Slap Shot at Love: a friends to lovers hockey romance

by A.K. Isaacs

SOMETIMES LOVE PUNCHES YOU RIGHT IN THE FACE

Hockey prodigy Caleb Mack might be the best defenseman in the NHL, but when it comes to interpersonal relationships, he’s never quite hit his stride. So when his new workout routine leads to an unexpected friendship, he’ll do anything to make sure he doesn’t lose her. Even if it means ignoring the sparks that light up the ring when they spar.

From the moment amateur boxer Cassie Flowers punches Caleb in the face, there is no ignoring the connection between them. But whether it be in relationships or the boxing ring, she’s always kept herself from being punched in the gut. And she’s not about to change that now. Especially not when his friendship is exactly what she needs.

But as their friendship continues to grow, so does their attraction to each other.

Could it be that taking a shot at love is worth the risk after all?

Genres: Sports Romance, Hockey, Friends To Lovers, Romance, Hockey Romance, He Falls First, Sports

274 pages, Paperback

Published May 7, 2024

About the author

Originally from Colorado, A.K. Isaacs (she/her) has lived in 12 states and Washington, D.C. Now an adoptee of the Midwest, she spends her days as a nonprofit fundraiser and her nights (and early mornings!) writing love stories. When not reading or writing, she can be found cheering on the Colorado Avalanche and painting with watercolor. She’d like to remind you that the world is a better place because you’re in it.

Reviews

[☆Laura☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25⭐️

Viva el romance con protagonistas con ansiedad social.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot stress enough how much I loved this book, and wish I could've read it sooner and in one sitting, but alas, life gets in the way.

This book was the sweetest, most heartwarming thing. It had me giggling, grinning and kicking my feet around. Ice hockey romances make me feel something completely different, to any other genre of romance book, and I love it so so much. This book was incredible; the characters, the plot, the vibes, it was perfect!!

Caleb and Cassie were just the sweetest, I loved reading about their story so so much, and honestly wish there was more of it. I loved the inclusivity of the storyline, and the transparency the readers are given about their relationship, right from the beginning, it made the storyline captivating and made me want to keep reading to find out what was going to happen.

Thank you so much to AK Isaacs and her team for choosing me as part of the ARC team for this incredible book, it was such an honour to be able to read this <3 To anyone who has read the review this far, GO GET YOURSELF A COPY OF THIS BOOK!

I highly recommend this to anyone who wants a lighthearted, hockey romance, friends to lovers, with a dash of spice and humour!

[Marissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a heartwarming and authentic friends to lovers. You will laugh, cry, find a new appreciation for flower varieties and the softer side of hockey…

The questions and fears that Cassie and Caleb both navigate are something I think nearly anyone can relate to: “am I worthy? Do they deserve better? Is love enough?”

Special highlight were the incredible side characters. Healthy bro friendships and a trio of supportive women, all hoping to do good things for their people.

I love love love and recommend this.

Special thanks to the author for the advance copy!

[Raquel (BookishRaquel) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Star Rating: 5/5 ⭐
Heat Rating: 3/5 🌶️

What to Expect:
- Hockey Romance
- Friends to Lovers
- He Falls First
- Only One Bed
- Reverse Grumpy/Sunshine
- Protective Hero
- Cinnamon Roll Hero
- Mental Health Rep.
- No Third Act Breakup

Slap Shot at Love is a fun friends-to-lovers story. Caleb is a pro hockey player, and Cassie is a teacher, amateur boxer, and hockey fan. After meeting in the boxing ring, they became fast friends. As they spend more time together, they realize they want to be more than friends. Both of them have struggles keeping them from leaping; Caleb struggles with anxiety, and Cassie struggles with fully letting others into her life. Caleb goes for it, and the dynamics of their relationship change for the better. Cassie and Caleb are perfect together, and I enjoyed witnessing the progression of their relationship. They have amazing chemistry! I loved how they could be vulnerable with each other and supported each other as they navigated their insecurities. Caleb makes Cassie feel seen and safe. The character development is incredible, and I loved the mental health representation. One of my favorite things was Caleb using different flowers as nicknames for Cassie. I also loved the wonderful and supportive friend group. Slap Shot at Love is a well-written hockey romance that I highly recommend.

