Back in the day Riley and Adam played hockey together, all the way up through a Cup win. They also did other things together, in a friends/roommates with benefits, as long as they’re able to blame not being sober, and never talk about it way. Adam’s mostly unspoken rules, Riley pining for more.
Now it’s been years, and they haven’t talked at all, their ending abrupt and devastating - especially for Riley’s mental stability. Both of their careers over, Riley stepping away from the game years prior, Adam more recently due to repeated injuries.
When Riley’s father passes and Adam shows up for the funeral it opens up old wounds, but gives them a chance to connect again - this time with a combination of therapy on one side and more self awareness on the other. But the tables have maybe not turned but tilted, this time Riley is trying to protect his heart, while Adam pushes to stay in his life.

There’s a lot of talk about mental health struggles, grieving, sobriety. The sadness of wasted time is also A Thing. There’s emotions all up in this book.
When they’re fighting it drags everything they pushed down back them up again, which is rough, but it felt like things they needed to get out.
And with all that, it made me believe their second chance wouldn’t only work, but thrive.
I appreciated that Adam’s wife not only wasn’t cast as a villain, but that she and Adam had done their own clearing of the air previously, and that they had a friendly coparenting situation between them.
Most of all, I loved the epilogue, it wraps everything up perfectly.

Thank you to NetGalley and harlequin/carina for the arc

rachel reid is so talented in writing the coziest and touching stories. by the end of this book, i couldn’t stop smiling - there’s something so beautiful about people going through loss together, and learning how to lean on each other after not seeing each other for years.

the start was a bit rough for me - but adam was so soft for riley in the present. i love how he provided support even when riley couldn’t handle being loved, and how he consistently stayed with him even when it was difficult, giving riley the space that he needs to heal while still being a solid shoulder to lean on. the flowers, and the breakfasts, and volunteering for the town riley’s dad loved so much, and helping out in the store - there was something so tender about seeing someone showing love through actions rather than just words.

i also enjoyed how they were adults and already went through so much already - the bickering with adam’s kids was fun, and seeing them past the highlight of their careers, trying to find who they are without hockey was great.

unfortunately, i didn’t love the setup of the book - i was all for the idea for a second chance romance, especially in the past teammates who were friends-with-benefits. <SPOILER> however, i didn’t like the circumstances that forced them to reconnect. it felt a bit weird that they started talking at the funeral for riley’s dad after 12 years - even disrespectful for the dad. and the mentions on how adam cheated on his wife and she forgave him and still stayed friends with him was also slightly weird - good for her for being mature, and good for him for finding his sexuality and trying to be himself, but something felt a bit off about that entire situation. it took me a long time to actually connect with the characters rather than judge their past actions. </SPOILER>

some of the conversations between adam and riley also felt a bit off - too quick for anger and too quick to let everything go. but, once they truly started to be honest with each other, it was all worth it.

overall, a good combination between heartwarming wholesome romance and intense journey of self discovering and grief.

Rachel Reid is a dependable, reliable source for hockey romance novels and it is always fun to read the newest entry. Not life changing but perfectly serviceable if this is a genre you like.

The Shots You Take was a beautiful, heart wrenching, and touching romance. I will be the first to say this may be one of my favorite books of the entire year.

The novel follows Riley and Adam, who have known each other for decades at this point. It utilizes dual timelines in order to portray the heartening second-chance romance. Reid did a wonderful job with the dual timeline, and I enjoyed how we often got glimpses of the past as they were referenced in the current timeline.

Both characters in the story are going through a rough time in their lives—Riley is dealing with the grief of losing his father and Adam is balancing his divorce and coming to terms with his sexuality. After twelve years of not talking, the two come back together in a witty and emotional collision. I appreciated how Reid handled difficult topics in this book, such as homophobia and mental health. It added a depth to the story that overall just made the book so much more impactful.

