Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me with a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

The Shots You Take is a beautiful, bittersweet second chance romance about two retired hockey stars who are meeting again for the first time in over a decade. I fell in love with these characters and their story. I liked that we get some flashback chapters to clarify the moments that shaped their relationship in the past. I also like reading about mature characters who have grown into knowing what they wanted. I also think Riley's mental health struggles were depicted with a lot of respect and grace. I really like the second chance trope, and I think this one was very well done, showing the slow process of regaining trust and evolving into something more. Rachel Reid's writing and character develop are top notch. I recommend this book for fans of queer romance or sports romance!

Thank you to Harlequin for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own

A great story of redemption and second chances. The characters were well thought about and they made you want to root for them. It also shows how hard life can be where it is a death of a family member or coming to terms with who you are.

If you're looking at this and thinking, "I'm not sure I'm going to be really interested in a hockey romance that takes place after both players have retired," PLEASE BANISH THAT THOUGHT FROM YOUR MIND.

Rachel Reid is a Canadian treasure and this book is incredible. It's an incredibly emotional, moving story about two people who love (and have loved) each other deeply but struggled to express it. There's a fair amount of trauma and mental health struggles, but Rachel Reid handles these issues so delicately.

The Shots You Take is, in a way, a more mature story than some of Reid's previous books. And, if you've read the Game Changers series, keep in mind that this is a standalone that takes place in a fictional universe where none of the events of that series happened. But if you've read that series, you'll notice the same sweetness, chemistry, and rawness in this book

The thing that stayed with me from this book, beyond the incredible love story, is how fantastic Rachel Reid's writing is. She has a talent for conveying deep emotion without resorting to flowery language or gimmick. It's deceptively simple yet, as a reader, you feel the emotion that the characters are feeling because you can imagine yourself in the moment.

Absolutely a five star read. Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the eArc. This book made my year.

This book was lovely and romantic and dealt with some intense themes around grief, depression, celebrity status, and outing. The second-chance romance was well-done, and I liked all of the communication in here! A great audiobook too. Very solid 4 stars.

🌈Queer rep: MM main couple, gay male main characters. Secondary MM and FF couples.

My 8yo asked me about The Shots You Take. So I gave a plot summary. Christmas morning (Merry Christmas!) while waiting for their dad to get up, he’s sharing the plot summary with his brother. 😂
8: These two boys are best friends. The one friend loves the other friend. Then that friend meets a girl.
10: 🙄 I bet they fight over the girl.
8: No! The friend marries the girl but then he divorces her bc he realizes he loves his friend!

And that’s the summary. It was beautiful. Rachel Reid cannot write a bad book.

I absolutely love Rachel Reid but this book did not speak to me in the way that her other books have. It’s was a decent book,

Riley and Adam were fine. They were MMCS that were good people but I just missed the connection between them and i wanted to live them so much more than I did .

I'm a sports romance fan, especially for gay romance. It was cute to read how the kids were okay with their dad being gay and the relationships of those around them.

It's nice to have a hockey romance that isn't about college kids! "The Shots You Take" is a sad and super angsty dual-timeline, second-chance romance.

The problem, which entirely overwhelms the story: Adam is a bad friend, an absentee father, and a cheater! Adam doesn't deserve to be happy with Riley after how he treated him. Truly, some good character and plot elements, and the writing is fine, but Adam is terrible.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

I'm not usually a fan of second chance romances, but this book was lovely! What set it apart was the tender authenticity surrounding the relationship between two former NHL players (and best friends) in their forties. Riley is out, while Adam is still quietly grieving the life he never allowed himself to fully live. There are themes of grief, regret, and coming out later in life, all portrayed with a compassionate touch.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin-Romance for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I will always say yes to a Rachel Reid book. And this one? Yeah, it blew me out of the water. And while doing so it broke me and put me back together.

There was honestly so much hurt and longing in this book both in the present chapters and in the past. It was enough to break a person, and it did. The story was filled with so much heartbreak, resentment, and much needed mending.

Don’t sleep on this read because it was written for those who need hope after a deep-rooted heartbreak.

This was a nice read. There were many emotional moments as they discussed and worked through multiple difficult topics, which added a lot to the romance. I would have liked to see more of the "why" they loved each other and were going to be a good couple in the long run.

This was a fun read, I really liked the romance within. I also liked the characters individually, which doesn't always happen with romance. I found the setting to be nice as well. Overall I found this to be a good read, nicely paced, and the perfect amount of spice

Rachel Reid is the queen of hockey romances. This one is so good! As someone in their late 30s it's nice to read a romance that wasn't super mature or super young. I have already reread this! Perfection.

The Shots You Take is a masterful exploration of love, loss, and the courage to embrace one's true self. Reid's nuanced portrayal of Riley and Adam's journey offers a refreshing take on the second-chance romance genre, making it a must-read for fans of emotionally resonant love stories.

The Shots You Take is a warm, emotional second-chance romance about two former hockey teammates, Riley and Adam, reconnecting after years apart. There’s a lot of heart and history between them—they were best friends, secretly lovers, and then everything fell apart. Now they’re stuck back in their small hometown, facing the past and figuring out if there’s still something real between them.

