3.5 ⭐️

This book was kind of a train wreck of plots but with that being said, I still enjoyed the book. There were a lot of characters introduced at the beginning of the book which was kind of hard to keep track of amongst all the plots. By the end, I think I had most of the hockey players down and enjoyed the found family aspect, but there were also all the football people that weren’t in the book as much that were harder to get to know (maybe they were introduced in a previous series?). I wasn’t a fan of how Montoya was treated like a child at 17 years old when the others couldn’t have been that much older. I think this book could have done without the coach plot, I don’t think it added to the story and other points of the story could have been elaborated on if this wasn’t part of the book.

I liked Bear and how protective he was of June. I think he handled her eating disorder well and was so good to her. I think some of their relationship was lost due to all the different plots going on. Overall I did enjoy the book and will likely read the next in the series! Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a chance to read and review this book.

June and Bear felt so alive on the page, both stubborn but also vulnerable in a way that made their connection so believable. I loved how the banter was sharp and funny, but also how the story showed real growth and healing for both of them. The team dynamic was another highlight, chaotic, and loyal.The writing was addictive, easy to follow, and full of energy that kept me hooked even through the longer chapters. Loved every second of it. Thank you so much to the author and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read the book in advance, I received this for free and I'm leaving a honest review

Wow I was hooked from the start. I loved following the journey of Bear and June. An amazing hockey romance that feels like you’re part of a soap opera following the trials and trivials of June and Bears relationship.

Thank you so much for letting me be an Arc reader🤍

3 stars for me. June lost her house, she don't have a choice as to working for her college's hockey team in exchange for free housing. She move in with her ex step brother Beau who hates her guts, and the feeling is mutual. Trying to help team, keep her ex Xavier from hurting her and her friends, June have her hands full. Slowly June and Beau hate change from dislike to attraction and maybe something more?

Will June find out what she really want ?
Will Beau face the demons that chase him?
Will the get happily ever after?

It was good sport and collage romance.I like how they deal with Xavier and the epilogue/ending was sweet. A lot about hockey ,which I need to be honest I don't understand and a lot secondary characters drama.

If you like sport college romance,from enemies to lovers, this book is for you.
Read the warnings first.

Thank you netgalley and publisher for arc copy.

I loved this book! It was so fun, Bear and Junes story was super cute and there was never a dull moment. Pretty sure I consumed this book within 24 hrs, and I cannot wait for the next book in the series. So glad I got to be an ARC reader for this! 5/5⭐️

This book was an absolute soap opera in the best way. Some stories you just keep going because you find it hilarious and can’t wait to see what happens next, yet also become super invested in the characters along the way.

In Call the Shots we have June, miss perfect homecoming queen who has suddenly had her life absolutely destroyed by a vengeful ex. He’s taken everything from her, including her student housing. When a friend offers to have June help with PR for the college’s failing hockey team, she jumps at the chance since it comes with a room. Unfortunately that room happens to be shared with her ex’s stepbrother. Enter the roomhate zone!

Like I opened with, this book quickly becomes a soap opera of hatred, hidden feelings, vengeful ex, crazy teammates, a bunch of tropes. And soooo much fake dating. Yet, never fake dating each other. Yet, despite all the chaos I utterly devoured this book and couldn’t what for more. One nice thing was the pacing moved along pretty quickly and I was never stuck thinking “ugh, just move forward you idiots”.

Part of the complicated nature of this book is that even though it is billed as the start of a series, most of the characters have appeared before in the author’s other set of Football books at the same university. In addition, the book Against the Rules seems to be happening concurrently with this one, and given June is fake dating the MMC of that book, there is definitely plot-impacting overlap going on. A few scenes even feel half finished because of this. And I never actually figured out what the NDAs covered/referred to. Also it's not like I haven’t picked up a sports book series in the middle before, this was definitely the first time I had moments when I was utterly confused.

Yet, despite any confusions I had, I simply fell in love with June and Bear. I appreciated that their relationship always moved forward, never had any giant back slides and they were generally very good at communicating with each other. We also get a glimpse at the end of their future together, which I always appreciate. Make sure to check out the author’s website for a few more epilogue stories!

It's also worth mentioning how well I found June’s eating disorder to be dealt with. I have never had one, so maybe I wouldn’t pick up on any problems, but to me it was wonderfully handled. I absolutely love books where one of the couple has an illness/disorder/health challenge and the other steps up - learning how to be a supportive partner without being controlling or trying to just fix it.

5 stars because I could not put this book down. It delivers precisely what it promises.

Tropes
Fake dating - but not each other
Found Family
Grumpy/Sunshine
ED rep
Ex’s Step Brother

Thanks NetGalley for the great read!