And oh my god. I LOVED Riley and Adam together. The angst to fluff ratio was perfect. I loved the friends-to-lovers trope combined with the second chance. There was something about the way that Reid wrote their love story that made everything so much more emotional. Everything about their love story felt real and raw and beautiful.

I would recommend this story to anyone who loves a great second chance romance or friends-to-lovers. This was definitely a 5 stars for me, and I can’t wait to read more by the author.

Very cute and a little cheesy (complimentary). Surprising even myself, I found myself wishing there was more hockey because it turns out I like the team dynamics. (The players are both retired, but there were some good flashback chapters.) Lotsa pining in this one and we know I’m a sucker for that.

Perhaps it's my current era of wanting very sad hockey men to find love, especially when they are over the age of 30, but this might be the best book Rachel has written yet.

The slow burn second chance romance with plenty of angst, groveling, and tenderness, was wonderfully done. You could really see the growth of the characters throughout the book from the flashbacks to learning how to be together after all those years. The two main characters are so complicated and are written with a lot of depth. And the richness of the coastal setting! It's a compelling read from start to finish. There is a lot of grief and working through its many layers, so this is absolutely not a romcom, but it's an enjoyable read all the same.

Thank you Harlequin Romance - Carina Adores for an ARC copy.

I really don't have much to say other than I absolutely INHALED this book. Five stars from me. I needed something angsty to read at the time and this book DELIVERED. There was so much angst from basically page one. This book was stuffed full of feelings and emotions while being incredibly refreshing at the same time. These characters are no longer in their prime, so they realize they have to be honest with each other (instead of wasting so much time) after years of dancing around their feelings and it was just so refreshing to read.

If you're looking for a MM Hockey Romance with older characters and every emotion under the sun, I definitely rec this.

I've also heard similar things about the author's other books so I'll definitely be checking out her back log.

After retiring early from professional hockey ten years prior, Riley has made a life for himself in his home town of Nova Scotia, working in his family's sporting goods store, restoring his cabin by the sea, and gardening. When his father unexpectedly passes from a heart attack, he couldn't imagine any more grief or heart break until his ex-BFF and long-time crush, Adam, appears at the funeral. When Adam drops the news that he's divorced his wife and realized that he's gay and regrets how he treated Riley, Riley wonders if he can forgive the only man he's ever really loved.

I can never say enough good things about Rachel Reid's books. She's a master of the mm hockey romance subgenre and it's a wonder she can craft so many books in the same niche and they all be so good AND unique. I loved this one, which wasn't without its spice, but was softer and more romantic than some of her other books (I'm looking at you, favorite child Heated Rivalry). It's not always what I'm in the mood for, or necessarily what I expect from Reid, but it was a nice change of pace. I loved these two fools and really enjoyed seeing characters in their forties come together.

Thanks to Carina for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 9/10

The shots you take is a perfect read. Heartfelt, charming, and sweet, this is a second chance romance that isn’t to be missed.

Riley is having enough a hard time handling the passing of his father, that he is very unimpressed when his ex-best friend and situationship shows back up in his life at the funeral. But Adam has done a lot of growing since the two last saw each other and is finally ready to apologize. With Adam’s help and the support of his family, Riley is able to process his grief, forgive Adam, and explore the connection they can have now.

The Shots You Take is full of Rachel Reid’s fabulous charm, banter, and romance and I loved every minute of. I’d highly recommend any and all romance fans pick this one up.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Harelquin-Romance for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved the relationship between the two characters, the flashbacks were utilized well to the story. As an angst lover, it was not over the top, but also not as much as I would have expected.

I wish we had seen more of Adam's character, especially as a father and ex-husband. Those aspects of the story really seemed like an afterthought. There are almost no scenes with his kids and when there are its about Adam, not them. I wish that we could have seen Adam developing more as a person and then feel healthy enough to enter a relationship.

