"Shutout" was an enjoyable but mixed read for me. The hockey setting and sports romance angle were fun and gave the story good energy, and I appreciated the banter and chemistry between the leads. At times, the character development didn’t feel as deep as it could have been, and certain conflicts resolved a bit too neatly. Overall, it’s a solid sports romance, but it didn’t fully wow me enough to rate higher than three stars.

This college hockey romance was a fun and easy read! I really enjoyed the characters and the storyline. It made me feel lighthearted, hopeful and emotional. This is a medium paced read, where it is character driven. This is book two in the Rules of The Game Series, but can be read as a standalone. The protagonist named Sera is a very special character to me. Sera is loving, caring and deals with the challenges of managing her ADHD.

I love the dual points of views between the main characters and how both of them were strongly developed in the book. Both of them were multilayered and change and grew in the story. The setting definitely fit the story and I found the book to be addictive. I wanted to finish it in one setting. There’s a forced proximity trope and a sunshine versus tattooed athlete trope! This book does come with depth, because at times I did cry. However, the romance outweighs everything else in the book. Overall. I give this novel a 4 out of 5 stars rating!

This book gave me the movie “10 Things I Hate About You” vibes! Content warnings include death, sexual content and grief.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Avery Keelan and Tor Publishing Group | Bramble for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This book’s newly revised edition is expected to be published on December 9, 2025!

Worse than the first one :(

I just didn’t feel like we got any time to meet the characters in the beginning so I didn’t feel anything for them throughout the book. I felt like I landed smack in the middle of a story.

Stand alone, part of a series, good to see what the characters have been up to. Spicy and sweet with notes of sadness and real life woven in the plot line, this was a fun book. Characters are a little younger but still mature enough for the topics discussed. Love a sports story.

Y’all know I’m a sucker for a good hockey romance. And Shutout was perfection 😘

I can’t believe it took me till 2025 to discover Avery Keelan. I was extremely lucky to be on the re-release review team for Offside and I did t think Avery could top that. But BOY OH BOY was I happy to be proved wrong. Shutout is 100% my favorite Avery Keelan book. I mean come one we’ve got forced proximity, brothers best friend romance, neurodivergent FMC and a grumpy goalie. Everything I could possibly ask for in a romance novel. And Avery delivered!

Sera and Tyler are hands down some of my favorite romance couples. Tyler’s love and devotion towards Sera was so heartwarming. Also I have never related so much to FMC until Sera. Her struggles with ADHD struck me straight to the core. I have never felt so seen with a FMC. Plus the two of them together had such a genuine adult relationship. Which is so rare in romance novels these days. Now yes there was a little angst, but they were open and honest with one another. Plus their banter was off the charts.

Overall, if you can’t tell I highly recommend this book! And I can’t wait to read what Avery comes out with next. Lastly Thank you so much NetGalley and Wordsmith Publicity for an arc of this book!

6-Star read for me! This book is pure perfection! So many scenes live rent free in my mind. The chemistry between Hades and Tink is absolutely swoon-worthy. That poor guy falls so hard for her, and I’m all for it! I also appreciate that there’s no third-act breakup—it’s refreshing when authors can create drama without relying on that trope. I love the anxiety and ADD rep. Definitely my favorite contemporary sports romance ever!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Thank you to NetGallery and Tor Publishing Group for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

She’s switching gears and moving closer to her brother and mom, who is undergoing cancer treatments. He’s the goalie on her brother’s hockey team. When she moves into the house to start at a new school, she quickly realizes that not only is he her brother’s teammate—he’s also the mysterious guy she hooked up with last Halloween, when neither of them exchanged names. Now, they’re living under the same roof, and things get complicated fast.

This is a classic Avery Keelan hockey romance—steamy, fast-paced, and full of secret glances and late-night sneaking around. The “no-strings-attached” arrangement they agree to is, of course, doomed from the start, and watching their relationship evolve from casual to complicated adds plenty of drama to the mix. The family subplot, centering on her mom’s illness and Tyler's personal aspirations, adds just enough grounding to balance the spice.

While the book doesn’t necessarily break new ground in the hockey romance genre, it delivers exactly what Keelan’s fans have come to expect: heat, heart, and characters learning how to grow up (and open up) along the way.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.