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Chicago Dark Knights #3
Hitting The Goal Line
From the age of five, I knew one thing;
Blake Jacobi was going to be in my life for a very long time.
For years, he was my protector, my best friend, my shoulder to cry on. I even followed him to Chicago when he got picked up by an NHL team.
Then lines got blurred and we landed in each other’s beds, but we were able to push feelings aside and not let a few little slips ruin our friendship.
At least, that’s what I keep telling myself.
Somewhere along the line, I fell in love with my best friend, and as much as I want to tell him, I can’t. All out of fear of losing him.
So I hold in those words and try to lose myself in relationships that I really shouldn’t be in. But my efforts start to feel as if they are for nothing when Blake lands himself in a jail cell.
All because of me.
Now those words that I’ve been wanting to tell him, may never see the light of day.
Because after the night that we just had, I might have lost Blake for good. *Hitting The Goal Line is book 3 of the Chicago Dark Knight's series. Its a complete standalone and can be read out of order but for best experience it's recommended to be read after Passing The Red Line.*
Blake Jacobi was going to be in my life for a very long time.
For years, he was my protector, my best friend, my shoulder to cry on. I even followed him to Chicago when he got picked up by an NHL team.
Then lines got blurred and we landed in each other’s beds, but we were able to push feelings aside and not let a few little slips ruin our friendship.
At least, that’s what I keep telling myself.
Somewhere along the line, I fell in love with my best friend, and as much as I want to tell him, I can’t. All out of fear of losing him.
So I hold in those words and try to lose myself in relationships that I really shouldn’t be in. But my efforts start to feel as if they are for nothing when Blake lands himself in a jail cell.
All because of me.
Now those words that I’ve been wanting to tell him, may never see the light of day.
Because after the night that we just had, I might have lost Blake for good. *Hitting The Goal Line is book 3 of the Chicago Dark Knight's series. Its a complete standalone and can be read out of order but for best experience it's recommended to be read after Passing The Red Line.*
466 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 5, 2024
78 people are currently reading
575 people want to read
About the author
Jocelyne Soto
26 books310 followersJocelyne Soto is a writer, born and raised in California. She started her writing journey in 2015 and in 2019 she published her first book. She is an independent author who loves discovering new authors on Goodreads and Amazon. She comes from a big Mexican family, and with it comes a love for all things family and food.
Jocelyne has a love for her mom’s coffee and writing. In her free time, she can be found reading a romance novel off her iPad or somewhere in the black hole of YouTube.
Jocelyne has a love for her mom’s coffee and writing. In her free time, she can be found reading a romance novel off her iPad or somewhere in the black hole of YouTube.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
January 5, 2024
Hitting the goal line is the tird book in the Chicago Dark Knights series and finally I read her.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4.60 because of the slow burn
What to expect:
🏒hockey romance
💜childhood friends
🏒friends to lovers
💜emotional
🏒domestic violence
💜dual pov
Sofia amd Drake are childhood friends that know each other since they were 5 years old.
When they hit theyr teenage years, feelings started to get blurred, but both of them was afraid to admit it to each other, to not lose the strong friendship that have together.
I can admit that I was frustrated with them for the missed opportunities when they didn’t share their feelings,and that is the same reason that the friends to lovers trope is not one my most favorite things in books.
Aslo trough the years they hase relationship with other people, thank GOODNESS that it wasn't mentioned a lot 😅because I was going to get crazy.
But overall this was emotional read about love,that bloomed in one heart warming strong love story.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4.60 because of the slow burn
What to expect:
🏒hockey romance
💜childhood friends
🏒friends to lovers
💜emotional
🏒domestic violence
💜dual pov
Sofia amd Drake are childhood friends that know each other since they were 5 years old.
When they hit theyr teenage years, feelings started to get blurred, but both of them was afraid to admit it to each other, to not lose the strong friendship that have together.
I can admit that I was frustrated with them for the missed opportunities when they didn’t share their feelings,and that is the same reason that the friends to lovers trope is not one my most favorite things in books.
Aslo trough the years they hase relationship with other people, thank GOODNESS that it wasn't mentioned a lot 😅because I was going to get crazy.
But overall this was emotional read about love,that bloomed in one heart warming strong love story.
March 1, 2025
The YEARNING
January 13, 2024
This is book three in the Chicago Dark Knights series, it does stand alone, but there are content warnings. If this is a concern, check them out before reading.
This book also has a different feel, and I enjoyed it. Blake and Sofia have been friends since childhood, and we get it all. There are a lot of emotions happening as we get the good and the struggles. Sophia brings the flaws, and Blake brings the angst and the swoon.
This story was worth the wait, and I look forward to what Ms. Soto brings us next.
Thank you to the Author for the advanced copy; this is my voluntary review.
This book also has a different feel, and I enjoyed it. Blake and Sofia have been friends since childhood, and we get it all. There are a lot of emotions happening as we get the good and the struggles. Sophia brings the flaws, and Blake brings the angst and the swoon.
This story was worth the wait, and I look forward to what Ms. Soto brings us next.
Thank you to the Author for the advanced copy; this is my voluntary review.
December 31, 2023
I have loved this whole series and even though there was a delay on release…. Well worth the wait 💜
Tropes include:
🏒hockey romance
💜childhood friends
🏒friends to lovers
💜emotional
🏒domestic violence
💜dual pov
This is the story of Sophia and Blake. The fmc, Sophia, has been best friends with Blake since they were 5 years old. When they were in high school they had one night together but decided they didn’t want to ruin their friendship and to forget it happened. The MMC, Blake is a hockey player and on his way to getting a contract to the NHL. During these years his parents divorce, his father was never really supportive, and only comes around now because of his career. Both Sophie and Blake have been in love with each other for years but neither communicates with the other, instead try to date other people. Sophia starts dating Ethan and soon Blake needs to rescue her. This book had my emotions all over the place but I was secretly rooting for Blake. All in all it was a great book. Please read TW if you’re easily triggered as it’s mentioned on page. Loved this one
Tropes include:
🏒hockey romance
💜childhood friends
🏒friends to lovers
💜emotional
🏒domestic violence
💜dual pov
This is the story of Sophia and Blake. The fmc, Sophia, has been best friends with Blake since they were 5 years old. When they were in high school they had one night together but decided they didn’t want to ruin their friendship and to forget it happened. The MMC, Blake is a hockey player and on his way to getting a contract to the NHL. During these years his parents divorce, his father was never really supportive, and only comes around now because of his career. Both Sophie and Blake have been in love with each other for years but neither communicates with the other, instead try to date other people. Sophia starts dating Ethan and soon Blake needs to rescue her. This book had my emotions all over the place but I was secretly rooting for Blake. All in all it was a great book. Please read TW if you’re easily triggered as it’s mentioned on page. Loved this one
January 13, 2024
I'm not sure how to start this review. I really liked the core of the story. But I found it very drawn out.
Fortunately, the relationships were not mentioned very often. They have both been in other relationships and that breaks my heart.
I also love that Sophia was ALWAYS there for Blake, for every important event she was there. And Blake also always looked for Sophia first.
🅡🅐🅣🅘🅝🅖
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🅢🅟🅘🅒🅔
🌶️🌶️
🅣🅡🅞🅟🅔🅢
🏒 Hockey
🏒 Childhood Friends
🏒 Friends-To-Lovers
🏒 Domestic Violence
🅕🅐🅥🅞🅡🅘🅣🅔 🅠🅤🅞🅣🅔🅢
𝐼'𝑚 𝑠𝑎𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑠𝑘𝑖𝑟𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑚𝑒.
𝐼'𝑚 𝑓𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑔𝑙𝑎𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑓𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠𝑛'𝑡 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑤𝑒𝑙𝑙 𝑒𝑛𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑦𝑒𝑡, 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑖𝑓 ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑑, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑜𝑜𝑘 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑒, 𝐼 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑏𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑡𝑜 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ, 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑜𝑟 𝑓𝑖𝑔𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑎 𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑒 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑚𝑦 𝑠𝑘𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠. 𝓦𝓸𝔀, 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓰𝓸𝓽 𝓭𝓪𝓻𝓴 𝓺𝓾𝓲𝓬𝓴. 𝓘 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓭𝓸 𝓷𝓮𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓸 𝓰𝓮𝓽 𝓶𝔂 𝓼𝓱𝓲𝓽 𝓽𝓸𝓰𝓮𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻.
𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑚𝑦 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑚𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑚𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠, ℎ𝑜𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑦 𝑜𝑟 𝑛𝑜 ℎ𝑜𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑦.
