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Midnight #1
Shots Taken
Can getting over a broken heart be as easy as falling in love again?
After spending three years in London, Violet Cameron is returning homes with no job, no direction, and a “no more hockey players” rule. She just wants to mend her broken heart, put her degree to good use, and find a way to fall in love with hockey again. Good thing her father, head coach of the New Haven Midnight, secures a spot for her in the team’s social media department. Violet just has to spend her days working with the team’s newest standout player.
Crosby Wells is hard working, loyal, and good at hockey. He’s spent his career climbing the ranks and perfecting his trick shots. When he’s finally given the starting center position for the upcoming season, he’s determined not to let anything distract him. Until he meets Violet.
With a new spotlight on his career and the echoes of Violet’s past trying to block the goal, Crosby will have to learn the shots taken are just as important as the goals made.
Shots Taken is the first interconnected standalone novel in The Midnight Series. Readers will love the hockey player being his best and the coach’s daughter who’s trying her best as they fall in love, face the media, and realize they make each other just a little bit better.
After spending three years in London, Violet Cameron is returning homes with no job, no direction, and a “no more hockey players” rule. She just wants to mend her broken heart, put her degree to good use, and find a way to fall in love with hockey again. Good thing her father, head coach of the New Haven Midnight, secures a spot for her in the team’s social media department. Violet just has to spend her days working with the team’s newest standout player.
Crosby Wells is hard working, loyal, and good at hockey. He’s spent his career climbing the ranks and perfecting his trick shots. When he’s finally given the starting center position for the upcoming season, he’s determined not to let anything distract him. Until he meets Violet.
With a new spotlight on his career and the echoes of Violet’s past trying to block the goal, Crosby will have to learn the shots taken are just as important as the goals made.
Shots Taken is the first interconnected standalone novel in The Midnight Series. Readers will love the hockey player being his best and the coach’s daughter who’s trying her best as they fall in love, face the media, and realize they make each other just a little bit better.
342 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 24, 2025
15 people are currently reading
174 people want to read
About the author
Kate Byrne
4 books33 followersKate Byrne is a contemporary romance author with titles in new adult, sports romance, and cowboy romance. Known for her swoon worthy male main characters, emotional plots, and cinematic prose, her debut peaked in the top twenty. Delivering moments that make readers' cheeks blush and their hearts burn, Kate aims to tell stories with unique twists while staying true to romance's best tropes.
When not working on her next story, Kate is an avid reader and sports enthusiast. She enjoys walks in her neighborhood and time with her family.
Want to stay connected to news about Kate's books? Follow her on social media: @author_katebyrne
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
January 24, 2025
"𝑷𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕." "𝑵𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝑺𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒔."
You know what I love about this book?! NO 👏 THIRD 👏 ACT 👏 BREAKUP.
Violet Cameron is heading back home and has sworn off "hockey players." But obviously, when you make a BIG declaration like that, the unexpected happens...and that unexpected is Crosby Wells The moment he sees her, he’s a goner.
The attraction between them is instant, but she fights every second due to her past experience. What makes this book so wholesome is the reality check of what it’s like being a coach's daughter and dating a hockey player. She doesn't want him to be with her due to her "title" and Crosby doesn't want her pressured either AGH TOO CUTE.
𝑽𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒈𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒆𝒇𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒆𝒇 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒎𝒚 𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏. 𝑨𝒏𝒅, 𝒊𝒇 𝑰 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕, 𝒎𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆 𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒑𝒊𝒆𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕.
The author also did an incredible job introducing the players on the team, focusing on the first line so we get a clear picture of who the series will follow no “rando” players here!
The way Violet "fights" her attraction before finally giving Crosby a shot, and how their relationship unfolds, was TOTAL SWOON! 😍 I freaking loved it. They started as "work colleagues" since she manages the hockey team’s social media, but as the banter and flirty moments build up, it’s so clear he wants more. There was a point where I was screaming, JUST GO OUT WITH HIM PLSSSSS! The spice also was spicinnnn!
“𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒕, 𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒚.”
“𝑪𝒂𝒏 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒕, 𝑽𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒆𝒕? 𝑰’𝒎 𝒂 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒓𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒏.”
“𝑰’𝒅 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒂 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒍.”
The way they navigate the obstacles to ensure they’re in a good place to be together is beautifully written, and their relationship development is what made this book such an amazing read. I am so happy for Kate as her debut novel she did AMAZING! And I can't wait to read the rest of her series!
tropes
🏒 hockey romance
🏒 coach's daughter
🏒 workplace romance
🏒 forced proximity
Thank you Kate Byrne for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review
⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.
𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 🎀 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘞𝘙𝘖𝘛𝘌 𝘈 𝘉𝘖𝘖𝘒! 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘪𝘵, 𝘢𝘨𝘩!! 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘐 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩'𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳 & 𝘯𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘥-𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘶𝘱
You know what I love about this book?! NO 👏 THIRD 👏 ACT 👏 BREAKUP.
Violet Cameron is heading back home and has sworn off "hockey players." But obviously, when you make a BIG declaration like that, the unexpected happens...and that unexpected is Crosby Wells The moment he sees her, he’s a goner.
The attraction between them is instant, but she fights every second due to her past experience. What makes this book so wholesome is the reality check of what it’s like being a coach's daughter and dating a hockey player. She doesn't want him to be with her due to her "title" and Crosby doesn't want her pressured either AGH TOO CUTE.
𝑽𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒈𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒆𝒇𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒆𝒇 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒎𝒚 𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏. 𝑨𝒏𝒅, 𝒊𝒇 𝑰 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕, 𝒎𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆 𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒑𝒊𝒆𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕.
The author also did an incredible job introducing the players on the team, focusing on the first line so we get a clear picture of who the series will follow no “rando” players here!
The way Violet "fights" her attraction before finally giving Crosby a shot, and how their relationship unfolds, was TOTAL SWOON! 😍 I freaking loved it. They started as "work colleagues" since she manages the hockey team’s social media, but as the banter and flirty moments build up, it’s so clear he wants more. There was a point where I was screaming, JUST GO OUT WITH HIM PLSSSSS! The spice also was spicinnnn!
“𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒕, 𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒚.”
“𝑪𝒂𝒏 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒕, 𝑽𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒆𝒕? 𝑰’𝒎 𝒂 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒓𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒏.”
“𝑰’𝒅 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒂 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒍.”
The way they navigate the obstacles to ensure they’re in a good place to be together is beautifully written, and their relationship development is what made this book such an amazing read. I am so happy for Kate as her debut novel she did AMAZING! And I can't wait to read the rest of her series!
tropes
🏒 hockey romance
🏒 coach's daughter
🏒 workplace romance
🏒 forced proximity
Thank you Kate Byrne for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review
⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.
𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 🎀 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘞𝘙𝘖𝘛𝘌 𝘈 𝘉𝘖𝘖𝘒! 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘪𝘵, 𝘢𝘨𝘩!! 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘐 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩'𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳 & 𝘯𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘥-𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘶𝘱
January 22, 2025
ARC Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
🌶️🌶️.5
What a solid debut book for Katy Byrne! This was really good hockey romance! It had a good plot and the story flowed well. You can’t help but love this core group of characters.
I enjoyed how the connection between Crosby and Violet progressed organically after their first meeting. Their chemistry was instant and pretty hot. I also enjoyed that we got to see relationship between Crosby and Violet’s dad grow from coach to more personal and how they both had Violet’s best interest at heart at all times. Crosby was a perfect book boyfriend.
I loved the found family aspect of this story. The banter between the core group of characters was amazing and made me laugh often. I cannot wait to see what’s in store for them.
If you enjoy hockey romance, you should definitely read this book.
I would like to thank Katy Byrne and The Author Experience for the opportunity to read and review Shots Taken.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
🌶️🌶️.5
What a solid debut book for Katy Byrne! This was really good hockey romance! It had a good plot and the story flowed well. You can’t help but love this core group of characters.
