This had the makings of a good story, but it fell flat for me. The relationship between our MCs was surface level. And I was mostly bored while reading this.

I thought this was a really solid debut. Lafleur clearly knows what she is doing. If you follow her online at all, you already know her hockey knowledge is excellent. (She’s a WAG, so her knowledge comes first hand.) The writing is smart, effortlessly witty, breezy, and fast-paced. The character development is fast and thorough. I knew exactly who the FMC was by page 2. She’s also hilarious. The one-liners, the zingers, the banter. I loved it. Reading Lafleur’s writing is like hanging out with that friend everyone likes — smart, sarcastic, a little bit wild, always has a one-liner at the ready. She writes Lucy in a very down-to-earth way. I enjoyed her “black cat” energy even more as it was paired with Jaylen’s easy-going manner. He’s definitely excellent book boyfriend material. 👌

As someone who has followed Lexi LaFleur Brown on TikTok for quite some time, I was super excited to read her debut novel. So, I am disappointed to say that this book fell flat for me. I do want to give my review with a grain of salt. My excitement likely raised my expectations, so I want to acknowledge that I may be reviewing this book a little harsher than I would a book I wasn’t looking forward to as much.

That being said, I did expect more. While I think there were some moments of genuinely funny banter, that didn’t make up for what the book was lacking. I didn’t feel like the characters had much depth. So while the characters had nothing wrong with them, I didn’t feel connected or drawn to either of them. Unfortunately, that made it difficult to make myself care about the story.

There were also moments where the prose was choppy that pulled me right out of the story. Same goes for the smut scenes. And not a critique of the substance, but of the ebook format: any time the letters f and l were next to eachother in a word, there would be a space in between them dividing the word into two parts. It drove me crazy.

Finally there were a couple parts in the book that (I’m hoping) were meant to be a specific nod to the hockey or hockey romance community that just felt a bit weird to me. One of the side couples in the book were Wells and Hannah, which if you read any hockey romance you’ll recognize the names. The book also references a goalie nicknamed Groot, and when he makes a save the crowd yells ‘GROOO,’ which is a chant Kraken fans do for their goalie, Gru. Now, I am sure that both of these things were done in good fun, but they did come off as just a little odd.

All that to say, this didn’t live up to my expectations, but I do enjoy Lexi’s content so much that I will still probably read whatever her next book is.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc.

Jaylen is a hockey player feeling the pressure to perform and reeling from being dropped by an NHL team, he has a chance meeting with Lucy, who dreams of being a tattoo artist but is toiling under the cruel burdens placed on her boss. As Jaylen’s fortunes improve to earn a single season contract, he and Lucy develop a relationship to keep his luck going. But as the season goes on, their relationship goes deeper as they face their fears, regrets, and dreams together.

Like many folks (I'm guessing), I came to Shoot Your Shot through Lexi LaFleur Brown's excellent TikTok presence. There, she dishes on life in the NHL and life as a WAG (wife and girlfriend). Her real-life experience definitely shows in this book, where we get a lot of very accurate NHL lingo, as well as a pretty good representation of the game.

This book has both LGBTQIA+ and POC representation, which is sadly rare in hockey romance, and the story itself is very cute. The book is chock-a-block full of hilarious one-liners. It really leans just as heavily into the com side of rom-com as the rom side.

I'm not sure if Brown wrote the book in order, but the writing at the start is a bit clunky, with lots of strange metaphors that don't land. There are still some cringy pieces in the later half of the book, but it does get better as the chapters roll on. Perhaps a stronger editor would have caught a lot of this before publishing.

* Thank you to Canary Street Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review! *

This debut had the makings to be a big hit for me. I have been a hockey romance lover for many years and I have also enjoyed Lexi’s social media accounts for a while now. Unfortunately this missed the mark for me.

The hockey background and our player MMC Jaylen were clearly written with lots of knowledge (Lexi grew up playing and is married to a previous hockey player) which I appreciated as a hockey fan.

Where things didn’t hit well was the MCs together and the overall tone. Another reviewer pointed out that this read as a sort of fanfiction about the author and her husband as they mirrored them a lot, and I really felt that as a follower of Lexi’s accounts.
The growth with both of them was well written and the story was there, but it felt a bit all over the place and surface level. I found it hard to push through because I wasn’t connecting with them as much I wanted.

This was a good debut and I do think lovers of hockey romcoms will enjoy the witty one liners with a hint of spice. I look forward to seeing what Lexi creates in the future.