Fortunately, the relationships were not mentioned very often. They have both been in other relationships and that breaks my heart.
I also love that Sophia was ALWAYS there for Blake, for every important event she was there. And Blake also always looked for Sophia first.
🅡🅐🅣🅘🅝🅖
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🅢🅟🅘🅒🅔
🌶️🌶️
🅣🅡🅞🅟🅔🅢
🏒 Hockey
🏒 Childhood Friends
🏒 Friends-To-Lovers
🏒 Domestic Violence
🅕🅐🅥🅞🅡🅘🅣🅔 🅠🅤🅞🅣🅔🅢
𝐼'𝑚 𝑠𝑎𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑠𝑘𝑖𝑟𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑚𝑒.
𝐼'𝑚 𝑓𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑔𝑙𝑎𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑓𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠𝑛'𝑡 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑤𝑒𝑙𝑙 𝑒𝑛𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑦𝑒𝑡, 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑖𝑓 ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑑, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑜𝑜𝑘 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑒, 𝐼 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑏𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑡𝑜 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ, 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑜𝑟 𝑓𝑖𝑔𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑎 𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑒 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑚𝑦 𝑠𝑘𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠. 𝓦𝓸𝔀, 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓰𝓸𝓽 𝓭𝓪𝓻𝓴 𝓺𝓾𝓲𝓬𝓴. 𝓘 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓭𝓸 𝓷𝓮𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓸 𝓰𝓮𝓽 𝓶𝔂 𝓼𝓱𝓲𝓽 𝓽𝓸𝓰𝓮𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻.
𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑚𝑦 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑚𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑚𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠, ℎ𝑜𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑦 𝑜𝑟 𝑛𝑜 ℎ𝑜𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑦.
January 5, 2024
Hitting the goal line is Blake and Sophia story. It’s a childhood to lovers story and it brings all the feels. I’ve been wanting this story from the beginning. And I’m so happy the author gave us this story. The story spans from childhood, to teenage years and way into theirs 20s. You see all the highs and lows. All both of gone through with their careers and secretly being in love with one another. The bond of friendship is strong. They always have each others no matter what. This story was beautifully written, Blake and Sophia both get the ending they both deserved. This story had so much love, friendship, family and so much more. 💜🏒
Check for triggers warning before reading.
Arc provided for honest review.
Check for triggers warning before reading.
Arc provided for honest review.
January 14, 2024
Tropes:
🏒hockey romance
🏒childhood friends
🏒friends to lovers
🏒emotional
🏒domestic violence
🏒dual pov
Hitting the goal line , es la historia de Blake y Sophia. Es una historia de childhood frineds to lovers y va a abarcar desde que ambos se conocen a los cinco años hasta la actualidad, donde tienen 20 años.
Ves todos los altibajos. Ambos siguieron adelante con sus carreras y se amaron en secreto el uno al otro. El vínculo de amistad es fuerte. Siempre se tienen el uno al otro pase lo que pase. (hockey or no hockey)
Voy a admitir que me llegue a frustrar un poco porque tuvieron varias oportunidades para decirse lo que sentían y no lo hacían. Creo que por eso el slow burn y más que nada el friends to lovers no llega a ser uno de mis tropes favoritos.
🏒hockey romance
🏒childhood friends
🏒friends to lovers
🏒emotional
🏒domestic violence
🏒dual pov
Hitting the goal line , es la historia de Blake y Sophia. Es una historia de childhood frineds to lovers y va a abarcar desde que ambos se conocen a los cinco años hasta la actualidad, donde tienen 20 años.
Ves todos los altibajos. Ambos siguieron adelante con sus carreras y se amaron en secreto el uno al otro. El vínculo de amistad es fuerte. Siempre se tienen el uno al otro pase lo que pase. (hockey or no hockey)
Voy a admitir que me llegue a frustrar un poco porque tuvieron varias oportunidades para decirse lo que sentían y no lo hacían. Creo que por eso el slow burn y más que nada el friends to lovers no llega a ser uno de mis tropes favoritos.
February 27, 2024
A great book that takes you through decades of two people who since the age of 5 have been the best of friends. To see these to fight to keep their love to just friendship is heart wrenching because you want to step in and tell them to give in. I loved their friendship and even more when they both realize they are each other’s end results for the future. She’s been his rock and the one person he can depend on. He’s her protector and always knows what she needs. So much so she finds herself in trouble with a boyfriend. They get the happily ever after and I love it.
Tropes
Hockey romance
Best friends to lovers
Close proximity
Tropes
Hockey romance
Best friends to lovers
Close proximity
January 11, 2024
Oh my gosh what an emotion filled journey; Sophia and Blake had me completely in love. Their story had me going through so many feels; from smiling and heart feeling so warm to crying my eyes out and heart hurting. Then melting of the sweetness and cuteness before just crying all over again.
I loved how this was divided into three parts cause you can truly experience the connection these two have. And how they'd always been there for each other since the first moment he came to help her tie her skates even when he didn’t know how to either, *aw my hearttt*.
You're really rooting for them from the start because you just know they'd be perfect for each other and especially with the mutual pining between them later on and how they held onto their feelings not wanting to ruin their friendship that then turned into the heartbreaking events.
Their friendship was absolutely amazing, sweet, deep and beautiful I adored it so much. The chemistry they have is incredible and the writing amazed me once again making you feel it so deeply.
Hitting The Goal Line was the perfect best friends to lovers romance that became a favorite of mine instantly!
I loved how this was divided into three parts cause you can truly experience the connection these two have. And how they'd always been there for each other since the first moment he came to help her tie her skates even when he didn’t know how to either, *aw my hearttt*.
You're really rooting for them from the start because you just know they'd be perfect for each other and especially with the mutual pining between them later on and how they held onto their feelings not wanting to ruin their friendship that then turned into the heartbreaking events.
Their friendship was absolutely amazing, sweet, deep and beautiful I adored it so much. The chemistry they have is incredible and the writing amazed me once again making you feel it so deeply.
Hitting The Goal Line was the perfect best friends to lovers romance that became a favorite of mine instantly!
Want to read
October 5, 2023This book release has been POSTPONED from Oct 6, 2023! A new date will be released soon :) Can't wait for when it is available!!
April 24, 2024
editing needed
I liked these stories but this particular book was full of errors. Editing was poorly done, there were multiple word usage errors, misspelled words and punctuation errors.
I liked these stories but this particular book was full of errors. Editing was poorly done, there were multiple word usage errors, misspelled words and punctuation errors.
January 11, 2024
“Hitting the Goal Line” is an emotional read full of friendship, love, and most of all hope.
I like the friends to lovers trope, but childhood friends to lovers is usually a little harder sell for me. Jocelyn Soto sold me on this one between Sophia and Blake in a big way. The story follows their friendship from the time they meet at five years old until present day when they are in their early twenties.
It is clear that Blake and Sophia are in love with each other early on, but neither one of them wants to ruin their friendship. I was frustrated with them for the missed opportunities when they didn’t share their feelings, but it honestly makes sense when you think about their ages when the instances occur. Most people aren't that self aware in their late teens and early twenties.
Sophia starts dating someone to help her move past her feelings, but things go horribly wrong. Blake shows up when she needs him and it is the catalyst for them to finally admit their feelings for each other. This part of the book is heavy and I had to put it down a couple of times, but it is worth every heart wrenching moment. The author handles this situation with care. Please check the content warnings for this book. They are listed at the beginning of the book.
There is a secondary plot involving Blake's relationships with his brother and father that I think is also really well done. The characters in this book are complex and feel very real.
I enjoyed getting to know the other players on the Dark Knights hockey team and am excited to go back and read the previous two books in this series.
*This author is a client of Bookcase Media
I like the friends to lovers trope, but childhood friends to lovers is usually a little harder sell for me. Jocelyn Soto sold me on this one between Sophia and Blake in a big way. The story follows their friendship from the time they meet at five years old until present day when they are in their early twenties.
It is clear that Blake and Sophia are in love with each other early on, but neither one of them wants to ruin their friendship. I was frustrated with them for the missed opportunities when they didn’t share their feelings, but it honestly makes sense when you think about their ages when the instances occur. Most people aren't that self aware in their late teens and early twenties.
Sophia starts dating someone to help her move past her feelings, but things go horribly wrong. Blake shows up when she needs him and it is the catalyst for them to finally admit their feelings for each other. This part of the book is heavy and I had to put it down a couple of times, but it is worth every heart wrenching moment. The author handles this situation with care. Please check the content warnings for this book. They are listed at the beginning of the book.
