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Ellie Before my junior year at Lincoln University, I promised myself three things. Just three. When Professor Taylor posted our chem midterm p artners and I got stuck with the captain of Lincoln’s Ice Hockey team , I was sure I’d be able to abide by rules 2 and 3. After all, I was immune to Leo’s whole ‘hottest guy on campus’ thing. I grew up with him— my brother’s best friend . That I’ve been obsessed with since I was eight. F' me. Leo Senior year. Captain of the hockey team , already engaged to the NHL with the perfect union months away, my whole life mapped out ahead of me. All my dreams have come true. Except for the one with Eleanor Rhodes. That one’s reoccurring, starring her in nothing but my number and that perfect little blush that shows up every time she looks at me. No biggie. I’ve worked that one out. In the shower. Numerous times. Never had a reason to get any closer than her Instagram until Professor Taylor assigned us as chem partners. The one girl on campus who shouldn’t be on my radar, yet she somehow seems to be the only one.

332 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 4, 2023

804 people are currently reading
1227 people want to read

About the author

M.J. Fields

150 books3,963 followers
MJ Fields is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance novels. She lives in New York with her daughter Miss A, smoochie faced Newfie, Theo and the newest member to the 'fields crew, rescue diva / holy terror Eleanor.
When she’s not locked away in the cave, she enjoys doing home improvement projects, spending time with her family, attending live music and sporting events, the theatre, singing off key, dancing to her own beat, listening to audio books, and reading of course.

Forever Steel!

Join MJ's mailing list ➜ http://bit.ly/MJFNews
Visit her website here ➜ https://mjfieldsbooks.com
Stalk her Facebook here ➜ facebook.com/MJFieldsBooks
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5 stars
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615 (32%)
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532 (27%)
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175 (9%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews
Profile Image for Sophie Miller.
31 reviews7 followers
August 16, 2023
That ending was just so … sudden. Like all of a sudden it is saying “the end”. The overall book was pretty good. I still didn’t really feel that they were solid in their relationship. I don’t know I just can’t get over how all of sudden the book was over. Not even like a cliff hanger just weird and unexpected
Profile Image for Allison Cho.
58 reviews2 followers
June 4, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

Tropes:
🏒Hockey Romance
🏒Brother’s Friend
🏒Sassy Heroine/Protective Hero
🏒Low Angst/HEA Guaranteed

AHHHHH I need to read the next book rn! The ending had me in shock and I have so many questions!

Ellie and Leo have a special relationship that was spicy but so real. I was reading the book and felt like the struggles of quitting a sport due to an injury was so relatable. I felt for Ellie because I went through something similar. Except I wish I found a Leo🤣 Leo was adorable trying to get Ellie to go out with him and taking care of her. I wish there was more to Ellie’s injury and what she went through. Maybe more backstory for both Ellie and Leo, but once the story got rolling, I couldn’t stop and couldn’t believe there was an ending.

There were a couple things that I loved about this book because of how much I could relate. One of my best friends is Grace. I joined a sorority after retiring from my sport because of an injury (so many different things😅). Leaving the sport was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do and still struggle with the injury/was born with a defect.

Anyways! Leo and Ellie are perfect together and there were a lot of moments I loved because they were goals💗 I can’t wait to read the next book!
Profile Image for Sissy Sokolik.
21 reviews2 followers
July 7, 2023
2/5 Rating 2/5 Spice

This is a hard one to review honestly because I hate giving negative reviews to authors, but this just did not work. This is my first time reading this author's work too, so it sucks. I was reading a lot of the reviews and had high expectations, but it didn't live up to what I thought it was going to be.

There were tropes mentioned in the reviews that are not in here, such as, forced proximity and brother's best friend.

The most frustrating part was the pacing. It was moving way too fast that a reader wouldn't be able to understand who is saying what and where they are at because there were not scene breaks that were executed properly. For example, two characters were having a conversation and we didn't know who the other person was until about four pages later when there was an actual dialogue tag for the person. One minute they are in a basement and the next paragraph they are at a bar and then they are back home in the next. There were also inconsistencies with name spellings, lots of errors, and the plot was nonexistent.