TRIGGER WARNING FOR THIS BOOK: [ June has an eating disorder. As someone who has struggled with these issues myself, I clocked this from the first subtle hint that was dropped. Hints are continuously dropped as June continues to skip meals, has a goal weight dress hanging from her door, and refers to her skinnier self as “before June” and her current heavier self as “after June” where she needs to starve herself to get back to the “better” version of herself. While these things aren’t triggering for me personally, they can be SUPER triggering for someone who struggles with these things themselves. And while I’m feeling okay while reading this, (hide spoiler)] I wish there was more of an indicator ANYWHERE that this was going to be a heavy plot point of the book, and I haven’t seen anyone else mention it in the reviews I’ve quickly skimmed through.

I also wish I would have known this was a spin off of a different series. I didn't realize that was the case until I got the the afterward where the author said she had been laying out the dominoes for years in the other books. There were certain things I was waiting to get explanations for that I never got, and I'm presuming it's because those explanations already occurred in the previous series.

I loved June and Bear. Their chemistry was off the charts, and I feel like the switch from enemies, to friends, to lovers, was very organic. It never felt rushed or out of place. June and Bear had great character development so that none of the hcnages in their relationship ever felt out of place.

I wasn't the biggest fan of the smut. It was kind of choppy and wasn't written well in my opinion. it honestly felt like a "here, damn," moment from the author because she knew people would expect to read smut in a 590 page hockey romance. But it made me cringe and honestly I started skimming the scenes because it was just all kinds of bad. Take out the smut, and this was a 5 star book. But leave the smut in, and the best I can give it is a 4.

First Thankyou to Bree and NetGalley for this ARC copy.

Wow this book was so jam packed with amazing different story lines, however it could be hard to keep up with the amount of subplots going on. But, they did keep me hooked. I was up until 2am reading this as I physically couldn’t put my kindle down. If you want a college hockey romance, where they’re enemies to lovers, he’s her ex boyfriend’s brother, he falls first, there’s forced proximity, a dysfunctional found family and so much more. I’m hoping there will be others to this series as I’d like to know more about King, Fridge and why Denali is the way he is!

⭐️⭐️⭐️

“It’s that once-in-a-lifetime love that makes you feel like you’re starting your life because I want my real life to start with you.”

grumpy hockey player x homecoming queen

June and Bear, two totally different people, who are forced to live together and well… fall in love with each other!

I enjoyed this book but it took me a while to get into it. I really started to like it when they first started to be actually nice to each other.

I enjoyed their banter and the little side plots, especially the found family stuff. But I agree with the others, there was a looot going on, a lot of characters and it felt too long at the end :(

What I did love was the way they handled her past and how she managed it!

—

Characters:

June: I needed a while to warm up to her tbh. The first time they had sex felt a bit icky tbh and out of the blue. Like suddenly they’re all like “let’s have sex”, I was missing a bit of a build up and chemistry.
She is a strong woman though and I’m glad she didn’t give in to Xavier’s shitty behavior

Bear: Sometimes he felt a little like a dumb jock which I didn’t exactly feel. He’s still a cutie and we do love a man who’s obsessed with his girl

I’m still not entirely sure who the villain was, either that coach or Xavier but they can both f*ck off!

—

Thank you NetGalley, Victory Editing and Bree Hayden for providing me with this ARC! I very much appreciated it.

• Room-mates
• Banter
• Exs stepbrother
• College Hockey
• Mild Spice
• Found family

I loved the premise. Love the base of the storyline. Did not love much else unfortunately. I really wanted to! Its not that I disliked it as such. I struggled to gain footing with the characters and who they're meant to be - like is Bear just a jock? Is he a stuck up one? Is he just soft and / or misunderstood? June was a little easier to get a read on, but it wasn't a fully confident picture of her I could paint in my mind.

I found the writing a bit choppy from one thing to the next. While I did enjoy the general gist of the storyline and events, the details kind of washed over me.

Don't get me wrong, there were plenty of times I laughed, but also plenty more I ended up with a furrowed brow and confused. It was an easy enough read, so points there!

Overall, I liked it but not as much as I hoped. The best parts for me were the final chapters, that was done so beyond perfect to tie up the book, 10/10!!

3.5 / 5 for me.

Editing note -
Chapter 81 starts with the same paragraph doubled.

This book was a confusing but oddly enjoyable read. The pacing was all over the place, feeling both too long and like entire sections were missing. While the characters often acted far younger than their ages, the romance between Bear and June was a highlight. Their dynamic, especially Bear's thoughtful handling of her eating disorder, was what kept me invested. Ultimately, despite the chaotic plot and awkwardly placed spicy scenes, I found myself rooting for the main couple.

The hockey arena is falling apart, the team is a patchwork of transfers, and Julia is barely holding it together. She’s been faking a relationship with King, the stoic football player, but Xavier, her real boyfriend, shatters her heart with a ruthlessness she never expected. Enter Bear, the grumpiest of hockey players (and Xavier’s stepbrother), who doesn’t even want to be in Texas. Sparks fly as Julia and Bear clash, then slowly fall for each other.