There is a secondary plot involving Blake's relationships with his brother and father that I think is also really well done. The characters in this book are complex and feel very real.
I enjoyed getting to know the other players on the Dark Knights hockey team and am excited to go back and read the previous two books in this series.
*This author is a client of Bookcase Media
January 8, 2024
ARC kindly provided for the author in exchange for an honest review
When Jocelyne Soto started giving us previews about Chicago Dark Knights I thought the series would start with Blake's story, but the author made us wait until the last book to meet him & Sophia, and although I was dying to read them, I loved that the the author decided to close with them to give us the book that these two deserved, so yes! The wait was worth it because Jocelyne gave me the best story that Sophia and Blake could have had, she told me about their friendship and love for each other from the beginning, without a doubt one of my favorite things, besides the fact that in this last book the friendship and bond between Liam, Christian, Blake & Logan can be seen much more and that melted my heart.
The Jacobi brothers are without a doubt one of the best characters this author has written, but I think Blake is my favorite! I love that he is a little more problematic, complicated, impulsive and sometimes gets carried away by his emotions, I loved reading his love for hockey, the important role that Sophia's father has and had in his professional career and also in his life, the complexity of his feelings for his dad and for Hunter, and the sweetness that is in his heart, how much he loves Sophia, cares about her and how he's willing to do EVERYTHING to be by her side and protect her.
And I also really enjoyed reading Sophia protecting and supporting Blake in the most complicated moments, she has a heart of gold, she is kind, funny and knows how to keep Blake in line, she has a very beautiful relationship with her parents and I really liked reading her sharing the love of hockey with her dad. She has a complicated and heartbreaking plot that Jocelyne tackles in an incredible way and with subtle but very important messages, it still broke my heart to read her go through so much and be the bravest despite the fear she feel!
Blake & Sophia have been best friends since they were five years old, over time their feelings for each other changed, but they are both terrified of ruining their friendship if they decide to confess what they really feel, so their love story was beautiful, tender, difficult and full of nostalgia, because they share their life with each other at all times, but it's impossible for them not to think about the nights they allowed themselves to spend with each other and that broke my heart along with theirs. Still, I think that EVERYTHING that Jocelyne wrote for Blake & Sophia, the direction in which she took hteir plot and the way in which she showed us the most important moments of these characters together, was perfect and much more emotional & beautiful than I expected.
🏒Blake: 5/5
🏒Sophia: 5/5
🏒Plot: 5/5
🏒Love story: 5/5
🏒Secondary characters: 5/5
🏒Cover: 5/5
🏒Universe: 5/5
🌶️: 3/5
🇪🇸
ARC amablemente proporcionada a cambio de una reseña honesta
Cuando Jocelyne Soto empezó a darnos adelantos sobre Chicago Dark Knights pensé que la serie empezaría con la historia de Blake, pero la autora nos hizo esperar hasta el último libro para conocer a Blake & Sophia, y aunque me moría de ganas de leerlos, me encantó que la autora decidiera cerrar con ellos para darnos el libro que estos dos merecían, así que sí! La espera valió la pena porque Jocelyne me dio la mejor historia que Sophia y Blake pudieron tener, me contó su amistad y amor por el otro desde el principio, sin duda una de mis cosas favoritas, además de que en este último libro la amistad y vinculo que hay entre Liam, Christian, Blake & Logan se puede ver mucho más y eso me derritió el corazón.
Los hermanos Jacobi son sin duda de los mejores personajes que esta autora ha escrito, pero creo que Blake es mi favorito! Amo que sea un poco más problemático, complicado, impulsivo y que a veces se deje llevar por sus emociones, me encantó leer su amor por el hockey, el papel tan importante que el papá de Sophia tiene y tuvo en su carrera profesional y también en su vida, la complejidad de sus sentimientos por su papá y por Hunter, y la dulzura que hay en su corazón, lo mucho que ama a Sophia, se preocupa por ella y como está dispuesto a TODO para está a su lado y protegerla.
Y también disfruté mucho leer a Sophia protegiendo y apoyando a Blake en los momentos más complicados, ella tiene un corazón de oro, es amable, divertida y sabe como mantener a Blake a raya, tiene una relación muy hermosa con sus papás y me gustó mucho leerla compartiendo el amor por el hockey con su papá. Ella tiene una trama complicada y desgarradora que Jocelyne abordo de manera increíble y con mensajes sutiles pero muy importantes, aún así me rompió el corazón leerla pasar por tanto y ser la más valiente a pesar del miedo que siente!
Blake & Sophia han sido mejores amigos desde los cinco años, a lo largo del tiempo sus sentimientos por el otro cambiaron, pero ambos están aterrados de arruinar su amistad si deciden confesar lo que realmente sienten, así que su historia de amor fue hermosa, tierna, difícil y llena de mucha nostalgia a pesar de que estos dos nunca se separan, porque comparten su vida con el otro en todo momento, pero les es imposible dejar de pensar las noches que se permitieron pasar con el otro y eso rompió mi corazón junto con el de ellos. Aún así, creo que TODO lo que Jocelyne escribió para Blake & Sophia, la dirección por la que llevo su trama y la manera en la que nos mostró los momentos más importantes de estos personajes juntos, fue perfecta y mucho más emocional & hermosa de lo que esperaba.
🏒Blake: 5/5
🏒Sophia: 5/5
🏒Trama: 5/5
🏒Historia de amor: 5/5
🏒Personajes secundarios: 5/5
🏒Portada: 5/5
🏒Universo: 5/5
🌶️: 3/5
When Jocelyne Soto started giving us previews about Chicago Dark Knights I thought the series would start with Blake's story, but the author made us wait until the last book to meet him & Sophia, and although I was dying to read them, I loved that the the author decided to close with them to give us the book that these two deserved, so yes! The wait was worth it because Jocelyne gave me the best story that Sophia and Blake could have had, she told me about their friendship and love for each other from the beginning, without a doubt one of my favorite things, besides the fact that in this last book the friendship and bond between Liam, Christian, Blake & Logan can be seen much more and that melted my heart.
The Jacobi brothers are without a doubt one of the best characters this author has written, but I think Blake is my favorite! I love that he is a little more problematic, complicated, impulsive and sometimes gets carried away by his emotions, I loved reading his love for hockey, the important role that Sophia's father has and had in his professional career and also in his life, the complexity of his feelings for his dad and for Hunter, and the sweetness that is in his heart, how much he loves Sophia, cares about her and how he's willing to do EVERYTHING to be by her side and protect her.
And I also really enjoyed reading Sophia protecting and supporting Blake in the most complicated moments, she has a heart of gold, she is kind, funny and knows how to keep Blake in line, she has a very beautiful relationship with her parents and I really liked reading her sharing the love of hockey with her dad. She has a complicated and heartbreaking plot that Jocelyne tackles in an incredible way and with subtle but very important messages, it still broke my heart to read her go through so much and be the bravest despite the fear she feel!
Blake & Sophia have been best friends since they were five years old, over time their feelings for each other changed, but they are both terrified of ruining their friendship if they decide to confess what they really feel, so their love story was beautiful, tender, difficult and full of nostalgia, because they share their life with each other at all times, but it's impossible for them not to think about the nights they allowed themselves to spend with each other and that broke my heart along with theirs. Still, I think that EVERYTHING that Jocelyne wrote for Blake & Sophia, the direction in which she took hteir plot and the way in which she showed us the most important moments of these characters together, was perfect and much more emotional & beautiful than I expected.
🏒Blake: 5/5
🏒Sophia: 5/5
🏒Plot: 5/5
🏒Love story: 5/5
🏒Secondary characters: 5/5
🏒Cover: 5/5
🏒Universe: 5/5
🌶️: 3/5
🇪🇸
ARC amablemente proporcionada a cambio de una reseña honesta
Cuando Jocelyne Soto empezó a darnos adelantos sobre Chicago Dark Knights pensé que la serie empezaría con la historia de Blake, pero la autora nos hizo esperar hasta el último libro para conocer a Blake & Sophia, y aunque me moría de ganas de leerlos, me encantó que la autora decidiera cerrar con ellos para darnos el libro que estos dos merecían, así que sí! La espera valió la pena porque Jocelyne me dio la mejor historia que Sophia y Blake pudieron tener, me contó su amistad y amor por el otro desde el principio, sin duda una de mis cosas favoritas, además de que en este último libro la amistad y vinculo que hay entre Liam, Christian, Blake & Logan se puede ver mucho más y eso me derritió el corazón.
