3.5 stars rounded up because it’s a debut and even though I’m not a knowledgeable hockey fan it is very clear the hockey aspect is very accurate. (Even if I didn’t know the author is a hockey wife, it would be clear.)

There were a lot of positive things to enjoy about this book. There is great mental health discussion and de-stigmatizing representation throughout. The approach to taking care of your mental health as another branch of training and overall health was great, and while in the context of a professional athlete here, it is wholly relevant to everyone.

I really enjoyed Lucy. She was a headstrong FMC who was definitely a bit prickly but she was who she was and if someone didn’t like it, too bad. She was very guarded but that made getting behind her walls that much more rewarding. I liked the banter between her and Jayden and how they fit together despite seeming like total opposites. Jayden had his own personal and professional struggles to overcome, and it was lovely to see him find his way.

The flow and pacing of the story felt somewhat disjointed at times. It also felt like things were coming at both Jayden and Lucy from all sides in abundance. I kind of wish there had been fewer outside factors that had been more richly developed than several things and other characters thrown at them that just seemed like they were there to stir up dramatic moments and then barely heard from again, if at all.

Overall though this was a fun, sweet and spicy, hockey-authentic debut that I think people will enjoy. Thank you to NetGalley and Canary Street Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute book, but unfortunately it was weighed down by awkward dialogue in the first half. It took a bit to find it's footing, and unfortunately felt a bit cliche for a genre that is oversaturated.

I did enjoy the characters and you could definitely feel the author's insider knowledge throughout- but I found myself cringing a few too many times.

(3.5) As a fan of the Seattle Kraken and someone who watches too much TikTok, I’ve loved Lexi for years and have been following her journey with this book since its conception. I was so excited for a hockey romance written by a real nhl wag.

Shoot Your Shot was super fun to read. While touching on important topics like mental health in professional athletes, the book was also so fun and lighthearted. The vibe was serious at times but also featured almost camp-y humor that was so good and so true to Lexi. I don’t often know much about authors before I read their work, but I absolutely can match her personality with how she wrote this book.

Loved Jaylen’s arc, super proud of that fictional man. Lucy is a badass, I’ve never been even 12% as cool as her. Their love was precious. Bless Lexi for featuring man tears.

I know Seattle is a real place and she really just wrote about real Seattle things - but - I want to go live in this worldddd

I don’t think this book will be winning any literary awards, but it was a fun and easy read.

“I’m here to help out with whatever you need. Is there anything heavy you need lifted or moved?” Jaylen immediately offers up his brawn, pushing up the sleeves of his jacket.
“No. There are a bunch of lesbian farmers here.”
-sorry but that’s the funniest shit I’ve ever read

ARC from NetGalley and Harlequin

2.5/5 stars

Honestly, this book was kinda meh. I was super excited and hyped about Lexi writing this and was looking forward to the info she'd convey to us reader with her real life NHL experience. While some writers can speculate and research galore about hockey and all things surrounding it, I was excited to see the spin Lexi put on this book. Unfortunately, I just couldn't stay engaged. The start of the book was really slow, and I sometimes had trouble focusing on the storyline. It didn't grip me in the way we want our romance novels to do.

Now for the spicy scenes. I'm a lover of all things spicy, so when I read these scenes, there was a slight cringe throught them. The manner in which they are written, almost feels clinical. There is no passion, and I almost felt like I was at work (nurse, here).

While spicy scenes aren't everything, I feel like they help progress the romance along. Not the case here, IMO. The characters were hard nuts to crack, and I felt like I couldn't understand them, much less have the two MC understand each other. The FMC grated on my nerves, and the MMC made me roll my eyes a million times. They were just overall not my cup of tea.

I did love the bisexual representation! Not enough books have them, and I loved that Lexi portrayed that in her debut book. I also like that she delivered on her knowledge of hockey and that lifestyle. I do feel like she needed to dumb some things down for those of us who don't know some of the things. A better explanation would have gone a LONG way!

