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A review by nickartrip102
The Shots You Take by Rachel Reid
3.0
I requested and received an eARC of The Shots You Take by Rachel Reid via NetGalley. Listen, I love a Rachel Reid romance. When I saw this on NetGalley I was so freaking excited. Riley Tucker left his major league hockey career behind ten years ago along with all the baggage that came with it. When a family tragedy brings his former teammate and ex-best friend with benefits Adam Sheppard back into his orbit, it's all too much at once. Adam fears he may have made a mistake returning to Avery River, Nova Scotia but he's determined to make things right for the way he handled his relationship with Riley in the past. As Riley reluctantly allows Adam to be there for him through his grief, feelings and sparks of desire begin to resurface, but the men must confront their past to begin again.
This book was oozing sex and angst from the start, which I absolutely love. I’m definitely the type of romance reader who loves a little a hurt along the way, so it seemed like Reid’s latest book would absolutely be a hit for me. The story opens at Riley’s father’s funeral. Adam has returned to declare his love, to beg for forgiveness, because nothing is more romantic than a funeral. I didn’t instantly connect with either of the protagonists, which isn’t entirely surprising — I’m not a big reader of sports romance, but Reid is an exception to that rule (Time To Shine and the Game Changers series both rocked my world.) Usually with these stories there’s a wall of tightly constructed masculinity that I have to break through, which was the case here. But the sexual chemistry between the men was amazing and I was eager to learn about their shared history, so that definitely cultivated my interest in the story.
I really enjoyed the flashback chapters, but I couldn’t help but wish there had been more of this, with a stronger focus on shared history rather than past sexual exploits and let-downs. I feel like this would have helped me to better understand the emotional aspect of Riley and Adam’s relationship. I had a few lingering questions that I felt needed answered, because it seemed like several things were hinted at but never fully addressed. I would have liked a better sense of who Adam was as a character and what really drew Riley to him. In contrast, the chapters set in the present, which make up the bulk of the book, really nail the second-chance relationship with all of the reservations and awkwardness that comes along with the reunion between the former teammates. The Shots You Take is a solid romance that definitely has elements of Reid’s signature charm that make it a fun, if uneven read.
This book was oozing sex and angst from the start, which I absolutely love. I’m definitely the type of romance reader who loves a little a hurt along the way, so it seemed like Reid’s latest book would absolutely be a hit for me. The story opens at Riley’s father’s funeral. Adam has returned to declare his love, to beg for forgiveness, because nothing is more romantic than a funeral. I didn’t instantly connect with either of the protagonists, which isn’t entirely surprising — I’m not a big reader of sports romance, but Reid is an exception to that rule (Time To Shine and the Game Changers series both rocked my world.) Usually with these stories there’s a wall of tightly constructed masculinity that I have to break through, which was the case here. But the sexual chemistry between the men was amazing and I was eager to learn about their shared history, so that definitely cultivated my interest in the story.
I really enjoyed the flashback chapters, but I couldn’t help but wish there had been more of this, with a stronger focus on shared history rather than past sexual exploits and let-downs. I feel like this would have helped me to better understand the emotional aspect of Riley and Adam’s relationship. I had a few lingering questions that I felt needed answered, because it seemed like several things were hinted at but never fully addressed. I would have liked a better sense of who Adam was as a character and what really drew Riley to him. In contrast, the chapters set in the present, which make up the bulk of the book, really nail the second-chance relationship with all of the reservations and awkwardness that comes along with the reunion between the former teammates. The Shots You Take is a solid romance that definitely has elements of Reid’s signature charm that make it a fun, if uneven read.