3.5 stars rounded up to 4. You can tell this is a debut but you can also tell it's written by someone who actually knows hockey. A fun read, will definitely be keeping my eye on this author and checking out her next books, too!

I wanted to like this book, I really did. I love Lexi and her husband, JT. But I just could not like it. After I read about 1/4 of it I had to take a month long break because it was just...not great. I get what Lexi was going for. She shit all over a bunch of hockey romos and people told her to write her own if she thought she could do better. Maybe she did, I don't know since I haven't read the ones she reviewed. But this definitely suffers from First Time Author Syndrome. It felt like she took every trope and every stereotype and shoved them all into one hot mess of a book. It had potential but I just had a hard time with how Lucy's supposed edgy-ness was shoved down my throat. Also, Lucy and JJ were so obviously Lexi and JT that I hard a hard time seeing the characters as their own entities and not just stand ins. I did appreciate the LGTBQ+ rep but making Lucy a messy bi is such a shitty stereotype and I wish it would die in a fire. Anyway, 2 1/2 stars for the effort.

This is a fun debut from Lexi LaFluer Brown.

I loved that the characters Lucy and Jaylen seem 3 dimensinal and we see their struggles and their growth. It's still a romance so doesn't get too heavy but it's good to see characters actually getting help/therapy and not just magically resolving their problems for the happily ever after.

I hope we get more in this world. I'd love Cooper's story

This is a fun hockey read. The mental health representation and inclusivity is a welcome change in the hockey romance genre. As a hockey fan I really enjoyed that the NHL representation was accurate and done well. Lucy and Jaylen are easy to root in their own right as well as a couple. I’ll be recommending to my hockey romance friends!

If you love a hockey romance, add this one to your list! With everything we love about a hockey romance and adding in our badass FMC. The only reason this gets 4 out of 5 stars is because the third act breakup is so dumb. They were doing so well and it just felt unnecessary to have the miscommunication added in there -- the catalyst would have been tense enough in real-life without the added miscommunication around it.

But 9/10 would recommend and 12/10 if it's to a fellow hockey romance reader.

*** Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin, and Canary Street Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.***

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tropes: Sports Romance, Opposites Attract, Black Cat/ Golden Retriever

I have probably read over 10 hockey romances this year and “Shoot Your Shot” has made my top 3. I absolutely loved the opposites attract trope. I loved the side characters and their stories. I loved how sweet JJ was, swoon 🥰

I loved how spicy Lucy was and how we were able to see her character grow throughout the story. I really really loved the book! I am going to definitely recommend to others once it releases!

This book was so fun! I follow Lexi on TikTok and when I found out she was releasing a book, I got so excited, especially since she's directly connected to the hockey world. The plot was fun and I liked the relationship development between Jaylen and Lucy, but my biggest issue was there was a lot of telling instead of showing. It felt like a lot of exposition and just statements about the relationship rather than showing the reader the progression of the relationship and personal growth of each character. Other than that though, I enjoyed the book a lot!

If you love hockey romances or are looking for a place to start, this is the one!

I felt a bit nervous going in because debut novels can be hit or miss, but Lexi did not disappoint! I remember when she first started teasing her book on TikTok and how excited I was for its release; getting to read it before most of the world was such an honor.

Lexi, being a hockey player herself and dating a former NHL player, brings a unique perspective to these books regarding hockey romances, and it shines through in the best way! Recognizing that this life isn't always glamorous and that the characters are ordinary people just like us creates the perfect recipe for a hit!

Shoot Your Shot follows NHL player Jaylen and artist Lucy as Jaylen navigates the challenges of contracts and mental health, while Lucy strives to land a tattooing apprenticeship. As their feelings deepen and life catches up with them, Jaylen and Lucy work to maintain the happy little bubble they've built around themselves.

I can't wait to see what the future holds for Lucy and Jaylen, and I hope we get to see more of them in upcoming releases! Thank you, Lexi and Netgalley, for the ARC of this book!

Lucy es una artista que sueña con convertirse en tatuadora. Para lograrlo, se convirtió en la asistente/todóloga de un tatuador que le prometió que, más adelante, la tomaría como su aprendiz. Sin embargo, con el paso del tiempo, la promesa parece cada vez más distante, y ahora ella no está segura de si su sacrificio habrá valido la pena.

Jaylen es un jugador de hockey profesional cuya carrera estaba en ascenso, hasta que viejos demonios comenzaron a perseguirlo, lo que lo llevó a jugar cada vez peor y a poner en peligro su futuro en el deporte. Si no mejora su rendimiento, quedará fuera del equipo y nadie más lo contratará.

Una noche, en la que ambos se lamentaban por cómo las cosas les estaban saliendo, se conocen, se gustan y terminan teniendo una aventura de una noche. Después de eso, él tiene un excelente partido y, siendo muy supersticioso, decide proponerle un trato a Lucy. Ella acepta, pero a cambio de algunas cosas, y pronto comienzan a pasar más tiempo juntos. Comparten sus secretos y miedos, se apoyan mutuamente y se dan ánimos. Sin darse cuenta, se van enamorando.



