Shoot Your Shot is a cute hockey romance following Lucy and Jaylen.

Lucy is a former artist who is trying to make it in the tattoo space, and Jaylen is a struggling NHL player whose career might just be over if he doesn't secure a contract before the end of the season. Jaylen convinces her to be his good luck charm for the season in exchange for a favor. It sounds like an easy trade but soon feelings get involved.

Both main characters have had their troubles in life, I liked that they pushed each other to be better and follow their passions.

This was an easy and fun read. The author is married to a former NHL player so I liked seeing how she put her experience/knowledge within that space into the book. I think there are certain parts that could have been more flushed out, but overall it's a good debut novel.

A few highlights:
•forced proximity
•sports romance
•bi-rep
•banter
•he falls first
•dual POV
•black cat/golden retriever vibes

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC.

Actual rating: 3.5⭐

I loved Lucy’s take no shit attitude and Jayden’s golden retriever energy. Their meet cute is adorable and opposites attracting is always fun.

I do love sports romances but something about this wasn’t doing it for me. Not enough for me to consider DNFing but I just wanted to finish it to move on. Overall a cute, simple read. Although I wouldn’t go out of my way to read it.

I loved JJ and lucy together. Such an unexpected romance. The story did drags at times. I wished the epilogue was a little longer and showed more of JJ and Lucy's future together.

3.5 rounded up

Debut novel from a hockey professional? Hockey, romance, quirky characters? Sign me up.

When Lucy and Jaylen meet they think it's only for one night. But when things start going really well for Jaylen, he convinces Lucy to be his lucky charm. What she thinks will be a few good luck texts turns into so much more.

The hockey aspects of this book were spot on. I also really appreciated the mental health and the lgbtqia+ representation - both were handled beautifully.

I am giving this a 3.5 because while I ended up enjoying the last half of the book, I felt like I could have used some more background. I got lost in some of the hockey lingo - and some of the slang that was used. Nice debut book!

If you’re in the mood for a fun and flirty read, I highly recommend Shoot Your Shot! This book is a delightful mix of romance and humor, featuring relatable characters that you can’t help but root for.

What I loved most about this story is the way it captures the excitement and awkwardness of modern dating. The witty banter between the characters is both charming and laugh-out-loud funny, making it a joy to read. Lexi LaFleur Brown has a talent for creating chemistry that leaps off the page!

The themes of taking chances and embracing vulnerability really resonated with me. It’s a refreshing reminder that sometimes, you just have to go for it, whether in love or life. If you’re looking for a lighthearted escape that will leave you smiling, Shoot Your Shot is definitely worth picking up!

3.5⭐️ rounded up to 4⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book. What a fun read and great sports romance. Parts of this story excelled for me and some fell a bit flat.

Things I LOVED - Jaylen and Lucy are both really great main characters. I liked that they felt like real people to me just trying to navigate a challenging world. Excellent mental health rep and LGBTQIA+ rep. I really appreciated that Jaylen and Lucy were perfectly imperfect for each other. The opening scene of the book hooked me right in. It was beautifully done and not your typical meet cute.

Things that fell a little bit flat - the romance itself as the book went on. It just felt like something was missing overall with the pacing/details and storyline.

Overall, a great debut book and I am excited to read more from this author! Also, the cover is stunning and perfect.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin for the ARC copy! I am excited to provide an honest review.

Overall, this was a 3.75/5 read for me. This is one of the better hockey romances I have read. Jaylen and Lucy were truly unproblematic characters in the way that they were both level-headed and not overly dramatic. Their story together was a refreshing read and is the most realistic situation I have ever read in the hockey romance genre. Both of their characters had their own internal issues they were dealing with and it was shown throughout the book. Watching their characters work through their issues and grow with each other was done in such a real way that I related and could have seen this happen in my personal life.

I know some may find the humor and references cringey, but I adored it all. This is why I probably relate to it since the characters also have similar interests that I do personally.

After I read the book, I did a bit more research on the author and did not realize she came from a hockey background! I think that makes her well-suited in the genre of actually providing real-life situations and problems that world brings.


This was a great read and I would recommend it to my friends and family if they are looking for an easy and sports romance where it is not too cheesy.

This is one of my most anticipated romance releases fro 2024. I began following the author on social media a while ago. I think her insights on the world of ice hockey are so interesting and she is such a relatable person. I was excited to see how this translated into a romance book.

Unlike some of the other hockey romance books I've read I felt like this book had a lot of depth. Both characters are dealing with very real world issues. Lucy is just a girl trying to find a place in this world sharing her art. Jaylen is just trying to be a pro hockey player. One day they meet and their lives become interconnected.

I think there's some really fun lgbtqia+ rep in their friends and in a couple of the scenes with events that the characters attend. The story also touches on grief and mental health. I thought the scenes with Jaylen's mental health were done really well. It was refreshing to see characters on the page who are imperfect in very realistic ways.

My favorite part of this book was the banter. The author has a very witty writing style that's fun to read.

What a little cutie of a book! As a queer hockey-loving romance reader in need of a comfort read, this one hit.