I enjoyed how the connection between Crosby and Violet progressed organically after their first meeting. Their chemistry was instant and pretty hot. I also enjoyed that we got to see relationship between Crosby and Violet’s dad grow from coach to more personal and how they both had Violet’s best interest at heart at all times. Crosby was a perfect book boyfriend.
I loved the found family aspect of this story. The banter between the core group of characters was amazing and made me laugh often. I cannot wait to see what’s in store for them.
If you enjoy hockey romance, you should definitely read this book.
I would like to thank Katy Byrne and The Author Experience for the opportunity to read and review Shots Taken.
January 26, 2025
This book holds such a special place in my heart! I had the pleasure of beta reading this book for Kate and to see where it came from during the beta process to where it finally ended up? Wow. Kate crushed her debut novel!
This is one of the BEST hockey romances I’ve ever read. And I’m not just saying that. There was ACTUALLY hockey in this book! So much more than “oh he’s a professional hockey player.” And then that’s it. As a hockey fan, I love reading stories like this that feel like they give me a glimpse into the actual life of a professional hockey player. From games to practice to days off and days spent on the road. It’s so interesting to me and makes me feel like I’m seeing behind the scenes irl.
Crosby is everything I could ever want in a book boyfriend, tbh. He is so so sweet and kind and caring and patient with Violet. He always knows what she needs without her even having to say anything and I love that about him. He loves her fiercely and will do anything he can to protect her but he also isn’t going to overstep and dull her sparkle. (Pun intended 😏) I love how he lets her handle everything she can on her own and when it becomes too much for her to handle alone, THEN he steps in.
Violet has been through a lot but I loved watching her grow throughout the story. We love to see women in sports succeeding and it was fun to watch her excel at her new job all on her own.
I’m obsessed with the found family aspect of this story. From the rest of The Rubber Puckies™️, to Bea, to Cal (Coach) and Ava. I really enjoyed getting to know everyone and their various personalities. I am so so so so excited for the rest of this series!!
Rating: ♾️⭐️s
Spice: 🔥🔥💥
Tropes:
💜 Coach's Daughter
🖤 Found Family
💜 Pro Hockey
🖤 Workplace Romance
💜 Cinnamon Roll MMC
🖤 No 3rd Act Breakup
This is one of the BEST hockey romances I’ve ever read. And I’m not just saying that. There was ACTUALLY hockey in this book! So much more than “oh he’s a professional hockey player.” And then that’s it. As a hockey fan, I love reading stories like this that feel like they give me a glimpse into the actual life of a professional hockey player. From games to practice to days off and days spent on the road. It’s so interesting to me and makes me feel like I’m seeing behind the scenes irl.
Crosby is everything I could ever want in a book boyfriend, tbh. He is so so sweet and kind and caring and patient with Violet. He always knows what she needs without her even having to say anything and I love that about him. He loves her fiercely and will do anything he can to protect her but he also isn’t going to overstep and dull her sparkle. (Pun intended 😏) I love how he lets her handle everything she can on her own and when it becomes too much for her to handle alone, THEN he steps in.
Violet has been through a lot but I loved watching her grow throughout the story. We love to see women in sports succeeding and it was fun to watch her excel at her new job all on her own.
I’m obsessed with the found family aspect of this story. From the rest of The Rubber Puckies™️, to Bea, to Cal (Coach) and Ava. I really enjoyed getting to know everyone and their various personalities. I am so so so so excited for the rest of this series!!
Rating: ♾️⭐️s
Spice: 🔥🔥💥
Tropes:
💜 Coach's Daughter
🖤 Found Family
💜 Pro Hockey
🖤 Workplace Romance
💜 Cinnamon Roll MMC
🖤 No 3rd Act Breakup
January 31, 2025
Confession: I'm not a hockey romance girlie... until now! 😍 This is a phenomenal debut from Kate Byrne that had me giggling and swooning the entire way through. Here are some of the highlights:
Violet is an all-around lovely FMC, smart and intuitive. She grew up with her athlete father, so naturally, she learned the game of hockey, and it followed her into her adult life as a sports statistician. Oh, yeah, and she doesn't date hockey players... 😉
Crosby, oh, that smitten fool... After the departure of the Midnights' starting center, Crosby takes on the role, and boy, he's a badass. He's a natural leader, clever, and fiercely protective over his hockey family and his woman.
