The day I got the email with an invitation to read an early copy of this book was an exciting day! Rachel Reid has written some of my very favorite books and The Shots You Take was probably my most anticipated book of 2025. I’m happy to say that this book did not disappoint. It had my heart in a vice from the first page and slowly released the pressure all the way through until it set it free during the most heartwarming epilogue. I finished the book with tears in my eyes and so much love in my heart for Riley and Adam who deserved every second of their hard-won HEA. 

Riley Tuck and Adam Sheppard had been best friends and teammates from their very first season in the NHL. Their friendship morphed into a friends-with-benefits relationship over the years but Adam insisted it meant nothing beyond the physical, leaving Riley drowning in his unrequited love for his best friend. After some poor decisions led to a falling out, the two men hadn’t seen each other in over 12 years until Adam shows up in Riley’s small town in Nova Scotia during the worst week of Riley’s life. Having just lost his father unexpectedly, Riley is in no condition to deal with seeing Adam again. But Adam desperately wants to repair their relationship and help Riley through his loss. Will these men be able to work through their complicated past to find the future neither ever thought they could have together?

This book throws you right into the angst from the very first chapter. Riley is lost in his grief over losing his beloved father when he’s forced to confront his anger over Adam reappearing so suddenly. I liked how the first portion of the book alternated between what was happening in the present day with snippets of important moments from Adam and Riley’s past. It wasn’t easy, it hurt seeing Riley’s unrequited love and how fear caused Adam to treat him poorly. But it helped to justify the anger Riley, rightfully, had toward Adam. I loved how stubborn Adam was, he refused to give up on Riley again. I enjoyed seeing him try to prove to himself, and Riley, that he was worthy of Riley’s love.

The slow burn was so good in this story! The pining and longing were so perfectly executed. Both men were pining hard but now that they were older (hooray for mature characters in their 40s!) and had perspective, they knew nothing good would come from jumping back into anything without working through their baggage. They were both so scared to mess it up again and with that came a certain level of cautiousness that I appreciated. For all the miscommunication they suffered through when they were young and dumb, they made up for it now that they were older and wiser. I loved seeing these guys find their way back to one another, it brought tears to my eyes more than once.

I also loved how this book dealt with the impact of being a pro athlete with a mental illness or who’s gay, particularly 20-odd years ago when these men were just starting in their pro-hockey careers. Conversations surrounding these topics may be changing but back when Riley and Adam were young, neither thing was openly discussed and you wonder how things might have gone differently between them back when they were younger if there wasn’t such a stigma around mental health or being LGBTQ. 

Anyway, I loved this book, Rachel Reid is such a talented writer and continues to deliver engaging, emotional stories with characters that burrow themselves deep into my heart. I’ll definitely be returning to Adam and Riley’s story and I can’t wait to add a physical copy to my collection! 

*A complimentary copy was provided by Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.*