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moopsies's review
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
nicki_theoverflowingbookcase's review against another edition
5.0
The one thing Harper has always said was that she would never date a hockey player, but when Jordie bids the highest for a date with her at a charity event, she will make him work to get that date. But Jordie will not give up. He may be a rookie, but he knows exactly what he wants and that is Harper in his life. With beautifully written characters and another fabulous storyline Kendall Ryan has proved that she not only knows hockey but also knows romance. I am so sorry to see this series end.
books_with_joanne's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
marina31sanchez's review against another edition
1.0
I was loving this book, hell I was going to give it my usual 4 stars. But you know what? Just for the sentence:
"She’s gorgeous. She’s got the body of a woman, not a gym rat. She’s soft and curvy, and I love it."
I'm going to give it just 1. What the fuck does that even mean? You don't look like a woman if you have muscles or if you are not petite or curvy? Fuck off with that bullshit! Every woman's body is different and each and every single one of them is beautiful. Very disappointed, this series was a hoot until i read that.
Listed under: do not read
"She’s gorgeous. She’s got the body of a woman, not a gym rat. She’s soft and curvy, and I love it."
I'm going to give it just 1. What the fuck does that even mean? You don't look like a woman if you have muscles or if you are not petite or curvy? Fuck off with that bullshit! Every woman's body is different and each and every single one of them is beautiful. Very disappointed, this series was a hoot until i read that.
Listed under: do not read
daisyknox's review against another edition
5.0
All reviews posted at Tales of Love, Life, and Murder
I’m always sad to see the end of a series but this one went out with a bang because Jordie and Harper were so much fun. Owen and Becca have been my absolute favorite couple through the series but this couple is just as good. Harper had a rough childhood thanks to hockey. Her dad’s career in the NHL required sacrifices her whole life: frequent moves that meant she could never put down roots or make true friends and she always had to share him with his teams. She has vowed that hockey will not touch her life again in any way and the cardinal rule for keeping her promise is to never date a hockey player.
Jordie is immediately enthralled with the cagey beauty and her resistance to his charm just makes him want her more. Harper doesn’t make it easy on him, but he’s not one to shy away from a challenge. I loved their banter, especially in the beginning, when she really wanted him to just go away. He’s persistent and charming, so she can’t help falling for him, even if he is a hockey player. Their chemistry is insane but more importantly, Jordie isn’t the cocky jock she expected, he’s sweet and funny and vulnerable. Harper eventually realizes she needs to let go of her rule and see where this goes since she likes him so much.
The ending felt a bit rushed, which is a little disappointing, but I did like it. The ending was good but there could have been another chapter or two in there to give us a bit more insight. I really enjoyed seeing where all the couples are now and loved the epilogue, I just wish there was more. The whole series is fun and will probably get read again because I really loved the characters and enjoyed every book.
jessicanicole's review against another edition
3.0
3/5
Really only read it to finish out the series. Was really bored the whole time, kinda put me in a slump. All of the books in the series follow the same timeline and it’s gets old really fast. I skim read this and it still took me a while, really have no words for it. Didn’t enjoy it.
Really only read it to finish out the series. Was really bored the whole time, kinda put me in a slump. All of the books in the series follow the same timeline and it’s gets old really fast. I skim read this and it still took me a while, really have no words for it. Didn’t enjoy it.
readwithrach's review against another edition
5.0
I am obsessed with Kendall Ryan’s Hot Jocks series and am so sad this is the last book! Luckily it did not disappoint.
I thoroughly enjoyed Harper and Jordie’s story. Harper is the coach’s daughter and wants nothing to do with hockey players. Jordie is one of the youngest players on the team and determined to win Harper over. Who will win in the end?
The relationship between Jordie and Harper was so fun. I loved Jordie even when I was mad at him. He was just so lovable! I was rooting for the two of them from the beginning. They were so different yet similar at the same time.
I am super sad this series is over and I am hoping to read more sports romances from Kendall!
