Rachel Reid knows how to write a contemporary romance! The Shots You Take is a beautiful exploration of grief, relationships, and communication. Since both Riley and Adam are older, retired hockey players, it was refreshing for them to talk through their issues.

Compared to her previous sports romance, this new standalone is more hockey-adjacent. Rachel gives the audience brief glances into her knowledge of hockey, and how athletes are fueled by youth and adrenaline to put their bodies on the line.

The Shots You Take is a heartwarming exploration centering on mental health, friendship, grief, and growth.

Thank you to Carina Adores and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

There’s something about sad retired hockey players that is such a powerful read. Or maybe it’s the quality of the author. Either way The Shots You Take is a wonderful read that grabs a hold of you and doesn’t let go. This is one of my favorite reads this year so far.

Rachel Reid's newest standalone hockey romance is a little different than her previous standalone 'Time to Shine' or her Game Changers series. Riley Tuck retired from the NHL years ago, when his tumultuous career cratered after a broken heart and a trade that landed him far from anything that felt like home. Since his retirement, he's rebuilt his life in his hometown in Nova Scotia, working side by side with his dad in their family-owned sports equipment store.

But now his dad has died, and Riley is reeling with grief. And who should appear at the funeral but the man who broke his heart all those years ago, his former NHL teammate and best friend, Adam Sheppard. Since his own retirement put the capstone on his superstar career, Adam has done a lot of reevaluating. He's been honest with himself about his sexuality, divorced his wife, and decided to try to reconnect with Riley...however unwelcome Riley makes him feel at first.

Riley is slow to let go of the anger and resentment that have calcified over his former attachment to Adam, but Adam chips away at it with earnest good intentions and emotional support. This isn't one of Reid's funnier or spicier novels (though humor and heat definitely make appearances), but its sweetness shines on every page through characters who are trying to do the right thing for themselves and others, who are asking for and granting forgiveness even when it's difficult, who are seeing each other at their worst and helping each other stand back up. This is a great book for small towns, second chances and slow burns.

Many thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for the eARC.

*4.5

It's kind of strange that it's marketed as a hockey romance considering both of them are retired. Adam messed up really bad when they were younger and wants to make it up to Riley. It kind of hurts to read how Adam treated Riley in the past but he was so repressed. In the present all Adam wants to do is be there for Riley. I love how they reconnected and how they each have grown.

I received an arc through netgalley.

🏒 The Shots You Take 🏒

Oh my heart I adore Adam and Riley. Those precious souls. This was absolutely heartwarming, hard and beautiful all at the same time.

Adam and Riley are former hockey teammates and former more than best friends. They hadn’t talked in 12 years when Adam shows up to Riley’s dad’s funeral and stays to be there for Riley in a hard time. They reconnect and are honest about where they are now in middle age and what they weren’t honest about when they were younger.

This is a beautiful journey of being true to yourself, accepting help and honoring your mental health.

The Shots We Take is on shelves March 4, 2025! My opinions are my own.

Second chance romance is hit or miss for me and this was a hit. I loved the setting and the MCs. Their backstory was so emotional but the mistakes made were very real and understandable. Their journey was hard fought and I loved the complexity of the characters.

This was such a sweet read! I absolutely adored Riley and Adam and I loved watching their love (finally) bloom. A second chance romance can be a little tricky plot point but it really worked here, and I loved that Riley and Adam were whole adults who had lived their lives before they came back together.

Rachel Reid truly nails queer romance that is perfectly heart-warming and just a little dirty and I can’t wait to keep reading her books!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Romance for an advanced copy of the ebook!

E-ARC generously provided by Carina Adores/Harper in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much!

Tender, angsty, and containing the exact alchemical mix of romance tropes that is catnip to me, The Shots You Take by Rachel Reid is a certifiable winner of a queer hockey romance that was equal parts heartwarming and heartrending.

I enjoyed this hockey romance set in Nova Scotia I haven't read many books set in Canada and it makes sense that we finally get a hockey one set there. I'm normally not a fan of second chance romances and I don't read many M/M romances. But I'm a sucker for the whole two idiots in love.

This was a very emotional second chance story about two former NHL players, now in their early 40s, who used to be teammates, best friends, and roommates, and would hook up sometimes. Riley knew he was gay and was in love with Adam, whereas as Adam remained in denial about what his feelings and experiences meant, and hurt Riley multiple times because of it before they didn't see each other for 12 years.

He married a woman, had kids, and only just retired from hockey recently. Riley left the sport at 29 needing help with mental health and addiction, neither of which were supported in the league or discussed at the time. He went back to his small Nova Scotia town, figured out his stuff, and built a quiet life for himself and his dog Lucky with family nearby. But now his dad has died, which has thrown him for a loop, and amidst his already deep sorrow and grief, Adam shows up for the funeral wanting to talk.