While this book wasn't terrible, I just couldn't stay engaged. If it weren't for my quirkiness of having to finish a book, I probably would have DNFed the book. All in all, try the book. It may not have been for me, but it may be up your alley way.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

Shoot Your Shot is a charming and relatable romance that offers more than just a love story. It’s a celebration of self-discovery, embracing vulnerability, and the pursuit of both love and dreams. If you enjoy witty, character-driven romances with a healthy dose of emotional depth, this one is certainly worth adding to your TBR pile.

I really wanted to like this book. I love the author and I love hockey, but I found the writing to be extremely cliché, the characters to be one dimensional, and the plot to be boring. The premise of the book is intriguing, but it could have used some more editing and proofreading to make it reach its potential. As is, Shoot Your Shot leaves a lot to be desired.

While the hockey scenes are well-written, it seems like very little research went into other aspects of the book, like Lucy's career as an aspiring tattoo artist (how does she know how to tattoo? Apprentices don't start on people, portfolios are usually only art-based, etc). With a bit more research, Lucy's character could have been a lot more compelling. I found the characters to be more of a collection of tropes as opposed to actual, fleshed out people. Lucy's "black cat" exterior and Jay's anxious heart of gold are really the only personality traits we ever see from them. Shoot Your Shot left me with more questions than answers on a lot of things. Why did Jay skip his friend's funeral for a hockey game? Why does Lucy want to be a tattoo artist? Why are Jay and Lucy suddenly okay with being in a relationship after it is well established that Lucy doesn't want one? There is next to no character development and the backstories felt flimsy at best. To me, a good romance novel means really getting to know the characters and wanting to cheer for them. Lucy in specific really lacked a sense of personhood to me; I couldn't get myself to root for her. As a reader, I wasn't given any reason to care about her.

Additionally, I felt the author played into some LGBTQ stereotypes unintentionally, like the overly flamboyant gay best friend and the lesbian side character who has dated (according to Lucy) almost every queer woman in Seattle, not to mention the fact that Lucy's ex-girlfriend had a boyfriend that she left Lucy for. I am not sure if this book had a sensitivity reader, but any good sensitivity reader would have identified these tropes as reductive and potentially harmful.

The quippy dialogue felt unrealistic and frequently out of place, and the internal monologue of the characters rarely added anything to the scenes. I keep coming back to the start of Lucy and Jay's relationship. Why does Lucy so suddenly and dramatically change her mind on wanting to date? The reader isn't privy to any information that makes her motivations for liking/loving Jay clear. There's no "aha" scene, no poignant moments in the book for the reader to enjoy.

I know Lexi LaFleur Brown has a two book deal, and I do expect to read her second book, but her debut is a mixed bag. All things considered, I'm giving this book two stars. The premise is good, there was an attempt at a diverse cast of characters, and I enjoyed the hockey of it all, but there were just too many issues for me to rate it any higher.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I was so excited when I heard Lexi had written a book and super excited when I got the ARC. I knew this book would be hilarious because Lexi's TikTok always makes me laugh and boy was I right!

Lexi is married to a former hockey player and gives true insight into the lives of hockey WAGS. She truly understands professional hockey culture and you can tell when you read her book. She includes antecdotes only someone on the inside would know, such as what the players use to stay energized during games (mustard?) and all of their weird superstitions. I'm not sure how I'll read another hockey romance from a different author now that I've read Lexi's as her insight made it truly realistic.

This is one of the funniest romcoms I've read in a long time. I love a quirky, nontraditional FMC and Lucy fits the bill. She is an aspiring tattoo artist who lives in a grungy apartment with her cat and talks about going to the Warped Tour. Lucy's and her friends' antics had me cackling throughout the book.

Jaylen is a golden retriever MMC to Lucy's black cat persona. However, there's more than meets the eye with Jaylen as he struggles with his mental health after losing one of his best friends (off page). The story deals with a lot of serious issues and I loved how Lexi treated each characters' journey with care and sensitivity.

