Lucy is a Seattle-based aspiring tattoo artist but in the middle of a career slump. While out with friends she quite literally bumps into Jaylen Jones (JJ), whose hockey career may be over after his training contract isn’t renewed for the fictional Rainiers hockey team. A last-minute roster shakeup brings JJ back to the team, and convinces him that Lucy is his good luck charm. They develop a situationship with Lucy texting JJ good luck for his games, but with a tattoo apprenticeship on the line for Lucy and JJ’s tenuous hockey career on the line, will they both shoot their shot at romance?

I didn’t know the author’s backstory before reading, i.e. that she’s had her own hockey romance! I appreciated the queer representation with a bi main character and lesbian/gay best friends, in addition to aspects of mental health - and not in a way that felt exploitative. The chemistry between Lucy and JJ was palpable, even if some of Lucy’s grumpiness was a bit much at times and there maybe could have been a bit more character depth for JJ. The author’s hockey knowledge amplified the writing, and it certainly felt like rink was a central part of the story rather than a side quest like some other sports romances. I only deducted some points because for as strong as Lucy is in all other scenarios, I wasn’t the biggest fan of JJ swooping in to save her at one point with his hockey money. Still a fun read for any sports romance fans!

Reviewed as part of #ARC from #NetGalley. Many thanks to HTP Books for the opportunity to read and review. #ShootYourShot

Spice warning: moderate

Thank you so much to Lexi, NetGalley, and Harlequin for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Let me tell you, this one is for the girls who LOVE HOCKEY. Most hockey romances I read are just a romance with a “side of hockey” but Lexi told a story that brought the action on the ice AND in the bedroom. She gave me a story that had me laughing, crying and kicking my feet. I had the best time reading this! If this is the only book we ever get from her it’s a great one but I also can’t wait to see if she has more stories to tell us!

5 stars! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

3.5 rounded up!

I've followed Lexi on TikTok and Instagram for a while, and I knew I wanted to read this book as soon as I had the chance solely based on her perspective being so immersed in the NHL culture and her insider tea on all things NHL wags. I also love how outspoken she is on topics that matter, like supporting the LGBTQ+ community and sharing black history in general and as it relates to the NHL.

This book was also the perfect length with clear development, conflict resolution and relatable main characters. I loved Lucy's sass and black cat vibes, and Jaylen's golden retriever energy. This felt a little atypical in standard romance set ups in that they didn't necessarily try to fight their attraction to one another after their one night stand turned into them working in the same space. I appreciated how their relationship unfolded over the next few months and Lucy and Jaylen grew together, dealing with past traumas and mental health issues in a way that wasn't forced.

Every development felt really natural and intentional and not just included for the sake of inclusion to check a box.

This was cute! I’ve seen Lexi on TikTok talking about her experience in hockey and as an NHL WAG, so I was very excited to receive this ARC. Lexi definitely knows her stuff. Shoot Your Shot has some of my favorite ingredients in romance: black cat heroine, golden retriever hero, and a good luck charm dynamic, and a mutually beneficial agreement that turns into something more. If you like these in your hockey romance, this book is definitely for you.

I just did not love Lucy in this. Her commitment phobia bordered on irritating and made me feel genuinely bad for JJ at times. I don’t think this will bother everyone, but it did bother me. There was also something about the writing style that did not resonate with me? But I enjoyed so many elements in this, and knowing this is Lexi’s debut novel definitely makes me willing to pick up another book by her in the future.

DNF at 10%.

I love hockey, am a fan of Lexi’s and was really excited to read her debut, but unfortunately I had a hard time getting into it from the very start.

The writing style was hard to enjoy — the sentences either felt choppy or too long and were doing way more telling than showing and without really saying much. The dialogue felt kind of forced, and Lucy’s inner dialogue very much gave that she’s “not like other girls” and quickly grew tiring.

As mentioned I’m a fan of Lexi’s, which is why I requested this arc and which is also why I’m throwing in the towel a few chapters in, as I can’t bring myself to read through 300 pages of this.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc.

was so excited to dive into this hockey rom-com, especially since I’ve been following the author on TikTok for a while and have been a fan of her hubby since when he played for the MN Wild. Her debut novel definitely did not disappoint—it was everything I was hoping for!

The chemistry between the main characters was palpable, and I found it so easy to connect with both of them. Their relationship felt genuine, with moments of humor, vulnerability, and of course, some well-placed spice. The plot had a good amount of depth and emotion, and I appreciated how the author managed to balance both the sweet and the steamy aspects of the story.

While I absolutely enjoyed the book, I do think there were a couple of areas where I wished for a bit more detail or perhaps a more fleshed-out plot. Some moments felt a little rushed, and I would’ve loved a few more layers in those key scenes. But honestly, this didn’t take away from the overall enjoyment. It was an easy, fun read that kept me entertained from start to finish, with just the right amount of charm and excitement to keep me flipping pages.

