Hockey romance books are one of the biggest and most beloved sub-genres. Maybe it’s due to the sport, the idea of a tough player being soft, or just loving a sports romance.
That’s why it was a no-brainer that I was going to read and review Shoot Your Shot by Lexi LaFleur Brown. For those who don’t know, she is not only married to a former hockey player but is also a certified baddie on Instagram.
Whether you found her because of her Instagram or found out about her via this book, then you’re probably already following her or wanting to see what she’s up to. With that being said, this book was immediately on my radar because of her insider knowledge about hockey.
I’d like to thank Canary Street Press for sending me an ARC so I was able to read and review this one early as it ended up being such a fun read.
Shoot Your Shot is an incredible hockey romance debut.
Shoot Your Shot follows Lucy, who is frankly a hot mess, but she’s a likable hot mess. She jumps from relationship to relationship, doesn’t have a stable idea of what’s next in her career, and just wants to do her thing. That all changes when she meets Jaylen Jones, who, admittedly, she doesn’t recognize at first.
The two share a night of passion, and the next day, it seems like things are done. However, JJ gets a call that he’s headed to Seattle, where the two met. Since JJ got such good news after seeing Lucy, he’s determined to find her and make her his good luck charm. While that might seem a little strange, hockey players take these things very seriously.
At first, Lucy is pretty resistant, but she eventually agrees, and the two end up texting, spending time together, and finding ways to see each other. From the start, it’s clear JJ is very into Lucy, and she’s understandably scared. The thing I found most interesting about these two is the different traumas they had in their past and how they impacted their decision-making.
The way LaFleur Brown wrote these characters just felt so intensely real. I could imagine having a cup of coffee with either or both of these two. It was as if they could jump out of the book, and I’d be ready to hang out with them. Maybe that was just me, but I really loved JJ and Lucy as characters.
The only thing I didn’t absolutely love was the third-act conflict. Though it did make sense, it was a little frustrating how things played out. Either way, this was such a fun read and has me excited about what’s next from Lexi LaFleur Brown.
Shoot Your Shot by Lexi LaFleur Brown is out now where books are sold.