I thoroughly enjoyed Harper and Jordie’s story. Harper is the coach’s daughter and wants nothing to do with hockey players. Jordie is one of the youngest players on the team and determined to win Harper over. Who will win in the end?
The relationship between Jordie and Harper was so fun. I loved Jordie even when I was mad at him. He was just so lovable! I was rooting for the two of them from the beginning. They were so different yet similar at the same time.
I am super sad this series is over and I am hoping to read more sports romances from Kendall!
profromance's review against another edition
4.0
Overall Grade: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
From her first book in the Hot Jock series, Kendall Ryan has hooked me. If I knew more about hockey, I’m sure I could use some simile or metaphor to allude to the series’ impact, but I’m not that astute. I could easily say, though, that this series in general is a clear goal putting a win in Kendall Ryan’s column. And her last book, Taking His Shot is the hockey stick to knock it in there.
Let me be clear, though. Of the series, this book feels the most innocuous. With the other books in the series, the tropes are clear ranging from best friend’s sister to sexual abuse survivor to forbidden (I see you Morgan) to reverse age gap. Quite honestly, there is a book in this series for any reader of romance. With Taking His Shot, I think what Kendall Ryan is offering us is a two-fold goal: (1) given that we’ve been dealing with a professional hockey team, we need a story with the coach’s daughter (I’ve read enough sports romance to know that this is often forbidden) and (2) she needed one more story to neatly wrap up this series.
Let’s talk about that second point. What Kendall Ryan has done with Taking His Shot is bring us back into the other players’ stories. I love that all of them are represented in the book. That isn’t the case with the other books in the series. Even more exciting is the way that Ryan has framed this series. The first book offers the story of Justin and Elise, and she crafts their happy ending in this book. I love when writers book-end their stories, and it’s clear that Ryan planned this from the beginning. This epitomizes her writing ability. Besides Justin and Elise, though, she gifts us with more of Owen, Grant, Morgan, Teddy, and Asher. We know who is married now, who has kids, and where each of them is going. When you end Taking His Shot, you feel ready for it. Kendall Ryan has created a complete series, and the only sadness lies in having to say that final goodbye. However, Kendall Ryan being Kendall Ryan, we know there are more stories in other worlds ahead for us, so don’t feel too sad.
Now, let’s deal with my first idea: a story with the coach’s daughter. Beyond that storyline,Taking His Shot is basic contemporary romance: boy meets girl, boy tries to bed girl, girl resists, boy has to win her over, boy wins girl over after quite a bit of work but quickly proceeds to muck it up, boy has to work to win girl over again while both of them are depressed over losing each other, and boy and girl finally reconcile and live happily ever after. Who doesn’t love that storyline? This is Kendall Ryan’s niche; it’s her superpower in the world of romance. Now, complicating this is the idea of pursuing the coach’s daughter. In most sports romance, this is a forbidden storyline, and Ryan touches on that briefly, but that isn’t the situation in this romance. Instead, Jordie, the hero, is forthright in his pursuit of Harper. In being “mostly” honest with Harper’s father, the coach helps Jordie, and he acts as Jordie’s “father figure.” This upends that common sports romance trope, so, instead, this story becomes about two people fighting each other to find a relationship. It’s in this fight where the chemistry builds, eventually pouring off the page. Ryan’s ability to evolve Harper’s interest is a nod to her craftsmanship. She takes a character who is “anti-hockey players” to a mighty degree and offers up a beautiful relationship between Harper and Jordie. This is where Ryan impresses you the most, I think.
Even more, Ryan weaves in lessons about fathers. Both Jordie and Harper’s fathers have imprinted themselves on their worldviews. As they are drawn together, they must challenge what they’ve learned to get to the root of their issues. The personal evolutions of Jordie and Harper are insightful and suggest that we could all look inward, challenging our personal biases.
Am I sad to say goodbye to Kendall Ryan’s Hot Jocks series? I mean, I wouldn’t be upset if Ryan, in the future, crafted a bonus scene to update us on our favorite Seattle hockey players. However, she shows her writing acumen in Jordie and Harper’s romance and her ability to invest her readers in her characters. While Jordie and Harper end this series well, I think Kendall Ryan was her best earlier in the series with Owen’s and Grant’s stories. In the end, though, she made me fall for this band of professional hockey players. If you love sports romance, Ryan is a great place to land.