These side characters! I. Can. Not. Love them all so much! Gus and Obie are my boys, and I'm really hoping they find a love connection in this series. They are so goofy. You can feel the bromance on the page.
Overall, this had a nice amount of drama, and the pacing was perfect. Byrne has a beautiful prose that is effortless and enjoyable to read. And the spice? Oh, the spice was absolutely delicious!
If you love hockey or if you've been craving a hockey romance that actually has gametime in the actual story, written by someone who clearly knows the game, LOOK NO FURTHER! You'll enjoy this one!
Midnight... rise!
⭐️- 5.0
🌶- 2.5
Violet is an all-around lovely FMC, smart and intuitive. She grew up with her athlete father, so naturally, she learned the game of hockey, and it followed her into her adult life as a sports statistician. Oh, yeah, and she doesn't date hockey players... 😉
Crosby, oh, that smitten fool... After the departure of the Midnights' starting center, Crosby takes on the role, and boy, he's a badass. He's a natural leader, clever, and fiercely protective over his hockey family and his woman.
These side characters! I. Can. Not. Love them all so much! Gus and Obie are my boys, and I'm really hoping they find a love connection in this series. They are so goofy. You can feel the bromance on the page.
Overall, this had a nice amount of drama, and the pacing was perfect. Byrne has a beautiful prose that is effortless and enjoyable to read. And the spice? Oh, the spice was absolutely delicious!
If you love hockey or if you've been craving a hockey romance that actually has gametime in the actual story, written by someone who clearly knows the game, LOOK NO FURTHER! You'll enjoy this one!
Midnight... rise!
⭐️- 5.0
🌶- 2.5
November 26, 2025
3.5 rounded up bc no third act breakup. There were a lot of great moments here, spice was spicing, but this def could’ve used an editor. Lots of sections were abrupt or out of character and there was no build up to moments. No clue why wells liked violet bc we got to know next to nothing about her - and she didn’t even use her smarts? She should’ve just been a social media/marketing specialist instead of a statistition because she literally didn’t use that at all. Lots of funny moments and I enjoyed the side characters especially Bea, but I wanted more silly banter and bro-ship with the boys on the hockey team. I think with some editing/fixing up the abrupt parts I would enjoy more - other than that the pacing was really really good it clicked along nicely no parts dragged for me, with those abrupt moments fixed there wouldn’t be any “rushed” feelings either.a decent handful of telling not showing moments that I would ideally want fixed up too, besides wells telling us how violet looked I actually can’t tell you what anybody looks like or most people’s personality. I loved the moments between violet and her dad and wanted more of those for sure. I def wanted a little more backstory of how wells got on the team and his life and a lot more backstory on violet. Overall good debut will probably read the next books in the series!!
**editing post book club I am unfortunately going to have to move this to a rounded down 3.5 my apologies
**editing post book club I am unfortunately going to have to move this to a rounded down 3.5 my apologies
January 20, 2025
✨ ARC Review ✨
Shots Taken by @author_katebyrne
4.5 ⭐️ 2 🌶️
I absolutely adored this debut from Kate Byrne! The plot and story flowed very nicely, and you grow to love everyone mentioned too!
I loved how Crosby and Violet met, and how their connection grew naturally over time. I also enjoyed seeing the relationship between Crosby and Violet’s dad change from Player-Coach into a more personal connection of two men who wanted to protect Violet.
The side characters were amazing as well, and I am excited to see each of their stories! The banter between all of them was fantastic, and constantly had me smiling.