<b>3.5 Stars</b>

I didn't realize this wasn't due to release until 2025 but this author is one of the few authors I can consistently count on to deliver a good and highly readable story so I jumped in like the hedonist I am. I'm glad I did because she did deliver. It was so nice to find myself <i>wanting</i> to read, which has been hard to come by for me lately, being invested in these characters and breezing through this quickly, which also hasn't been happening for me lately. So a huge thank you to Rachel Reid, Netgalley and Carina.

[book:The Shots You Take|210202493] is a friends to enemies to lovers second chance romance involving older/retired hockey players that doesn't shy away from the difficulties of life e.g. grief, mental illness and the struggles of being LGBTQIA+ especially in the professional sports realm. Unexpectedly, this book was light on the hockey I've come to expect from this author and I have to admit, I missed the hockey. Even though I know zippity-do-dah about hockey; it's the team dynamics and locker room antics that I truly missed.

However, it was heartwarming to read about two middle aged men finding love and I did enjoy their journey, though it was difficult at times. Was it my favorite book by this author? No, but I did really enjoy reading it and feeling excited to read again.

As always, my opinions are my own and YMMV.

The way I absolutely INHALED this book! Heated Rivalry and The Long Game were two of my top books this year, so when I saw a new MM hockey romance by Rachel Reid- I was over the moon!

When I say I love MM hockey romance with angst- THIS IS WHAT I MEAN!

I adored Adam and Riley. I loved the second chance romance and the emotional reunion. I liked that they were in their 40s and had lived 12 years apart before reconnecting- it felt realistic. I enjoyed the flashbacks to when they were teammates and best friends. I actually would have liked a few more of the chapters to be set in the past to really drive home how much they were both hurting in the present. I also wish we could have had them have a conversation about Riley’s drinking and depression back when he left Toronto. The book kind of hinted we would see that and then we never did.

Nevertheless, this book is overall fantastic and I wish it were longer. I will gladly read any hockey book that Rachel Reid puts out at this point.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m usually not a fan of second chance romance, especially when it ended bad between the two MCs. But since it’s Rachel Reid I was ready to give it a chance and this felt like a brick to the face…in a good way?
This whole book just felt sad. Riley just lost his beloved father and the last thing he needs is for the love of his life to appear at the funeral, 12 years after they talked for the last time.
I was SO ready to hate Adam for everything he has done, but this story simply shows how bad it is for (men) in professional sports if you’re queer. Riley and Adam are in their 40s, so when they just started out their NHL career thinks had been even worse, not only in sports, but the general acceptance for queer people.
While Riley at least had a loving family, Adam grew up in an unsupportive household in every way, so I kinda got where he came from and why he acted the way he did.
For years both of them have been hurting in their own way ans Adam really did his everything to support Riley in one of the worst times of his life.
I loved how they slowly warmed up to each other again, how Adam made small changes to Rileys situation turn into happier moments.
They actually talked and stopped denying themselves.
When this book started in the most sad way, it ended in the happiest way possible and made me want 300 pages more of them. I flew through this story and couldn’t think about anything else.
For a person who’s not into sad books OR second chance romance this made me change my mind about both!

Rachel Reid can do no wrong in my book. She writes the most romantic but painful love stories and I say thank you for the suffering. This is a second chance story which usually isn't my favorite but I knew with Rachel Reid I would've had to trust her and I'm glad I did. Second chance, older MCs, retired hockey players, hurt comfort, it was just the exact amount of angst and swoon I crave and love.
The story goes back and forth for a bit to let us understand what happened between the two guys who were bffs but had a friend break up and hadn't spoken nor seen each other for over 10 years. I liked how there were obviously misunderstandings but there were also the big feelings of both of the men, different emotions but hard all the same. The road to forget and forgive is long and full of hard times but you know it's going to be worth it. And it was because I fell in love with the small town, the people, and with these two precious guys who deserved the second chance at love.

A romance that spanned decades, comes to a head after being reunited due to terrible circumstances.