Thanks to A.K. Isaacs for the gifted eARC. Opinions expressed are my own.

[Jennifer Jansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good friends to lovers story and this is exactly that. Caleb and Cassie are best friends. They are only really comfortable with each other. Caleb has social anxiety and Cassie is protective of her heart. They slowly realize that they are feeling differently around each other, but neither feels worthy of love and neither want to risk losing what they have, but Caleb takes the risk and it pays off. There's bumps along the way and both need to learn how to deal with changes and new dynamics, but other friendships forged along the way help. This story has strong side characters with Greggs,King, Stacey, Hazel and even Ralph. Well written and poignant at times. Worth a read.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

what a sweet little low-angst story!! cassie & caleb were such cute bffs and a really cute couple <33 their progression from being friends to being in a relationship felt so natural

i really enjoyed the found family in this too. caleb & cassie were kind of each others only friends so it was really nice that they each made their own groups outside of each other. they each created their own supportive trio that they were able to be comfortable & open with

thank you a.k. for the arc!!

[Stef's Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️.5

“Although it might be wrapped in vibranium, she actually has a heart made of gold. And I’m one of the lucky few who gets to see it.”

This was such an amazing hockey romance debut! I am in love with Caleb and Cassie. ♥️

Whether you are new to the hockey romance genre, or an avid reader, you will love this book. Caleb is one of the best defensemen on his team and they have their eyes set on the Stanley Cup this season. His best friend Cassie is a teacher and amateur boxer.

The two met a couple years prior when they spared together and she gave him a black eye. Ever since then, they’ve been the best of friends. Except recently, things between them have felt like more. As the two spend more time together and slowly fall in love, they also need to consider if they are ready for a relationship together. Especially since Caleb’s job requires him to be away so much.

I loved Caleb’s character development and the fact that he accepted the help for his social anxiety and started going to therapy. And I was so happy that Cassie was finally ready to take the leap and pursue her happiness.

Things I loved:

🏒 He falls first
🏒 Protective
🏒 Drunken confessions
🏒 “She’s mine.”
🏒 Friends to lovers
🏒 Pining
🏒 Anxiety rep
🏒 Nicknames

“Best black eye I’ve ever had. Ten out of ten rating. Would do it again if it meant meeting you.”

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! It was such a cute friends to lovers story and I loved how open and honest Caleb and Cassie were together. They worked so well and balanced each other out and their banter and friendship made this such a fun read. I would highly recommend this if you enjoy hockey romance, friends to lovers, anxiety rep and found family vibes. Thank you so much to both A.K. Issacs and BookSirens for the ARC of this wonderful story.

[Katie Hodgie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this! Cassie and Caleb were exactly my kind of main characters- strong personalities, well written and it made perfect sense as to why they had so much chemistry. I loved the side characters and could definitely see this becoming a series - both in terms of Caleb's hockey teammates and Cassie's kids, who I felt deserved many more chapters on their own. There were a few parts of the story that I felt were glossed over and I would love to see as novellas or spin-offs down the line as the pacing changes quite dramatically around the middle of the storyline.

I did feel like the contrast in emotional IQs was a bit jarring - Caleb was obviously very in touch with his mental health and how to cope with his emotions, whereas Cassie didn't seem to be aware of them at all, which was the only part I didn't feel quite worked in their friendship given they'd been friends for so long. Their friendship otherwise was incredibly heartwarming and I was definitely rooting for them the whole time!

My only dropped star was that once the protagonists had a cutesy nickname for each other ('baby'), it felt like that was their only name - which got to be a bit much.

