist who is looking for an apprenticeship. She agrees to keep in contact with JJ in exchange for some tattooing practice for her portfolio. They are kind of an opposites attract- he’s athletic and sport, she’s tatted and artsy. But they have a great connection. Lucy also turns her art career into painting murals at the Rainiers stadium.

There’s great representation in this book- JJ is a Black hockey player who went first in the NHL draft and has struggled with his mental health after his childhood friend turned to drugs and passes away. Lucy is bisexual and also has some issues with her alcoholic father, who ruined her art showcase in college and has caused her to turn away from her passion.

I liked JJ a lot- he’s open and honest and seems to really like Lucy, despite his lucky charm start. Lucy is very in her own head and picks fights with JJ that are one sided. This book has just the right amount of steam for me.

The author is a hockey player herself turned into a hockey influencer personality. This is her debut novel.

Really challenging to read and made it through only a half dozen chapters as the repetition of major plot motivations was so frequent that it felt either really poorly edited or that the author assumed readers to have no memory whatsoever. Incredibly tiresome heroine as well, pick me energy top to bottom, and not someone I could ever see myself enjoying reading about.

Lexi LaFleur Brown’s debut novel, Shoot Your Shot, delivers an irresistible mix of hockey, humor, and steamy romance that will have readers hooked from the first page. This enemies-to-lovers, superstitious romance is equal parts heartwarming and sizzling, with a cast of characters that feel instantly relatable and engaging.

Jaylen “JJ” Jones’s career is on the line, and in his desperation to turn his luck around, he strikes an unlikely deal with Lucy Ross, a talented but struggling tattoo artist. After a steamy one-night stand, JJ believes that Lucy is his good-luck charm, and he convinces her to send him good luck texts before each game in exchange for tattooing practice to help boost her portfolio. It’s a quirky, fun setup that quickly becomes the perfect backdrop for a steamy slow-burn romance.

Brown does an excellent job balancing the playful banter between the two leads with deeper emotional layers. Jaylen, superstitious and desperate to salvage his hockey career, and Lucy, determined to prove herself in a competitive and male-dominated field, both bring personal baggage and insecurities to the table. What starts as a mutually beneficial agreement blossoms into an undeniable connection—one that both are reluctant to acknowledge, especially given their past experiences with love and relationships.

The chemistry between JJ and Lucy is palpable, and their relationship unfolds in a way that feels both natural and steamy. The tension is built expertly, and their emotional growth is intertwined with their physical attraction, making for a deeply satisfying journey.

While the premise might seem like standard sports romance fare, Brown injects enough humor, wit, and emotional depth to make it stand out. The book leans into its steamy moments without ever losing sight of the vulnerability and real-life complications that often come with romance. Lucy’s journey toward self-acceptance and Jaylen’s growth as a person beyond his career make for a compelling read that is more than just a traditional sports romance.

In addition to the romance, the secondary characters are also well-drawn, adding humor and emotional resonance to the story. Lucy’s relationships with her friends and her aspirations as a tattoo artist create a layered narrative that will resonate with anyone who has struggled with finding balance between ambition and personal life.

Shoot Your Shot is a fun, steamy, and heartfelt debut that offers both romance fans and sports enthusiasts a story that’s impossible to put down. Lexi LaFleur Brown has set a high bar with this one, and readers will be eagerly awaiting her next book.

This was an okay debut, but I think I went into it with my expectations too high. I felt like it was trying so hard to be self aware that it fell off the deep end into near satire. Every gay character felt like a caricature of harmful stereotypes, and not in a tongue-in-cheek way. The writing style was frustrating in that Lexi would start showing us something about her characters only to go off on an internal monologue that bordered on a lecture about whatever she wanted readers to understand, rather than trusting us to extrapolate that information for ourselves. I wanted more from this.

This was a really cute and fun quick read. The main characters were entertaining and loved the way they would lean on each other. I can actually picture this in my mind as a cute rom com movie with the main girl being more grungy then I feel was pictured in the book. they met at an off chance and then their relationship grew. I loved it.