Most of the time I don't have a problem with reading a book with low stakes and little plot, but only if the romance is there. Unfortunately, the romance did not hit. There was so much potential too. I love a good "it's always been you", but this missed the mark. Also, I know college comes with a lot of partying, but they were drunk pretty much then entire book lol. She didn't go into any details about her doctor visit. Did he get signed? The ending was so abrupt it didn't make sense.

I was literally so frustrated during the entire time reading it. 3
Profile Image for Shannon.
517 reviews165 followers
October 19, 2025
Disregard the blurb, since it’s not applicable to what actually happens in the book. The only thing piece that matches is chem partners. Low stakes easy one though
Profile Image for Jennifer.
106 reviews13 followers
June 5, 2023
What a start to a new series! Leo and Ellie have known each other from childhood, now they attend the same college. Ellie has always had a crush on Leo and Leo could never take his eyes off Ellie. Leo is a senior plays NCAA hockey going to the pros when he graduates. Ellie is a junior, former NCAA soccer player, best in her state until an “injury”, and a sorority sister. When they are assigned as biochem partners for a project they start hanging out. Leo is “married” to hockey and doesn’t want anything serious because he doesn’t have time for relationships. Until Ellie happened. Ellie is a bit more hard headed to admit how much she likes Leo. Once he gets her to open up we see a softer side of Ellie. This book will make you laugh and like every other book of MJ’s have all the feels.
Profile Image for Sarina Vega.
233 reviews15 followers
June 7, 2023
“All my dreams have come true. Except for Eleanor Rhodes. That one’s reoccurring starring her in nothing but my number and the perfect blush that shows up every time she looks at me.”

4/5 ⭐️
2/5 🌶
Hockey Romance
Best Friend sibling
Sorority
College
Sassy FMC
Protective Hero



Ellie and Leo knew each other growing up. Leo is best friends with her brother.
She has had a major crush on him since she was eight years old. It turns out so did he. They attend the same college. While he is a year ahead of her and the star hockey player about to go to the NHL when he graduates, he has other plans than commitment. They end up being lab partners and as their friendship grew so did his feelings.
I enjoyed the low angst and how they were able to have such a great friendship outside of their secret relationship. The banter between them was comical as well as the friends they share.

This was a true college life experience romance story. That was fun and with some spice and awesome side characters. Leo Stone is dreamy. Definitely an add to the book boyfriend list.

This was my first MJ Fields book and I throughly enjoyed it. I can’t wait for the next book.

Thank you MJ Fields and Wordsmith Publicity the ARC.
Profile Image for sxphia‘s_library.
407 reviews7 followers
Read
December 17, 2024
2,5✨

“ᴀʟʟ ɪ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ'ꜱ ɴᴏ ʙᴀʀʀɪᴇʀ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ʜɪᴍ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ. ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ'ꜱ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ᴜꜱ.”

“ɪ ᴀᴍ ꜰᴀʟʟɪɴɢ ɪɴ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʏᴏᴜ, ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀʀᴛꜱ ᴏꜰ ʏᴏᴜ.”

“ꜱʜᴇ'ꜱ ꜱᴏ ꜰᴜᴄᴋɪɴɢ ꜱᴛʀᴏɴɢ. ɪ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ʜᴏᴘᴇ ᴏɴᴇ ᴅᴀʏ ꜱᴏᴏɴ ꜱʜᴇ’ʟʟ ʟᴇᴛ ᴍᴇ ʙᴇ ꜱᴛʀᴏɴɢ ꜰᴏʀ ʜᴇʀ ᴡʜᴇɴ ꜱʜᴇ ɴᴇᴇᴅꜱ ᴀ ʙʀᴇᴀᴋ.”

“ɪ ʟɪᴋᴇ ʏᴏᴜ. ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ ɪ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ. ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴘʟᴀɴɴᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ.”