[❀ Mariah Smith ❀ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I misjudged this book completely if I’m being honest. The characters in this book were really relatable. I felt like I learned a lot from what they went through in the book. I hope one day I can find a relationship like Caleb and Cassie’s. This was a really good best friend’s to lover book!! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[Aliyah Sims (bookish.blasian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m such a sucker for hockey romances, especially ones with illustrated covers. This book was a cute, fluffy, palette cleanser with a side of mental health representation. I almost wanted it to be longer, with more details about various plot points that felt glazed over, but I still really enjoyed this book and will likely read the others. Cassie and Caleb’s meet cute is a rather unique one. They both box at the same gym and Cassie ends up giving Caleb a black eye. From there, they somehow become besties. In the present, Caleb calls Cassie by various flower nicknames because her last name is Flowers. This is nearly identical to the flower nickname thing in Alive at Night by Amelie Rhys where the FMC is named after a flower. This is probably just a weird coincidence but it’s something I noticed. Cassie is a teacher and when one of her students is getting bullied, she enlists Caleb for his help because the student plays hockey. While we hear about Cassie having to work once or twice after the beginning, I felt like her being a teacher wasn’t as prevalent as I thought it was going to be. It was mostly about Caleb and hockey and boxing. Not a lot of mention of her really grading papers or going to work. And Caleb ends up being a sort of mentor to her student, but we don’t actually see a lot of that part either. Additionally, Caleb ends up wanting to start a charity. We hear about it when the idea is born and then we hear about it when the kickoff gala happens. We don’t get to see anything from the middle or any of the work that went into putting a whole charity together. Point being, I wanted some extra details on stuff. Also the pacing is a bit wonky at times. It states it at the start of the chapter, but sometimes it’s the next day, a few days later, or even a few weeks later. In the first ten chapters, we hear a lot about mozzarella sticks lol. Caleb and Cassie will box at the gym and then go next door for bar food. It’s mentioned 13 times in 10 chapters and then never mentioned again. Also I used context clues, but the gym is owned by Anthony. And then they mention getting food at Anthony’s. We don’t officially learn that Anthony’s place is called Anthony’s Fight and Flight, which I assume is a gym connected to a bar. I feel like we should’ve learned that early on, not 200 pages in. I liked Caleb and Cassie together. They were pretty much each other’s only friend until they started opening up to each other and then ended opening up to their friends as well. They both had some self esteem issues aka they both didn’t feel worthy of the other. I won’t spoil it, but Cassie in particular ends up making me a little mad on this front with how she treats Caleb at one point. It is open door, but it’s very tame. It fits the story though given that they don’t really drink or cuss either. They both end up calling each other baby which is probably my least favorite term of endearment. It gets old quick for me, but that’s just a personal preference. Despite missing details and Cassie annoying me at the end, I did end up enjoying this book. And the ending is pretty cute too. I’m excited to see this author grow and hopefully there will be a book two. I really enjoyed this book and the storyline, I just personally wanted some more details about various things. Thanks to the author for the ARC!

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Slap Shot at Love is friends to lovers, sports romance.

Tropes:
-Cinnamon roll hero
-He falls first
-Hockey & amateur boxing
-Mental health rep
-Only one bed
-No third act breakup
-Reverse grumpy x sunshine

A Slap Shot at Love was such a sweet story with the added layer of mental health representation. Caleb Mack is an all-star professional hockey player, but off the ice he struggles with anxiety and tends to shy away from the spotlight and attention it brings. Cassie is a teacher and hockey fan, and a chance meeting with Caleb starts a new friendship between the two. But Cassie also struggles and is hesitant to let anyone truly into her life. As their friendship continues to blossom, Caleb and Cassie have to decide if they want to pursue the undeniable attraction growing between them while potentially risking their friendship if things don’t work out.

Cassie and Caleb are absolute darlings together and their friendship is warm, supportive, and sweet. They find solace in each other and learn that they truly can confide in and count on one another. It was so enjoyable to see their journey from friends to lovers, and watch them navigate their vulnerabilities together. Caleb is the definition of golden retriever/cinnamon roll who also manages to bring a sultry side while maintaining consent and respect for Cassie. Cassie is the perfect blend of strength and caring…she’s absolutely the kind of woman you would want as a best friend and hockey watching buddy. They have great chemistry that feels so natural and the spicy scenes were just right.

This also featured a great group of friends. Slap Shot at Love is the first book in a planned series, and you can see how the other books might unfold with the current cast of characters. Caleb’s teammates show a strong emotional IQ and their genuine love and concern for each other melts your heart.

