Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
Dual POV, Spicy, Hockey Romance, Accidental Pregnancy, He Falls First & Harder, Secret Relationship, Brother's Best Friend, Coach's Step-Daughter, Reformed Playboy
If you don't typically like the accidental pregnancy trope I urge you to give this book (& Dead Rinker) a read. Stilling writes the trope with tender care taking, unconditional support, possessiveness, and undeniable chemistry between the MC's. Archer's plan to stay away from Darcy crumbles apart when he realizes she's looking to have some fun after breaking up with her boyfriend. And soon their friend's with benefits arrangement turns to so much more when she realizes she's pregnant with his baby. Expect sneaking around, dirty talk, jealousy moments, care taking when sick, and found family vibes.
If you don't typically like the accidental pregnancy trope I urge you to give this book (& Dead Rinker) a read. Stilling writes the trope with tender care taking, unconditional support, possessiveness, and undeniable chemistry between the MC's. Archer's plan to stay away from Darcy crumbles apart when he realizes she's looking to have some fun after breaking up with her boyfriend. And soon their friend's with benefits arrangement turns to so much more when she realizes she's pregnant with his baby. Expect sneaking around, dirty talk, jealousy moments, care taking when sick, and found family vibes.
REVIEW POST - Book 43 of 2025
Shots Fired by Ruth Stilling
I always love what Ruth writes, but when an author takes a trope I don't lean into and makes me love it, you know she's got something special.
Me and Ruth talk endlessly about my opinions on the accidental pregnancy trope. She did this to me with Dead Rinker too. Took the trope and delivered it in such a way that the story was so much more than just AP. And I loved it. And here she is, doing it all over again for me.
We meet Darcy way back in Ruth's first book, Boarded Hearts. We hear from Jack that Darcy's boyfriend at the time, Liam, is being a dick to her. So it's no surprise she finds herself newly single. Having just moved stateside, she wants some fun. She just didn't bank on that fun landing her pregnant, by the goalie for her brother's team!
Archer has it bad though. And we've all seen it coming. Every time he and Darcy are near each other in the last few books, his need for her is palpable and as a reader I've been waiting with baited breath for them to finally get it on. He's totally into her. And she has no idea. Poor girl. So clever and yet so oblivious 😅
I really enjoyed their story. The way they navigate their way through those early days together. And the way they choose to keep their private life private.
I love that Darcy chooses who she's going to tell and when.
The tension between Archer and Jack, is... well... let's just say I was holding my breath. Ruth writes male friendships so beautifully!
The group chats are on top form, as always. And we even get a few cameos. What's better than one goalie? 👀
Darcy's story has been brewing for over a year and I loved how it out. It really feels like Ruth has brought everything full circle with this one.
I'm not ready for this series to be over. I know book 4 is going to wipe the floor with me when I have to say goodbye to this world. But for now, let DArcher's love story wrap you in a huge yellow bow!
Ruth, you continue to amaze me with your writing, your bravery, your strength and your love for these characters. You are my friend and one of my favourite authors.
Forever proud of you love. Always 💜
Shots Fired by Ruth Stilling
I always love what Ruth writes, but when an author takes a trope I don't lean into and makes me love it, you know she's got something special.
Me and Ruth talk endlessly about my opinions on the accidental pregnancy trope. She did this to me with Dead Rinker too. Took the trope and delivered it in such a way that the story was so much more than just AP. And I loved it. And here she is, doing it all over again for me.
We meet Darcy way back in Ruth's first book, Boarded Hearts. We hear from Jack that Darcy's boyfriend at the time, Liam, is being a dick to her. So it's no surprise she finds herself newly single. Having just moved stateside, she wants some fun. She just didn't bank on that fun landing her pregnant, by the goalie for her brother's team!
Archer has it bad though. And we've all seen it coming. Every time he and Darcy are near each other in the last few books, his need for her is palpable and as a reader I've been waiting with baited breath for them to finally get it on. He's totally into her. And she has no idea. Poor girl. So clever and yet so oblivious 😅
I really enjoyed their story. The way they navigate their way through those early days together. And the way they choose to keep their private life private.
I love that Darcy chooses who she's going to tell and when.
The tension between Archer and Jack, is... well... let's just say I was holding my breath. Ruth writes male friendships so beautifully!
The group chats are on top form, as always. And we even get a few cameos. What's better than one goalie? 👀
Darcy's story has been brewing for over a year and I loved how it out. It really feels like Ruth has brought everything full circle with this one.