Los hermanos Jacobi son sin duda de los mejores personajes que esta autora ha escrito, pero creo que Blake es mi favorito! Amo que sea un poco más problemático, complicado, impulsivo y que a veces se deje llevar por sus emociones, me encantó leer su amor por el hockey, el papel tan importante que el papá de Sophia tiene y tuvo en su carrera profesional y también en su vida, la complejidad de sus sentimientos por su papá y por Hunter, y la dulzura que hay en su corazón, lo mucho que ama a Sophia, se preocupa por ella y como está dispuesto a TODO para está a su lado y protegerla.
Y también disfruté mucho leer a Sophia protegiendo y apoyando a Blake en los momentos más complicados, ella tiene un corazón de oro, es amable, divertida y sabe como mantener a Blake a raya, tiene una relación muy hermosa con sus papás y me gustó mucho leerla compartiendo el amor por el hockey con su papá. Ella tiene una trama complicada y desgarradora que Jocelyne abordo de manera increíble y con mensajes sutiles pero muy importantes, aún así me rompió el corazón leerla pasar por tanto y ser la más valiente a pesar del miedo que siente!
Blake & Sophia han sido mejores amigos desde los cinco años, a lo largo del tiempo sus sentimientos por el otro cambiaron, pero ambos están aterrados de arruinar su amistad si deciden confesar lo que realmente sienten, así que su historia de amor fue hermosa, tierna, difícil y llena de mucha nostalgia a pesar de que estos dos nunca se separan, porque comparten su vida con el otro en todo momento, pero les es imposible dejar de pensar las noches que se permitieron pasar con el otro y eso rompió mi corazón junto con el de ellos. Aún así, creo que TODO lo que Jocelyne escribió para Blake & Sophia, la dirección por la que llevo su trama y la manera en la que nos mostró los momentos más importantes de estos personajes juntos, fue perfecta y mucho más emocional & hermosa de lo que esperaba.
🏒Blake: 5/5
🏒Sophia: 5/5
🏒Trama: 5/5
🏒Historia de amor: 5/5
🏒Personajes secundarios: 5/5
🏒Portada: 5/5
🏒Universo: 5/5
🌶️: 3/5
May 3, 2024
Best friends to lovers is my favorite trope, add in some sports romance, and I’m a happy gal. It was a bit of a slow burn for me, but seeing Blake and Sophia finally get together was worth the wait. Blake is a great cinnamon roll MMC. He would do anything for Sophia, and she would do anything for him. She’s followed him everywhere for his career because of how important he is to her.
This was a quick, easy read. It was easy to root for the HEA.
Thank you to The Author Agency for my ARC of this book.
This was a quick, easy read. It was easy to root for the HEA.
Thank you to The Author Agency for my ARC of this book.
January 2, 2024
3.5
I was sent this book as an arc
It comes out January 5th
Check up your TW
I enjoyed this book and thought it was a solid read, it’s a friends to lovers sports romance. (Hockey) that being said umm the first part of this book frustrated me and annoyed the crap out me and felt like it dragged on for ages. We get to see Sophia and Blake from when they meet at age 5 until present time where they are 22 and the story carries on from there. We get to see them meet and become best friends and grow up and when they are 15 we see them start seeing each other differently and be from then on stubborn people in love with each other but terrified of confessing because they don’t want to lose the other and seeing them do this tango just… have I had the book physically I would have thrown it across the room, I was losing it and I was so annoyed and frustrated with these 2 it wasn’t even funny. I was losing my sanity and I hated it. I also felt like I didn’t truly get to know them in depth and if I’m honest I ended up not caring as much because of how angry, frustrated and annoyed these 2 made me. By the end I just wanted the book to be over and I think it doesn’t have any business being this long or feeling this long since I’m not sure how long it actually is but deep breaths and taking breaks led me to carry on reading the second half of the book and I’m glad I carried on reading and didn’t give up on the book. The second half was heartbreaking, emotional and it truly tugged at my heartstrings. I felt and hurt for Sophia and admired later on her strength and courage. I liked seeing Blake and Sophia finally confess their love for each other and them navigating the aftermath of what happened together and then just being there for each other was lovely to see and I felt happy for them. These 2 truly belong together and I’m glad all was well in the end. This is book 3 in the series but can be read as a standalone without any problems. So overall I enjoyed this book but didn’t love it. This was my first book by this author and while maybe in the future I will check some of her other works out, I’m in no rush to do so.
I was sent this book as an arc
It comes out January 5th
Check up your TW
I enjoyed this book and thought it was a solid read, it’s a friends to lovers sports romance. (Hockey) that being said umm the first part of this book frustrated me and annoyed the crap out me and felt like it dragged on for ages. We get to see Sophia and Blake from when they meet at age 5 until present time where they are 22 and the story carries on from there. We get to see them meet and become best friends and grow up and when they are 15 we see them start seeing each other differently and be from then on stubborn people in love with each other but terrified of confessing because they don’t want to lose the other and seeing them do this tango just… have I had the book physically I would have thrown it across the room, I was losing it and I was so annoyed and frustrated with these 2 it wasn’t even funny. I was losing my sanity and I hated it. I also felt like I didn’t truly get to know them in depth and if I’m honest I ended up not caring as much because of how angry, frustrated and annoyed these 2 made me. By the end I just wanted the book to be over and I think it doesn’t have any business being this long or feeling this long since I’m not sure how long it actually is but deep breaths and taking breaks led me to carry on reading the second half of the book and I’m glad I carried on reading and didn’t give up on the book. The second half was heartbreaking, emotional and it truly tugged at my heartstrings. I felt and hurt for Sophia and admired later on her strength and courage. I liked seeing Blake and Sophia finally confess their love for each other and them navigating the aftermath of what happened together and then just being there for each other was lovely to see and I felt happy for them. These 2 truly belong together and I’m glad all was well in the end. This is book 3 in the series but can be read as a standalone without any problems. So overall I enjoyed this book but didn’t love it. This was my first book by this author and while maybe in the future I will check some of her other works out, I’m in no rush to do so.
January 4, 2024
When I picked up "Hitting the Goal Line" by Jocelyne Soto, I didn't expect to be thrown into such an emotional journey. This book follows the story of Sophia and Blake, two friends whose connection spans from childhood to adulthood. The dynamic between them evolves from a deep friendship into something more, but they struggle to express their feelings for fear of losing each other.
The story starts off a bit slow, showing the characters growing up and dealing with their feelings. I found myself frustrated by their inability to communicate, but looking back, it feels relatable. People in their early twenties often find it challenging to express their emotions clearly.
As the plot unfolds, Sophia faces a difficult situation, and Blake steps in to help. This event becomes a turning point, prompting them to finally confront their hidden emotions. The way their love unfolds is heartrending but beautifully written. It's the kind of emotional rollercoaster that makes you empathize deeply with the characters.
Beyond the central romance, the book explores Blake's family dynamics, adding depth and complexity to the story. The supporting characters, especially the hockey team members, enrich the narrative, giving a broader view of Sophia and Blake's lives.
Despite a slower start and occasional frustrations with the pace, the latter part of the book is incredibly moving. Sophia and Blake's journey, filled with touching moments and genuine friendship, leaves you rooting for their happiness.
Though "Hitting the Goal Line" can be read alone, I'd suggest it for readers who enjoy stories about friendship, love, and navigating complex emotions. It's not without its flaws, but the characters' depth and the authenticity of their story make it a compelling read. Jocelyne Soto's storytelling prowess shines through, making this book a noteworthy addition, especially for fans of friends-to-lovers romances set in the world of sports.
Overall, "Hitting the Goal Line" offers an emotional and engaging story. Despite some pacing issues, the depth of the characters and their heartfelt journey makes it a book worth diving into.
The story starts off a bit slow, showing the characters growing up and dealing with their feelings. I found myself frustrated by their inability to communicate, but looking back, it feels relatable. People in their early twenties often find it challenging to express their emotions clearly.
As the plot unfolds, Sophia faces a difficult situation, and Blake steps in to help. This event becomes a turning point, prompting them to finally confront their hidden emotions. The way their love unfolds is heartrending but beautifully written. It's the kind of emotional rollercoaster that makes you empathize deeply with the characters.
Beyond the central romance, the book explores Blake's family dynamics, adding depth and complexity to the story. The supporting characters, especially the hockey team members, enrich the narrative, giving a broader view of Sophia and Blake's lives.