The men spend an initially fraught week together working through their emotions, finally coming clean about things (including Adam's divorce), and trying to avoid their attraction, at first. It's a slow burn, but feelings are still there too and what they end up with is beautiful and joyful, even with Adam's trip home to Toronto looming.

I really liked this book, it got me in my feelings as a queer person and someone who loves second chance romances. It didn't blow me away as something I'd want to scream about from roof tops but I think that's mostly due to its more somber, serious tone. It was a bit confusing at times whose POV we were in since it switches mid chapter sometimes and was in 3rd person without name labels for the sections, but there's a chance that's just an ARC formatting issue so I don't hold that against it. After all, it still had me captivated enough to stay up into the night to finish it, and that says a lot.

Thank you to Harlequin Books for the arc!

•second chance queer hockey romance
•MCs in their 40's
•small town Nova Scotia
•CW: grief, loss of a parent, mental health (depression and emotional regulation disorder with flare up on page)
•Release date: Mar 4/25

After moving back to Avery River, Riley hoped to leave his broken heart and hockey career behind him. But when tragedy brings his ex-teammate Shep back into his life, old wounds reopen and undeniable chemistry remains years later. I love a small-town second-chance romance and this one certainly delivered.

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This was a second chance story about two previous best friends who haven’t spoken in 12 years reunited after the (off page) death of a beloved parent. I loved the Nova Scotia setting and their happily ever after in the epilogue.

After moving back to his hometown ten years ago, Riley Tuck thought he had left his major league hockey career—and his broken heart—far behind. But when an unexpected tragedy strikes, it brings ex-teammate and former best friend with benefits Adam Sheppard back into his life.

Coming to the small town of Avery River, Nova Scotia, might have been a mistake. Adam’s not sure he’ll ever win back Riley’s trust after the way they left things—and the attention he’s getting as a huge hockey star isn’t exactly helping. Yet the chemistry that crackles between them is undeniable, even now. As Adam helps Riley navigate his grief, long-buried feelings start to resurface. But they’ll have to square off with their complicated past if they’re going to have a real shot at a new beginning.

Ugh. I had to force myself through this, and I don't think I would have finished it, if it wasn't an ARC. I am torn on this one. I hated Adam. Did he redeem himself? There are behaviors and ways you treat a person that I consider unacceptable, and he crossed that line. But I also believe that people can grow and change. Which side are you on? Half of me gives this book 5⭐ for making me believe he redeemed himself, and half of me gives it 1⭐ for fooling everyone into thinking he did. Which side will you fall on? 3.5⭐ rounded up, because any book that makes me so conflicted is making me think and will stick with me for a long time!

I received an advanced complimentary digital copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

I cannot, in good faith, recommend this book. The character Adam feels so insufferably irredeemable that reading his journey to a happy ending feels not only infuriating, but a complete waste of time. Riley deserves better. Riley deserves a second book where he ditches this absolute loser and finds himself someone worthy of his love and attentions.

Riley & Adam
Rating: 3.4⭐

- Former Hockey Teammates
- Hurt/Comfort
- Coming Out
- Friends to Lovers to Strangers to Lovers
- Second Chance
- Small Town
- 12yrs Separation
- Found Family
- Based in Canada

Overall, the book was okay. Any of the current timeline chapters were what I liked most, especially learning about Riley's small town, family and found family. There really wasn't any hockey in this hockey book, just flashbacks to when they played together, if they were watching it on TV, or Adam's injuries. Riley is dealing with the grief of losing his father and taking over the family business, when Adam comes crashing back into his life. That's a lot to deal with at one time. The book is very character driven and emotions are aplenty with these two.

The flashback chapters are what kept throwing me out of the story because I just hate Adam and can't forgive him. I understand their relationship and connection but I could not get past the multitude of things he did or said. If it was just the one thing that caused the separation of their friendship then okay fine, but it was SO MANY THINGS! Having him weasel his way back into Riley's good graces just seemed like a black mark on Riley and his progress over the years.

Content Warnings (may contain spoilers):
- Graphic sexual content between consenting adults
- Explicit language
- Mentions of hockey injury and recovery
- Mentions of parental death by heart attack
- Mentions of excessive alcohol consumption
- Mentions of depression and anxiety
- Mentions of therapy and treatment
- Infidelity
- Internal Homophobia
- Homophobic fans comments
- Dealing with grief

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Verse: Yes
HEA: Yes
POV: Dual
Breakup: They weren't dating when they separated
Cheat: Yes, Adam cheated on his wife with Riley
OM/OW Drama: Yes, Adam would sleep with women after an encounter with Riley. Then he became and dad and got married.
Ages: 40's

4.5 ⭐️

Another heartwarming, emotional love story from Rachel Reid.