This book is definitely added to my hockey romance favorites! You should definitely check it out if you like any of the following:
🏒 Coach’s daughter
💜 Workplace romance
🏒 Nicknames
💜 Found family
🏒 protective MMC
💜 Smartypants 2 mathematics degrees FMC
Shots Taken by @author_katebyrne
4.5 ⭐️ 2 🌶️
I absolutely adored this debut from Kate Byrne! The plot and story flowed very nicely, and you grow to love everyone mentioned too!
I loved how Crosby and Violet met, and how their connection grew naturally over time. I also enjoyed seeing the relationship between Crosby and Violet’s dad change from Player-Coach into a more personal connection of two men who wanted to protect Violet.
The side characters were amazing as well, and I am excited to see each of their stories! The banter between all of them was fantastic, and constantly had me smiling.
This book is definitely added to my hockey romance favorites! You should definitely check it out if you like any of the following:
🏒 Coach’s daughter
💜 Workplace romance
🏒 Nicknames
💜 Found family
🏒 protective MMC
💜 Smartypants 2 mathematics degrees FMC
January 28, 2025
"Do you think they're going to play HOT TO GO?" "This is a Midnight hockey game."
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
I absolutely adored this Hockey Romance.
I loved seeing Violet's confidence evolve; from rejecting a hockey player's advances, to standing up for herself; while also letting in those who will stand up for her - letting them protect and love her.
Crosby's grief hit the mark; and seeing his relationship with his coach/Violet's dad slowly develop into that of a father figure was pure beauty.
Crosby never let Violet shy away from her emotions; and supported her through any and everything.
He was perfect; he knew when to look after her, and when to let her soar on her own.
Can't wait to read more about the Midnight boys!
Thank you Kate Byrne and The Author Experience for the opportunity to read this eARC!
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
I absolutely adored this Hockey Romance.
I loved seeing Violet's confidence evolve; from rejecting a hockey player's advances, to standing up for herself; while also letting in those who will stand up for her - letting them protect and love her.
Crosby's grief hit the mark; and seeing his relationship with his coach/Violet's dad slowly develop into that of a father figure was pure beauty.
Crosby never let Violet shy away from her emotions; and supported her through any and everything.
He was perfect; he knew when to look after her, and when to let her soar on her own.
Can't wait to read more about the Midnight boys!
Thank you Kate Byrne and The Author Experience for the opportunity to read this eARC!
January 17, 2025
✨ARC REVIEW✨ What a debut!!!! Adding this one to my hockey romance favorites! Violet is coming back home to figure out her life, but they one thing she knows for sure is she’s done with hockey players. Enter Crosby Wells. Violet takes a job working for the New Haven Midnight and ends up working directly with Crosby, but what he doesn’t know is that Violet’s dad is his coach. Violet is trying to heal from so much in her past and Crosby is the ultimate comfort. I love how supportive Crosby is and how much they both lean on each other to succeed. He was so protective of her but still let her hold her own when she needed to. Can’t forget about the fun side characters and all the banter too! All the boys on the team are also so protective of Violet and it’s just so fun to see them all interact. It truly is the ultimate found family. There is so much to love in this story and I couldn’t get enough!
February 3, 2025
Crosby you have my heart!
Violet and Crosby have such a cute love story in Shots Taken. You can also tell that Kate has a love for hockey as much as she also loves her hockey romances. This was such a delight to read, and I can’t wait to see what comes next for our players in the series.
Violet and Crosby have such a cute love story in Shots Taken. You can also tell that Kate has a love for hockey as much as she also loves her hockey romances. This was such a delight to read, and I can’t wait to see what comes next for our players in the series.