I'm not ready for this series to be over. I know book 4 is going to wipe the floor with me when I have to say goodbye to this world. But for now, let DArcher's love story wrap you in a huge yellow bow!
Ruth, you continue to amaze me with your writing, your bravery, your strength and your love for these characters. You are my friend and one of my favourite authors.
Forever proud of you love. Always 💜
fast-paced
challenging
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“Here’s your sixth and final lesson, Darcy Doll: your brain might be able to recall everything I’ve ever said, but my heart hangs on your every word. Forever living in our DARCHer bubble.”
You know how they say goalies are kind of unhinged? Well, Archer Moore proved that theory right. All of Ruth’s men are obsessed. Archer said, “ You call that obsessed? I’ll show you what obsessed looks like. Hold my beer. “
Archer Moore has been pining after Darcy for two years. He was waiting out her long-term relationship. Once Darcy was on the market and looking for fun in her new home of Brooklyn, Archer saw his opportunity. The only issue was that her brother is his best friend and teammate has already issued an off-limits order for his sister. Archer and Darcy had their “ fuck it” moment and decided to have secret hookups. Which ended up with a…surprise I’m pregnant. This is when Archer brings out the big guns to show her how down bad he is for her. Who can resist a man obsessed?
Archer fell hard and fast for Darcy. He showed her what a relationship should be. Archer Moore knows how to treat his lady. I loved the cameos from some of our favorite characters. And I am looking forward to the next book. The breadcrumbs Ruth left have me excited.
Tropes: hockey, accidental pregnancy, marriage of convenience, brother’s best friend, coach’s daughter, man obsessed, reformed playboy, secret hookups, my wife.
Thank you so much, Ruth, for the ARC!
You know how they say goalies are kind of unhinged? Well, Archer Moore proved that theory right. All of Ruth’s men are obsessed. Archer said, “ You call that obsessed? I’ll show you what obsessed looks like. Hold my beer. “
Archer Moore has been pining after Darcy for two years. He was waiting out her long-term relationship. Once Darcy was on the market and looking for fun in her new home of Brooklyn, Archer saw his opportunity. The only issue was that her brother is his best friend and teammate has already issued an off-limits order for his sister. Archer and Darcy had their “ fuck it” moment and decided to have secret hookups. Which ended up with a…surprise I’m pregnant. This is when Archer brings out the big guns to show her how down bad he is for her. Who can resist a man obsessed?
Archer fell hard and fast for Darcy. He showed her what a relationship should be. Archer Moore knows how to treat his lady. I loved the cameos from some of our favorite characters. And I am looking forward to the next book. The breadcrumbs Ruth left have me excited.
Tropes: hockey, accidental pregnancy, marriage of convenience, brother’s best friend, coach’s daughter, man obsessed, reformed playboy, secret hookups, my wife.
Thank you so much, Ruth, for the ARC!
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I received an ARC of this story but all opinions are my own.
📖: 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
🥵: 🌶️🌶️.5/5
Shots Fired is the third story in the Blade Kings Series. It follows playboy goalie, Archer Moore, and his more than year-long crush on his teammates sister, Darcy Thompson. Fresh out of a toxic relationship, Darcy moves to the US from the UK for a new job and to be closer to her mum and older brother, and is looking for some fun to get over her ex.
I really enjoyed this story! Archer is absolutely gone from minute one of this story. In fact he is gone from the moment he meets Darcy earlier in the series! I thought they had a lot of chemistry and tension and I loved that he is all in from the start. I loved the Blades setting as usual, and even more throwbacks to the Scorpions series which I loved!
I really like Archer as a character, and you all know I am here for a man obsessed! It was quite emotional to see him fighting against his playboy reputation with basically everyone in the story, when all he wants is Darcy. It was actually quite sad that it took so long for some of his friends to look past that side of his past. I loved his relationship with his mum and the way he opened up about his parents divorce when he's with Darcy.
I also liked Darcy! She's kind, intelligent, and obviously beautiful. I really liked her relationships with the girls, especially Jenna, and I certainly hope we get to see more of her soon (iykyk).
This story does contain the pregnancy trope, and I am always happy to see the discussion around options for the FMC. A lot of stories glaze over the aspect of choice, and it's usually a case of how will they cope with a baby rather than whether they want to. Although Darcy is pretty certain from the outset that she wants the baby, she is repeatedly made aware of her right to choose by both her doctor and Archer.
Overall, I really enjoyed this addition to the Blade Kings series.