This book had me feeling all the feels. It was spicy and sweet. Loving and poignant. Funny and touching. I love Lexi's writing style, humor, wit, and characters. I look forward to reading everything she writes in the future.

i really enjoyed lucy and jaylen’s story. i have been so excited for this book since it was announced. i love lexi lafleur brown’s social media presence and what she brings to the book world. i was not disappointed by the hockey knowledge, LGBTQ+ representation, or the focus on mental health. i laughed out loud multiple times, loved the humor and how it was placed. i only wish there were more details/explanations on some of the background. some familial ties felt glossed over, i could have read another 100 pages about lucy and jaylen and their lives.

if you like sports romance, i highly recommend!

This is one of the first hockey romances I've read - and definitely the first written by a real hockey WAG!
Even if I didn't know Lexi LaFleur Brown was a hockey player herself & her husband is a former NHL player, I would know she was at least a real hockey fan from the way she wrote the scenes were JJ is playing.

I loved so much about this book. Lucy is not who you think of when you think of a hockey girlfriend - a blonde skinny model-like beauty. She's tattooed and pierced, and my poor girl had a bad childhood. But under her tough exterior, she has so much heart. She loves her friends. She loves her art. And despite her best efforts, she loves Jaylen.

This book made me feel so many emotions. There were parts that made me laugh so loud, my husband looked at me like I had two heads. Jaylen's vulnerability and eventual openness made me cry. I didn't expect to cry more at all while reading this book, let alone more than once.

The third act is resolved a bit too quickly, but I enjoyed seeing Lucy be the one to apologize. That was a turn I didn't expect.

This is a really fun debut novel. I can't wait to read what Dr. Lexi writes next!

I will readily admit, I think my review is a bit biased. A lifelong hockey fan and Lexi Brown fan since the days of JT playing in Syracuse (despite the fact that they were my own favorite team’s rival), this book simply being announced sent me through the roof with excitement. Slight bias aside, this book was a hockey fan, romance reader’s dream. Incorporating mental health awareness, LGBTQIA+ representation, and pop culture references were the cherries on top.

I love, love, loved this book and devoured it!! I know many others will love it, too.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Lexi for the ARC!!

Mein Leseerlebnis

Die hockey romance der Autorin, die auf Social Media bekannt ist, wirkte auf mich teils unterhaltsam und frisch. Teils trat die Geschichte meinem Empfinden nach aber etwas auf der Stelle und frustrierte mich sogar.

Das lag primär daran, dass man aus den Hauptcharakteren mehr hätte rausholen können und ich darüber beim Lesen der Liebesgeschichte immer mal wieder nachdenken musste.

Ich fand den Schreibstil angenehm und konnte mich gut auf ihn einlassen. Und ja, es gab in dem Buch auch so einige unterhaltsame sowie schöne Szenen. Doch so Sachen wie der unnötige und nervige third-act-breakup haben meine Bewertung spürbar nach unten gezogen.

Ich fand es zudem nicht überzeugend, wie die Heldin im dritten Drittel dargestellt wurde.

Insgesamt ließ sich der Roman gut lesen, aber sein ganzes Potential wurde meiner Meinung nach nicht genutzt.

🖤🖤🖤 1/2 (mit leichter Tendenz zu 3,25)

Für wen?

Wer locker geschriebene, eher kurzweilige hockey romances mag, für den könnte der Liebesroman einen Versuch wert sein.

This is an adorable, endearing lil romance. It’s super cute and I think it’s perfect for those who love sports romances, especially hockey romance. It definitely felt immersed ingest culture and the hockey world which was so fun.

Shoot Your Shot by Lexi LaFleur Brown was a fun one to read.

We start off the book meeting Lucy, a woman in her early 20s who has a terrible boss at a job she hopes is a stepping stone to a tattoo apprenticeship and who tells her cast of friends "I've got to stop getting involved with women named after American Girl dolls" by page 10. I'm in.

She meets Jaylen (JJ), a former first overall draft pick hockey player who has just learned he doesn't have a contract for the next year, and is spiraling about it. Their bar meeting is less of a meet cute, more of a collision and returning to the wreckage, but when JJ says he's only in Seattle until tomorrow, Lucy thinks she can take a short delay on her plan to swear off dating for the foreseeable future. A one-night stand with someone leaving town immediately can't derail her too much, right?

