Seriously loved this book I could not stop listening to it I was giggling throughout the whole book. 10/10 highly recommend. Great voice actors choice too!

Shoot your shot is a contemporary romance published by Harlequin, and that is exactly how it feels (in a great way). With spicy scene throughout the book (no slow-burn here, friends), an FMC with serious attitude, and a lot of growth for both characters to go through, this book moves really well! I can't wait to see was Lexi LaFleur Brown does next!

Sometimes, when a MMC is written so well (see: honesty, anxiety representation, committed), the flaws that drive the plot sit on the FMC's shoulder in a way that makes her less likable because you sit there reading the book thinking "girl, what's wrong with you?" For me, Shoot Your Shot did fall into this pitfall, causing me to connect with the book less.

One Night Stand that ends up with them getting lucky for more than one night....

After Lucy and Jaylen meet at a bar and enjoy a fun night together, they both think they will never see the other again. Not that they don't want to, it was fun, but that was the idea of the whole situation. Imagine Lucy's surprise walks into the ice rink to work on a mural that she was volun-told to do by her awful boss, and ends up getting hit right in the head by a hockey puck. Not only did she just get in the literal face by a hockey puck, it just happens to be by the guy that she had been with the night before that said he was leaving on a plane that morning.

After a turn of events Jaylen deems Lucy his good luck charm, and if you know anything about hockey players, do not mess with their game day routines. Jaylen will do anything he can do keep his new found spot on the team, and hopefully keep his good luck charm too.

If you want an audiobook that will leave a smile on your face the whole time you’re listening, then this one is 10000% for you. I thought Lucy and Jaylen’s story was super sweet and cute. The writing is light and fun, the issues and challenges they face aren’t all that deep adding to the levity of the book, and the side characters add a lot of humor to the story.

Read if you like:
🎨Superstitious mmc
🎨Black cat fmc
🎨Meddling friends
🎨Sign stealing #13 iykyk
🎨He falls first
🎨LGBTQ representation

2.5

I wanted so badly to love this book. I don't know if it was the narrators I didn't connect with or the story itself, or possibly it was both. I don't think I liked the FMC very much and the narrators fell a little flat for me. There is a lot of potential in this book and maybe with a little more character building it would be better?

DNF at 35%

I couldn't do it im sorry. The writing style was just not for me. The way the hockey details were written and over explained, the fmc got on my nerves too much from the start. I tried overlooking it all but it just made the book not enjoyable for me.

Jaylen and Lucy are an unlikely couple, but it comes together. They each struggle with mental health and get through it with the help and support of the other. I liked the queer representation, and the mental health representation. Especially with the self doubt and anxiety.

I really enjoyed their love story and I'm glad I got the chance to preview this book.

Shoot Your Shot
by Lexi LaFleur Brown
Narrated by Kristen DiMercurio; Jamal Roque

I got an ARC of this audiobook through Netgalley.

“A painting without flaws lacks character” - this is my favorite quote from this book.

This was a super charming rom-com and I highly recommend it!

Two flawed, unusual, imperfect, perfectly charming souls come together and it’s beautiful. I laughed and I cried, but mostly I smiled a lot. Don’t miss out on this one!

Very cute. I loved how different they seemed on a surface level but how similar they truly were after all. There was a third act breakup, so if you’re not a fan I’d avoid that. But the resolution was great. It was nice to see a women do the grand gesture for once.

I am sad to report this was an almost complete miss for me. I know the author from her TikTok account, and I was truly looking forward to a hockey romance written by someone with first hand knowledge.

Unfortunately, while the hockey knowledge is top shelf, everything else really fell flat. I found the FMC insufferable: a real pick-me with some seriously questionable red flags masquerading as cool girl quirks. And our MMC is a doormat, who both doesn't deserve the way he's treated and also does, because why are you enabling this woman!!

It's also so much tell and barely any show. I think what has likely happened here is an influencer got a book deal based on her popularity on the app, and found herself in over her head a bit. I know there's a second book in her deal; I hope she gets more help with structure and editing on the next one.

The narrators were pros, they were just stuck with a tough assignment.

Two stars. Thanks to NetGally and the publisher for the ALC.

𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁: If you’re looking for a book with plenty of hockey and lots of representation this one’s for you. It was refreshing getting a unique twist on a hockey romance and it was exciting to see this from a debut author! Loved seeing real character with real issues, you felt the heart and soul in this one.

Jaylen just lost his last chance playing in the NHL, so he decides to hit the clubs before he flies home. But the next day he gets a call, due to a player having a scooter accident he gets a last minute 1 year contract to play for the Seattle Rainers. Jaylen now connects his good luck with the girl he spent last night with. He needs her now to stick around this season and continue to be his good luck charm.