If you are looking for hunky hockey players with a sensitive side who aren’t afraid to communicate honestly with each other, this is for you. It also has really good representation for mental health and embraces getting help and having a supportive group around you.

Overall, a very sweet read for those in their sports romance era.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you A.K. Isaacs for an ARC of this book!

Slap Shot at Love is a best-friends to lovers kind of story, and I think it has some slow burn to it. Cassie Flowers and Caleb Mack have different occupations (teacher and NHL hockey player, respectively), but they became friends when they took boxing classes together. I’ll have to admit, the first line in this book was pretty funny. The longer these two are friends, their attraction for one another grows. Their friends can see these “romantic” feelings before they do. I admire the social anxiety representation that’s in this book. Also, I love how Caleb’s so expressive, especially when he talks to Cassie (I highlighted so many quotes from Caleb)! They definitely care for each other, and have really supportive friends outside of their relationship.

Hockey is mentioned a lot throughout the book since the MMC is a hockey player. I am familiar with the sport, and I will say there isn’t a lot of the game/practice “action” itself. So if you are not familiar with the sport but you’re open to reading a hockey romance, then this book might be for you!

There are other occurrences that happen in the beginning of the book, and are not really mentioned again until the second half of the book (i.e. Caleb helped Ralph with some hockey drills, and created a nonprofit). I thought the nonprofit idea sounded great when it was first mentioned in this book, but I wish there were more pages on that.

This isn’t a huge issue for me, but I kind of wish there was more information on how Cassie and Caleb *initially* became friends. I thought the preface was maybe short (in my opinion). However, I think the slow burn that takes place in this novel made the romantic relationship feel natural and convincing.

I liked the different flower nicknames Caleb would give to Cassie, so cute! I noticed like halfway in the book, the word “baby” was used frequently, and it sort of threw me off a bit.

Overall, this was a quick and fun read! I’m excited to read more books from A.K. Isaacs in the future!

[Sherina · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘚𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.
4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice 1 🌶️

A Slap Shot at Love is friends to lovers, hockey sports romance. It has the classic he falls first, only one bed, and of course grumpy x sunshine.

A Slap Shot at Love was such a sweet story with the added layer of mental health representation. Caleb Mack is an all-star professional hockey player, but off the ice he struggles with anxiety and tends to shy away from the spotlight and attention it brings. Cassie is a teacher and hockey fan, and a chance meeting with Caleb starts a new friendship between the two. But Cassie also struggles and is hesitant to let anyone truly into her life. As their friendship continues to blossom, Caleb and Cassie have to decide if they want to pursue the undeniable attraction growing between them while potentially risking their friendship if things don’t work out.

Cassie and Caleb are absolutely perfect together, they always turn to each other and support each other at their lowest. It was so amazing watching them go from friends to lovers! Caleb is the definition of golden retriever/cinnamon roll who respects Cassie. They have great chemistry that feels so natural and the spicy scenes were just right.

This also featured a great group of friends. Slap Shot at Love is the first book in a planned series, and you can see how the other books might unfold with the current cast of characters. Caleb’s teammates show a strong emotional IQ and their genuine love and concern for each other melts your heart. This book is filled with emotions!

Caleb is all about expressing his emotions and open communication with his girl. It also has really good representation for mental health and embraces getting help and having a supportive group around you.

If you’re into sports romance especially hockey this is a must read, and I can’t wait for the next book!

[jensbooknookclub · Rating 4 out of 5]

First thought: I enjoyed this one! I loved how the MCs balanced each other out and how they leaned on each other throughout the story. I loved the hockey bros and their boy hour to talk about their feelings. A lot of great moments in this book, I read it one sitting because I didn’t want to put down.

Caleb is a NHL player who deals with social anxiety, he doesn’t make friends easily and likes to keep to himself. But he hears boxing is great for hockey players as it helps with footwork.

So Caleb signed up for a boxing class. He was partnered with a cute girl and she just gave him a black eye, he won’t ever underestimate her again.