I believe this was an excellent debut novel. The luck charm element of the plot was unexpected, which was well-executed (credit to the author). I appreciate that, despite Jaylen and Lucy being complete opposites when viewed from the outside, they are actually very similar once you look beyond the physical characteristics. This is what is most significant. She may not conform to the stereotypical image of a WAG, and he may appear to have everything, but what matters is what lies within.
The author has a clear understanding of the sport and integrates it seamlessly into the story. It is not merely a love story with hockey as a background; it is an integral part of the narrative.
Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for an eARC of this book!

🏒My rating: 3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

It did take a while to get into this one because there was the slow burn into their friendship, and then eventually a relationship which was achingly built up. Jaylen and Lucy were very complex characters, so in that way they were very realistic and had quite a few bumps in the road to get over before we started seeing the sparks of love in them. The love we got in this story was not only for each other, but the importance of self love and reflection, which really is a driving point in the story that actually got me.

It was that last 40% of the book where it hooks you, and it feels more like a rom com with the will they won’t they feel to it. I just adored Jaylen at the end of the book because he really healed himself with the help of Lucy, and he did the same for her. The relationship was not as deep as I was expecting to get, but I’m happy to say that the end of the book really changed my love for them as a couple once they gave into their feelings for the other. This was not an easy and fluffy read to get through, but it was rough and emotional rollercoaster that I ended up happy to be on. The ending was sweet, refreshing, and perfect for who Jaylen and Lucy really were at their core. Quirky and finally content with their lives

I tried reading this a few times, but it just wasn’t for me. I don’t know what it was but I didn’t like it at all. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Super late giving this but it took me some time to read. I did not like this. Within the first few pages the character was immediately not like other girls and it rubbed me the wrong way. The amount of self insert was just icky and tbh the characters had no chemistry. My other issue was the queer rep. It felt forced and awkward. I don’t recommend this book at all

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC from netgalley. When I started this book it really set the scene which I couldn’t picture it going anywhere. I’m really glad I hung in there. The plot was so enjoyable as were the characters. It was a fun, quick read.

Thank you for the advanced copy. I love Lexi and was so excited to read her book. It’s clear she knows a lot about hockey and made sure to include realistic moments within the book. Characters were a bit annoying in some moments.

Thank you to HTP Books, HTP Hive, and Harlequin Audio for the free book and advanced listener copy. These opinions are my own.

This is an opposites attract hockey romance. Lucy is an aspiring tattoo artist who doesn't follow sports. Jaylen is a hockey player trying to get back to the potential he had as a rookie. He's really superstitious and decides chatting with Lucy is his good luck charm for playing well.

I really liked the funny snark from Lucy's POV. I appreciated the queer representation throughout the book. And I found the storyline with her father quite interesting. For Jaylen, I enjoyed seeing his striving and relationship with his teammates. But I wanted more from the romance between the two.

Kristen DiMercurio and Jamal Roque narrated the audiobook. I would have preferred duet narration, as neither narrator did a great job matching the other character's voice.

3.5 stars rounded up

I wasn't sure about this hockey romance when I saw it on Netgalley, as I pretty much forgot I had a copy of this in my possession on my Kindle and remember that I had it when I received an email in my inbox stating that it was out and thanking me for reading and not to forget to post the reviews. So I decided to start reading it and I was glad that I did. I absolutely loved Lucy and JJ, they were perfect for each other and balanced each other out without even knowing what they were doing, even though their friends did. It was like that one fateful meeting at the club just perfectly aligned and fell into place turning into kismet.

Thank you NetGalley for ebook for the exchange for a review!

This was one of my most anticipated reads and love the author on socials. It was nice learning about different hockey terminology but that’s kind of it? The romance was alright.

I had a few problems with this title, but I did end up finishing it and thought the romance storyline resolved well.

My biggest problem was with the dialogue of this book. The characters felt more like caricatures of who they were supposed to be, and at times it felt like I was reading a quirky millennial standup set.

I also thought the pacing of the romance storyline was not enjoyable. It took a very long time for the characters to express interest in each other romantically, And even after they did, the FMC was still not under the impression that they were together for 65% of the book. I also thought that the breakup in the 85-90% range felt too outsized for that late in the book.

I was very excited for this title and will absolutely try again with this author’s next book as I enjoyed her voice, I just didn’t love some of the story and plot choices