Lucy is in a career slump, she wants to be a tattoo artist but hasn’t gotten her break yet. She just got elected by her boss to do a commission at the Rainers stadium, painting isn’t what she wants to do. But hoping this will give her a one up with her boss, she agrees. But after a hockey puck to the face she realizes the guy from last night is a hockey player and he’s here in Seattle.

To make things worst Jayden wants her to be his “lucky charm” whatever that means. So she strikes a deal with him. Lucy will be his lucky charm if he helps her with her tattoo portfolio. But helping Jayden get “lucky” is a lot more than what Lucy bargained for.

𝑭𝒂𝒗 𝑸𝒖𝒐𝒕𝒆: “Can I call you my lucky charm?” - Jaylen

𝑳𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒍𝒍 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒅:

* One Night Stand to Puck to Head to Friends to Lovers
* He Falls First & She’s His Lucky Charm
* Aspiring Tattoo Artist FMC
* Draft Bust NHL Player MMC
* Black Cat x Golden Retriever
* She’s Painting a Mural for the Rainers
* Close Proximity- Seattle, WA
* LGBTQIAP+ Rep 🏳️‍🌈
* Mental Health Rep
* Dual POV w/ Spice

💚💙🖤 💚💙🖤 💚💙🖤 💚💙🖤💚

Reading Journal Details
Book: Shoot Your Shot by Lexi LaFleur Brown
Format Read: Audiobook (~8 hours, 30 minutes long)
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 of 5 stars)

Quick Take Review
Shoot Your Shot is a standout debut that immerses you in the authentic world of hockey while delivering a realistic, opposite-attract romance between the edgy, snarky Lucy and the sweet yet determined JJ. With thoughtful treatments of mental health, race, and LGBT issues, and top-notch narration, it's a compelling, addictive read despite a few underdeveloped secondary characters. Highly recommend!

Full Review
For a debut novel, Shoot Your Shot is a stellar hit that immediately caught my attention with its authentic portrayal of hockey—a rarity in the hockey romance genre, where the sport often plays a mere background role. Author Lexi LaFleur Brown excels at weaving the nitty-gritty details of equipment, rink time, and training into the narrative, making the hockey scenes feel genuine and immersive.

The romance between Lucy and Jaylen (affectionately known as JJ) is a standout element; Lucy's snarky, edgy personality and artistic soul, juxtaposed with JJ's sweet, humble determination in his hockey career, create a realistic and organic opposites-attract dynamic that evolves naturally throughout the narrative. Their relationship, enriched by the nuances of personal and professional struggles, is both engaging and heartfelt.

Additionally, Brown tackles very serious topics—race, mental health, and the LGBT community—in a seamless, thoughtful manner, with the portrayal of mental health particularly resonant through JJ's struggles with anxiety and depression. The narration by Kristen DiMercurio and Jamal Roque further elevates the experience, bringing the characters to life and making it impossible to put the book down; I finished it in just a day.

While the debut is undeniably impressive, I do wish there were more in-depth details and character development for some of the secondary figures who play crucial roles in Lucy and JJ's lives. Nonetheless, for a hockey fan like me, finding a romance that nails the sport's authenticity, personal struggles, and important social themes in a nuanced way is a true delight. I'm excited to track Lexi LaFleur Brown's progress and future works!

I've loved Lexi LaFleur Brown from her tiktok content so I was SO excited to get approved for her arc and it was everything I was hoping for!! I love a romance and I love a hockey so Shoot Your Shot was right up my alley. For a debut novel, Lexi really brought her A game and delivered such a fun and realistic story with characters that feel like people I want to be friends with.

I really liked both of the narrators! They were the perfect voices to bring both Lucy and Jaylen to life. Lucy and Jaylen are interesting, multi-dimensional, flawed characters that bring out the best in each other and help each other grow throughout the story. Their stories as individuals and overcoming their own obstacles was just as important in my opinion as their romance together. Jaylen confronting his panic attacks and guilt head on, developing Cam's House with Maya's help, and being his most authentic self no matter what his team or the public think was such a strong positive message. Lucy's struggle with commitment issues coming full circle, her finally freeing herself from her father's dark cloud, and the strength of her platonic relationships hit close to home and made me connect with her easily. And the strong LGBTQIA+ representation is a big bonus!

While Shoot Your Shot is a fun hockey romance (with accurate and fun actual hockey info), it's also a great story of two characters finding safety and stability and working through their own mental health journeys. I highly recommend for anyone who loves a romcom sports romance!