That black eye and a beer with mozzarella sticks at the local bar after class sealed his friendship to Cassie. She literally broke the ice with a fist to the face and got him to let her in.

Cassie is a 7th grade teacher who loves all things boxing in her spare time. She doesn’t let very many people into her life due to a past trauma but she somehow became best friends with a hot NHL superstar.

Cassie and Caleb spend a lot of time together and have grown to be each other “Christina” as Gray would say. But as their friendship grew the lines of feelings have started to blur is it love or in love they are feeling.

They decide to test Date each other which means they will go on 3 dates and at the end they can stay friends or continue to date. But the stakes are high Caleb team is trying for the Stanley Cup and Cassie has her first boxing competition. Plus they are both afraid to loose the best friend they ever had.

You have to read this one to see how this unfolds.

Literally Themes you’ll find:

* Best Friends to Lovers
* NHL Player vs Teacher
* She Gave Him Black Eye
* He Falls First
* Test Dating
* One Bed
* Dual POV
* Mild Spice

🏒🥊🏒🥊🏒🥊🏒🥊🏒🥊🏒🥊🏒🥊

https://www.instagram.com/p/C6r5dYyP7...

[Sienna Harlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slapshot at Love was so freaking cute!!
This was my first hockey romance and I can definitely say I'm a fan now!

I adored Caleb and Cassie's friendship, I'm such a sucker for Friends-to-lovers, and this one slaps!
YA'LL! Cassie's last name is Flowers so Caleb calls her a different flower name each time. Like, this man googles flower names every morning just to have a new nickname for her. Let me tell you, I giggled every. single. time.
It was just too cute imagining this massive hockey player googling "Types of flowers." on an ice rink.

My two favorite things about this book are the bromance between Caleb and two of his fellow players. It was adorable and I'm VERY excited for their books! Plus need Hazel and Stacey to find lloovvveeeeeeee too!

At the center of this book are best friends who want the best for each other and believe (wrongly) that they can't be what the other person needs.
It doesn't have a third-act breakup ( Thank you for that A.K!) which I LOVED, but still had plenty of juicy "are they going make it, can they be who each other needs" angst that I ate right up!

Slap shot had plenty of laugh-out-loud moments (and also made me cry once!)

A.K wrote a fun romance filled with the joys of loving your best friend, touching moments of friendship, and emotional plotlines. I'm ready for book 2!!

I will end this review with my favorite line from the book.

“You drive me insane no matter what you’re wearing, baby. But I’ll be sure to roll up my shirt sleeves. I know how that drives you crazy.”
“How do you know that!”
“Because every time I do it, you get this weird look on your face. I figured it out a long time ago. Why do you think I always wear long sleeves around you.”
“I assumed you got cold easily!”
“Jasmine, I’m from Canada, and I play hockey for a living.”

LOOOLLLLLL

[Fatma · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

ARC Review

Tropes:
🌸Friends to lovers
🏒Hockey player x teacher
🌸Women boxer
🏒Cinnamon roll MMC
🌸Hardass FMC
🏒Mental Health Rep
🌸One Bed

This was one of the sweetest books I've ever read! The way Cassie & Caleb complete and support each other is out of this world! If you're looking for a book that's sweet, filled with friendships and no extreme heartbreak this is the book for you!

They meet each other when Caleb decides to take boxing lessons as a way to increase his skills as a hockey player and gets punched in the face by Cassie. They instantly become friends. Caleb doesn't like meeting new people or even talking to people much, so his friendship with Cassie is special. He'll do anything to make Cassie happy. Like calling her different flower names everytime he speaks🫠🫠

Cassie is a huge hockey and Blizzards fan, so being friends with one of their top players is probably a dream come true. But their friendship is more than that. Cassie knows Caleb doesn't warm up to people easily and having Caleb as friend is something she's extremely grateful for. She knows exactly what to do to help him get out of his head and relax. Like making a millennial mixtape for him to relax to.

After Cassie asks Caleb for a favor involving one of her students their friendship develops into something more. They realize that they have a bond like no other and that they bring out the best in each other. This did freak both out, but they had great friends to get them to slow down and see the right path!