📖: 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
🥵: 🌶️🌶️.5/5
Shots Fired is the third story in the Blade Kings Series. It follows playboy goalie, Archer Moore, and his more than year-long crush on his teammates sister, Darcy Thompson. Fresh out of a toxic relationship, Darcy moves to the US from the UK for a new job and to be closer to her mum and older brother, and is looking for some fun to get over her ex.
I really enjoyed this story! Archer is absolutely gone from minute one of this story. In fact he is gone from the moment he meets Darcy earlier in the series! I thought they had a lot of chemistry and tension and I loved that he is all in from the start. I loved the Blades setting as usual, and even more throwbacks to the Scorpions series which I loved!
I really like Archer as a character, and you all know I am here for a man obsessed! It was quite emotional to see him fighting against his playboy reputation with basically everyone in the story, when all he wants is Darcy. It was actually quite sad that it took so long for some of his friends to look past that side of his past. I loved his relationship with his mum and the way he opened up about his parents divorce when he's with Darcy.
I also liked Darcy! She's kind, intelligent, and obviously beautiful. I really liked her relationships with the girls, especially Jenna, and I certainly hope we get to see more of her soon (iykyk).
This story does contain the pregnancy trope, and I am always happy to see the discussion around options for the FMC. A lot of stories glaze over the aspect of choice, and it's usually a case of how will they cope with a baby rather than whether they want to. Although Darcy is pretty certain from the outset that she wants the baby, she is repeatedly made aware of her right to choose by both her doctor and Archer.
Overall, I really enjoyed this addition to the Blade Kings series.
This is the third book in this series. But I have only read the second book and now this book in the series. I have to say Archer was my absolute favorite! The way he has loved Darcy from afar for so long and then he finally gets her. It made my heart so happy. He was the absolute perfect book boyfriend. The love he had for Darcy and how he reacted when she was pregnant was not how I thought he would react. It took Darcy a bit to catch up on her feeling for him but of course we knew she would get there!
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I knew I was going to be obsessed with this book! How could you go wrong with a man obsessed who accidentally gets her pregnant! Ruth is the queen of writing accidental pregnancies!
This book is full of wonderful tension and heart-grabbing chemistry! Darcy is trying to move on from her awful ex back home in London but she can't stay away from the pull that is Archer Moore! While Archer is a known playboy, his heart truly belongs to one woman! This man was so utterly sweet and the things he did for Darcy just melted my heart!
This book was just pure perfection and at this rate whatever Ruth writes just put it in my hand eyes closed and I will eat it up!!
This book is full of wonderful tension and heart-grabbing chemistry! Darcy is trying to move on from her awful ex back home in London but she can't stay away from the pull that is Archer Moore! While Archer is a known playboy, his heart truly belongs to one woman! This man was so utterly sweet and the things he did for Darcy just melted my heart!
This book was just pure perfection and at this rate whatever Ruth writes just put it in my hand eyes closed and I will eat it up!!
Shots Fired
♾️⭐️ // 🌶🌶🌶
- Accidental Pregnancy
- Brother’s best friend
- Secret Relationship
- look at her and d!e
- Possessive/Boy Obsessed
Ruth just keeps getting better and better with every story. Her MMCs are always to die for 🥵😮💨
I don’t know what kind of English crack she puts in her books but I literally couldn’t put it down. I was on vacation and took my kindle everywhere, my eyes were GLUED to my kindle for this one.
I knew that Darcy and Archer’s story would be one of my fav’s because I LOVE Darcy. She reminds me so much of myself.
Archer is sooooo down bad for our girl Darcy. He’s obsessed but in such a good way that its just makes you want more. Archer had me reading with my jaw on the floor half the time.
If you have not read any of Ruth Stilling’s books, you are 100% missing out. I am so glad one of my good friends recommended I read Boarded Hearts, I never looked back from there.
1 million/10 recommend Shots fired and The Blade Kings series as a whole. Thank you to Ruth and Wordsmith Publicity for the ARC of Shots Fired.
♾️⭐️ // 🌶🌶🌶
- Accidental Pregnancy
- Brother’s best friend
- Secret Relationship
- look at her and d!e
- Possessive/Boy Obsessed
Ruth just keeps getting better and better with every story. Her MMCs are always to die for 🥵😮💨
I don’t know what kind of English crack she puts in her books but I literally couldn’t put it down. I was on vacation and took my kindle everywhere, my eyes were GLUED to my kindle for this one.
