Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Canary Street Press for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I first became familiar with Lexi LaFleur Brown a few years ago on TikTok, as she talked about her past experiences with hockey, both playing it herself and being married to a retired NHL player.

Shoot Your Shot follows Lucy, an aspiring tattoo artist, and Jaylen, a struggling NHL player, as their one night together turns into something more. Jaylen was cut from his team right before he met Lucy for the first time, but the morning after their night together, he signs a one-year contract, so of course, he is led to believe that Lucy is his good luck charm. Now he just has to convince her to play the part. Lucy knows that she jumps from one relationship to the next, so she is determined to put her career first going forward. The last thing she needs is Jaylen being relentless in his pursuit of her.

This was a quick and easy read, but I don’t know how much of it will stand out to me in a few months. The writing was simple and to the point, but the sex scenes were a bit awkward. I will say that the first introduction we get of Lucy makes her seem like the “I’m not like other girls” girl, a characterization that she would hate, but I did come to like her more and more as the book went on.

this is a big trope-fest, which is great if that's your thing! but for me, many of the tropes fell flat because there were so many that they couldn't really be fully explored. lucy and jaylen were both characters i cared about, but i wish that there was more of a believable connection between the two of them.

A debut romance novel written with wit, passion, and a winding path to a happy ending. Lucy is a guarded and creative artist who is on the way to reconnecting with her childhood passion for painting and drawing. Jaylen is a former NHL golden boy who is trying to bounce back from a disappointing season with grit and determination. These two opposites spend what’s supposed to be one night of freedom together before partying ways, only to find themselves showing up to work together everyday, and with Jayden convinced Lucy’s his lucky charm, their story is just beginning.

This book stood out from other hockey romance books due to the realism of the game. Now that I myself have become a hockey fan I really liked this aspect of it, and the author’s love for the game shines through. There were also some truly funny one-liners and quips that had me laughing along with the characters.

However I will say this book was VERY tropey which sometimes bordered on stereotypical and boring. For a debut this isn’t exactly surprising, but a little disappointing nonetheless. This played into the ending feeling too convenient, and like everything was all just too wrapped up in a bow at the end.

I don’t know if I’d reach for this author again, but an enjoyable read nonetheless.

I couldn’t get behind the FMC’s behavior.. she was a bit rude for no reason. It reminded me too much of Alexis’ behavior from Part Of Your World and I’m choosing myself so I’m going to DNF.

DNF’d at 54%

I REALLY tried to like this book. And I tried so hard to finish it… but the FMC is just so mean and annoying that it’s hard to get past it. I was very excited for this ARC bc I love hockey romances, but I think maybe my expectations were just too high for this one.

Shoot Your Shot was a bookI was looking forward to reading, especially as Lexi LaFleur Brown's husband is an NFL player. Yet, at around that 17% mark, I was cringing at the dialogue that was supposed to be "banter" and wasn't a fan of either character. I chose to "not finish" this book. There are a lot of hockey romances out there and this isn't one I'd suggest..

I enjoyed this book. It was a quick, easy listen and I enjoyed the author's writing style. There was no really drama, everything was resolved relatively quickly except towards the end. I wasn't thrilled about how Lucy handled the situation but did remind myself that she's still relatively young and had never been in a serious relationship before. I do plan to read to more of the author's books.

This was everything I have wanted from a hockey romance.

On top of the more realistic hockey knowledge, there was also weird grand standing during play. I also loved both JJ and Lucy both as their own characters and together.

If this is how Lexi is going to continue to right her hockey romance, sign me up!

To be completely honest, I was unable to finish this book. I tried my hardest to enjoy it, and I usually love a good hockey romance, but I felt the overall romantic chemistry was lacking! As someone who considers herself pretty knowledgeable about hockey, the hockey terminology and aspects were actually pretty accurate! I would like to think this is because of Lexi's knowledge of the game itself through her personal life, so this was certainly a win in that department. But the main "romance" was hard for me to believe. Obviously, a one-night stand doesn't magically evolve into a relationship overnight (well, most don't). But, like other friends of mine who have read & reviewed this book, it felt very similar to a friends-with-benefits scenario than an actual couple.

So, overall, this book got the first part of a hockey romance, the hockey aspect, pretty well. It was the romance that was lacking/unbelievable. And again, something that doesn't work for me doesn't necessarily mean it won't work for others!

Because of my low score and the fact that I only got about 85% of the way through/DNFd, I did not choose to share my review on socials. I don't review books I DNF.

sooo amazing! I loved this book by someone with an actual hockey background and a background in being a dmc in a hockey romance story!

Unfortunately I DNFed this book at about 20% in. I love hockey romances, but this was just not it for me. I didn’t feel any emotional connection to the characters, and the dialogue was a little cringe.

It was cute. It was an easy read and enjoyable. It only took me some time to get through because I was majorly stressed out which had nothing to do with the book itself.

I DNF’d this book uncomfortably fast. The characters were extremely unlikable and the dialogue was cringey and just not for me. I wanted so much to like this one!

Shoot Your Shot was such a fun way to get lost in the hockey romance world! reverse grumpy sunshine was so much fun, and I love the creativity behind the artist FMC. Also loved that the POC MMC was very obvious in his tone and mannerisms, its not often written so well, and that was noticed right off the bat! Their "accidental" one night stand that turned into forced proximity turned into he falls first... gave me everything I needed in a hockey romance.

Need a fun trip to the hockey rink with a spunky (hopeful) tattoo artist and a hockey player with just too much optimism?? You will love this one!