Long Shot war auf jeden Fall ein sehr interessantes Buch, doch leider nicht ganz was ich erwartet habe besonders in Bezug auf brother‘s best friend, da die Freundschaft schon länger zurückliegt und Leo und Ollie fast keinen Kontakt mehr hatten. Eine Plot hat die Story auch nicht richtig gehabt, weshalb es keinen roten Faden gab. Vieles war für mich einfach in die Seiten gestopft worden und hat zu wenig Beachtung bekommen wie zum Beispiel Ellies Krankheit, ihre Fußballkarriere und Leos Zukunftsaussichten und wie die Beziehung der beiden überhaupt weitergehen
soll🌿 Das mit dem Partnerprojekt war für mich irgendwie nur wie dahin geworfen, da Leo und Ellie nie daran gearbeitet haben und die Thematik auch nicht auf deren Arbeit und gemeinsamem Kurs lag. Das Buch ging im Generellen wenig in die Tiefe und hat vieles nur oberflächlich behandelt. Partys, Spicy Szenen und Hockey waren wohl die Hauptaspekte des Buches, doch all das Party machen hat mich irgendwann gelangweilt, weil einfach nicht viel passiert ist. Was Ellie auf einer der Partys passiert ist, hat für mich zu wenig an Aufmerksamkeit bekommen und wurde für mich nicht richtig ausgeführt. Das Ende kam dann alles sehr überraschend, da es so plötzlich war und einfach keinen richtigen Abschluss hatte, was ich unglaublich schade fand. Die Hockey Elemente des Buches haben mir sehr gefallen, doch ich muss sagen, dass mich alles zu sehr an die Off Campus Reihe erinnert hat und ich sehr viele Ähnlichkeiten zu The Deal gesehen habe…
Ellie und Leo fand ich akzeptable Hauptcharaktere, doch ich konnte keine richtige Bindung zu ihnen aufbauen. Mich hat es oft genervt wie Ellie beschrieben hat, dass sie mal wieder super heiß aussieht und ihr ganzes Aussehen preist,…ich liebe es wenn man Selbstvertrauen hat, aber manchmal ist zu viel zu viel. Was sie jedoch wieder sympathischer gemacht hat ist dass sie Taylor Swift Fan ist und Fußball geliebt hat. Trotz seiner eigenen Kapitel habe ich Leo nicht gut kennenlernen können und ich war hin und wieder auch sehr abgefuckt von ihm besonders wegen einer bestimmten Szene und wie er Ellie verkauft hat sie sei Schuld mit daran….ENTSCHULDIGUNG😑
Die Beziehung von Leo und Ellie hatte wie schon erwähnt auch einfach keine Tiefe. Sie waren zwar süß miteinander, doch mir hat die Dynamik gefehlt und die Liebe zwischen ihnen.
Die Nebencharaktere waren eigentlich auch ganz nett, doch ich habe nicht den Drang die Reihe weiterzulesen und mehr über die verschiedenen Paare zu erfahren, da mir Long Shot einfach zu blass war und ich nicht neugierig bin wer nun mit wem zusammenkommt und wie die Beziehung zwischen Ellie und Leo weitergeht, da es mich einfach nicht interessiert🫣
Long Shot hat mich auf eine Weise sehr überrascht, da ich auch gerade die Prime Serie Cruel Intentions schaue und Ähnlichkeiten zwischen dem Setting und dem ganzen Verbindungshäusern Veranstaltungen gesehen habe und mir dies deshalb sehr gut vorstellen konnte. Nichtsdestotrotz war das Buch nichts Besonderes und für mich lohnt es sich auch nicht weiterzulesen und die Story
weiterzuverfolgen🏒🍂🧫🍪

“ɪ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ɪᴛ'ꜱ ᴀ ʟᴏɴɢ ꜱʜᴏᴛ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ɪᴛ ᴀʟʟ.”
Profile Image for Donna.
1,421 reviews14 followers
June 6, 2023
Taking The Shot #1

Ellie Rhodes is a Jr. at Lincoln U majoring in biochem and a member of KET sorority. She gets stuck with the captain of the hockey team for a partner in her chem class. She also had to quit soccer due an injury that also affects her health.

Leo Stone is a Senior, captain of the U's hockey team, hottest guy on campus and Ellie's brother's best friend. He is planning on going pro when he graduates. They grew up together and Ellie has been obsessed with him since she was eight.

Ellie had gone to a party and had issues with one of the guys, finally got away from him but called her brother who called Leo to come help her and to watch out for her. Even though one of her rules is to stay away from athletes they started hanging out together. Will it become more?

