This audio!!!!! The narrators were incredible, I feel like they were the perfect choices for these two characters. I couldn’t stop listening! I ended up having actual dreams about this book because it’s all I could think about.

This is a lovely hockey romance snack! I listened to the audiobook and followed along on the ebook at the same time and had so much fun. Very opposites attract - golden retriever/black cat vibes.

I was a little worried seeing another white woman writing a Black mmc after some of the poor choices and representation we have seen lately but Lexi does it so well. I looked her up and this is actually kind of inspired by her own life and relationship with her husband who played in the NHL and is now a commentator.

This is also a super queer-normative world where the FMC and her two best friends are all part of the LGBTQIA community. It also tackles depression, anxiety, tough family relationships, and grief. I was surprised at how lighthearted it was but also felt real.

My only complaints were the male audiobook narrator's girl voice and the reason for the third act breakup. I won't complain that there was one, just that I hate when characters don't communicate when it would be so easy.

Lucy and Jaylen have a one night stand when Jaylen thinks he is leaving town the next day. Jaylen gets stopped before getting on his flight and told that he got signed to a one year deal with the Seattle professional hockey team. Lucy has been trying to get a tattoo apprenticeship and has found her doing the grunt work of the owner of a studio. The last thing she wants is to spend her time painting a mural at a hockey rink. These two run into each other again and Jaylen quickly learns that Lucy may just be his good luck charm. Neither is looking for a relationship, but what could a little fun and friendship hurt? right???

This book was such a good time. I devoured this one and I just fell in love with these characters. Lucy and Jaylen both had a lot of unresolved issues from their pasts and I found both of there stories very relatable. I loved that this couple lifted each other up and empowered the other without either one of them being controlling or overstepping the line. They developed such a beautiful partnership and I loved that aspect of this book so much.

I laughed out loud so many times. This had such a wonderful fast paced humor filled storytelling style that really just scratched that itch in my brain. I couldn't put this book down. I also loved all of the representation in this book. It is filled with LGBTQ+ characters including the FMC. This book also did a really good job of dealing with anxiety and depression and conveying the message that everyone needs help sometimes.

The more I think about this book the more I love it. It was delightful and pulled me out of the massive reading slump I have been in.

Thanks to the Hive for providing me with an advanced review copy of this book!

DNF at 32%. The dialogue was way too cringey for me. I'm sure this book will find its target audience though!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin romance for this ARC!

I really wanted to love this but I ended up DNFing it. The writing was subpar and after doing some research on the author, it seems they have a big platform which makes me believe that was the reason this got published. The dialogue was meh, the characters fell flat, and it didn’t keep my attention.

I started with the ebook and switched to the audio. I definitely think the audio makes it better - the narrators themselves are great! It’s told in dual narration, and would’ve been even better in duet.

Overall, the amount that I read was a 2 star read for me and based on other reviews, it doesn’t seem like it would be worth finishing.

Shoot Your Shot by Lexi LaFleur Brown comes out March 11th and I absolutely LOOOOVED this sizzling hockey romcom!

Lucy, aspiring tattoo artist, encounters JJ, an about to be has been NHL star, and a night stand occurs...except JJ can't get enough of Lucy, even deeming her his lucky charm.

I got this as an audio and loved the dual narration and was hanging on to every word. Lucy is a don't give a 🤬 kinda gal and JJ is a superstitious I have to keep you around kinda guy once luck starts going his way.

They both have baggage and I appreciate them both working through it in the book. I also appreciate that the author kept it real with their baggage and loved how they worked through, especially Lucy and her issues with her father. ♥️

Yes, it's spicy and yes, this is the PERFECT book to binge as Spring arrives!! My OOOOOOONLY complaint comes audio wise in the epilogue when the narrator mispronounces, "Nevada." 🙄 As someone who lives in the state, it would never be pronounced in the context it was presented in and for that, I was deeply disappointed (enough that yes, I did subtract a star for my rating).

That being said, this was a fantastic 4 star read that I highly recommend!

This was a fun twist on a hockey romance with a black cat artistry girl and a golden retriever angsty hockey player.