Holy long book, Batman! This was a hefty read, and I somehow stuck it out to the end. So much happens: Julia’s a politician’s daughter (hence the fake dating), the hockey program is collapsing, the arena’s literally crumbling, and Xavier turns out to be much worse than anyone realized. It’s over the top at times, almost like watching deliciously messy drama or a car crash - but I couldn’t look away. The writing is solid, though the plot could have easily been split into two books, and the ensemble cast of hockey players adds fun (even if they were hard to keep straight). Definitely a spicy story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

3.5 Stars ~ Bear made my heart ache for him--he's the epitome of "looks like he can kill you, is a cinnamon roll" and didn't deserve any of the family drama. He made the book worth reading! However, the beginning of this book made me feel like I was rolled over with a steam roller, which wasn't necessarily the best first impression. The book did get better throughout, but June felt all over the place and clumsy just to be a plot point for a "quirky meet-cute" with Bear. The incident with the golf cart felt so unrealistic and overwhelming, but thankfully as the book went on, it didn't feel like June was constantly bouncing off the walls anymore. As the book went on, more depth to June's character and backstory was brought up which helped me connect with her more, but some of the drama felt so extreme. All that said, the tension between June and Bear was so good, and I loved the forced proximity.

We have a new sports romance series on the horizon!

This was fun and cute and I’m very excited to see where the author goes with the series.

We have a hockey team with some amazing characters. I loved Bear and hoping for a Montoya story in the future!

- He falls first
- Protective MMC
- Spicy 🌶️🌶️🌶️

I thought I was going to love this book but it just felt too dragged out which is a shame as I loved some of the side characters and would loved to have picked up their stories. I enjoyed the first 25% but found the last two thirds really tough to get through. I loved the premise of the story and bear was a great character
to read about. June was ok for me. I do wonder if I would have enjoyed the book more if I had read the previous series this author has written.

thank you to netgalley and the author for giving me this ARC!!!

If you love a story with your spice this is the book for you. I loved the character arcs in this and just the story period. It's the perfect balance between spicy and a sappy romance.

Call the shots by Bree Hayden
📅 Release date - September 2, 2025

If you like college & hockey romance with an enemies to friends to lovers feel then this book is FOR YOU.

Just finished reading Call the Shots by Bree Hayden and let me tell you… this has to be one of my top reads! It delivered a lot of the things that I LOVE about hockey romance and then some!

June + Bear were the ultimate slow burn and SO MUCH tension but it was so delicious and the buildup was absolutely amazing. They are basically thrown into a forced proximity/shared dorm room because of her ex, who happens to be Bears STEP BROTHER, and you just see this friendship start to bloom into something so beautiful and you see so much growth between them as individuals but also as a duo. And the BANTER. Oh my goodness this book was so funny with the back and forth banter and witty comments. I mean calling him “40” after he lost their bet and he actually goes with it?! If you know, you know 😂

The book is long but it was almost perfect because you not only get to fall in love with June + Bear but you also get to grow and fall in love with the Gladiators hockey team. I couldn’t stop smiling or laughing while reading.

I’m looking forward to the second book already 🖤

I hope you love it as much as I did! I can’t wait to hear what your opinions are ✨

TROPES
- Ex’s step brother
- Enemies to friends to lovers
- Found family
- Slow burn
- College hockey
- Tension
- Forced proximity

Give it a solid ⭐️4 🌶️3

I LOVED this! It’s hard for me to resist a good hockey romance, and every now and then, a book comes along that leaves me with a serious book hangover. This one definitely did the trick! I was hooked from start to finish, with just the right amount of drama and depth to keep me engaged. The extra length was a bonus, giving me more of what I didn’t know I needed.

This was my first book by this author, and let me tell you, I was so impressed that I immediately downloaded another of her works to dive into next. She’s definitely earned a new fan!

I'm giving this one 4 stars instead of 5, mainly because I felt that some of the drama could’ve been resolved with a little more communication between the characters. I’m always a fan of avoiding the third-act breakup and opting for healthy, mature dialogue instead.

And can we talk about the ex and family drama? *Yes, please!* I’m a total sucker for that dynamic, and this book nailed it. Loved every minute!

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Bree Hayden, and the publisher for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review. Can’t wait to read more from this author!

This is a book about June and Bear. They find themselves thrown together when Bear’s stepbrother makes things hard for June. They are forced to be dorm mates and work to save the hockey team. The characters in this book are so lovable and complex. From King to Montoya i loved the side plots and overall story. Bear is so grumpy and feels like everyone is out to get him. June is not feeling like herself after a bad breakup with Xavier. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a great romance with found family and trust.

I enjoyed this book! it was utter chaos and described the dymanic of college students in sports so well.

A very real take on mental health, college age relationships, cyber safety and dating.

loved every minute of it. A first read of this author. I'll definitely be reading more of her works!