4 stars
For me this was more a party book for the most part and then as a couple working through some things. I wished more would have been told about her health issues since that was a big part. Also thought the ending was abrupt and could have detailed more.
I did like the side characters and would love to read more about them.

Profile Image for Nicole.
286 reviews65 followers
June 10, 2023
Long shot was adorable! It had all my favorite things and no extra unnecessary fluff. It had no third act breakup or any back and forth between Leo & Ellie. The banter & chemistry between Leo & Ellie was adorable. They finish each other’s sentences, they talk in circles and they talk so fast. I was
Speeding thru this book without even noticing I was almost done. So much dialogue between Leo & Ellie as well as his teammates that it felt like watching tv. The relationship was built on more than just sex & they made my heart hurt from how sweet they were with each other. I cannot wait for the next one this was fantastic!!!
Profile Image for Mikki.
43 reviews
May 17, 2025
Echt super cuteeeee boek!! Leest lekker makkelijk weg 🫶🏻
Profile Image for Mrs. Darcy or Mrs. Columbo?.
223 reviews6 followers
June 15, 2023


DNF - 30%ish & skimmed the end.

1. H sleeping/making out with other girls.
2. h purposely getting wasted while on meds.
3. h had to have alcohol in her system to even deal with issues (H).
4. Rinse & repeat.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Leslie || original book nerd.
922 reviews44 followers
June 8, 2023
Long Shot - Taking the Shot #1 - Review

Couple: Ellie & Leo

Author: M.J. Fields

Tropes: hockey romance, college romance, child hood crush, best friend’s little sister, brother’s best friend, spicy reads

Review: This is my second book by this author and I LOVED IT!! It takes college hockey romance to a whole new level and makes you feel like you are in the book with the characters. The book is dual POV and centers around star player Leo as he struggles to save his pro career.

We begin the book with Leo’s POV and quickly learn about his struggles with his coach, the career he wants and the stress of being a top player. Enter Ellie, his best friend’s little sister, who is his new chemistry lab partner. Their meet cute is flustering for both but Leo knows right away that she’s different.

Ellie on the other hand vehemently tries to deny her feelings for Leo but quickly learns it is a lost cause. I loved Ellie’s character and her struggle with her injury. I was hoping we would get more about it but maybe in the next books we will. For me though, the best parts of this book were when she opens up to Leo and gets his support. I also thought having her be an apex athlete in a sorority added to her depth.

The book is a medium burn and full of angst, spice and tension. Both MCs have a ton of chemistry and heat which makes the build up that much better. I also loved how Leo was so open with Ellie and never talked to his friends about her.

I also found that the inclusion of Leo’s injury and the backlash was important for the book. I appreciated how MJ did not just brush over it but spent time with the importance of taking care of proper care. I also liked how Ellie’s injury was not brushed over and was a centre of strife for her.

Lastly, I loved how the book wasn’t centered around wither being afraid of her brother Oliver finding out. I found this refreshing and am hoping we get his book soon.

Rating: 100+, LEO…I need more!
Profile Image for Nelitmillan.
93 reviews32 followers
June 8, 2023
¿De que trata ?
Long shot nos cuenta la historia de Ellie y Leo ambos se conocen desde siempre ya que Leo es el mejor amigo de su hermano mayor y y ahora está en la misma universidad donde estudia leo.
Leo está en su último año y va rumbo a la NHL y Ellie es una estudiante de tercer año de bioquímica , ambos se ven en la obligación de estar en el radar del otro porque los asignan como equipo en una clase y pues eso hace que empiece a pasar más tiempo juntos y valla así desarrollando sentimientos.
*Mi opinión
Disfrute este libro, yo amo los libros de Sport Romance y más si son jugadores de hockey 🏒 en lo personal ame mucho el personaje de Leo si hizo algunas cagadas pero es el típico chico que no sabe manejar sus sentimientos y terminan haciendo algo malo para que pueda entrar en razón , pero su personaje fue muy bien escrito , en cuanto a Ellie si se me dificulta un poco poder conectarme con ella en los primero capítulo , pero luego entendí porque actuaba asi y allí pude empatizar , me dolió mucho saber porque Ellie tuvo que dejar el Fútbol ⚽ , aunque en todo el libro siempre iban dejando como pequeña lista si no me ví venir la razón de la que ya no pudo jugar.
Cómo parejas si sentí esa conexión y tensión que había entre ellos , aunque no fue al principio pero a medida que se hiba desarrollando el libro no se pudo negar que allí había muchos sentimientos de parte y parte.
Creo que le da un plus los personajes segundarios , me gustó mucho Grace que fue como una mamá gallina 🐔 para Ellie siempre la están cuidando y pendiente de ella.
Y los demas miembro del equipo también aunque mi favorito fue Evam porque lo sentí tan cariñoso 😽 que fue muy lindo leer las interacciones que tenía con ellie y lo celoso que se ponía Leo por ello.
Es el primer libro que leí de esta autara y me gustó mucho su forma de escribir y como supo captar todas esas personalidades en un solo libro 📖
Profile Image for Taylor.
49 reviews
July 6, 2024
realistic plot and characters