If you're a fan of rom-coms with a sports twist, this is a great pick! The author’s voice is fresh and engaging, and I’m definitely looking forward to whatever she writes next.

This was a cute spin on a hockey romance. I loved that Lucy was a no nonsense FMC who makes so many mistakes in her dating life that it ends up being comical. She also has the best friends, Cooper and Maya brought so much character to the story line.

I felt as though the author did a wonderful job with the hockey knowledge. I felt like we got more of the actual hockey games than I’m used to with other hockey romances.

The story was cute. Their relationship was cute. I didn’t get the angst of a romance book and it was surprisingly pleasant and just what I needed at the time .

Tropes:
Black Cat FMC/ Golden Retriever MMC
Hockey Player / Artist
He Falls First
She’s my good luck charm

Overall, this book didn’t blow me away, but it was cute enough to enjoy until the end. If you’re a fan of a sweet romance with a little spice, a hockey romance lover, and a story to promotes LGBTQ+ you should give this one a try!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ebook arc in exchange for my honest review.

Exceptional Read
I loved Lucy, who is a bit odd, and Jaylen, the most laid-back hockey player.
Jaylen meets Lucy at a packed club when she runs into him, soaks her shirt, and drops the beers in her hands.
Jaylen doesn't know what hit him, and he plays hockey!
Lucy tries to ignore Jaylen, but he will not have it, and these two end up causing a bit of havoc before ending the night together.
Lucy has a job from hell but wants to become a tattoo artist, so he is doing all the grunt work to try to get an apprenticeship.
Lu y finds herself doing yet another grunt job, painting a mural for the towns Seattle's hockey team. Little does she know what is going to happen.
First, she's feeling sick, ends up getting hit in the face by a hockey puck. and seeing Jaylen.
Jaylen funds that Lucy has a good luck effect and asks her to be his lucky charm. Lucy, who thinks he's cra,y follows through, and these two are hilarious but also share some deep subje ts that have affected both lives. Together, they seem to help heal each other and become friends.
Jaylen has the year of hockey he never thought would ever happen, and Lucy finally gets the chance to do the apprenticeship she has dreamed of until she realizes what she really wants.

First and foremost, thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin for this eARC!

This was a lovely story, I absolutely adored JJ and his sunshine personality. And the direct contrast that Lucy was. It was different from other romances. He doesn't offer to save her by paying for everything. Lucy is completely down to earth, almost infuriatingly so. It might be the only reason I knocked it down to 4 stars. I found her perpetual pessimism almost annoying. While I get not getting your hopes up, it felt like there were times she just had a manic self destructive moment just to have one.

But it was still a very enjoyable book, that I recommend to every hockey fan!

Tropes:
-Black Cat x Golden Retriever
-Mental Health Rep
-One Night Stand

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. ❤️

If I am one thing, it’s a hockey romance girl. Add in my love for tattoos and daddy issues… this book hit a lot of personal points for me! 😂
Jalen and Lucy are two very flawed and traumatized people who through therapy and actual communication find love and growth together. And we LOVE that for them.

This book was a lot of fun, and I can definitely recommend any hockey romance lover to pick this book up once it releases!

Thank you to NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts are my own and are in no way influenced by early access to this title.

This book was one of my most anticipated this year and when I received the ARC I literally screeched. I love hockey romance books and I’m so happy this didn’t disappoint. This did not read like a debut novel at all and if I didn’t follow her on social media I would have immediately looked up her backlog.

This book follows Lucy and Jayden. Both of them are kind of down on their “luck” and after meeting each other Jayden’s luck turns around so he tries to convince Lucy that she needs to be his good luck charm. Lucy obviously says no but eventually gives in and then it gets good.

Things I loved:
- How awkward they both were at some parts. I know he’s a hot shot hockey player but seeing him be so weird around someone he was into really was perfect. It really made things feel more real.
- How willing Jayden was to do everything he could to convince Lucy to be his good luck charm. The man went out of his way to complete some side quest just to be around her.
- Lucy’s character growth throughout the book. She portrays herself as a mess in the beginning but once she and Jayden hit it off she really comes into her own.

Things I liked:
- Lucy’s best friends. I liked that they both were so involved in the plot and I hope that if we receive more from Lexi their characters continue to grow.
- Jayden getting mental health help.

Overall I would absolutely recommend this to anyone looking for a hockey book full of quirks, charm and superstition.

I DNF"d this book so I don't necessarily have helpful feedback. I linked it in general, but I never got hooked in by the plot and had other books I wanted to prioritize more.