A sort of comeback story for both of them, Jaylen getting the career he always wanted and Lucy letting herself love painting again.

The audiobook was a dual narration and both narrators really brought the characters to life.

Thank you Harlequin Audio for the ALC

This one didn’t really work for me. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it either, it just didn’t hold my interest. If this hadn’t been a audiobook I don’t believe I would have finished it. I’ve read a lot of hockey romances, and I struggled to see a solid foundation for this relationship. The characters didn’t have much history, and they lacked depth, making it hard to feel invested in their connection. The FMC gave off a bit of a “not like other girls” vibe, which she wasn’t but at times it was annoying, and the MMC didn’t leave much of an impression. Their romance felt unconvincing. He saw her at a bar, thought she was attractive, and somehow that led to intense longing? That setup makes sense for a casual fling, but not for the kind of emotional connection, and longing he established for her, the book was going for.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A contemporary sports romance that exemplifies that people come into our lives at the right time…Lucy, an aspiring tattoo artist, is a black cat FMC and Jaylen, a professional hockey player on the verge of being cut from his team, is a golden retriever MMC. After a one night stand, they find that they could mutually benefit each other’s careers, help each other work through past trauma and enjoy exploring their growing romantic feelings. The two are relatable: having a few arguments, plenty of spice, and reluctance to open up completely. Overall an enjoyable debut, but I felt that the characters lacked a bit of depth and some backstories could have been developed a bit more.
I tandem read this, going back and forth depending on my schedule. I did appreciate the dual narration as both narrators provided much emotion and expression and brought Lucy and Jayden to life.

After a one-night stand, hockey player Jaylen believes he’s found his lucky charm in aspiring tattoo artist Lucy. Their arrangement quickly blossoms into unexpected romance, forcing them to confront their reservations about commitment.

I love this steamy and emotional rom-com. Lucy and Jaylen are wonderful, complex characters with strong romantic and sensual chemistry. The novel is fast-paced and fun. I enjoyed the audiobook narration.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

A good not great hockey romance. The audio made it better for sure and I liked the narrators a lot, I thought they fit the characters really well. The chemistry was a bit lacking between the main characters. I really liked her friends, I wish we would have gotten more of the teammates since I'm guessing they will be the focus as the series goes forward. I liked the opposites attract aspect and that the FMC was not your typical girl, I thought that added a unique element to the story.

When Jaylen fails to land an NHL contract after training camp, he fears his hockey career is over, until a last-minute roster spot opens up with the Seattle Rainiers right after a mysterious one-night stand. Convinced his sudden luck is tied to the woman he spent the night with, superstitious Jaylen is determined to keep her in his life. Lucy, an aspiring tattoo artist struggling to find stability, isn’t so sure about being his so-called lucky charm, but with her own career at a standstill, she agrees to send him good luck texts in exchange for perks like game tickets and event appearances. What starts as a simple arrangement soon sparks undeniable chemistry, but with Jaylen focused on his career and Lucy wary of getting attached, neither expects that getting lucky might mean risking their hearts.

Lucy had me hooked from the start. She’s a sarcastic, tattooed badass who knows exactly what she wants (and what she doesn’t, like another messy situationship). She’s determined to focus on her career as a tattoo artist, but then Jaylen, an all-American NHL player, crashes into her life with his superstitions and a wild proposition.

On paper, they couldn’t be more different. She’s all dark choppy hair and ink, and he’s clean-cut with golden retriever energy; however, that unexpected pairing is exactly what makes them work. I loved how the theme of luck played into the story, especially how Lucy becomes Jaylen’s lucky charm in ways neither of them expected.

And the ending was great. The epilogue ties everything together in such a satisfying way, making the whole journey feel even more rewarding.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the ALC of this book!

2.25 stars

I like the author from TikTok and I had high hopes for this given the actual hockey knowledge but this fell incredibly flat for me unfortunately. Sure the hockey stuff was probably more accurate than other hockey romances but you need more than that. The FMC Lucy was definitely written to be a bit unlikable but I found her fun. The MMC Jaylen was a complete cinnamon roll simp. But I felt…nothing. Because the writing had no feeling. It was just a story told like “this happened then this happened he said this I said this” very unemotional. And because there was no prose, everything felt so rushed and sudden. And the spicy scenes were…odd and too fast and almost never made sense for the characters. Like there was no lead up to it at all and Jaylen suddenly was saying incredibly filthy things but it felt forced because it was like a switch flipped for 3 lines then boom it’s over. Basically I felt like yes there was a story and some effort but there was no writing if that makes sense?