As usual I absolutely adored both of the main characters, Riley & Adam. Reid does such a good job creating 3 dimensional characters that you fall in love with.

It was refreshing to read a romance book about people who are more middle aged than in their 20s. 2nd chances are so important and the perspective of being married to a woman and then divorcing is one often not explored as much. The love all the secondary characters had for Riles & Shep was lovely to see.

The topic of grief is such a universal topic and I felt she did a create job exploring all the different aspects and journeys people go through.

This book had me yearning for a small time rural life making jams and gardening.

SO GOOD. Another perfect book from Rachel Reid.
- I loved both main characters
- all the secondary characters too
- so many other things that are my personal favs: ugh so much pining!, beachy vibes, gardening, beautiful house vibes, loving family, found queer family, a sweet dog, and HOCKEY obvs (though there’s a lot less on ice hockey time than her other books)
- the second chance romance is really well done; I love it when an author can achieve that tricky balance between changed characters falling for the new people they are in the present but the original love from the past is still there
- this is a slow burn and maybe not as hot as some of Reid’s other books, but it’s still plenty spicy, and the flashbacks give some heat that helps counterbalance the slower pace of the romance in the present
- one character is grieving over losing a parent for most of the book, and Reid handles this with care but doesn’t shy away from it either
- both characters are working through a lot of regrets and I liked how the book makes you think about regret, learning from it, not erasing it, but also finding a way through it
- I also appreciated the mental health rep
- There’s a really hard earned and very satisfying HEA that happens throughout the book, not just at the end

Just an all-around amazing book; all the stars!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Riley is going through the worst day of his life. His father’s funeral is the last place he expected to see his ex-teammate and ex-best friend, Adam. Adam worries he made a mistake coming to the funeral, but he wants to apologize for how he left things all those years ago. Initially, Riley does not want him around, but Adam keeps showing up and reminding him of the good times. Not only that, the chemistry is still intense between the two of them. Riley needs to decide if he can move on from the pain of the past or if he will carry it with him forever.

The grief in this book is raw and real. Riley is grieving the loss of his father, and the author managed to convey this through the pages. Initially, I didn’t think I agreed with the romance. I disliked Adam, especially once we learned what he had done. As we progressed through the story, I started to like him. He cared so much for Riley, and we learned that Riley crushed Adam in his way. I loved the parts of the present where Adam showed up for Riley and was there to hold him, feed him and make him laugh when things felt hard. It was those kind, tender moments that stood out for me. Though Adam redeemed himself, it took some time for both the reader and Riley to come to terms with it.

One of the things I liked is that this book featured 40-something people finding themselves and each other after a long time apart. These two men had lived so much of their lives, but at the same time, they started living when they came together. I also loved the small town Nova Scotian community and all the people who supported Riley.

I thought this was a great second-chance romance. I felt connected to Adam and Riley and loved that they did the work to move forward in a relationship. Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Romance for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

Heat Factor: I felt like it was an extremely slow burn, but that’s because I was focused on the present—they actually do have a couple moments in the flashbacks, though
Character Chemistry: “How are they going to fix this decades old mess?” energy
Plot: Adam decides the right time to try to repair his relationship with Riley is at Riley’s dad’s funeral, and after a very rough start, it turns out he’s right because Riley needs closure and new friendship in several different ways
Overall: Somehow this book exemplifies both why I am extremely leery of second chances and why they can hit really well

I have reached the conclusion that there is something about Rachel Reid’s voice that just works for me. And so, even though we’re dealing with a second chance that has flashback chapters, I found myself so happily reading.

"Adam was standing by the stove, wearing an apron and stirring something in Riley’s largest pot. Fresh parsley was chopped on a small wooden cutting board, and, most startlingly, there was a large bouquet of flowers on the kitchen table, arranged in one of Riley’s vintage green glass vases.
"“Hi,” Adam said, smiling shyly.
"It was probably a symptom of Riley’s age, or maybe the fact that he was, at his core, a deeply boring man, but he realized in that moment that he was looking at his ultimate fantasy."

What a perfect illustration of both what is happening and an entirely relatable sentiment in four sentences, right? And there are so many of those little moments, where the very humanity of mixed feelings or self-deception shines through in what amounts to a bunch of asides that ultimately make the book.

Anyway, I wasn’t sold on this romance at the beginning. Adam made some choices that most people would find next to impossible to come back from, and the prospect of Riley reasonably forgiving Adam enough not only to get past the old history but to choose Adam as his forever person? That’s a pretty big hurdle to overcome, especially when we’re looking at a matter of days, rather than years, to achieve it. But then Riley absolutely crushed Adam, too, just in a different way.