From her first book in the Hot Jock series, Kendall Ryan has hooked me. If I knew more about hockey, I’m sure I could use some simile or metaphor to allude to the series’ impact, but I’m not that astute. I could easily say, though, that this series in general is a clear goal putting a win in Kendall Ryan’s column. And her last book, Taking His Shot is the hockey stick to knock it in there.
Let me be clear, though. Of the series, this book feels the most innocuous. With the other books in the series, the tropes are clear ranging from best friend’s sister to sexual abuse survivor to forbidden (I see you Morgan) to reverse age gap. Quite honestly, there is a book in this series for any reader of romance. With Taking His Shot, I think what Kendall Ryan is offering us is a two-fold goal: (1) given that we’ve been dealing with a professional hockey team, we need a story with the coach’s daughter (I’ve read enough sports romance to know that this is often forbidden) and (2) she needed one more story to neatly wrap up this series.
Let’s talk about that second point. What Kendall Ryan has done with Taking His Shot is bring us back into the other players’ stories. I love that all of them are represented in the book. That isn’t the case with the other books in the series. Even more exciting is the way that Ryan has framed this series. The first book offers the story of Justin and Elise, and she crafts their happy ending in this book. I love when writers book-end their stories, and it’s clear that Ryan planned this from the beginning. This epitomizes her writing ability. Besides Justin and Elise, though, she gifts us with more of Owen, Grant, Morgan, Teddy, and Asher. We know who is married now, who has kids, and where each of them is going. When you end Taking His Shot, you feel ready for it. Kendall Ryan has created a complete series, and the only sadness lies in having to say that final goodbye. However, Kendall Ryan being Kendall Ryan, we know there are more stories in other worlds ahead for us, so don’t feel too sad.
Now, let’s deal with my first idea: a story with the coach’s daughter. Beyond that storyline,Taking His Shot is basic contemporary romance: boy meets girl, boy tries to bed girl, girl resists, boy has to win her over, boy wins girl over after quite a bit of work but quickly proceeds to muck it up, boy has to work to win girl over again while both of them are depressed over losing each other, and boy and girl finally reconcile and live happily ever after. Who doesn’t love that storyline? This is Kendall Ryan’s niche; it’s her superpower in the world of romance. Now, complicating this is the idea of pursuing the coach’s daughter. In most sports romance, this is a forbidden storyline, and Ryan touches on that briefly, but that isn’t the situation in this romance. Instead, Jordie, the hero, is forthright in his pursuit of Harper. In being “mostly” honest with Harper’s father, the coach helps Jordie, and he acts as Jordie’s “father figure.” This upends that common sports romance trope, so, instead, this story becomes about two people fighting each other to find a relationship. It’s in this fight where the chemistry builds, eventually pouring off the page. Ryan’s ability to evolve Harper’s interest is a nod to her craftsmanship. She takes a character who is “anti-hockey players” to a mighty degree and offers up a beautiful relationship between Harper and Jordie. This is where Ryan impresses you the most, I think.
Even more, Ryan weaves in lessons about fathers. Both Jordie and Harper’s fathers have imprinted themselves on their worldviews. As they are drawn together, they must challenge what they’ve learned to get to the root of their issues. The personal evolutions of Jordie and Harper are insightful and suggest that we could all look inward, challenging our personal biases.
Am I sad to say goodbye to Kendall Ryan’s Hot Jocks series? I mean, I wouldn’t be upset if Ryan, in the future, crafted a bonus scene to update us on our favorite Seattle hockey players. However, she shows her writing acumen in Jordie and Harper’s romance and her ability to invest her readers in her characters. While Jordie and Harper end this series well, I think Kendall Ryan was her best earlier in the series with Owen’s and Grant’s stories. In the end, though, she made me fall for this band of professional hockey players. If you love sports romance, Ryan is a great place to land.