Despite a slower start and occasional frustrations with the pace, the latter part of the book is incredibly moving. Sophia and Blake's journey, filled with touching moments and genuine friendship, leaves you rooting for their happiness.
Though "Hitting the Goal Line" can be read alone, I'd suggest it for readers who enjoy stories about friendship, love, and navigating complex emotions. It's not without its flaws, but the characters' depth and the authenticity of their story make it a compelling read. Jocelyne Soto's storytelling prowess shines through, making this book a noteworthy addition, especially for fans of friends-to-lovers romances set in the world of sports.
Overall, "Hitting the Goal Line" offers an emotional and engaging story. Despite some pacing issues, the depth of the characters and their heartfelt journey makes it a book worth diving into.
January 3, 2024
🏒Hockey Romance
💜Childhood Best Friends
🏒Friends to Lovers
💜Unrequited Love
🏒Close Proximity
Star: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
"Hitting the Goal Line" by Jocelyne Soto delves into the complexities of friendship, love, and the risks that come with blurred boundaries. The story unfolds as Sophia reflects on a lifelong connection with Blake Jacobi, starting from childhood friendship to adulthood, where lines between platonic and romantic become increasingly blurred.
The narrative is built on a foundation of deep emotional ties between the characters, emphasizing the importance of Blake in Sophia’s life. The journey from childhood to following Blake to Chicago creates a sense of loyalty and devotion that transcends mere friendship. However, as the story progresses, the lines between friendship and romance become intertwined, leading to a passionate but complicated relationship.
The internal conflict faced by Sophia, who grapples with unspoken feelings for Blake, adds a layer of emotional depth to the narrative. Fear of losing the friendship by confessing true feelings becomes a central theme, driving Sophia to navigate through questionable relationships while trying to suppress their emotions.
The plot takes an unexpected turn with Blake finding himself in a jail cell, a consequence seemingly tied to Sophia. This twist intensifies the emotional stakes, creating a sense of urgency and regret. The events that unfold present a challenge that may forever alter the dynamic between the characters.
It captures the emotional nuances of the characters, allowing readers to empathize with the internal struggles and conflicts they face. The novel has a mix of friendship, romance, and a touch of suspense, keeping readers engaged as they witness the characters navigate through their tangled emotions and the consequences of their actions.
This is my favourite from the series. Love Sophia and Blake.
💜Childhood Best Friends
🏒Friends to Lovers
💜Unrequited Love
🏒Close Proximity
Star: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
"Hitting the Goal Line" by Jocelyne Soto delves into the complexities of friendship, love, and the risks that come with blurred boundaries. The story unfolds as Sophia reflects on a lifelong connection with Blake Jacobi, starting from childhood friendship to adulthood, where lines between platonic and romantic become increasingly blurred.
The narrative is built on a foundation of deep emotional ties between the characters, emphasizing the importance of Blake in Sophia’s life. The journey from childhood to following Blake to Chicago creates a sense of loyalty and devotion that transcends mere friendship. However, as the story progresses, the lines between friendship and romance become intertwined, leading to a passionate but complicated relationship.
The internal conflict faced by Sophia, who grapples with unspoken feelings for Blake, adds a layer of emotional depth to the narrative. Fear of losing the friendship by confessing true feelings becomes a central theme, driving Sophia to navigate through questionable relationships while trying to suppress their emotions.
The plot takes an unexpected turn with Blake finding himself in a jail cell, a consequence seemingly tied to Sophia. This twist intensifies the emotional stakes, creating a sense of urgency and regret. The events that unfold present a challenge that may forever alter the dynamic between the characters.
It captures the emotional nuances of the characters, allowing readers to empathize with the internal struggles and conflicts they face. The novel has a mix of friendship, romance, and a touch of suspense, keeping readers engaged as they witness the characters navigate through their tangled emotions and the consequences of their actions.
This is my favourite from the series. Love Sophia and Blake.
January 7, 2024
Hitting the Goal Line is the third book in the Chicago Dark Knights series by Jocelyne Soto, featuring an emotional and steamy best friends to lovers hockey romance for Blake and Sophia. Blake and Sophia have been best friends since they were 5 years old. They both are in love with each other but are afraid to say anything, leaving them open to date the wrong people. Everything comes to a head when Blake has to save Sophia from a dangerous situation. Now, with his career on the line, will they finally find the courage to admit their feelings and set their relationship on the right course?
Overall, I liked this book. Blake and Sophia were clearly meant to be together, but the constant refusal to communicate honestly about their feelings went on for too long. The first half of the book dragged for me as I got more frustrated. Going back in time is interesting and provides context, but I think there was just a bit too much of it. I’m glad I stuck it out out though, because once it caught up to more current events, there was plenty of drama, action, emotion, and more to keep things interesting. Although I cringe when I think about one of the decisions Sophia ultimately made in regard to her abuser, I’ve never been in that position, so I’m trying not to think about it.🤷🏼♀️ I enjoyed watching Sophia and Blake grow in their relationship, and seeing the couples from the previous books is always fun! Definitely check the TW if Domestic Violence is a difficult subject for you to read about. It’s shown on page, as well as through the FMC’s thoughts. I appreciated how authentic Sophia’s stream of thought felt on the issue, even if her choices are hard to understand. This book can be enjoyed as a standalone, although I liked the other two as well.😏
I received an advanced review copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.
⭐️⭐️��️⭐️
🌶🌶
Overall, I liked this book. Blake and Sophia were clearly meant to be together, but the constant refusal to communicate honestly about their feelings went on for too long. The first half of the book dragged for me as I got more frustrated. Going back in time is interesting and provides context, but I think there was just a bit too much of it. I’m glad I stuck it out out though, because once it caught up to more current events, there was plenty of drama, action, emotion, and more to keep things interesting. Although I cringe when I think about one of the decisions Sophia ultimately made in regard to her abuser, I’ve never been in that position, so I’m trying not to think about it.🤷🏼♀️ I enjoyed watching Sophia and Blake grow in their relationship, and seeing the couples from the previous books is always fun! Definitely check the TW if Domestic Violence is a difficult subject for you to read about. It’s shown on page, as well as through the FMC’s thoughts. I appreciated how authentic Sophia’s stream of thought felt on the issue, even if her choices are hard to understand. This book can be enjoyed as a standalone, although I liked the other two as well.😏
I received an advanced review copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.
⭐️⭐️��️⭐️
🌶🌶
January 9, 2024
I loved Sophia and Blake so much!
This is the third book in the Chicago Dark Knights series.
🏒 Hockey romance
💕Childhood best friends
Dual POV
Friends to lovers
Domestic violence- check trigger warnings
Blake and Sophia meet when they are five years old. At ten, Blake’s world is destroyed and Sophia is the one there to hold him together. At fifteen, Sophia starts to realize there might be more to how she feels about Blake, but doesn’t want to ruin their friendship so she doesn’t tell him. Blake realizes he might have feelings for Sophia the night before the NHL Draft and they do something they might regret later. As we journey through their lives we see how they support one another and become the best of friends. This back and forth continues as they both navigate their feelings and the fear of what those type of feelings would mean for their friendship.
As they both date other people while remaining the best of friends, Sophia finds herself in a relationship that she can’t escape from. Fearing for her safety, she pushes everyone away, including Blake. When Blake realizes Sophia is in trouble, he rushes to be there for her and what he finds is so much worse than anything he imagined. Now they must navigate their future while the trauma of Sophia’s past and Blake’s actions threaten his career.
I loved that this story took us through a timeline of Sophia and Blake’s lives. We were able to watch them develop and grow and see just how much they meant to each other.
If you live for a HEA, this story delivers. If you like spice in your stories-read this.
Can’t wait for the next Dark Knights book-why is Volkov so moody??
I received an ARC. These are my honest opinions and thoughts.
This is the third book in the Chicago Dark Knights series.
🏒 Hockey romance
💕Childhood best friends
Dual POV
Friends to lovers
Domestic violence- check trigger warnings
Blake and Sophia meet when they are five years old. At ten, Blake’s world is destroyed and Sophia is the one there to hold him together. At fifteen, Sophia starts to realize there might be more to how she feels about Blake, but doesn’t want to ruin their friendship so she doesn’t tell him. Blake realizes he might have feelings for Sophia the night before the NHL Draft and they do something they might regret later. As we journey through their lives we see how they support one another and become the best of friends. This back and forth continues as they both navigate their feelings and the fear of what those type of feelings would mean for their friendship.