The story is this: Adam and Riley were inseparable best friends and roommates who had amazing chemistry on the ice. And, as it so happened, off the ice. But, being gay in hockey in the early aughts was a non-starter, so when they got physical with each other three years into their friendship, Adam excused it as drunk bros blowing off steam. Riley, on the other hand, knew he was gay all along, but he wasn’t about to upset the status quo either, so he put up with a lot just to keep Adam. A lot, up to and including being Adam’s best friend and uncle to Adam’s kids after Adam got married. By the time Riley finally ran (and basically ghosted Adam), their relationship had been messy as hell for almost a decade, and neither man had handled himself well at all. (Shocking for a couple of twenty-year-old men reared in the pinnacle of toxic masculinity culture, I know.)

So, the story picks up when both Adam and Riley are over forty. They’ve had a lot of time to grow up and, you know, “to thine own self be true” kind of stuff. They’re also still carrying a torch for each other. Adam for the man who got away because he was too stupid to be brave, and Riley, pissed at himself for being unable to let go and move on. And really, for all an outsider looking in might be like, “Dude don’t! What are you doooooooing?!” the choice is ultimately for the people actually in the relationship to make. What they’re willing to hold on to or let go of as they go through the trifecta of seeing their partner, choosing their partner, and being someone their partner can rely on is a deeply personal choice and usually has little to do with psychology best practices because people are human, and humans are imperfect beings. Reid captures that really well, I think. They have to get all that hurt out, but they also have to let it go, and there was no clear moment in the story when it went from “Adam better grovel until his knees give out” to “Adam is the one person Riley should never let go of.” The transition occurred so naturally that I have no idea when I went from one thought to the other for these two.

For a second chance romance, that’s a difficult transition to achieve, and (for me) Reid succeeded here. There’s a lot of empathy without excusing past choices. That said, I alluded to what I like and don’t like about second chances, and what I don’t like is flashbacks. I almost never think they’re worthwhile. This book has a fair number of flashbacks that are very reasonably included to develop the emotional intimacy that is often lacking in second chance romances because it’s off page before the book even started. So, even though I don’t like them, I cannot deny that the flashbacks in this book absolutely do their intended job. Furthermore, I honestly cannot imagine how Reid could have possibly written the absolute gut punch of Riley telling Adam he loved him and Adam laughing it off when they were younger, without it being on page in the present moment. I gasped. It evoked a visceral response. But, from a narrative construction standpoint, that means that a fair chunk of text is focused on the past and not on the present second chance of the romance, so readers not into flashbacks who are not already Rachel Reid fans be advised.

For all that the action really happens over a matter of days, the feel of the story is that it’s a pretty slow burn. It’s so heavily focused on the emotional recovery from loss to a new normal that it can’t really feel like it’s moving quickly, or we’d have some cognitive dissonance about how fast switches flipped in the wake of tragedy. And yet, when I thought about it after I was done, I realized that everything happened really fast. This is helped by the fact that Adam and Riley do have a very intimate past relationship, and it probably would have gotten boring if it had been dragged out indefinitely instead of Adam having a limited stay in New Brunswick. It’s just a very emotional book. I didn’t even realize until I was two thirds through the book, thinking, “man this is a really slow burn” that the flashbacks had included sex. I just didn't even register it because that was then and not part of their current journey.

This book might be best suited to seasoned readers with some life experience who are comfortable sitting with some really big feelings. If that’s a draw for you, this is a great read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report (March 2025)

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC!

I do enjoy a good second-chance-romance but there are two main issues I see frequently pop up that do bother me, and which this book subverted beautifully.

Issue 1: “No one was in the wrong.” In some second-chance-romances, we find out that in the dissolution of the relationship the first time, no one was really in the wrong. It was a miscommunication, or a natural growing apart, or something. In The Shots You Take, there are very much people in the wrong in the ending of this relationship. Neither of them are entirely blameless, but there was certainly some very bad actions taken that lead to the end of this relationship and the book doesn’t shy away from the negative impacts that those choices had on the character in the interim between the end of the relationship and the reunion. When it comes to them talking about it again, as well, the characters feel the weight of their actions in a way that felt realistic, and it’s not simply brushed away.

Issue 2: “No one’s done the work.” Often, there is no reason why the romance would suddenly work this time around. If you’ve had an unsuccessful relationship with someone in the past, love simply isn’t enough – you have to have changed and grown in some way to make the relationship work. You need to be different people than you were back then, and that is very much the case here! Both characters have grown and change and one of them is even in therapy! From what we see throughout the story, there is very much a realistic chance of this relationship working out compared to what I see in other second-chance-romances.

Also, there’s a dog called Lucky in this book. What more can you ask for?