Regarding the audiobook, the narrators did fine for what they were given but it’s hard to act when the writing gave so little.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ALC.

I found this to be a very cute hockey rom-com with more spice than I expected! I enjoyed the chance meeting and the sports superstition story between Jaylen and Lucy. This book had a bunch of hockey in it and I loved it!

I felt that the chemistry between Lucy and Jaylen was well written !I loved how Jaylen was such a big cinnamon roll and how Lucy was the grumpy to his sunshine!

I enjoyed that this book was told in dual POV. I thought the discussion regarding mental health for both characters was well handled and both characters were very supportive of each other.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoy the dual narration.

audio narration was fantastic for this one.

I really enjoyed having a hockey romance told from someone who was a hockey wife. It added some elements but still honored the tradition of the sub genre. It was really fun and the superstition set up for their relationship was also fantastic.

Lucy is working towards being a tattoo artist. Jaylen is a hockey player. Jaylen currently doesn’t have a spot in the NHL, but that all changes after a one night stand. Jaylen needs to have her around for “good luck.” Lucy agrees. Will they stick to their agreement or will something more happen?

I very much appreciated the mental health representation. It was done very well.

If you know nothing about hockey, you can still enjoy this book. I thought it was well written and had really great character development.

I listened to the audio version and enjoyed the narrators. The chapters go back and forth between Lucy and Jaylen’s POV. The audio reflects that. There is a narrator for Lucy and one for Jaylen, which I love. I hate when there’s one narrator for multiple POVs.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and Harlequin Audio in exchange for an honest review. This has not impacted my review at all. Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin!

Shoot Your Shot by Lexi LaFleur Brown is a fun & interesting spicy hockey romance between two opposites a golden retriever hero hockey player & a black cat heroine artist.

Shoot Your Shot Is great for those looking to read…
🏒 Spicy Hockey Romance
🏒 Hockey Player x Artist
🏒 Forced Proximity
🏒 Opposites Attract
🏒 Golden Retriever Hero x Black Cat Heroine
🏒 Bisexual Representation
🏒 Mental Illness Representation

I’ve followed the author on TikTok & their sense of humor is showcased in this book. I appreciated the humor & the sarcastic heroine. This was a little bit of a slower start for me but I was glad I stuck with it & ended up enjoying it. I really appreciated the mental illness representation & especially experiencing from undiagnosed to seeing a doctor & getting treatment. I don’t want to give away too much, but I liked how that was done & feel it’s important to showcase.

I was fortunate enough to listen to the audiobook as well & enjoyed this. This is the first time I’ve listened to Jamal Roque & they did a phenomenal job. I listened at 2x & it was the perfect speed for my ADHD brain

Massive thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Audio & Harlequin Trade Press-Canary Stress Press for the gifted copy, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

unfortunately, this one was not for me - I had to DNF at 30% because of this line "I can't believe the biggest bust in NHL history busted inside my bestie"

I liked the narrators though...

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.</i>

Audio

3.5 stars rounded down

As not a huge ~sports~ girly, I wasn’t sure about this but honestly was pleasantly surprised! This was funny and witty and there were a lot of sweet more serious content while at the same time being fun and sexy.

If you loved the novella “That One Night,” but the Jacksonville Rays Series was too spicy for you as a whole, this book may be for you.

I had high hopes for this black cat x golden retriever hockey romance, but it fell flat for me. There is a one night stand where the both believe it is their last night in the city (spoiler it’s not). Then, Jaylen ends up convinced Lucy is his lucky charm and falls head first. Lucy has a fear of commitment and takes a while to come around to the idea.

And . . . That’s all I remember because I got bored and did not connect to the characters.


Thank you the Hive, Harlequin Audio, and Net Galley for a free ALC and ARC in exchange of an honest review.