I have so many more positives to say about this book than negatives but I’m just going to put my one critique first and get it out of the way. The writing can be hard to keep up with, not because it’s too complicated but because it’s so simplistic you feel like you’re missing a piece of the conversations or thoughts in some areas. There were a couple times something is mentioned or abbreviated without detailing what the abbreviation is for and then I’m 2 paragraphs passed it (done trying to make the conclusions myself) when they clarify what they’re discussing.

Alright no more negativity! I love these characters! I’ve never read about more realistic college students. Like a girl who can party without being a “party girl” or “anti partying” (seems like most FMCs are either or). The insecurities are there without being a massive focal point: people can still be insecure and confident. The friendships are realistic. I love how no one is so overly egotistical. First brother’s best friend where the brother isn’t butt-hurt when he finds out. LOVE the lack of a third act breakup! Thank youuu. Conflict before the love is so much more realistic than so many other plot lines. AND it still felt just as devastating. Finally, I LOVED the back and forth between these characters. They were so well written in dialogue. This is where the author made a great example how the lack of explanation was more significant. I didn’t have to constantly read about Ellie’s avoidance to talk about herself, Leo’s persistence and her topic change is easy to keep up with while also demonstrating that reluctance.
Profile Image for Vallsykes.
1,130 reviews13 followers
December 24, 2025
“I should be grateful, but I’m pissed because I wasn’t strong enough to play through...”
From Long Shot: Lincoln U- Ice Hockey (Taking The Shot Book 1) | MJ Fields
3.5 stars
Ellie and Leo have known each other since childhood, yet ending up at the same university resulted in Ellie losing her soccer-playing scholarship within a year, due to injury, and rolling into her junior year with remaining pain from her injury, paying for the rest of her years with a loan, and being a chem major. Meanwhile, Leo is still Mr. Hotshot hockey, courting a future hockey career.

They end up in each other's orbit due to a class assignment. The tentative awareness and shared history is a sure set up for being attracted to each other; however, Ellie is reluctant due to Leo's focus on hockey and being sought after. Unfortunately, Leo shows his own reluctance for the same reason. That is, until he nearly botches it and then he knows, knows....for sure. Yet, Ellie has other demons to deal with besides hooking up, trusting and ultimately seeing a future with Leo.

As Ellie is an athlete like Leo, their chemistry is shown on mutual determination and grit. The female athlete rep and injury rep is strong for Ellie's character as she ends up dealing with a chronic condition that is not 100% debilitating but treatment and balance must be found. And Leo ends up falling so deeply that he won't let Ellie turn him away.

This is a solid college romance and it has a solid bonus epilogue. You want to root for Ellie and Leo, for sure, despite some repetitive stream of consciousness and meandering plot lags.

Happy Reading.
Profile Image for Lisa.
1,255 reviews3 followers
June 13, 2023
This was just an okay read for me. I started out liking it but then things went downhill. In this first book of the series, we meet Leo and Elle/Ellie (haven't we used this name in another series before??) both college students but grew up together since Leo is Ellie's friend.

The pair were put together for a school project and attraction took over. Leo is a star hockey player while Ellie is a former soccer player who is having some health struggles. The book progressed and the pair fell in love.

Now, what I don't understand is why the issue of Ellie's brother was really an issue since they didn't bother telling him about their relationship until the end of the book. Also, her health issues were such a focal point of her character but that wasn't really resolved at all.