As they both date other people while remaining the best of friends, Sophia finds herself in a relationship that she can’t escape from. Fearing for her safety, she pushes everyone away, including Blake. When Blake realizes Sophia is in trouble, he rushes to be there for her and what he finds is so much worse than anything he imagined. Now they must navigate their future while the trauma of Sophia’s past and Blake’s actions threaten his career.
I loved that this story took us through a timeline of Sophia and Blake’s lives. We were able to watch them develop and grow and see just how much they meant to each other.
If you live for a HEA, this story delivers. If you like spice in your stories-read this.
Can’t wait for the next Dark Knights book-why is Volkov so moody??
I received an ARC. These are my honest opinions and thoughts.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2024
Oh wow, this was such an emotional read 😭🤍
I have always been a sucker for a best friends to lovers romance but this book RIPPED me apart and put me back together 🫶🏼
Jocelyne the amount of angst in this book drove me WILD. The yearning between Sophia and Blake was so intense and the slow burn between them was so grilling I was on the edge of my seat, but I’m so glad they got their happy ending!
I def recommend reading this series to my hockey loving besties, although I do have to mention to be aware of the trigger warnings for this book which involve domestic violence.
My heart goes out to Sophia and everything she went through. She truly is resilient and I wish nothing but the best for her.
I originally was going to give this book a 4.5 rating but I felt like there were some missing components for me towards the end. I would have liked it if we got a little more info on Sophia’s healing journey such as did she go to therapy or what support systems she was using to heal from the abuse she experienced.
Imma talk about Blake for a quick sec, this man was head over heels for Sophia throughout the entire book and yet didn’t say anything until YEARSSSS LATER. The stubbornness of this man and admitting his feelings was crazyyyy. I swear I was gonna pop into the book and jostle him until he did something about his feelings because how dare he wait that long to confess 😭
Sophia had a part to play in their delayed love confession too but I forgive them both because they kinda made up for it.
The wait for this book was def worth it, given the delay that this books release date had!
So excited that Grayson will be getting his own book, I’ve had my eye on him since book 2 and the fact that Jocelyne has confirmed his book has me feeling 🤭
I have always been a sucker for a best friends to lovers romance but this book RIPPED me apart and put me back together 🫶🏼
Jocelyne the amount of angst in this book drove me WILD. The yearning between Sophia and Blake was so intense and the slow burn between them was so grilling I was on the edge of my seat, but I’m so glad they got their happy ending!
I def recommend reading this series to my hockey loving besties, although I do have to mention to be aware of the trigger warnings for this book which involve domestic violence.
My heart goes out to Sophia and everything she went through. She truly is resilient and I wish nothing but the best for her.
I originally was going to give this book a 4.5 rating but I felt like there were some missing components for me towards the end. I would have liked it if we got a little more info on Sophia’s healing journey such as did she go to therapy or what support systems she was using to heal from the abuse she experienced.
Imma talk about Blake for a quick sec, this man was head over heels for Sophia throughout the entire book and yet didn’t say anything until YEARSSSS LATER. The stubbornness of this man and admitting his feelings was crazyyyy. I swear I was gonna pop into the book and jostle him until he did something about his feelings because how dare he wait that long to confess 😭
Sophia had a part to play in their delayed love confession too but I forgive them both because they kinda made up for it.
The wait for this book was def worth it, given the delay that this books release date had!
So excited that Grayson will be getting his own book, I’ve had my eye on him since book 2 and the fact that Jocelyne has confirmed his book has me feeling 🤭
January 14, 2024
Hitting The Goal Line is Book 3 in the Chicago Dark Knights Series.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this sports romance series. It's a Bestfriend to Lovers Trope.
It was a very long book and it was soooo angsty. You will need your patience to see their HEA.
Blake and Sophia became friend at 5 years old on the Ice rink.
We get to see their friendship blossom from that age and it was really cute. The loyalty and the love is easy to feel through the pages.
When they're old enough to understand crush and love it was always for each other. Unfortunately doubt and fear of losing their best friend, they both keep their feelings to themselves. Yes it does get very frustrating. You just want to shout to the to just say it!! Haha.
We see them dating others through their late teens and early adulthood. Luckily we don't get any intimate scenes, because that would have been a no no for me. They never realise why their other relationships never last, while we all see it they don't.
Their friendship was truly beautiful. Blake is Sophia's Best friend, her protector and her love. He always protects her, until he doesn't.
This book covers domestic violence so please be wary and read trigger warnings. It was very hard to read because it was so heartbreaking.
That's all I will say read and see how their chemistry is sizzling throughout the story and how they steer through life together.
The extra characters and couples from the other books are always a delight to see.
So gets your skates on and enjoy Blake and Sophia's story. I am intrigued by Logan and can't wait to see what his story is going to be.
“Baby, with you being at the goal line, I will always play my cards right.”
I have thoroughly enjoyed this sports romance series. It's a Bestfriend to Lovers Trope.
It was a very long book and it was soooo angsty. You will need your patience to see their HEA.
Blake and Sophia became friend at 5 years old on the Ice rink.
We get to see their friendship blossom from that age and it was really cute. The loyalty and the love is easy to feel through the pages.
When they're old enough to understand crush and love it was always for each other. Unfortunately doubt and fear of losing their best friend, they both keep their feelings to themselves. Yes it does get very frustrating. You just want to shout to the to just say it!! Haha.
We see them dating others through their late teens and early adulthood. Luckily we don't get any intimate scenes, because that would have been a no no for me. They never realise why their other relationships never last, while we all see it they don't.
Their friendship was truly beautiful. Blake is Sophia's Best friend, her protector and her love. He always protects her, until he doesn't.
This book covers domestic violence so please be wary and read trigger warnings. It was very hard to read because it was so heartbreaking.
That's all I will say read and see how their chemistry is sizzling throughout the story and how they steer through life together.
The extra characters and couples from the other books are always a delight to see.
So gets your skates on and enjoy Blake and Sophia's story. I am intrigued by Logan and can't wait to see what his story is going to be.
“Baby, with you being at the goal line, I will always play my cards right.”
January 14, 2024
📚 Just finished "Hitting the Goal Line," the third gem in the Chicago Dark Knights series, and it's officially my favorite! 🌟 The characters in this novel are easy to love; their evolving friendship creates a beautiful (yet painful at times) tale. Friendships turning into something more can be quite the rollercoaster for me, and this story navigates it brilliantly.
🌈 Reading their journey from childhood to teenage and finally adulthood adds a delightful diversity to the narrative. When Sophia and Blake were kids, they were undeniably adorable, and as teenagers, they exuded charming innocence, but as adults... oh, the frustration! Missed opportunities for connection had me on edge, but the resolution brought sweet relief.
🎭 What makes this story stand out compared to the first two is its emotional depth. There was a lot more emotion than I anticipated. Despite the occasional irritation, the pacing is spot-on, keeping me hooked.
💔 While the depiction of domestic violence might have benefited from being more thorough and perhaps handled with greater sensitivity, it doesn't diminish the overall enjoyment of the story, in my view.
📖 The family and friends portrayed in the story add an enriching layer. Shoutout to Sophia’s parents and his brother – love them! 💖Also, catching up with Christian and Liam from the first two books was a delightful bonus. 🌟
👏 Overall, "Hitting the Goal Line" is an entertaining read with its delightful characters, emotional journey, and charming portrayal of relationships. I recommend giving this a read! 💫📚
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
🌈 Reading their journey from childhood to teenage and finally adulthood adds a delightful diversity to the narrative. When Sophia and Blake were kids, they were undeniably adorable, and as teenagers, they exuded charming innocence, but as adults... oh, the frustration! Missed opportunities for connection had me on edge, but the resolution brought sweet relief.
🎭 What makes this story stand out compared to the first two is its emotional depth. There was a lot more emotion than I anticipated. Despite the occasional irritation, the pacing is spot-on, keeping me hooked.
💔 While the depiction of domestic violence might have benefited from being more thorough and perhaps handled with greater sensitivity, it doesn't diminish the overall enjoyment of the story, in my view.
📖 The family and friends portrayed in the story add an enriching layer. Shoutout to Sophia’s parents and his brother – love them! 💖Also, catching up with Christian and Liam from the first two books was a delightful bonus. 🌟
👏 Overall, "Hitting the Goal Line" is an entertaining read with its delightful characters, emotional journey, and charming portrayal of relationships. I recommend giving this a read! 💫📚
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 2, 2024
🏒 💜 Hitting The Goal Line 💜 🏒 (Book 3 of the Chicago Dark Knights series) by Jocelyne Soto
4/5 ⭐️
1/5 🌶️
𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: Please note that this book has DV on page. But not between the MCs.