January 18, 2025
I had the pleasure of doing my first ever beta read for this book last year. I was honored that Kate asked me to read it, but I was nervous about reading it. I try to always be 100% honest in my book reviews because reviews are what help me decide what my next read is. And I want my review to be that for someone else. I was nervous to do this beta read because I knew that if I had criticisms or if I didn’t like it, that I would have to tell that information to the author aka someone who has become a good friend. Well it turns out that I was nervous for nothing because I really enjoyed beta reading this book. I knew instantly that I liked Kate’s writing style. I tried to give as much feedback as I could ranging from little things I loved to constructive criticism. Reading it the second time around as an ARC reader? I went from really enjoying my read to absolutely loving it. It was truly a magical experience seeing how much this book has grown since I last read it. It feels as if she really took our feedback to heart. And you can tell that the editing process took an already good book to a new level. As a reader and as a friend, I am so so proud of Kate for putting this book out into the world.
On to the actual review:
From the first chapter, I knew I was going to like this book. I was immediately invested in Violet and her relationship with her dad. I’m assuming he gets a book later and I’m so pumped about it! I also instantly liked The Rubber Puckies (best group chat name EVER). I grew to love their whole crew and can’t wait to learn more about everyone throughout the series. I loved how strong the found family aspect was. One of my favorite things about sports romances are the bromance and team dynamics. We get a lot of it here. We also get little glimpses and hints I think about who will end up with who throughout the series. I loved how Crosby initially came off as a flirty f boy, but he’s really a softie at heart. I loved how slow he was in pursuing her, and took his cues from her on how to progress. I loved how she was initially worried about fitting in and moving home, but was able to make friends and join the fold with Obie and the guys. I also loved watching Obie enjoy his new team and can’t wait for his book! I loved Bea and her relationship with Violet. She was such an amazing friend, quick to hop on a plane whenever Violet needed her. I’m excited for her story too. I hated Violet’s ex and her boss too. Unfortunately they were great examples of the toxic men of the world. And how hard it can be to be a woman in a male dominated field or office. I absolutely loved Vi’s dad and I can’t wait to learn more about him. I loved how he was as a coach and how he handled the whole conflict. He’s able to be both her father and do his job unbiased / well. I also loved how he handled the whole situation with Crosby as well. Usually when coaches find out a player is dating their daughter, it doesn’t go well. I liked how it was handled here. This is an open door romance, but it felt tame at first. As time goes on, things get steamier between these two and we love to see it!! The filthy FaceTime and post ex incident were my personal faves. Overall, I just adored this debut romance. For my beta read, I would’ve given it an easy four stars. As an ARC reader, reading it after changes and edits, I feel confident giving this book five stars. The updates truly took this from an already enjoyable book to something I truly loved. And it just makes it sweeter that it was written by a friend of mine. Thank you so much to the author for trusting me with your beta read and for the ARC copy. I can’t wait for you to release your book baby into the world.
On to the actual review:
From the first chapter, I knew I was going to like this book. I was immediately invested in Violet and her relationship with her dad. I’m assuming he gets a book later and I’m so pumped about it! I also instantly liked The Rubber Puckies (best group chat name EVER). I grew to love their whole crew and can’t wait to learn more about everyone throughout the series. I loved how strong the found family aspect was. One of my favorite things about sports romances are the bromance and team dynamics. We get a lot of it here. We also get little glimpses and hints I think about who will end up with who throughout the series. I loved how Crosby initially came off as a flirty f boy, but he’s really a softie at heart. I loved how slow he was in pursuing her, and took his cues from her on how to progress. I loved how she was initially worried about fitting in and moving home, but was able to make friends and join the fold with Obie and the guys. I also loved watching Obie enjoy his new team and can’t wait for his book! I loved Bea and her relationship with Violet. She was such an amazing friend, quick to hop on a plane whenever Violet needed her. I’m excited for her story too. I hated Violet’s ex and her boss too. Unfortunately they were great examples of the toxic men of the world. And how hard it can be to be a woman in a male dominated field or office. I absolutely loved Vi’s dad and I can’t wait to learn more about him. I loved how he was as a coach and how he handled the whole conflict. He’s able to be both her father and do his job unbiased / well. I also loved how he handled the whole situation with Crosby as well. Usually when coaches find out a player is dating their daughter, it doesn’t go well. I liked how it was handled here. This is an open door romance, but it felt tame at first. As time goes on, things get steamier between these two and we love to see it!! The filthy FaceTime and post ex incident were my personal faves. Overall, I just adored this debut romance. For my beta read, I would’ve given it an easy four stars. As an ARC reader, reading it after changes and edits, I feel confident giving this book five stars. The updates truly took this from an already enjoyable book to something I truly loved. And it just makes it sweeter that it was written by a friend of mine. Thank you so much to the author for trusting me with your beta read and for the ARC copy. I can’t wait for you to release your book baby into the world.