Leo on the other hand was a player and confessed that he had no desire to have a long-term relationship but one school project later and he is in love with something other than hockey. Also, with all of the focus at the start of the book regarding him going pro there was really no resolution to that.

In the end, there was a lot going on in this book but what got resolved was minor and at times thought that the book was drawn out in other places. I felt that the ending was rushed leaving me think - 'that's it??'

Overall, this was just an okay read for me. I hope that the next book in the series is better and maybe will give this one more resolution since the characters from this book will make appearances in the next book.
Profile Image for Misty (Reds Romance Reviews).
3,402 reviews6 followers
June 5, 2023
Before Ellie arrived on campus she came up with a few rules to live by, one being to stay away from athletes, knowing getting mixed up with one of them would be harmful to her heart. So far her little plan has worked quite well... but that was before she met her new chem partner!

The pages of Long Shot hold the story of a girl determined not to fall for a charming and handsome athlete and the athlete that is determined to steal her heart. These two are thrown together for the sake of an Chemistry assignment and it doesn't take long to figure out that it's a perfect union. As they meet up to work on their assignment, they start to really look forward to their time together, every interaction deepening their little bond and furthering their crushes on one another. They fall into this easy friendship, sharing banter and laughs, always keeping things light... but then one spur of the moment kiss changes everything!

This sweet and steamy page-turner kept me thoroughly entertained from beginning to end, once I cracked the cover I was utterly hooked! It's well drawn characters brought pure joy to the pages, they had me giggling out loud more than a few times. Their easy, but somewhat complicated, fall was a lot of fun to get wrapped up in, they had me rooting for them the whole way through! Highly recommend!

I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased opinion.

3,286 reviews70 followers
June 7, 2023
Have you ever picked up a book that 100% captivated you from the very first page ? That left you speechless and broke your heart all at the same time ? That blew you away in all the best ways ? And kept you glued to the edge of your seat in anticipation of what would happen next ? Well Long Shot by MJ Fields did all of the above and so much more. I Just Adored every single moment of Ellie and Leo’s emotional rollercoaster of a journey . Leo is a senior at Lincoln U and Captain of the Hockey team . Ellie is a junior who is majoring in Bio chem and a member of the sorority KET . The most unexpected of circumstances bring these two together and from that moment on everything is going to change . The angst , the humor , the witty banter , the drama, the heartbreaking and heartfelt moments, the passion , the romance, the family and friendships , childhood friendship/ crushes / awesome world building, wonderfully written characters you cannot stop yourself from falling in love with . Page turner, unforgettable, unputdownable. Every single time I pick up one of MJS exceptional romances, I know I’m in for a real treat and a very long knight of reading . Well Long Shot is no different in fact it’s the perfect example of why MJ is one of my top ten favorite authors .
Profile Image for Alicia.
441 reviews6 followers
June 8, 2023
4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Leo and Ellie

Brothers best friend
Sports romance
College romance

Ellie has known Leo since they were little, they went to high school together, he was her brothers best friend. They didn’t talk much back then but they end up going to the same college, where they become lab partners and spend more time together. Ellie has had a crush on Leo for a while, and it seems Leo has had feelings for Ellie too.


Minor spoiler✨✨✨
Before they actually get together, there is a party Leo asks Ellie to go to and because she takes to king and doesn’t answer her phone, Leo tells himself he’s not ready to have these feelings for a girl and ends up kissing another girl, and guess what, Ellie walks in on them. Obviously she is heart broken bc she has started to really fall for him.

They are able to work it out 🙄 and other than this one problem (for me too bc i hate cheating) they seem to really love each other and are very compatible and just easy to be around each other, they help open another and work through what’s going on in their lives.

I truly did like this book, i wish there wasn’t this little bit of cheating it could have never happened! And i wish there was a HEA kind of left me wondering what was going to happen it was so abrupt.
Profile Image for Vicky.lovesreading.
480 reviews9 followers
June 18, 2023
Long Shot #1 in the Taking the Shot Series

Tropes

Friends to lovers
Brother’s best friend
College romance
Ice Hockey romance

4.5⭐️
3🌶️

I really enjoyed reading this college, hockey romance. Ellie and Leo have known each other for a long time as growing up he was her brother’s best friend.
Ellie has a lot going on behind the scenes and was originally at college on a soccer scholarship but due to an injury everything changed for her.