The biggest win for me was the pro-mental health messages, the embrace of the queer sports community, and the depiction of very un-toxic masculinity in sports. I know that’s not super realistic, but sometimes books are meant to be an imagining of a better world, and damn do I want to live in that world. Also, props to the author for being maybe the first author ever to accurately describe what a panic attack feels like.

Strong character development is what sets a just okay romance apart from a really great one in my opinion, and the character development was decent, especially for a debut. My only critique of the novel is that at times I felt the characters could have dug a tad deeper with their introspection. There were some really big feelings explored in this novel and it sometimes felt like I was left to fill in the blanks, especially related to the guilt of both characters surrounding the two big dramas in the book.

Less important, but still a win—it was nice to read a hockey romance written by someone who knows hockey. Looking forward to more from this author in the future!

I was excited to read this one because I have seen the authors tiktoks for a while and always thought she was funny! This one was definitely cute and a little different than other hockey romances I’ve read. I feel like I tried to read this while in a reading slump so I probably would have liked this more if I wasn’t in a slump but it was still good!

I adore Lexi, and this being her first book I was sooo excited to get my hands on it early! Being an actual WAG and playing hockey herself I knew Lexi could bring a hockey romance to life having been there herself!

Jaylen and Lucy were super cute. Their love started out as a thrill for each of them in what should have been a one night stand, but turned into more when Jaylen was offered a one year contract with Seattle. I loved that Lucy, who was also struggling with what she wanted out of life, was able to inadvertently create a relationship with Jaylen without it going over the top and falling in love within a week. But I also didn't love the huge time jumps that they were not talking or what seemed like avoiding one another.

I felt like there was a lot of build up for some situations but then nothing happened or build up and then it was blown out of proportion, which I guess does fit a mid 20's relationship when both sides are struggling.

I am giving this a 3.5, rounding to 4 star, because I would have loved to see more from each character without some of the awkward moments. More character development within the relationship would have been great to see as well and not who they both wanted to be down the line.

As a hockey fan and former player, I was thrilled to be approved for this ARC because one of my biggest qualms with my beloved hockey romances are hockey inaccuracies. I’ve followed the author, Lexi, and her husband, JT (former NHL player), for quite awhile and Lexi’s such a fun person and has a personality to boot.

Now, for the story. The book was cute and delivered on the promised hockey accuracies, banter, comedy and a bit of spice. I loved the inclusion of LGBTQIA+, different races, and mental health, allowing the book more diversity than many on the market. If you follow the author, you’d know she’s a big advocate for all of these things and it was great to have them included in a fun way. Mental health was included with both main characters in different aspects and pushed back against the stigmas of mental health for men.

The main characters could’ve used a bit more fleshing out and the timeline could’ve used more clarification and shaping up, but this is the author’s first novel so I would say it’s well done despite me knocking off a star. I questioned the chemistry with the main characters and due to the timeline jumping, it felt like a whole lot of tell rather than show. There were a lot of cute moments, I just personally feel as if we lost so much in the timeline that it didn’t allow us to understand or feel their chemistry.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing—Canary Street Press for providing me this ARC to read and review.

i’m sorry i love the cover and i am so intrigued by the synopsis but i didn’t realize this was in pdf. now why did it have to be pdf instead of epub??? sooo much easier. i look forward to reading this one once it’s officially released bc i refuse to read pdf

If you like hockey romance books then you should read this book. This book follows the fmc who is an artist and also trying to get into the tattoo artist space where she is interning. The mmc is a black hockey player who has been doing poorly in his hockey games and starts an agreement with the fmc for her to be a good luck charm for him since he plays better with her around. As they spend time together they get more attracted to each other and try not to date. I liked the good luck plot and the tattoo artist plot and i enjoyed the mmc. The mmc fell first and was obsessed with the fmc, both characters have trauma and issues they are working through. The romance was adorable and i thought it was also pretty real when it came to arguments and real life issues. This had multiple spicy scenes for smut lovers. I thought some parts of the book were slow, but this was a cute sports romance overall. Thanks to HTP for this arc!

Read if you like:
- Sports romance
- Bisexual fmc
- He falls first
- Black cat fmc and golden retriever

Shoot Your Shot was adorable! I am a huge Seattle Kraken fan, so finding out Lexi’s connections to the team and the city made me super excited to read it. I enjoyed the chemistry between JJ and Lucy from the start. Their banter felt natural and as their relationship progressed, it was easy to see how their comfort levels changed around each other. Shoot Your Shot is about shooting your shot in more ways than one: with romance and with following your dreams and fighting for what you want. After seasons of playing through regret and anxiety, JJ has been named “NHL’s biggest draft bust”, but a lucky break in Seattle gives him a chance with the Raniers for a season. He has to prove not only to the team, but to himself that he can find his stride and earn his spot. Lucy is an aspiring tattoo artist. After putting down paintbrushes for what she assumed would be forever, she gets roped into painting a mural for the Seattle Raniers. And one painting turns into many. As her love for JJ grows, her love for painting returns and she has to decide whether she wants to put the brushes back down, or follow the dream she’s wanted from the start.
I really enjoyed this book! Lexi is a great writer and the chemistry between the characters was wonderful. I laughed out loud multiple times and I’d definitely recommend this book if you’re looking for a sweet, witty, spicy hockey romance

3.5/4

I’ve been looking forward to this book since the moment it was announced but it kind of left me wanting… more. I loved the plot and the characters so much, I just wish they were given a little bit more development.