🏒 I have been waiting for Blake Jacobi for quite some time - and he was so well worth the wait. You get to see him and Sophia’s friendship and how it evolves over almost 20 years. The ups, the downs, the in between that just clench your heart.
💜 Sophia is so wonderful and so caught up in the friendship she has with Blake that it keeps her from telling him how she feels. Believe me - it does the same to Blake. I truly enjoyed getting to see Sophia’s personality and how she isn’t afraid to give Blake 💩 on the ice.
🏒 There were moments in this book that truly gutted me because I just felt so connected to their story and the things that happen to them throughout. There were moments I related to them that brought back a lot of moments from my own teenage years. This book truly makes you think that about all of those “what ifs”.
💜 Go into this book knowing that there are spelling and grammatical errors - however that English is not the native language for the author - so, please have some grace and kindness with understanding. However, I still have to deduct a ⭐️ because it seems as though these issues continually happen throughout this series - and sometimes these errors can take away all of the feelings I had while reading this book. To go from being fully invested and then spelling or grammatical errors happening that just take me right out of my zone.
📖
4/5 ⭐️
1/5 🌶️
𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: Please note that this book has DV on page. But not between the MCs.
🏒 I have been waiting for Blake Jacobi for quite some time - and he was so well worth the wait. You get to see him and Sophia’s friendship and how it evolves over almost 20 years. The ups, the downs, the in between that just clench your heart.
💜 Sophia is so wonderful and so caught up in the friendship she has with Blake that it keeps her from telling him how she feels. Believe me - it does the same to Blake. I truly enjoyed getting to see Sophia’s personality and how she isn’t afraid to give Blake 💩 on the ice.
🏒 There were moments in this book that truly gutted me because I just felt so connected to their story and the things that happen to them throughout. There were moments I related to them that brought back a lot of moments from my own teenage years. This book truly makes you think that about all of those “what ifs”.
💜 Go into this book knowing that there are spelling and grammatical errors - however that English is not the native language for the author - so, please have some grace and kindness with understanding. However, I still have to deduct a ⭐️ because it seems as though these issues continually happen throughout this series - and sometimes these errors can take away all of the feelings I had while reading this book. To go from being fully invested and then spelling or grammatical errors happening that just take me right out of my zone.
📖
January 3, 2024
Blake is a hockey hottie who had a two night stand with the girl of his dreams. Every single part of it was incredible. Then…. They decided to stop, then it happened again. They are childhood best friends and they are each others everything since they were five.
Sophia is a nurse who fell in love with her childhood best friend... TWICE. Then she needed to get over him so she got into a new relationship and well, you'll see.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
Burn:🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥/5
Darkness: N/A
Heat: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Range Of Emotions:🔥💗🌶️🥰🥵🥹😭😡🤬😡
Ending: 💗 {HEA}
POV: 👫 {DUAL}
🗂️ Genre: Romance
✨ Tropes: Childhood Best Friends, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Tension!, Two night stand, Spice, Dual POV, Found family, “That’s my girl”, No third act breakup, Hockey Romance, Angst
💋 Kinks: N/A
⚠️ Warning: This is spicyyyyy , but also you will cry at the sweetness and be VERY VERY pissed of with certain characters
📣 Type: Hitting the Goal Line is Book 3 of the Chicago Dark Knight Series but can be read as a standalone.
Yes. This was a great book. She is not prepared for the feelings she will face. They overcome a range of challenges. They’re so cute together and help each other through the horrible challenges. Their soo cute and he’s such a sweetheart expect with his filthyyy mouth. Their are so adorable and you should really read this book. In the beginning the characters are cute and her new boyfriend causes trouble that they need to deal with together. He’s not just muscle and she’s not just brains, they’re complicated people who are in love with each other.
Sophia is a nurse who fell in love with her childhood best friend... TWICE. Then she needed to get over him so she got into a new relationship and well, you'll see.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
Burn:🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥/5
Darkness: N/A
Heat: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Range Of Emotions:🔥💗🌶️🥰🥵🥹😭😡🤬😡
Ending: 💗 {HEA}
POV: 👫 {DUAL}
🗂️ Genre: Romance
✨ Tropes: Childhood Best Friends, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Tension!, Two night stand, Spice, Dual POV, Found family, “That’s my girl”, No third act breakup, Hockey Romance, Angst
💋 Kinks: N/A
⚠️ Warning: This is spicyyyyy , but also you will cry at the sweetness and be VERY VERY pissed of with certain characters
📣 Type: Hitting the Goal Line is Book 3 of the Chicago Dark Knight Series but can be read as a standalone.
Yes. This was a great book. She is not prepared for the feelings she will face. They overcome a range of challenges. They’re so cute together and help each other through the horrible challenges. Their soo cute and he’s such a sweetheart expect with his filthyyy mouth. Their are so adorable and you should really read this book. In the beginning the characters are cute and her new boyfriend causes trouble that they need to deal with together. He’s not just muscle and she’s not just brains, they’re complicated people who are in love with each other.
January 8, 2024
🐚 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 🐚
𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀: childhood best friends to lovers, forced proximity, hockey, unrequited love
𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀: domestic & emotional abuse
OMG!! I NEED TO KNOW WHO HURT THIS AUTHOR TO WRITE SUCH AN EMOTIONAL BOOK?!
Ok, now that I'm better, let's start the review.
Sophia and Blake have been inseparable friends since they were 5 years old. Around the age of 15, something shifted between them, but everything remained hidden. That is until a few years later, one evening when they both feel lonely, they spend a hot and steamy night together. You don't want to know what chaos followed after that night, but they still remained friends.
Their friendship continues to develop as they do. Blake signed a contract with the hockey team, and Sophia met someone. And although they are both crazy about each other, still no one acts.
Something changes between them when the current boyfriend becomes violent and Blake is there to save her. That was the decisive moment for both of them to declare those strong feelings hidden in their souls.
I really liked how the author presented their story in a chronological order that would keep you in suspense and make you want to see what happens between them.
This book is a wonderful one, and I adored these characters and how strong their relationship was, even through the hardest moments.
Thank you Jocelyne Soto for the opportunity to read this amazing book in exchange for an honest review.
𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀: childhood best friends to lovers, forced proximity, hockey, unrequited love
𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀: domestic & emotional abuse
OMG!! I NEED TO KNOW WHO HURT THIS AUTHOR TO WRITE SUCH AN EMOTIONAL BOOK?!
Ok, now that I'm better, let's start the review.
Sophia and Blake have been inseparable friends since they were 5 years old. Around the age of 15, something shifted between them, but everything remained hidden. That is until a few years later, one evening when they both feel lonely, they spend a hot and steamy night together. You don't want to know what chaos followed after that night, but they still remained friends.
Their friendship continues to develop as they do. Blake signed a contract with the hockey team, and Sophia met someone. And although they are both crazy about each other, still no one acts.
Something changes between them when the current boyfriend becomes violent and Blake is there to save her. That was the decisive moment for both of them to declare those strong feelings hidden in their souls.
I really liked how the author presented their story in a chronological order that would keep you in suspense and make you want to see what happens between them.
This book is a wonderful one, and I adored these characters and how strong their relationship was, even through the hardest moments.
Thank you Jocelyne Soto for the opportunity to read this amazing book in exchange for an honest review.
January 7, 2024
Friends to lovers is one of my most favorite tropes and when a writer combines it with another tropes I like, it's the best and this book of Jocelyne Soto is just that.
One thing I like the most about Hitting the Goal Line is the way Soto wrote the book by starting it with a situation that makes Sophia finally decide to choose herself and accept her feeling for Blake. Then she took us, readers, back to the beginning of their relationship and continued to show us how their feeling and relationship were developed. I think it's refreshing from an insta-love I read lately.
The story has a little bit of angsty vibe from Blake's part. But their relationship development is sweet and endearing to read. And all the time they have spent with each other growing up, I'm sure that Sophia and Blake have definitely been in love with each other. I also understand why they chose to be just friends with each other until Sophia finally accept her feeling for Blake as well. It's frustrating but understandable :)
I like sophia. She isn't perfect because she has her flaws such as staying in her relationship with her boyfriend too long. But even if she has been hurt, she still sees some good in people. I like Blake too. He loves Sophia with all his heart and that is swoon-worthy AF! Blake has waited for Sophia like forever and I'm so glad that he finally gets her at the end.