Leo is completely committed to ice hockey. He is hoping to go pro and is dedicated to making this happen. He has feelings for Ellie but has never acted on them.

Everything changes when they are paired together to work on a project. Leo uses this opportunity to get to know Ellie and spend more time with her. It definitely isn’t smooth sailing between them but I loved their chemistry and their relationship felt realistic especially as it’s happening in college.

This is the first book I’ve read by MJ Fields and I will be reading more in the future. I need to read more about Ellie and Leo as I feel like they do much more to give.

I recommend reading this book if you enjoy ice hockey romance with a feisty fmc and a cute mmc who is a (mostly) total sweetheart.
Profile Image for Rita.
369 reviews5 followers
July 23, 2023
Long Shot is Book 1 in the ‘Taking The Shot’ series and we’re off with a bang!

Leo Stone is in his senior year in Lincoln University, he’s the captain of the hockey team, has his sights on the NHL, his life is a breeze, until his chem professor pairs him with Ellie Rhodes, his best friends sister, no problem right? But Ellie is the one girl he’s never been able to get out of his head!

Ellie had three rules before her junior year - join a sorority and stay away from athletes, the latter was rules three and four! having been a soccer player herself as well as her brother she’s used to the sporty type and hence vowed to stay far away from them! Until her chem professor had other ideas and only paired her with her years long secret crush - her brothers best friend!

Leo and Ellie go back years, so know each other well, unknowingly though, is that they both have a secret crush on each other, until it isn’t secret at all - when they finally give in to their feelings, the chemistry is sparking. Both are scared to take the leap, but could they really make it work?

MJ Fields has struck gold again, a great opening book to a new series and I can’t wait to see where this goes, it’s ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me
Profile Image for Barbara.
232 reviews5 followers
June 7, 2023
🏒College Sports Romance
🏒Dual POV
🏒Brother’s Best Friend
🏒Lab Partners
🏒Protective MMC
🏒Sassy FMC
🏒Greek Life
🏒Angst & Steam

Long Shot is book 1 in the Taking The Shot series by MJ Fields & it is a page turner! Once I started, I was hooked!
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Ellie is a former soccer player turned biochem major at Lincoln U. She has a few rules she lives by including staying away from athletes. This becomes a problem when she is paired with the captain of the hockey team/her brother’s best friend, Leo as her lab partner.
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I absolutely fell in love with the story and characters, not only Ellie & Leo, but I absolutely loved Ellie’s best friend, Grace. She had one of my favorite quotes.

“‘You’re missing chapter?’ she gasps. ‘Oh my God, it’s not just your vagina. Your whole self is in love with him.’”

I hope to see more of her in the rest of the series!

There were many levels to this story, it’s not just your typical college romance, there were different issues that the couple had to work through together. I highly recommend reading it!
I can’t wait for the next book!

Profile Image for kreadsoften.
1,451 reviews82 followers
June 8, 2023
Eleanor Rhodes is a junior at Lincoln U and was previously a soccer player. Unfortunately, for her health, she had to quit soccer, so now her main focus is getting a degree.

Leo Stone is a senior and the captain of the hockey team. He’s a playboy and his only goal is to play in the NHL.

Ellie and Leo end up getting partnered for a biochem project, and as they spend more time together, it becomes harder for them to keep things platonic. They knew each other from when they were younger as Leo is Ellie’s older brother’s best friend. So, when the line of friendship is crossed, she can’t hide her feelings any longer.

This was a great book! I loved the realistic issues brought in such as the reason Ellie could no longer play soccer. I’m going to say it, but I hated Leo, at least for a bit. He made bad choices and excuses. But, he changed my mind by the end of the story.






Below are some minor spoilers but are some things I think should be considered content/trigger warnings. Read at your own discretion.

Leo kisses another girl after he had slept with Ellie and knew how she felt about him. Some may consider this cheating as the two MCs have already been together. Also, there is attempted sexual assault at a frat party.