Shoot Your Shot is a cozy, character-driven romance that delivers warmth, charm, and a satisfying love story. While the plot follows a familiar arc, the execution makes it feel comforting rather than cliché. Lexi LaFleur Brown writes with heart, and her characters feel authentic and emotionally grounded.

I especially appreciated the chemistry between the leads—it felt natural and engaging, and their growth as individuals added depth to their relationship. The pacing was smooth, and even though the story was somewhat predictable, it never lost my interest. Sometimes you want a book that wraps you up like a soft blanket, and this one did just that.

A great pick for readers who enjoy contemporary romance with emotional resonance and a guaranteed feel-good ending.

Thank you NetGalley Canary Street Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5! Rounded up, since this is a debut.

Alright. I love Lexi Lafleur Brown, so I was excited to see her take on a hockey romance, especially since one of the most difficult things about hockey romances is I seem to be incapable of overlooking the hockey inaccuracies. I requested an ARC because I wanted to see if she could hit a home run despite my heavy reservations about the subgenre. I’m pretty notoriously fickle when it comes to romance novels; it isn’t the genre I reach for. I am both the target audience and very much not the target audience, so I think what I say needs to be taken with a grain of salt, depending on what sort of reader you are (this is always true but uh… anyway).

I loved that this book was pretty accurate to the actual sport, and I got a lot of giggles about WAG culture. For obvious reasons, Brown knows what she’s talking about! With that said, it was maybe a little funny that a lot of hockey terms weren’t explained. Which was fine for me because I know them, but I do think there are ways to clue the reader in if they don’t know the sport. It genuinely didn’t bother me or cross my mind, but skimming other reviews it seems this was a bit shortsighted of me.

The overall premise of this is great as well, and I enjoyed this in broad strokes. I do think this falls into a lot of pitfalls when it comes to a debut novel in that the writing is a clunky and the characters could be better developed, but I found these things were fairly easy to look over by virtue of speeding through this (I think it took me about 4 hours to read?). I don’t think the prose was anything special (though I admit it’s rare that I like prose in a romance novel) and the plot beats made sense but weren’t anything particularly special (the third act break up was a bit absurd but I am a third act break up hater. I don’t like them). It happened, you know?

I suppose at this point you might be thinking I should be harsher with my rating but honestly at the end of the day I had fun. I shut my brain off and enjoyed the ride! This book did exactly what I asked of it, which was: know your hockey, be a little silly. I don’t really think I know who to recommend this for, because I don’t know if actual romance enjoyers will have an even remotely similar experience to me. I approached this in good faith but in a kind of unconventional way, hoping this would be the exception to my rule. And it was, except I think my rule is diametrically opposed to who the target audience actually is. So. You know. YMMV.

tl;dr: I had a great time. I don’t expect you to.

not my personal cup of tea. ended up not finishing this one. Nothing inherently wrong with it, but not for me. Rating this three stars as a result.

2.5 ⭐ rounding up only because it was an easy read, but otherwise… this was a mess 😩📉

The chemistry between them was almost nonexistent 😬.Sure, they were physically attracted to each other, but beyond that, their connection felt completely flat. Lucy annoyed the heck out of me with her grumpy exterior and constant “hard to get” attitude, but not the good kind lol 🙄. I couldn’t connect with her at all. Every time poor Jaylen tried to talk to her in the beginning, she’d shut him down, so as a reader, it was hard to believe she even liked him to begin with. Meanwhile, Jaylen was a pushover 😔 and would do whatever it took to get her attention. It took too much for her to even just do one tiny text of good luck (because he wanted her to be his good luck charm).

Then suddenly, after an accidental “I love you" 💀 from him, she’s acting like they’re fully dating? 😐 It felt so forced. There were also a lot of cringe moments that were clearly aiming for dry humor, but they just didn’t land for me 🤷‍♀️

Overall, their relationship didn’t feel like it was built on solid ground. The plot had no clear direction, then started spiraling into multiple subplots with no real focus❓just vague goals about improving their careers? It all felt too messy for me. Definitely not my thing.

I see the potential for this book, but after the 10% it went haywire 😵‍💫

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing for my eARC!

This was a mess.

DNF @49% after the FMC gives the MMC a tattoo, as a shop assistant hoping someday to become an apprentice and it being the first tattoo she's ever given. No other artists around, at night when the shop is closed. Having no tattooing experience, just having "a ton" of tattoos and being a former painter. Tattooing on skin is not the same medium as painting on paper?? hello??

Already was not loving the book but that's the final nail in the coffin lol

This has:
- Grumpy bi FMC x golden retriever straight MMC
- FMC is an assistant at a tattoo shop x NHL player MMC
- One night stand to forced close proximity
- Random plot arc of FMC needing to do a mural at the hockey rink - how this got booked, the world will never know.
- Queer friend group that falls into all the 'insert stereotype for identity' realm, that is more cringe than tongue in cheek. (lesbian friend being a uhaul girl moving super fast, cheating bisexual ex, FMC is a self described slutty bi, gay friend is just the 'yas queen' super loud gay best friend who talks sex life details with her.) I like when an author plays into stereotypes in a fun and nuanced way, this felt clunky and awkward any time a 'queer friend' showed up on page.
- Sex scenes are lackluster. Not the end of the world but there's a lot of "he sucked her clit. she came. he thrust. she came. it was amazing" meh writing.
- The FMC is a certified cool girl, who is grumpy and not NLOG and is super cool and tattooed and did we mention she is cool?
- Telling rather than telling writing style, which isn't my thing.

Not even the narration could entice me to finish this one.

Arc from Netgalley.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.