That being said, it definitely won’t stop me from reading the author’s next book because I could NOT put it down.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review 🥰

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book!

I knew the author Lexi was a hockey WAG from social media so I was interested in how that would translate to a book. I think she did a great job! I found both main characters to be likable and they seemed to really like each other. There were definitely more hockey words than any other hockey romance I have ever read! If you are a hockey romance lover go ahead and add this one to your list

I have been antcipating getting to read this romance novel, so I was really excited to receive an ARC of Shoot Your Shot. I thought it was a really good debut book, especially because it felt pretty unique compared to other hockey romances. I found the hockey played and the hockey world to feel/be pretty accurate, which is due to Lexi LaFleur Brown being able to draw from personal experiene. It added a nice sense of realism that really brought the reader into the book and felt like a behind the scenes look into what being a partner to a hockey player is like. I also liked both the main characters and the supporting characters. Lucy and Jaylen felt real and had good chemistry. I found myself laughing at many of their interactions. Lucy's group of friends were also funny and added to the story. Overall, I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to what Lexi LaFleur Brown writes next!

I will definetly be recommending this book to my friends once it's out!

I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity.
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"The thought of loving her feels so deeply embedded into my DNA, it's nostalgic. Like it has been buried in me the whole time and I need a little reminder as to where I hid it."
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If there is one thing all hockey players have in common, it is the superstition around the game, so when Jaylen Jones meets a unique girl, and a night spent with her leads to a NFL contracts, he can't help but wonder if she is his good luck charm.
Lucy is not a good luck charm. Her life reflects that. But when a handsome NFL player offers to buy her daily coffees while she works on a mural in their arena, being his good luck charm doesn't sound so bad.
Neither Jaylen or Lucy have time for anything serious, but the closer they get, the harder it is to deny the sparks flying between them. Will they choose their careers over a chance to be lucky enough to find love?
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This is such a cute debut novel.
I think it checks all the boxes of a hockey romance that I am looking for. There are interesting characters to follow, banter between the love interest, emotional connection between the love interests, and careers that both characters are passionate about.
If you are looking for a feel-good read, then this book is for you. While the characters are working through their own trauma, you get to see them heal together, making them better to one another and better to the people around them. There is very little denial in this book, so the romance doesn't feel too drawn out or hurried when it comes to ending the book.

Since this is a debut, I do think that there are elements of the book that can be improved.
First, we hear a lot about the backstory of the characters, but I feel like the information is given to us so suddenly and randomly that I didn't have a well-rounded image of the characters. At times the characters would do things, and I didn't think they made sense to the character I thought I knew, but later a piece of them would be explained that made their past actions make a lot more sense.
I also felt a disconnection when it came to what the characters looked like. There was very little written into the book of how the characters saw each other. Aside from Lucy wearing black and platform shoes and Jaylen's dark complexion and muscles, I had very little to go off of when creating the image of the characters in my imagination.
Second, I think the pacing of this book was hard for me. Between Lucy agreeing to send texts for good luck and her spending every night at Jaylen's house, there was no mention of that shift in relationship. When I realized that she had spent every night at his house, I went back looking to see if I had missed something because the last I knew they were barely friends, so I do think those large changes in relationships need to be mentioned, or at least summarized somehow to keep the book flowing, rather than breaking it up into sections of their relationship and time that can be hard to follow. I also felt like the timing after their fight and before they made up was very unclear until someone mentioned that it had been the longest two weeks of their life. I needed that information before walking into the happily ever after because without that timeline, their time apart could have been a day or a year and how I feel about that break is largely impacted by how long it was and if the characters emotions make sense for that timeline.

All of this is just personal preference. I read a lot of hockey romance so I know that I can be particular about this genre, but this is a beautiful debut rom-com that is a great intro into the hockey romance world, and I adored reading it early!

Rating: 3.5/5

This felt so different than most hockey romance books. I am OBSESSED with these characters. I want to be in Lucy's friend group so badly. She's "weird" but also such a badass and her snarkiness is hilarious. I love that even though she seems like she's got such a tough exterior, she truly cares and takes Jaylen's mental health seriously. I like that Jaylen isn't very "cool". He's sweet and kind of bumbling, and a little bit nerdy sometimes, which isn't the norm for MMCs in sports romances. He's pretty much immediately smitten with Lucy, the sunshine to her grumpy, and even though they're so different, they felt like the perfect balance for each other. The side characters were also perfection, I don't think I've ever come across a cast of characters where I've genuinely enjoyed everyone, but from Cooper's one-liners to Anna's cheeky comments to even Lucy's mom and brother, I was smiling and laughing throughout the book. And the epilogue had me with hearts in my eyes. I love that their HEA is perfect for THEM, every bit of it fits these characters, (SPOILERS!) down to Lucy getting married in a black mini dress and fishnets. Thanks Netgalley for the e-ARC!