One thing I like the most about Hitting the Goal Line is the way Soto wrote the book by starting it with a situation that makes Sophia finally decide to choose herself and accept her feeling for Blake. Then she took us, readers, back to the beginning of their relationship and continued to show us how their feeling and relationship were developed. I think it's refreshing from an insta-love I read lately.
The story has a little bit of angsty vibe from Blake's part. But their relationship development is sweet and endearing to read. And all the time they have spent with each other growing up, I'm sure that Sophia and Blake have definitely been in love with each other. I also understand why they chose to be just friends with each other until Sophia finally accept her feeling for Blake as well. It's frustrating but understandable :)
I like sophia. She isn't perfect because she has her flaws such as staying in her relationship with her boyfriend too long. But even if she has been hurt, she still sees some good in people. I like Blake too. He loves Sophia with all his heart and that is swoon-worthy AF! Blake has waited for Sophia like forever and I'm so glad that he finally gets her at the end.
January 19, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥.5
“I will be by your side and love you for always and always. Hockey or no hockey.”
This is the third book in the Chicago Dark knights series.
This book follows Sofia and Blake they have been friends since childhood, they do everything together, so when he got picked up by the NHL, she follows him. It after crossing the line, they push their feelings away so they don’t ruin their friendship. But thing changed between when Sofia boyfriend becomes violent and Blake steps in to save her. Now with his career in jeopardy, will they finally admit what they always felt or will everything they have be ruined?
The connection between them was amazing because of the friendship they’ve been building for years and seeing their friendship blossom into a relationship was everything. All the angst, love, yearning between them throughout the years are worth it in the end because it only made them stronger. Despite everything there was always a love between them that no one could compete with. Overall, I enjoyed the book, the characters, the ending.
“I will follow you anywhere in fucking world. Whether you need me or not.
I would recommend if you like:
💜Hockey Romance
💜Childhood friends to Lovers
💜Slow Burn
💜Close Proximity
💜 Steamy Scenes 🔥
Thank you The Author Agency for the ARC!
🔥.5
“I will be by your side and love you for always and always. Hockey or no hockey.”
This is the third book in the Chicago Dark knights series.
This book follows Sofia and Blake they have been friends since childhood, they do everything together, so when he got picked up by the NHL, she follows him. It after crossing the line, they push their feelings away so they don’t ruin their friendship. But thing changed between when Sofia boyfriend becomes violent and Blake steps in to save her. Now with his career in jeopardy, will they finally admit what they always felt or will everything they have be ruined?
The connection between them was amazing because of the friendship they’ve been building for years and seeing their friendship blossom into a relationship was everything. All the angst, love, yearning between them throughout the years are worth it in the end because it only made them stronger. Despite everything there was always a love between them that no one could compete with. Overall, I enjoyed the book, the characters, the ending.
“I will follow you anywhere in fucking world. Whether you need me or not.
I would recommend if you like:
💜Hockey Romance
💜Childhood friends to Lovers
💜Slow Burn
💜Close Proximity
💜 Steamy Scenes 🔥
Thank you The Author Agency for the ARC!
January 7, 2024
This was a fantastic childhood friends to lovers story. I don’t think I’ve ever read one told in quite this way, following the pair from age 5 to present day. It seemed very real to me, about them becoming “aware” of each other as teens , not wanting to acknowledge it because of fear, etc. I think it was set up very well in that way. Even how their families became intertwined, lending itself to the close bond they shared.
So it made the portrayal of Sophia removing herself from her loved ones lives even more heartbreaking. But the climax of the story which resulted in seemingly rock bottom and finally allowing these 2 dummies to move past their fear was worth the small bit of angst and darkness we saw.
And having Latinx characters feature so prominently in a hockey romance was a first for me and I was here for it.
Now what factored in to my rating was the editing. A few small grammatical and word choices can be forgiven. If I notice them, I never mention them. However in this book it was so frequent it became distracting. Like no one even proof read it and no understanding of homonyms. And obvious plot inconsistencies, day vs night for example. This is really my only solid reason for taking a solid 4 star childhood friends to lovers hockey romance down a point.
So it made the portrayal of Sophia removing herself from her loved ones lives even more heartbreaking. But the climax of the story which resulted in seemingly rock bottom and finally allowing these 2 dummies to move past their fear was worth the small bit of angst and darkness we saw.
And having Latinx characters feature so prominently in a hockey romance was a first for me and I was here for it.
Now what factored in to my rating was the editing. A few small grammatical and word choices can be forgiven. If I notice them, I never mention them. However in this book it was so frequent it became distracting. Like no one even proof read it and no understanding of homonyms. And obvious plot inconsistencies, day vs night for example. This is really my only solid reason for taking a solid 4 star childhood friends to lovers hockey romance down a point.
January 8, 2024
3.5/3.75 for me. I really enjoyed the first 2 books in this series and I’m normally a sucker for a friends to lovers trope.
I did truly enjoy the story of Blake and Sophia. I enjoyed learning their backstory and how they became friends and seeing how the feelings started to develop and grow for each other throughout the years. I didn’t mind the way they both ignored feelings for each other and just stayed friends for years, maybe because that’s how my husband and I were it just doesn’t bother me as much as others😂 Seeing Blake protective of Sophia and seeing Sophia support Blake with hockey was great as well, and it never changed throughout the book no matter what part of life they were going through.
That being said, I felt like there were certain parts/chapters that were just filled and didn’t add anything to the story. Like if they weren’t there it wouldn’t have mattered and I ended up skimming thru those parts and still had no trouble keeping up with the story. The backstory chapters did feel like they dragggggged on and I wanted more of the current events, which then felt rushed towards the end.
Again wasn’t my favorite book of the series but I did enjoy it!
* I did receive an ARC for an honest review*
I did truly enjoy the story of Blake and Sophia. I enjoyed learning their backstory and how they became friends and seeing how the feelings started to develop and grow for each other throughout the years. I didn’t mind the way they both ignored feelings for each other and just stayed friends for years, maybe because that’s how my husband and I were it just doesn’t bother me as much as others😂 Seeing Blake protective of Sophia and seeing Sophia support Blake with hockey was great as well, and it never changed throughout the book no matter what part of life they were going through.
That being said, I felt like there were certain parts/chapters that were just filled and didn’t add anything to the story. Like if they weren’t there it wouldn’t have mattered and I ended up skimming thru those parts and still had no trouble keeping up with the story. The backstory chapters did feel like they dragggggged on and I wanted more of the current events, which then felt rushed towards the end.
Again wasn’t my favorite book of the series but I did enjoy it!
* I did receive an ARC for an honest review*
January 3, 2024
Wow wow wow - I finished Hitting the Goal Line feeling ALL the feels! This was a sweet friends to lovers book, but with way more depth than I expected going in. There’s spice, but also heavy, emotional scenes (read those TWs!) that the author did an amazing job writing.
Sophia and Blake have known each other since they were 5; they’ve been in love since they were teenagers; they didn’t get their HEA until their mid-20’s.
Thoughts 💭
⛸️The angst and fear and uncertainty are palpable in this read!
⛸️ We can see so much that the characters can’t see right in front of their faces. I was SO frustrated with both of them for most of the book.
⛸️ I loved that this story was told in parts - we learn about our characters histories and saw their friendship turn from “just friends” to something more.
⛸️ The final chapters were a huge, happy dose of serotonin. The HEA was perfection.
Upon finishing the book, I was thrilled to see the author already has some of the side characters’ stories out! I read Hitting the Goal Line as a stand-alone, but will have to go back and read the other stories.
Thanks so much to Jocelyne Soto and The Author Agency for the ARC of this book!
Sophia and Blake have known each other since they were 5; they’ve been in love since they were teenagers; they didn’t get their HEA until their mid-20’s.
Thoughts 💭
⛸️The angst and fear and uncertainty are palpable in this read!
⛸️ We can see so much that the characters can’t see right in front of their faces. I was SO frustrated with both of them for most of the book.
⛸️ I loved that this story was told in parts - we learn about our characters histories and saw their friendship turn from “just friends” to something more.
⛸️ The final chapters were a huge, happy dose of serotonin. The HEA was perfection.
Upon finishing the book, I was thrilled to see the author already has some of the side characters’ stories out! I read Hitting the Goal Line as a stand-alone, but will have to go back and read the other stories.
Thanks so much to Jocelyne Soto and The Author Agency for the ARC of this book!
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