I loved this book SO SO SO much!! It was so fantastic! I haven't read a romance featuring a hockey player and a musician before, but holy hannah was this ever up my alley! As a hardcore hockey fan, I loved the incredibly detailed hockey scenes. And as a major music fan as well, I loved the descriptions of all the concerts. It made me very nostalgic for being in my 20s and the joy I felt when I was with my people screaming and singing at the top of my lungs as my favourite artists played live. The romance was lovely and sweet and swoony, and I will absolutely be buying this book as soon as possible. It made me grin from ear to ear, and I devoured it in less than a day.

This book proves that yearning is a genre of its own.

Trick Shot delivers exactly what a great M/M hockey romance should: tension, chemistry, and two men who are so spectacularly oblivious to each others feelings that you can’t help but root for them. The main character is a lovable idiot who continues to make life harder for himself through an escalating series of misunderstandings that frustrate and entertain in equal parts.

Emotional slow burn, and pretty quick spice. The romance hits a really satisfying balance between the two. The slow burn gives the relationship real weight, and when things begin to progress it feels completely earned. It’s equal parts heart-melting and very, very fun.

One unexpected side effect: I’ve listened to nothing but Britney since finishing this book.

What makes Trick Shot stand out is how fresh it feels within the M/M hockey romance space. It keeps all the elements fans love—team dynamics, tension on and off the ice, big feelings hiding under stubborn pride—but adds a new dimension with the addition of an emo rockstar.

If you enjoy hockey romance, mutual pining, and two absolute disasters slowly realising they’re in love, this one is an easy recommendation.

I am obsessed!

The entire time I was reading this book I had a smile on my face. Well, apart from when my heart hurt for the turmoil Nick was going through.

Absolutely adore Nick and Matt. They are so well suited as a couple and bring out the best in each other.
There were times when everything was up in the air but they had the support from friends and loved ones to persevere.

Such an enjoyable story with an amazing plot.
Everyone needs to read this.

A hockey player and a rock star. SAY NO MORE! The marketing lady at HarperCollins really knows how to clock the target audience.

I sat down to squeak in a little reading time between doing other things and accidentally finished the entire book. So sorry to everything and everyone I neglected during this time frame. 😅😅

We follow Nick who is captain for the Nevada Dragons hockey team. And also gay, which we know is a combo that results in hiding parts of himself from the world.

Enter Matt. The gorgeous emo rocker. Unlike Nick, Matt is openly gay and gives no bothers.

When Matt’s band, Sticks+Stones, attends one of Nicks games, he is invited to meet the band. Nick immediately has cartoon heart eyes for Matt.

And thus we begin.

Nick with his conflict of being terrified at the backlash him being would likely cause him, fear of not having his contract renewed, but wanting Matt, taking stolen, private moments to be with him while also feeling like he doesn’t want to try to force Matt back into the closet and a life of secrecy. Matt is so patient and supportive of whatever Nick needs and wants to feel safe and comfortable because he simply wants Nick in whatever way that looks like.

The absolute heart break I felt when Nick resigned to himself he would not be able to have his career and Matt.

The story is emotional and sweet. It was wonderful.

We need story’s like this and Heated Rivalry to help bring this issue to light so it can become a closed chapter in the sports world. It is 2026, no one should care about someone else’s sexuality, jock or otherwise. Actually I vote for more kissing at the boy aquarium.

Respectfully, a hockey fan (Go Penguins) AND overgrown emo kid.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinions are my own.