This was an amazing story filled with self reflected and growth. I absolutely loved that there was no dramatics to their friendship, they were extremely mature and took the time to think before making rash decisions.

[Casey Smailles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slap Shot At Love by A.K. Isaacs.

Tropes:
🏒Friends to Lovers
🌼Mental Health Rep
🏒Only One Bed
🌼No Third Act Break Up
🏒Hockey Romance
🌼He Falls First
🏒Cinnamon Roll Hero
🌼Strong Female FMC
🏒Reverse Grumpy/Sunshine

First I would like to thank A.K. Isaacs for giving me the wonderful opportunity to read her amazing book. Wow the way I devoured this book, I simply couldn’t put it down.

Slap Shot At Love follows Cassie and Caleb. Two fantastic people who are best friends after a funny meet cute. But slowly things between them begin to change.

Caleb is pro hockey player for the blizzards. Cassie is a school teacher. They are the perfect balance for each other. They both have some emotional baggage that they help each other through.

These two have wonderful chemistry, amazing banter🤭, swoon worthy moments to make you melt 🫠, and cute flower nicknames 🌻.

This was such a wonderful and heartwarming read. I loved every minute and can’t wait for Greggs and Kings story’s. Make sure you check out Slap Shot At Love by A.K. Isaacs.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice:🌶️

“Best black eye I’ve ever had. Ten out of ten rating. Would do it again if it meant meeting you.”

“Jesus, Buttercup. You look incredible. I’m going to have to work overtime to keep guys away from you tonight.” “Buttercup?”

“You made me a mixtape,” I say, feeling incredibly touched. “It’s a playlist, that’s different,”

“It’s about Caleb needing to grow some balls.” “I have… plenty of… balls, thank you,”

[Aim · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I will be wearing a dress I fully intend to drive you insane with all night. Feel free to counter with your outfit choice.”
“You drive me insane no matter what you’re wearing, baby. But I’ll be sure to roll up my shirt sleeves. I know how that drives you crazy.”
I? What? How?
“How do you know that!”
“Because every time I do it, you get this weird look on your face. I figured it out a long time ago. Why do you think I always wear long sleeves around you.”
“I assumed you got cold easily!”
“Jasmine, I’m from Canada, and I play hockey for a living. As a wise prophet once said, ‘the cold never bothered me anyway,’” he half says, half sings.

This was such a light hearted, fun, friends to lovers hockey romance! I loved watching Cassie and Caleb's friendship turn into more as they discovered they have romantic feelings for each other. I absolutely adored all of Caleb's nicknames for Cassie! So cute.

I really loved the mental health representation in this book. As someone who also suffers with social anxiety, I could relate to Caleb when his anxiety would increase in social settings. I loved the found family part of the book also and the fact that Caleb found not only Cassie to help him with his anxiety but his teammates/friends did too.

I love a low-angst romance (because hellooooo? I have anxiety) and I loved that this book did not have a third act breakup. I am excited for the next book in the series and to see who's story is next!

Tropes:
🏒 Best friends to lovers
🏒 He falls first
🏒 Mental health representation
🏒 Grumpy/Sunshine
🏒 Only one bed
🏒 Found family
🏒 Pro-hockey & teacher

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🔥

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

First person, dual POV: Caleb & Cassie
Rating: 3.5⭐️
Spice: 1.5 🌶️

Slap Shot at Love was a wonderful introduction to a hockey series that’s sure to become a fan favorite.
Cassie is a strong female MC with black cat energy wrapped around a heart she tries to keep locked down. Caleb is the hot hockey player best friend that deals with anxiety on a daily basis. These characters were very real and I enjoyed that. It was a breath of fresh air. Their story was a great palette cleanser when you just want to wrap up in a cozy blanket and fall away from your real world for a bit. Very sweet and fluffy.

That being said, I did find myself wanting a little more in the beginning for their friendship foundation. There were a few moments where I didn’t believe they had been best friends for years, where their connection fell flat for me and I didn’t see the chemistry. It made it hard to stay mentally in the story because there was nothing keeping me within the pages. When the storyline starts to pick up, though, you see it more and it’s like you can feel the author relax a bit more into the story.