***Four Stars***

I just LOVE a hockey romance. I also love how much actual hockey was played in this book. Lexi and Jaylen were such an adventure. Neither knew the other was what they needed until they fell into each other's way. I love Jaylen's mental health journey, I did find it shocking that he just went in for an appointment and the doctor diagnosed him and started prescribing meds. Is it really like that? That hasn't been my experience.

The only reason this isn't sitting at 5 stars is because I felt like some of the points were so over the top it became annoying.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Audio, and the author for the opportunity to listen to and review this book.

#ShootYourShot #LexiLaFleurBrown
#KristenDiMercurioNarrator #JamalRoqueNarrator
#HockeyRomance #NetGalley #HarlequinAudio
#SportsRomance #Audiobook #ALCReview
#ReadThisBook #ReadAllTheBooks #ALC2025

This is a great debut novel. I really enjoyed the story and I look forward to more from Lexi. I love that she had insight into how things work in the hockey world. I appreciated that both characters worked on themselves to be full well-rounded people. The LGBT+ representation was wonderful, it was perfect to show real life and real friendship connections.

I wanted to have a bit more of a connection to Lucy and Jaylan's relationship.

3.5/5
Definitely more correct hockey in this romance, as Lexi talks about in her TikTok’s. Some of the hockey terms weren’t explained so if you don’t know hockey might be hard to track that part of the story. Otherwise I enjoyed the story between Lucy & Jaylen.

jaylen jones, a superstitious hockey player, believes a one night stand with lucy is the key to his newfound luck when he secures a spot on the seattle rainiers. lucy, a black-cat, aspiring tattoo artist, reluctantly agrees to help him by sending good luck texts before each game, but their arrangement soon turns into sizzling chemistry, complicating their feelings as they both navigate emotions from their past, career struggles, and personal attachment.

this debut novel was an enjoyable read. the humor was a hit most of the time, though a few jokes did feel a little cringe. if you like rom-coms and sports romance, i'd recommend this book for you as it's a mashup of both with a little bit of spice.

the audiobook was engaging and easy to follow. i really liked that each point of view had its own narrator, and it was helpful that they spoke at similar paces, allowing me to maintain a consistent listening speed throughout the book. this may be a personal preference, but hearing jaylen’s narrator speak for lucy, especially during spicy scenes, really pulled me out of the story and ruined the moment. i’ve noticed this issue in other audiobooks with both male and female narrators, so if it doesn't usually bother you, you should be fine!

i loved seeing lucy and jaylen's individual growth and development, but i did wish for a bit more chemistry between them as a couple. while their conversations showed an undeniable connection, it would’ve been great to see more of that spark evolve. i especially appreciated the bisexual representation from lucy, which truly felt authentic. her best friends are also queer and their personalities added depth, humor, and realness to the story. i LOVE friends who want nothing but the best for their bestie!

it's clear that lexi genuinely understands hockey, which made jaylen's perspective refreshing and well-executed. it was a good backdrop for the romance, rather than just being there to fit the "sports romance" genre.

i would read from lexi again, for sure!

3.5

There was a lot about this story that I enjoyed. Lucy’s two best friends were a hoot. Jaylen Jones was a total golden retriever (shocker, Lucy is a black cat). I also really loved how unconventional Lucy’s job was for a hockey romance. I did find Lucy to be a bit cliche in terms of her black cat attitude. She does lighten up towards the end but I never really connected with her.

At one point she says something like “I’m not your manic pixie dream girl!” I thought it was really funny because she’s literally written as a manic pixie dream girl. Covered in tattoos, aspiring to be a tattoo artist, troubled past, just doing her own thing and doesn’t need a man to interfere. The spicy scenes also fell flat for me. They felt like they were added just as a marketing ploy; there wasn’t a lot of chemistry written into them.

That said the book kept me entertained from beginning to end and I’m glad I got a chance to read it. It had a lot of fun aspects to it and it made me laugh a few times. The secondary characters are where this book really shines; the hockey team and Lucy’s besties were my favorite.

NG doesn’t allow for half stars, but this one gets a 3.5/5 from me. Since this is below 4, I am going to withhold publicly reviewing until after the book’s release.

It was a really cute story and a sweet “meet cute”
Moment.
It kept me entertained throughout the story and I would definitely recommend this book if you want to read a cute romance

This was such a cute story with great representation! There are a couple reasons I gave 4 starts instead of 5; (1) I didn't FEEL the love when the words were said in the story, and I felt blindsided that we jumped to that point and remember thinking "love? already?". (2) I am a hockey romance fan, but know very little about the actual game so felt confused a couple of times when it game to hockey lingo.