Riley’s father had just passed and the last person he ever thought he would see at his father’s funeral was Adam Sheppard. The man who broke his heart over and over again. It was entirely infuriating that Adam had the balls to show up. What Riley did not count on was the fact that Adam was not giving up on him, no matter how much Riley fought him on it.

The grief Riley experienced with his father hurt. Then he was having to address the grief he experienced seeing Adam and how much his life changed after. The more Adam worked to draw Riley out, to remind him to breathe and continue on, the easier it was for Riley to remember how much he was attracted to Adam.

I loved both Riley and Adam’s separate stories. Riley had so much to address within himself and it took him years to find equilibrium. Then Adam had taken years to learn who he was at his core, and come to terms with the fact he truly saw himself as a gay man. Even after he had married and had children. It was sweet how much Adam cared for his ex-wife and his children.

They found the chemistry, the push and pull of should we or should we not. It was a progression that felt natural between the two of them. There was a tenderness to them and how they treated each other.

Normally, I am not one for epilogues. But this one had the perfect epilogue. It wrapped up their story in the best way possible!

The Shots You Take is a very sweet and emotional queer romance about former best friends/teammates with benefits reuniting after years apart. I felt like this book did a really good job at having believable angst and reasons for why it takes Riley and Adam so long to rekindle their relationship. A lot has to be done to rebuild trust and heal from their pasts. Even though there were times I wanted to just scream “make out already” at the characters, it made sense why they were taking things slow.

This is technically a sports romance since Riley and Adam were teammates in the past. But at the point this story takes place they’re both retired. But a lot of the book is dealing with their relationships with the sport and having conversations about homophobia in hockey and the treatment of mental illness in the sports world. So because they’re not active players it’s not a sports romance where there’s pages and pages dedicated to play by play action in games and practices.

The book is mostly set in 2024, but there are a few chapters that go back into the past and show some of Riley and Adam’s prior experiences with one another. I did like getting those perspectives, however I was a little bit letdown that even within the flashback chapters we don’t get to read about their first times firsthand. It’s like one of them will reminisce on it instead of it actually happening in that chapter. Also, there are some things that are mentioned in passing in the epilogue that I really wanted to be able to read about fully rather than having it be glossed over.

But overall I thought this was a very moving romance following two men in their 40s. It deals with grief, coming out, making up for past wrongs, and forging a new path. But outside of the serious times it does have plenty of steam and fun moments. Definitely add this one to your TBR if you’re in the market for a different take on a queer sports romance.

I have joined the hockey romance bandwagon and really loved this queer take on the genre. I'll read more by Rachel Reid.

I liked so much about The Shots You Take that I should give it a five star review. Nonetheless, I think author Rachel Reid went too far wit it. There were too many sex scenes and the details presented in those scenes were really not necessary. If i want to read porn, I know where to find it.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

I will without fail read anything Rachel Reid writes. She has such a way with words and characters that is unmatched in anything else I’ve ever read in the hockey romance subgenre or in romance in general. What a beautiful book.

This book had me so emotional!! I’m drawn to queer love stories because there is often elements of longing, struggle, angst, and hurt that you just don’t get in the same way in straight relationships, but this book took it up a notch. It started off breaking your heart with one of the MMC dealing with the loss of their father. You could really feel Riley’s pain & I was legit crying many times! And as if that wasn’t bad enough, as the story progresses, you learn about Riley and Adam’s past. I won’t get into it because I don’t want to spoil any of the story, but a few chapters flipped back in time so you could slowly start putting the puzzle pieces together of their decades long story and it was heartbreaking. I really enjoyed the time changes though, which were infrequent, and when I got to a chapter that was back in time, I was always really excited to get to learn more of their story.

And in the end, I do love how things turned out for Riles and Shep. I was so glad to see them get their hard earned HEA. And the only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is because I felt the ending was a little rushed. The whole story build up was so good & then it felt like it just ended and I really wanted more!