This one hits all the good tropes: second chance romance, friends to lovers, forced proximity, and a cozy small-town setting. It’s a slower burn with a lot of emotional depth, perfect if you’re into romances that focus on healing and personal growth. A thoughtful, tender read that still gives you all the feels.

I don’t always enjoy books that involve revenge and shaming, but for this particular book I could not put it down. I really enjoyed the writing style and I could not look away.

I used to be all about enemies to lovers but I think a second chance friends to lovers read is in a league all it's own. There's nothing that hits the angst better and sets the emotional stakes higher. And The Shots You Take? Oh man, def hits this trope out of the park. Thanks to @harlequin for the ebook.

✔️ Hockey Romance
✔️ Second Chance
✔️ Friends to Lovers
✔️ Roommates
✔️ It's Just Sex
✔️ Small Town
✔️ Hurt/Comfort

The last person Riley wants to see during his father's funeral? His former bff Adam who be used to hook up with back when they were teammates until that dynamic proved to be too painful and he left that team suddenly. Now, Riley is more well-adjusted, but yeah, this blast from the past who is just as hot as ever is bringing back old feelings and making life more complicated again (in good and bad ways!)

I love this as a setup. If you know me, you'll know that Him by Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen and The Understatement of the Year by Sarina Bowen are two of my faves. They're both second chance friends to lovers set in the hockey world; The Shots You Take will live right next to them as I think best in class of this very specific trope pairing.

The raw pain Riley feels around Adam as well as all the gooey feelings from early in their relationship? You waffle between both as you read and you feel just as torn as Riley. The plot os great, the characters are too, particularly Riley's friends and family - all combine to make this story feel like it's happening to someone close to you.

5⭐️

Steam 🔥🔥
Banter 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️
Swoon 💕💕💕💕💕

The Shots You Take is an emotionally charged second-chance romance that doesn’t pull any punches (especially when it comes to grief, regret, and the messy process of healing). Rachel Reid excels at diving deep into raw emotional territory, and the characters in this story grapple with love, loss, and the weight of their shared past.

Riley is a beautifully drawn character, reeling from the sudden death of his father, who was his biggest supporter. The grief is palpable and heartfelt, and those early chapters hit hard. Then there’s Adam: the once-closeted ex-best friend who broke Riley’s heart and has now reappeared just in time for the funeral. It’s complicated, to say the least.

This story walks the fine line between tender and infuriating. Adam’s past actions are hard to forgive—he hurt Riley deeply and for a long time—but the slow rebuilding of trust is written with nuance. There’s a lot of groveling, and while I still had mixed feelings about Adam by the end, I appreciated his growth and the small, quiet ways he tried to show up this time around.

The writing is strong, the emotional beats are intense, and the intimacy—both physical and emotional—feels earned. While some elements strained believability (like Adam’s oddly invisible children and the overly neat resolution with his ex-wife), the overall story felt authentic in its portrayal of mid-life love and redemption.

This isn’t a lighthearted read, but it’s one that stays with you. I definitely recommend this book for readers who like their romances complicated, cathartic, and packed with feeling.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The biggest issue with second chance romances is that there can often times be a lot of emotional baggage right from the beginning without any great context for it. For this book it seemed to really stymy my emotional investment from the start. I'm sure people can enjoy this for the steamy romance scenes but I didn't care enough about the characters themselves to stay invested with how the story was told.

Rep: MLM romance

4.5 Stars.

FULL REVIEW IN MY BLOG:
https://aishasbookworld.wordpress.com/2025/02/24/review-the-shots-you-take-by-rachel-reid/

“Hockey makes us into liars.”
Riley’s fingers stopped. “Hm?”
“Liars,” Adam repeated without opening his eyes. “About how much pain we’re in. Mental health, addiction, all of it.”

Riley Tuck and Adam Sheppard were roommates, best friends and hockey teammates in their twenties. During that time, they also had a friends with benefits dynamic. Unfortunately, while Adam saw it as a funny thing (or so he thought then), Riley had deeper feelings for Adam; he was secretly in love with his friend. Then Adam married and started a family, and Riley eventually asked for a trade and left Toronto, brokenhearted.

Twelve years later a tragedy hit Riley’s family and Adam, now divorced, shows up in Avery River, Nova Scotia to support him. But that’s not Adam’s only purpose to come to Riley’s hometown after so many years, he also wants to make things right with the man he finally has the courage to love. Their reunion brings some truths to come out and feelings long buried resurface. Could they leave a past full of pain, to have a future together?

This book is simply fantastic. The story’s well narrated and developed, having nice transitions and well described scenes. The fact that the book goes back and forth in time, telling what happened between Riley and Adam, is great because Ms. Reid had the ability to find the perfect moment to make those time switches without interrupting present time’s chronological events. In addition, although I wanted more hockey stuff, because Adam and Riley are retired NHL players, I can buy what we have about the sport in the book. And the epilogue (guilty: I LOVE epilogues!) is PERFECT.

The Shots You Take is a story about second chances, redemption, forgiveness, friendship, grief, self growth, and love. This is my first book from this author, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to read it.

ARC given by Harlequin and Carina Adores via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for your trust.