Profile Image for Emily Kilgour.
368 reviews12 followers
June 9, 2023
Let’s start off by saying, I loved Leo. He was so sweet and caring. With that being said I felt like there wasn’t much more to the story. There were so many different characters and so much dialogue that it gets confusing. I felt like the only plot to this story was the sorority girls drinking, going to parties and then Ellie and Leo banging?! Then add in some hockey guys to the mix and you have sorority girls, frat guys and hockey bros going to parties and drinking.

On a positive note, this book was a super fast and easy read. I loved it for the fact that it was a hockey romance and that Ellie was an ex soccer player, because well same! Leo and Ellies banter was top notch and I loved the way she gave him all the sass and he was just sweet back to her. The ending really has me confused but I will read the next book because I need to see how their story ends!

Overall, I gave it 3.5 stars because I enjoyed Leo and Ellie as characters, the spicey scenes were spicing (besides her and him always talking about how big his d**k was, that was cringey, like we get it) and it was a hockey romance.
Profile Image for Suzi (Obsessive Reading Disorder).
2,232 reviews
June 8, 2023
3.5 Stars


This is the first book of a new series by this author centered on college hockey. So that grabbed my attention right away. I love a good sports romance. And this book has a fair bit of hockey in it. It's also a friends to lovers book. Leo and Elle have known each other since childhood and he is friends with her brother although they haven't hung out for years.

A chance set up as partners in their chemistry lab has them re-uniting. And that is pretty much the gist of the book. Other than the hocky, it's a college romance party book. I am a few years removed from college but my goodness, there is a LOT of drinking and partying going on!

Very little angst. Pretty much a light easy read. Not my favorite of this author. I would give book 2 a go provided there is a little bit more meat to the story. I know college students party but if I'm reading a romance, I would like to be a bit more invested in the characters.

This one was just ok for me.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Lisa Petty (Book Bangers Blog).
2,288 reviews20 followers
June 9, 2023
Long Shot is about two people who grew up together and know more about each other than the other one thinks. Leo is Ellie's brother's best friend to say she's had a crush on him would be an understatement. But she's grown up now and at college ready to give her life the chance she deserves. I love that Ellie is a hot mess but seems like she has it all together. I love that she is trying to be her own person while experiencing life that others have not been able to do but wish they could. Leo is the Captain of the hockey team, he's cocky and knows what he wants. He's prime for the NHL if he could just get it together both professionally and personally. He's off his game and he needs to focus, but that's hard to do with the one girl who has always caught his eye. Now these two are thrown together for a school project can they get it done without 1) catching feelings, 2) killing each other, 3) getting out alive? Fall in love with these two and see how they can make it when they have known each other forever.
456 reviews
November 28, 2023
This is a very long, very detailed, college athletes and sorority and fraternity story. It contains a very lot of both genders getting drunk almost every night of the week. I do not see how they sober up enough to go to class. The athletes are hockey players with the lead in this story being a man hopefully headed for NHL, if he can avoid more injuries. He’s already had 3 severe concussions. He falls head over for his high school best friend’s sister. When they finally get over that snag in relationship, they are hot and heavy and very detailed sex every few pages. The first time is him sober and her drunk. Warning. It doesn’t matter how many times you ask the consent questions of your partner. If they are drunk it is still rape. A drunk cannot give consent. So, I thought we were going to wind up… but, no. This is part 1. Have to find the end of their story in the start/middle of the next story. As it happens, I accidentally bought the 2nd story when clicking to download this one.
Profile Image for Nicole.
4,250 reviews52 followers
June 5, 2023
This book is so good. I loved Leo and Ellie. They have history because they have known one another since high school. Leo was good friends with her brother. Now Ellie and Leo are going to the same college and are in the same chem class. Being paired up for a project is going to bring Ellie's crush on Leo to the forefront, but what happens when the crush is reciprocated? I really liked Leo. He is some prime book boyfriend material. He has some really good swoon worthy moves let me tell you. This book had me at sports romance and the author, but what had me salivating to read was it was low angst. Right now how this year is treating me I've been needing books that are fun, full of feels, and low angst for where my mind is at. This book so fit the bill! I got lost in the pages getting so invested in Leo and Ellie's story. Ellie's college life is not exactly going according to plan, but sometimes the unexpected leads us onto the we are meant to be on. This is a must read!! Can't wait for the next book in the series because I really loved Leo's teammates.
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