I can’t wait to watch this author grow in their writing and see where this series goes. I’m a sucker for a hockey team and this one should be fun!



✨ARC review✨

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

From black eyes to best friends to more?

Caleb (MMC): hockey player, suffers from social anxiety, doesn't like the spotlight, knows all the different flower names

Cassie (FMC): teacher, enjoys boxing, guards her heart, strong & independent

What you can expect:
🏒 Hockey Player & Teacher
🥊 Friends to Lovers
🏒 Secret Pining
🥊 He Falls First
🏒 Team Bounding
🥊 Golden Retriever & Grey Cat
🏒 Nicknames
🥊 Slow Burn
🏒 Mozzarella Sticks
🥊 Mental Health Representation
🏒 Touch Her & 💀 Vibes (Protective MMC)

Rating: 🌼🌼🌼(3⭐️)
Spice: 🌶️(light spice - more than kissing)
T/W: Panic Attack (on page), Anxiety (on page), Attempted Sexual Assault (referenced), Alcohol Consumption (on page)

Cassie and Caleb are two best friends who gradually start to develop more than "friend" feelings for each other. The author does a great job of unfolding the romance by spanning the book over the course of months laying the ground work for a sweet and tad spicy friends to lovers read.

I received an ARC copy and wanted to leave an honest review.

[Emily Beckham · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️!

this was a nice no-brain-power read for me this month that i really enjoyed! idk what it is about hockey romances but i swear these authors are putting something in them where it gets you addicted, and i don’t even know ANYTHING about hockey in the first place🤣. i fall for them every.single.time. and i don’t plan on stopping anytime soon lol.

something to note is the part i always love about a friends-to-lovers trope is getting to watch a genuine, true friendship naturally grow into a love that is much deeper, where it feels deeply rooted… and i definitely got that from this book!

i also enjoyed all the side characters, i felt like they actually had a purpose to the story & the pacing was also pretty good in my opinion.

another thing is i definitely think this book would be a great palette cleanser to read in between other books as well! i plan on keeping this author in mind for other books to read from now on!

**thank you A.K Issacs for allowing me to read your arc for free, and in turn, i’m leaving this honest review🫶🏻!**

[Zoey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Happy release day!

Thank you A.K for the free arc, I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The relationship between Cassie and Caleb in Slap Shot at Love, is something so pure and precious. While they just became friends around a year ago, they have a lot of trust and respect for one another. Though, now, when feelings start to arouse, they realize maybe they should get to know each other even more.

They definitely cared a lot about each other. They were each other’s anchor, which I loved seeing portrayed throughout the book. A.K also did a phenomenal job on the mental health talk and stigmas that follow along with it, which I found beautiful. For manly hockey players to be so open in their mental health and help one another, I’m so glad we got to see that representation (Anxiety and Bipolar Disorder).

For a debut novel, A.K truly gave it her all and did so well.

Tropes:
-Mental health rep
-Friends to lovers
-MMC hockey player
-Only one bed
-No third act breakup
-He falls first, and harder

[Mylissa B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun sports romance about best friends to lovers that is told from dual POV. I loved being able to hear the internal thoughts for both Cassie and Caleb as they tried to resist their changing feelings for each other.

The support characters were well developed and added depth to the story, especially as Caleb and Cassie helped a student navigate a difficult time in life.

Caleb is such a cinnamon roll MMC and his relationship with his teammates is so genuine and fun, it made the sports aspect of the novel easy to listen too.

The spice is moderate (3/5) and well done. I was cheering for Cassie and Caleb the entire novel to find their happily ever after.

A.K. Isaac created such a fun and light friends to lovers novel that also addressed some heavy topics such a mental health, grief/loss and sexual assault. She handled the issues respectfully and honestly, which added depth to this light novel that pulled at my heartstrings.

[Casey Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received an ARC & I am posting this willingly :)

This book read like a 90s rom com, which made me giggle and feel so warm and fuzzy!!! I enjoyed the friends to lover trope so much. Caleb quickly turned into my favorite book boyfriend.
Here’s some reasons:

Caleb’s cutie little flower nicknames for her never failed to make me SWOON!!!
Caleb interacting with Ralph and his love for the kiddos made me misty eyed.
When Caleb brought her a single rose ! I was in love ! This scene in particular was SO well written.