I knew that Darcy and Archer’s story would be one of my fav’s because I LOVE Darcy. She reminds me so much of myself.
Archer is sooooo down bad for our girl Darcy. He’s obsessed but in such a good way that its just makes you want more. Archer had me reading with my jaw on the floor half the time.
If you have not read any of Ruth Stilling’s books, you are 100% missing out. I am so glad one of my good friends recommended I read Boarded Hearts, I never looked back from there.
1 million/10 recommend Shots fired and The Blade Kings series as a whole. Thank you to Ruth and Wordsmith Publicity for the ARC of Shots Fired.
Archer is officially one of my favourite MMCs of all time. There were so many moments reading this story that had me wanting to offer myself as tribute if Darcy didn’t want him. Glimpses in earlier books had me knowing Archer was going to be completely obsessed with his girl and the entire story from start to finish did not disappoint. After being hurt by her ex who she had been with since she was a teenager, Darcy is convinced she wants to have fun and isn’t ready for any type of relationship. She is attracted to Archer and sees a side of him that no one else gets to see so she feels safe exploring all the things with him that she did not get with her ex. Since he is widely known to never want to settle down, she figures it should be no problem to keep her emotions safe. She’s just not aware Archer is taking no prisoners until he owns her heart.
Read this if you love:
🏒 Hockey Romance
🏒 Accidental Pregnancy
🏒 Secret Relationship
🏒 He Falls First & He Falls Hard
🏒 Brother’s Best Friend
🏒 Boy Obsessed
🏒 Reformed Playboy
🏒 Coach’s Step-daughter
🏒 Possessive MMC
🏒 Look at Her & 💀
Archer has a bit of an unhinged side when it comes to his girl and when you combine that with the absolute sweetheart he was to her, I could not have loved him more. There were so many unexpected moments throughout this story where you have to remind yourself that not long ago Archer was out there rapidly sowing his wild oats. He has the supportive, loving partner thing absolutely down pat. I also felt for him every time a joke was made about what a player he was or how he was basically the good time guy. He 100% owns his past but it is clear to him that Darcy was a game changer for him, even if no one else sees it.
I really liked Darcy for Archer. While she convinces herself that he is there strictly for fun, it is more out of a sense of self preservation because she doesn't believe he will stay interested in her. That being said, she sees beneath the easy going, always making jokes front he puts on and realizes that there are more layers to Archer than she ever anticipated. Darcy is insanely intelligent and has trouble slowing her mind down at times, but Archer keeps her grounded and makes her feel safe to be herself. I also really enjoyed the dynamic between Darcy and the other girls. I love a strong girl friend group!
I could not stop reading this book even when reminding myself I had an important early morning meeting for work. I've loved the other two books in the series, but this one just had that extra something that has me already wanting to read it again.
Thank you so much to Ruth Stilling and Wordsmith Publicity for the ARC of this book!
Read this if you love:
🏒 Hockey Romance
🏒 Accidental Pregnancy
🏒 Secret Relationship
🏒 He Falls First & He Falls Hard
🏒 Brother’s Best Friend
🏒 Boy Obsessed
🏒 Reformed Playboy
🏒 Coach’s Step-daughter
🏒 Possessive MMC
🏒 Look at Her & 💀
Archer has a bit of an unhinged side when it comes to his girl and when you combine that with the absolute sweetheart he was to her, I could not have loved him more. There were so many unexpected moments throughout this story where you have to remind yourself that not long ago Archer was out there rapidly sowing his wild oats. He has the supportive, loving partner thing absolutely down pat. I also felt for him every time a joke was made about what a player he was or how he was basically the good time guy. He 100% owns his past but it is clear to him that Darcy was a game changer for him, even if no one else sees it.
I really liked Darcy for Archer. While she convinces herself that he is there strictly for fun, it is more out of a sense of self preservation because she doesn't believe he will stay interested in her. That being said, she sees beneath the easy going, always making jokes front he puts on and realizes that there are more layers to Archer than she ever anticipated. Darcy is insanely intelligent and has trouble slowing her mind down at times, but Archer keeps her grounded and makes her feel safe to be herself. I also really enjoyed the dynamic between Darcy and the other girls. I love a strong girl friend group!
I could not stop reading this book even when reminding myself I had an important early morning meeting for work. I've loved the other two books in the series, but this one just had that extra something that has me already wanting to read it again.
Thank you so much to Ruth Stilling and Wordsmith Publicity for the ARC of this book!