Thank you Canary street press for the review copy

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5 stars)
**Empowering, Fun, and Full of Heart**

*Shoot Your Shot* by Lexi LaFleur Brown is an inspiring and uplifting read that blends humor, wisdom, and real-life advice in an engaging way. Brown’s voice is authentic and encouraging, making this book feel like a conversation with a supportive friend. Whether you’re looking for motivation, a confidence boost, or just a fun and relatable read, this book delivers. While some parts may feel a bit familiar if you’ve read a lot of self-help or motivational books, Brown’s fresh perspective and personal insights make it stand out. A fantastic pick for anyone ready to go after their dreams!

I am a hockey fan. I am a Lexi fan. I liked this book-- 3.5 ⭐ rounded to 4

I’ve been following Lexi on TikTok for a while now and when she announced she was writing her own hockey romance novel, I all but ran to NetGalley to try to get my hands on an arc. I was so happy when I was approved, too! Being a former NHL wag herself, Lexi has the opportunity to pull from personal experience that other authors in this subgenre don’t have.

And pull she did.
So much so that both main characters' names use the same first letter as her and her husband. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, there were several times throughout the book where we got a little too close to the self-insert fanfiction line for my comfort.

That aside, I am primarily a vibe reader, so I give first time authors some grace. Publishing can be scary and at least they are putting themselves out there. This book was a typical hockey/sports romance. While there was a little more hockey lingo used, it didn’t have as much of the secret life of wags I was expecting. I loved their meet cute and that he falls first, even if the pace was a tad slow due to Lucy’s commitment issues (which almost felt too forced at times). The mental health rep was very well done, imo.

The biggest thing that ruined this book wasn’t even Lexi's fault. I don’t know if anyone else who received a copy from NetGalley had issues but mine.. woof. It didn’t matter what font I had the text in, any word that contained an F and an L next to each other had a space between the letters (f ling, f loor, conf lict, muff led). At first, I thought it was just words that started with fl, but sadly no. Additionally for a large part of the book there were no breaks or indentations to mark paragraphs, so several pages were just walls of text. These things aren’t necessarily deal breakers for me, but they are kind of off putting. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect a final product put out for review to be a little.. cleaner.

I think that this had potential but I finished wanting more. I think that the romance was few and far between while the hockey was so highlighted that I felt like I was reading an ESPN report :/

The prospect of the grumpy girl and the sunshine boy was really exciting for me but I felt like these characters could have been developed into more than a hockey player and a tattoo artist who is angsty. I wish they had more of a romantic build-up.

The mental health rep fell flat for me as well... again I wanted more depth behind it.

I didn't have a bad time while reading it but after thinking about it there was just a lot missing for me. i don't think this author will be something I reach for in the future but I was able to sort of get into the story so it was a win in that aspect of escapism.

As a hockey fan but a romance-novel skeptic, I was intrigued by the premise of this book and decided to shoot my shot (haha). Unfortunately, I struggled to connect with the story and couldn’t quite make it to the final buzzer. It has intense 13-year-old author on Wattpad energy.

Things I did enjoy: the diverse characters and, of course, hockey! There were also some cute moments, and knowing that LaFleur Brown is married to an ex-NHLer gave the story an added layer of charm.

What didn’t quite work for me: the dialogue, the writing style, and—though not the author’s fault—the ebook’s bizarre formatting. The dialogue, in particular, had me cringing. It often felt like someone desperately trying to keep up with Gen Z slang, and by the 35% mark, I had to call it quits.

That said, I know there’s an audience for this book—TikTok romance fans, this one's for you! If you love your romances filled with cliches (*cough cough* black cat x golden retriever) and don’t mind a little (or a lot of) over-the-top dialogue, this one’s all yours. As for me, I guess I’ll have to find other ways to live out my WAG dreams.

"Shoot Your Shot" by Lexi LaFleur Brown is an absolute gem in contemporary fiction, deserving every bit of its 5-star rating. Brown has crafted a narrative that effortlessly combines humor, romance, and authentic human experiences. The witty dialogue is a standout feature, consistently delivering laugh-out-loud moments that make the characters leap off the page and into the reader's heart.

Each character is brilliantly developed, with personalities that feel both relatable and refreshingly unique. The chemistry between the protagonists is electric and beautifully depicted through clever banter and engaging interactions. Brown’s ability to balance humor with heartwarming moments is truly exceptional, making the story as emotionally touching as it is entertaining.