Of course, JJ ends up with a reason to stay in town, Lucy's terrible boss ends up sending her to the one place where she'll have to run into JJ, and even though there's conflict, their relationship develops over the course of the hockey season. With careers, family, and mental health as additional themes in the story, this feels more developed than many romance novels.

I really liked that Lucy feels like a fully formed person with relationships and interests that exist outside JJ. JJ also has his own personal concerns. They work through some of these challenges together, some individually, and as a result it feels like something that can last beyond the bounds of the story.

The third act storyline resolutions did feel a little bit rushed, but I liked that Lucy felt like the party more responsible for making amends between her and JJ in an unusual turn for the genre.

Overall, a really solid read with strong characters you want to see succeed (and not just in their relationship with each other).

Shoot Your Shot by Lexu LaFleur Brown
⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶

I was underwhelmed by this book and I'm not even positive why. Jaylen is a pro hockey player trying to get back on top after a couple of seasons of playing poorly. Lucy is an aspiring tattoo artist who can't seem to catch a break and get her career started. They hook up one night, thinking they'll never see each other again, but Jaylen unexpectedly ends up staying in town under a new contract.

Each time they see each other, he plays better and better- so he decides she's his good luck charm and tries to keep her around. Their relationship slowly morphs into friendship and then into something more.

Nothing wrong with the story or even the characters- they were more than just their relationship and had good personal development arcs... something about the writing style and pacing just didn't click for me, and I found myself reluctantly slogging through several sections.

As a hockey fan from Seattle, I devoured this book. I could really feel the emotional vulnerability and connection between Lucy and Jaylen. Their chemistry is palpable and their banter is laced with humor and charm. I loved the will they won’t they element and the ending had me giggling and kicking my feet. Their journey to understand either other’s passions and level of support shown to each other was heartwarming. Needless to say, I loved it. Love is real!

As a fan of romance books, specially hockey, I can say this one felt different. The author managed to take two characters who normally should not fit together and mesh their lives, their friends and their families into a beautiful story. Whether her next book is a continuation or completely out of the hockey world, I am excited to read it.

This was an enjoyable read. The main characters were surviving and not thriving when they met. Their journeys as a couple and individuals were an engaging good time. I look forward to reading more books by this author.


I voluntarily read an early copy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
🌶️🌶️

The blurb of this book drew me in right away! Hockey? Queer? Black cat/golden retriever????? Sign me the fuck up. I had such high hopes for this book and while it was great, it didn’t quite reach my expectations.

The story itself was my favorite thing. Two queer characters falling in love, despite each others flaws, and learning to love themselves? We root for that shit here.

The romance was romancing, the character growth was great, but there were some parts I was left a little bit…confused. There was one instance where it felt like the spice was there just for the sake of being there and didn’t add anything to the story.

The miscommunication between the main characters at roughly 85% in made me want to rip my hair out. Completely unnecessary.

Even though the characters were 25 years old, some of the writing made them seem very young and immature and that made it difficult to finish the book, but I pushed through.

All in all, the vibes were there, they were good, a fun time was had! I’d recommend it to friends who I know would like it!

Thank you to Canary Street Press for the ARC of this book 🫶🏻

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for the early copy of Shoot Your Shot! This debut was a fun mix of humor, romance, and undeniable chemistry.
Jaylen and Lucy were a fantastic pair. Lucy’s confidence and sharp wit made her a standout, and I loved seeing Jaylen step up and prove himself to her. Their banter and growing connection felt natural and kept me engaged. Some parts dragged a bit, and I wanted more resolution on Lucy’s work situation, but overall, this was an enjoyable, steamy read that I’d definitely recommend to rom-com fans!

I know what your thinking another sports romance and a hockey one at that (shout out to the hockey queen Helena Hunting) - but this is a good one Jaylan I a hockey player who has been cut he can not get a contract he gets a call up to a team in Washington to play for a night then meets our MC that night then bam he gets a contract so now he thinks she's hit good luck charm - she's a talented artist who aspires to be a tattooist and has issues with abandonment from her dad- I did find her to be a bit whiny however I still liked it very much I was rooting for Jaylen to get over his demons and grow! Its definitely worth a read