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I follow Lexi on Twitter and am always entertained by her tweets! I was happy to find out she got a book deal and even happier to find out the book was good! Lots of hockey romances out there, not many that are actually accurate. Would recommend!

dnf @ 18%

The writing really did not work for me, and I'm also not a big fan of dual POVs. I think if I were to actually finish this, I wouldn't enjoy it very much sadly. Didn't work for me, might work for you, etc.

Hockey romances are one of my favorites and this story did not disappoint!
I loved reading about Lucy and Jaylen. Their chemistry flowed right off the pages and I was hooked from the first couple of chapters. Lucy’s character was intriguing and Jaylen had the best golden retriever personality. They were funny together. I liked the Lgbtlgbtqia+ representation and the details about mental health. The plot was well written and the characters development/relationship was paced perfectly throughout the story.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this early!!

"Shoot Your Shot" had such a good premise for a hockey romance yet somehow ended up feeling derivative of every other book in the genre (aside from the MC being bisexual). It just didn't grip or excite or dazzle me and just ended up falling flat. The writing was, also, just fine. Meh, kind of basic with, like fanfic-level spicy/smutty scenes. Eh, this book overall was okay. That's it. That's all.

CW: Panic Attacks, Anxiety, Grief

After Jaylen Jones gets rejected from the NHL, he goes to a bar and ends up having a one night stand. The next morning, he ends up getting a contract renewal after all. He connects Lucy as his good luck charm, striking up a deal so he plays well.
I really enjoyed this book! It was so fun, different than most hockey romances and I loved that so much. I was always curious to see what would happen next in the book, at the edge of my seat especially at the end even though I knew how it would end.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Canary Street Press for an eARC of this book!

i've been waiting to read this book for so long and i am so excited that i finally got an arc and was able to read a book i've heard about for months now.
i know literally nothing about hockey, but i do think the hockey girls and gays will be happy with the accuracy to the sport since brown played hockey and her husband was literally in the nhl.

this book was so deeply emotional and thoughtful in ways i think a lot of new romance tend to skip out on. i cannot wait for more books by lexi lefleur brown and while i wait i will be stalking her tiktok

Shoot Your Shot was a fun-filled rom com that took me a bit of reading to get into, but by the midpoint of the story, I was hooked! Lucy and Jaylen are both well developed and interesting characters, complete with unique talents and flaws that make them easy to connect with. I really liked that their struggles were equally real and, in many ways, relatable. If you’re looking for good humor, accurate sports connections, and an author who values inclusion and representation in her characters, you’ll want to give Shoot Your Shot a read.

3⭐️ Shoot Your Shot is a cute Rom-Com about Lucy and Jaylyn a tatted up “emo” girl and a hockey player. They meet by chance one night at a bar where they are both kind of having a rough night. Jaylyn has just lost his job with the NHL and Lucy has been working work a boss the doesn’t really respect her. Lucy has been called a serial-dater so she swears off dating so she can focus on her career and get the tattoo apprenticeship she has been after. After running into Lucy it is all Jaylyn can think about so he finds her in the parking lot and try’s to strike up a conversation. Eventually Lucy gives in and they share and good night together, but it is supposed to be his last night in town.

In the morning Jaylyn’s luck changes and he gets a change to prove himself with the Rainiers. And now he thinks Lucy is his good luck charm. Can he convince her to help him or will he mess up his last chance at his career?


This was a cute book Lucy and Jaylyn seemed to really see each other for who they really are. Lucy helps Jaylyn with his mental health and he helps her find her passion for art again the one thing I wish for this book is a little more time with Lucy’s friends they are so funny! Especially Cooper!

I decided to write this book a 3.75 rounded up to a 4 star. As someone who is an avid hockey fan, I have felt hockey romances lacked the deep understanding of the sport and the intentionality of making the MMC a hockey player as opposed to any other sport. This book absolutely delivers on the hockey IQ and genuine struggles that a professional athlete could be facing amidst a developing romance. Unfortunately while there was the real world hockey application, this book isn't perfect in its other real world applications. Some of the dialogue feels stunted or well-written but not actually written in the way you would talk to someone face to face. The pacing of the book also felt a bit strange at times as there were big time jumps between months never addressed that made the timeline confusing. A personal nitpick is the 3rd act which fell victim to my least favorite trope and really took away from the soft romance that was developed throughout the rest of the story.
Overall, I want to congratulate Lexi on her debut novel and with some writing under her belt, I look forward to seeing what she does next.

I really enjoyed this debut novel By Lexi LaFleur Brown (who is hilarious on TikTok). The novel is about Jaylen who is an "out of luck" hockey player who may be past his prime and never play again. He goes out one night and meets Lucy, a feisty artist and the next day he gets a 1 year contract to play. Jaylen has a theory that Lucy is his lucky charm but he has to try and win her over for her to agree to play along.

4 stars. I thought it was so cute and well done. I read it in one day. Comes out March 11, 2025!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin for the ARC.

This was a cute opposites attract romcom between an aspiring tattoo artist and an NHL player.
It took a bit of time for me to feel the chemistry with this couple, but it ended up being a fun low stakes story. I enjoyed the banter, humor, and vulnerability of the main characters.

My only gripe is the usage of the phrase "tattoo gun" instead of "tattoo machine." I don't know any professionals that call it a gun.