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zoiejanelle's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
RACHEL REID NEVER MISSES.
the individual character arcs were a bit shallow (Casey is afraid of the dark/of being alone… Landon is dealing with grief and depression) but their weird quirks made them so much more believable and complex. Reid really knows how to craft lovable, relatable three-dimensional characters—even if the pieced that make up each character seem a little silly.
i read some reviews before diving into this book which made me hesitant to read. after the Game Changers series, i doubted Reid could top her shilya duology. however, her extremely commercial, palatable style and the tangible, compelling chemistry drew me in. this book was fast, easy to digest, and gave me SO MANY FEELINGS. i don’t know how she does it.
i liked how she portrayed Landon’s demisexuality and his touch aversion, but i wish Landon and Casey had had a more awkward and realistic first-time experience. or that they would have acknowledged that sex can and will be awkward or uncomfortable. Casey’s sexual expertise and openness (and chattiness) certainly improved their first experiences with one another, but i like Reid’s REALISM in her relationships, and i wish she’d incorporated just a touch more of it here.
the main issue i had with this book was how quickly each character realized and acknowledged their crush. there weren’t really any “oh” moments, and their chemistry really didn’t leap off the page until after they’d stated they were crushing. <edit: i reread the book this week and disagree with this opinion now—i think the gradual build was done well despite not having any “oh” crush moments. we did get that much later though with casey at the christmas party. wink!>
i will say that once they caught feelings, i was hooked. i stayed up until 4am reading because i had such intense butterflies i just couldn’t wait to see what happened next. i loved how wholesome and unconditional their love for one another was, and how that balanced with the sexier scenes.
all in all, a slay. anything Rachel Reid writes, i will read.
the individual character arcs were a bit shallow (Casey is afraid of the dark/of being alone… Landon is dealing with grief and depression) but their weird quirks made them so much more believable and complex. Reid really knows how to craft lovable, relatable three-dimensional characters—even if the pieced that make up each character seem a little silly.
i read some reviews before diving into this book which made me hesitant to read. after the Game Changers series, i doubted Reid could top her shilya duology. however, her extremely commercial, palatable style and the tangible, compelling chemistry drew me in. this book was fast, easy to digest, and gave me SO MANY FEELINGS. i don’t know how she does it.
i liked how she portrayed Landon’s demisexuality and his touch aversion, but i wish Landon and Casey had had a more awkward and realistic first-time experience. or that they would have acknowledged that sex can and will be awkward or uncomfortable. Casey’s sexual expertise and openness (and chattiness) certainly improved their first experiences with one another, but i like Reid’s REALISM in her relationships, and i wish she’d incorporated just a touch more of it here.
the main issue i had with this book was how quickly each character realized and acknowledged their crush. there weren’t really any “oh” moments, and their chemistry really didn’t leap off the page until after they’d stated they were crushing. <edit: i reread the book this week and disagree with this opinion now—i think the gradual build was done well despite not having any “oh” crush moments. we did get that much later though with casey at the christmas party. wink!>
i will say that once they caught feelings, i was hooked. i stayed up until 4am reading because i had such intense butterflies i just couldn’t wait to see what happened next. i loved how wholesome and unconditional their love for one another was, and how that balanced with the sexier scenes.
all in all, a slay. anything Rachel Reid writes, i will read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Sexual content
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Drug use, and Alcohol
Minor: Homophobia and Medical content
bookcheshirecat's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
"Landon smiled back at him. “We’re going to the playoffs together.”
Casey glanced around, then gave Landon a quick kiss. “We’re going everywhere together.”"
Casey glanced around, then gave Landon a quick kiss. “We’re going everywhere together.”"
➽ I don't usually read sports romances, but Time to Shine was fun! It's about two hockey players falling for each other who couldn't be more different. Landon is an introverted, reserved person and the new backup goalie because another player got injured. It's a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Landon who is finally able to play in the NHL in a prestigious team. He's struggling with feeling like he's good enough and dealing with the effects of grief in his own family. Casey is an extroverted sunshine character and the son of a famous player. He's very energetic and intends to bring Landon out of his shell.
➽ For the most part, I enjoyed their dynamic! Landon becomes Casey's new roommate because the latter feels lonely in his huge house. I liked how different they were and yet still fit together. Casey is doing his best to make Landon feel welcome, even though his new roommate is pretty closed off. The audiobook was nice, so I really enjoyed listening to their banter and growing attraction!
➽ In the end, I wasn't completely sold on Time to Shine. The pacing was pretty slow at times and the ending dragged for me. I was also hoping for a more in-depth character Arc for Casey. His issues of being alone and insecurity about 'being dumb' were barely explored, which made him a bit more shallow compared to Landon, who had the storyline about his family's grief.
➽ I also wasn't the most comfortable with how Landon's demisexuality was portrayed. The word itself was never mentioned and though I'm sure the author had the best intentions, it didn't feel like she explored Landon's struggles with his sexuality well. I appreciated that Casey was supportive and willing to do what Landon was comfortable with! However, once Casey and Landon got together, it felt like his demisexuality was never brought up again. That was disappointing, as I wish Landon had the opportunity to figure out for himself how building an emotional connection with Casey might have affected his sexual attraction.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia, Death, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders
allingoodtime's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Having read Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series, it’s an understatement to say this book was something I was highly anticipating. I was almost afraid to read it in case I was setting the bar too high in my mind. No worries, I instantly fell in love with Landon and Casey. Once again, this author hits the LGBTQIA+ hockey romance out of the ballpark.
If you read the Game Changers books, you’ll know there is a lot in those stories about coming out and how the league and many fans treat non-cishet players. This story doesn’t go in that direction. It’s not that everything is out and proud and loud, but Landon discovering his sexuality and Casey being bisexual and not hiding that fact aren’t one of the themes. It still gets quite heavy at times. Like I said, Landon is discovering his sexuality so there are reservations about if he is understanding his feelings correctly when it comes to Casey. Plus, Landon lost his sister in an accident years before and it’s something his parents have never learned to accept and thus has kept him from feeling free to fully enjoy the life he leads.
Casey is the sunshinyest of sunshine. Often referred to as “being a lot” and mistaken for being a bit dim-witted he always keeps that bright smile on his face. He knows he’s not everyone’s cup of tea and it does sometimes dim his glow on the inside, but he knows who he is and doesn’t see the need to make himself smaller to please others. He’s exactly what Landon needs in his life to pull him out of his shell. Casey understands that Landon needs his alone time and his downtime, but he also needs love and support. Casey realizes that Landon isn’t grumpy, he’s shy. And while Landon knows he’s a great goalie, he still has a lot of insecurities. To sum it all up, these two are perfect for each other.
This story made me laugh and cry, which is what I expect from a book by Rachel Reid. The characters grow and blossom as they discover what makes them happy and that it’s okay to be happy.
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Minor: Homophobia
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