Shoot You Shot is a fun, fasted paced hockey romance that follows Lucy, a former artist trying to secure a career as a tattoo artist, and Jaylen, a struggling NHL player who is doing what he can to get a contract before his dreams of continuing to play in the NHL are over. After a few chance meetings, Jaylen convinces Lucy to be his god luck charm in exchange for help gaining confidence in tattooing. But what happens when a simple agreement develops into feelings getting involved?

This was such a cute and funny read! Knowing Lexi is ex hockey player herself and married to an ex hockey player, I knew she wouldn't let down on the sports side of this sports romance. And she did not. She was able to marry the sports seems so easily into the story line that it only made sense that they were there. Throughout the story, there were moments where both characters talked about and face their issues head on, which made getting to know so much easier. From the start it may be hard to picture how these two characters may have a romantic relationship, but Lexi was able to create one so real between them I was shipping them so hard in the end. With such real and lovable characters, and a fun and funny easy to follow plot line that focuses on real life issues, this was a hit!

This is Lexi LaFleur Brown’s first romance novel and I believe she is going to have a long and successful career. This is the story of a hockey player who believes his dream is about to go up in smoke and an artist who fear has made give up on her dreams. They find each other in what they believe to be one night of pleasure, but fate has other plans. Then the FMC takes a puck to the face.

Lexi’s story was entertaining and I believe that she will continue to write great stories, but I only gave this three stars because even though I enjoyed the book, it didn’t make me laugh nor did it make me feel all the feels. I could see where she was going with the story and what she wanted us to know about the characters and how their back stories shaped them into the people they were, but they still felt flat and two dimensional to me. I am not an author, so I know I really have nothing to base this opinion on other than my own personal experience reading the story, but I have read other author’s works with characters who have similar back stories and as I read I felt like I really knew those characters. This story didn’t make me feel like I knew the characters and, honestly, I didn’t feel like the characters truly knew each other.

I know this reads like a bad review, but I really don’t mean it that way and I will read other works by this author because I truly mean it when I say that I think she will get there. For a first novel, I am impressed and I am certain that as she grows as an author I will grow to enjoy her books even more.

2.5 stars

I thought this was funny and touched on some heavy topics, but the writing and overall plot just didn’t hit it for me.

Thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this book. There were some real laugh out loud moments that kept a smile on my face. I loved the representation in the book and the characters that were real flawed people.

Hockey, Grumpy x sunshine but reversed, and banter everything there is to love. Lucy is stubborn, off putting (on purpose), and prickly newly committed to her career. While Jaylen on the other hand is a golden retriever type coming on a spiral downwards and a career that’s in the toilet.
Lexi LaFleur Brown knows hockey and it shows, but she also knows the more complicated matters of race and sexuality in hockey. This book while a great lighthearted romance manages to weave LGBTQ and mental health inclusion, and conversations of racism beautifully. Great care was taken with these topics and it shows!
The book has great bones and Lexi LaFleur Brown has great potential for the future. The writing itself was the only let down though. The plot and characters are beautifully thought up, but much of the story is told to you rather than built upon in the writing. Everything said I’m looking forward to seeing what the author creates next!

It was a slow start, but once they gotten past the hump and had a crazy night, and not what the kind you think. They came to an understanding . That JJ is a normal good guy, who embraces strange, weird, and different. While Lucy who seems to be pan, finally allowing love in. From the small gesture of her being his lucky charm, to him falling heads over heels. Both didn't see it coming, but both love fiercely.

Of course there's a 3rd act, but predictible, the WAGs talks behind her back because she's different, and she got her own baggage and both of their hearts were collateral damage. They love each other and also know how to hurt each other.

The pacing of the first 3rd of the book was a bit slow, but it picks up nicely after that and there are spicy scenes, and they are HOT!

Thank you NetGalley & Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC

I really enjoyed the unexpected romance between JJ, the hockey player, and Lucy, the aspiring tattoo artist. Lucy becomes JJ's lucky charm and what starts as them being friends quickly translates to more. JJ helps Lucy work through som issues with her dad who was not always there for her. Their chemistry and natural connection builds into the sweetest relationship. I thought this was sweet but there were some inconsistencies that I picked up on but still thought it was cute. I did enjoy the diversity in this one which isn't normal in hockey books for some reason.

i really enjoyed this! i thought it was great for a debut!!

i’m a big hockey romance reader so i loved getting to read from the pov of someone whose been in the hockey world for years. lexi knows what she’s talking about and it was evident in the book!

i liked lucy & jaylen together! their relationship felt real & normal which (to me) can sometimes be hard to achieve in romance books. i can only assume lexi heavily based lucy & jaylen off of her & jt which is why they were such a good couple and i was rooting for them so hard

i hope lexi continues to write more books!