Review by pucksandpaperbacks - Shoot Your Shot

pucksandpaperbacks 's review for:

Shoot Your Shot by Lexi LaFleur Brown

funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Thank you to the publisher for a digital galley via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

(Note: I do not give books a star rating. This is my personal preference and my reviews can show if I liked or disliked a book.)

CW: Absent parent, alcoholic parent, emotional abuse from a parent; panic attack (on page), grief, mention of death from overdose; sexual content; depression & anxiety; brief mention of microagressions and racism

This was a laugh-out-loud romance about mental health, art, and hockey.

Lucy has daddy issues. Her father ruined her chances at becoming a successful painter when he didn’t show up to her senior art showcase in college. From then on, Lucy declared to never paint again. Now she is on the road to pursuing a tattoo apprenticeship. But she’s not doing a great job…

Jaylen Jones was the first Black player to go 1st overall in the NHL draft. But now he’s struggling to find a team who will sign him. After his childhood friend Cam passed away, Jaylen’s play declined tremendously and fans started to turn on him.

When the two have a one night stand, they believe they’ll never see each other again. Until Jaylen receives a call that the Seattle Rainiers are giving him a spot on the team. When he shows up to practice, he sees Lucy.

After several encounters with her leading to great success on the ice, Jaylen’s superstitions get the best of him (as many hockey players do). He proposes that Lucy be his good luck charm by sending good luck texts before every game in return for free tickets to games and he will help her friend, Maya with her LGBTQ+ charity events.

As a queer hockey fan and a fan of Lexi’s TikTok content, I thoroughly enjoyed Lexi LaFleur Brown’s debut hockey romance. The majority of hockey romances lack diversity and seem to only stick to Achellian romances. Shoot Your Shot defies the romance genre, having a bisexual FMC, queer side characters as well as a Black love interest.

Written in dual perspective, we learn about each character’s flaws and see their romance flourish over time and throughout the season. I appreciated how fleshed out and messy each character was. As the wife of a former NHL player and former goalie, it was evident that she pulled from her and J.T.’s experiences in the league and in the sport.

If you can get past the cheesy writing, I think this is a solid romance. My only criticism is that I wish she had been more creative in the third act breakup and chose something else. I loved seeing the teammates' personalities and behind the scenes of Jaylen’s NHL season.

Content Warnings