I loved the anxiety rep of this book as well. Caleb really transformed from an anxious little bean, to a fully confident boyfriend and it was *chefs kiss*

This book was also the right mix of love and sports. I fully recommend this to anyone who likes sports romances!!

[Sydney B · Rating 4 out of 5]

“𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘶𝘱 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨.”

4/⭐️
1/🌶️

This was so real and authentic!! Friends to lovers isn’t always my favorite trope, but this was so well done!! I absolutely loved the mental health representation in this story! The guys meeting for breakfast during away games to check on each other.. I love! It was so raw and relatable.

Now I loved Cassie and Caleb’s relationship. They’re best friends who start to develop more feelings for each other. It was authentic because they both started to pull away while working through issues. Caleb started to self sabotage, and Cassie started to put more space between them. It’s never going to be perfect when starting a romantic relationship, and this showed some of that.

I loved the found family in this! Cassie and Caleb had each other, but didn’t really have anyone else. They grew and had so much development as individuals. Also, I cannot wait for more from these characters!!

tropes - hockey romance, friends to lovers, mental health rep, cinnamon roll hero, he falls first

[Gabby &#x1f31e; · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so heartwarming I mean who doesn’t love a good friends to lovers? Everything about this book was so sweet and pure. The progression of Cassie and Caleb’s relationship was amazing I mean falling in love with your best friend is probably one of the better ways to go. The story had a very nice flow to it no concrete plot but the romance was spot on. I love the mental health representation and I especially love it when we see it in the MMC just because we don’t usually see it with the men and there’s just a whole stigma behind it so I love it when authors talk about it. Cassie was a very strong FMC and Caleb complimented her so well. Caleb was just 🥰. Gave me butterflies all the time. No third act break up which I love to see. It was a very cute romance & I enjoyed every bit of it! Overall a 4.3/5 ⭐️’s and a 🌶️/5 on the spicy level!!

[HeadCanonHeadCase · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cassie and Caleb have been best friends from the moment she punched him in the face leaving him with a black eye. Their friendship is easy and exactly what they need. But as attraction blooms, will they risk that friendship for something more?

Read if you like:
-Friends to Lovers
-Slow Burn
-Hockey Player x Teacher
-Nicknames
-Mental Health Rep
-Anxiety

I. Loved. This. Book. Let me say it again: I LOVE this book! Caleb just might be my top book boyfriend of 2024. He is the sweet, anxiety-ridden golden retriever hockey hero of my dreams. I loved the way he bantered with Cassie. It had me smiling and kicking up my heels. And the descriptions of his anxiety were so raw and honest in the best way.

Hockey Romance readers are definitely sleeping on this one! I can't recommend this one enough.

[Molly McEvoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couldnt put down! 4.5/5 stars!

Did i read this book over the course of 8 hours? Yes. Do I have any regrets? Just that work caused me to take longer than I wanted to to finish it.

This story of two best friends falling for one another hits so close to home for me with my own love story. The mental health and trauma reps that each character had also had similarities to my own story and its so helpful and validating of those struggles.

These characters are so well written and complex, but you dont feel bogged down trying to understand everything. An overall happy, leg swingy read that you wont want to put down!

***Thank you AK Isaacs for the ARC in exchange for an honest review***

[Brianna Tednes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Cassie and Caleb! Best friends to lovers isn’t typically my go-to or favorite trope but I absolutely loved it in this case! Cassie is a Bad *** and I couldn’t get enough of her! Caleb is quiet and keeps to himself but is lively when with Cassie, especially once they test their limits. I rated this at 4 stars because overall i loved this book and it was an easy 1-day read. I wish there was more pick up in it but it seems to be a more slow burn style romance and it fit perfectly in that regard.

If you like (best) friends to lovers, slow burn, sports romance, celebrity causes, and an in between of open and closed door romance (this story was right in the middle, a cracked door romance if you will) then you will love this book!