Beyond the humor, "Shoot Your Shot" explores themes of self-discovery and resilience, adding depth to an already compelling plot. This book is not just a read, but an experience—a delightful journey that leaves a lasting impression and a desire for more from this talented author. Lexi LaFleur Brown has crafted a masterpiece that is sure to resonate with anyone looking for a perfect blend of laughter, romance, and life lessons. Highly recommended!

...this was not for me. I found the FMC really annoying and honestly couldn't make it very far. The other reason I struggled is because this author spent so much time prior to writing this book bashing other hockey romances because they had "unrealistic" things in them that wouldn't happen in the NHL. Well duh, they're fiction, of course they're going to change things for flow of the story or plot points, it's not a history of the NHL or a day in the life. So with all that commentary, I expected an engaging story and didn't get that.

Mostly enjoyable read. I didn't love JJ's superstition about Lucy, so that was the part of the book that didn't really do it for me and since it was a big part of the book, it wasn't a 5 star for me. Thank you Lexi LaFleur Brown and NetGalley for an advanced copy.

Shoot Your Shot is a hilarious and steamy debut from Lexi LaFleur Brown! Follow former hockey player Jaylen “JJ” Jones as he navigates an unexpected twist in his career after a wild night with tattoo artist Lucy Ross. Their arrangement for good luck texts quickly transforms into sizzling chemistry that’s hard to resist.
With a charming grumpy x sunshine dynamic and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, this book beautifully captures the complexities of love and luck. If you’re looking for a fun, romantic escape, this is the perfect read to dive into!

If you love the following tropes, you will love this book:
-reverse grumpy/sunshine (black cat/golden retriever)
-mental health rep
-LGTBQIA rep
-accurate hockey terms/game play.

As an actual hockey fan, this book was a breath of fresh air. I can typically pick out at least one inaccuracy in other hockey romance books I’ve read and I didn’t find any in this one. I also love that she incorporated more actual game play than other hockey romances. For a debut novel, I think this was fantastic! I hope she writes more for the other characters in the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC.

I love a good hockey romance! I didn't realize that I knew of the author on TikTok from when she made videos about being a hockey wife so that was a fun discovery for me!! This was a fun and easy read. Once I sat down and locked in, I was able to finish it fairly fast!

This book follows Lucy, an aspiring tattoo artist and reluctant painter, and JJ, an NHL draft bust who end up needing each other more than they would suspect. I love that this book didn't shy away from queerness and LGBTQ themes with it being a "straight" romance. Lucy's identity didn't change by being with JJ which I really appreciated, Lucy could be a little insufferable at times but she was still relatable and lovable.

Overall, a solid read.

Thank you NetGalley & Lexi Lafleur Brown for my arc copy of Shoot Your Shot. I’ve read my fair share of hockey romances so was definitely curious how this fits amongst other books in the same genre. Lucy is a woman struggling to get a tattoo apprenticeship. According to her friends, she’s dated half the men and women in the city or something like that. Jaylen is on the verge of washing out from his previously promising hockey career. He carries a lot of pressure as someone who was a young athlete who couldn’t deliver after being drafted. Both of these characters are at pivotal points in their lives in their mid 20s. Two unexpected job opportunities bring them together. They build a friendship, deal with different emotional baggage/trauma, and find success individually and together. I liked the pace of the story & was mostly satisfied with the ending.

Lexi breathes a new life into hockey romance by making it more inclusive and not your typical “boy meets girl”. Obviously we know Lexi has elite hockey knowledge and being able to read a hockey romance written by someone who knows the game adds extra enjoyment. I loved the main charterers dynamic from the very start, with a queer, black-cat FMC being a needed addition to the genre and the fact she stays true to herself through the story is something I wish more romance books would do. My favorite part of this story is none of the diversity/inclusivity feels forced. Can’t wait to see what other stories Lexi has to tell!

I thought it was cute…. But hockey romance books are some of my favorites and this didn’t really have a lot that made it feel super different or better than the others. I appreciated the mental health discussions and the being able to set boundaries between children and abusive parents. Not super spicy but cute nonetheless. It was a quick fun read. 3.25 ⭐️

I was so excited about this book and it did not disappoint! These two characters are so much fun and I really loved the story between them. I want to read so much more of them! The epilogue also had me wanting to cry over sweetness!