January 25, 2025
ARC review for Shots Taken by Kate Byrne
Thanks to Kate and The Author Experience for the ARC opportunity!
Featured tropes: sports romance, found family, workplace romance, coach's daughter, forced proximity, cinnamon roll MMC, no third act break-up
Trigger warning: manipulative ex-boyfriend and former employer, controlling and intimidating workplace superior, physical intimidation, media scrutiny
Review: 4/5
This is Kate's debut novel and it's great! Definitely doesn't read as a debut!
Things I liked:
- The found family in this book is next level. Violet and her dad have a solid found family from the start in Obie and his parents. Crosby has an amazing family in his teammates. Put Violet and Crosby together and mash those two families and you have magic. THE RUBBER PUCKIES (yes, it needs to be capitalized) delighted me to no end and I love their banter and love for one another. I will forever be a sucker for that dynamic.
- Daddy/Coach Cal. That's it. That's the thing I liked. I'm just a little bit in love with this man. He's a fiercely protective father and a legendary hockey player/coach. I fell more in love with him every time he was on the page. I will not rest until we get to read his book. I need more reasons to love him.
- Bea is a treasure and we should protect her at all costs. Every girl needs a friend like Bea.
- Violet and Crosby were both good MCs. It was wonderful watching Violet come out of her shell and learn to stop blaming herself, recognizing things from her past weren't her fault. And Crosby is just the most delightful cinnamon roll and I'm sure he tastes delicious (and our boy also has a bit of a breeding kink for the fans of that...).
- Women support women in this book! Women go to bat for one another in here, in some cases without really even knowing our FMC, Violet. (I'm looking at you Tara! You tell that old hockey player what's up!). Between Bea, Allison, Ava, and Tara, there was all sorts of women standing up for women (in this instance, Violet) that it made my little independent woman heart happy.
Things I disliked or missed the mark:
- Olivier Ahlman, Anders, and Ethan. They're all grade A jerks and deserve whatever karma they get. This isn't a dig at the book, in fact, it's probably a compliment. There are three villains to hate and it's hard to decide who I hate most.
- There's a lot of world building in this book. I get it, it's the first book of a series and that is necessary to some extent (and, in my opinion in this instance, worth it because the side characters are delightful) but I know not everyone loves that. If you don't like world building and prefer the MCs connect or meet early in the books, this is something to consider.
Overall, this was a good read and I enjoyed it. I am 100% buying tickets to future Midnight games and will eagerly await the next one. I don't know who's featuring in book two but it doesn't matter because I'm excited regardless (but I definitely have thoughts on who should be with who...). Midnight, rise!!
Thanks to Kate and The Author Experience for the ARC opportunity!
Featured tropes: sports romance, found family, workplace romance, coach's daughter, forced proximity, cinnamon roll MMC, no third act break-up
Trigger warning: manipulative ex-boyfriend and former employer, controlling and intimidating workplace superior, physical intimidation, media scrutiny
Review: 4/5
This is Kate's debut novel and it's great! Definitely doesn't read as a debut!
Things I liked:
- The found family in this book is next level. Violet and her dad have a solid found family from the start in Obie and his parents. Crosby has an amazing family in his teammates. Put Violet and Crosby together and mash those two families and you have magic. THE RUBBER PUCKIES (yes, it needs to be capitalized) delighted me to no end and I love their banter and love for one another. I will forever be a sucker for that dynamic.
- Daddy/Coach Cal. That's it. That's the thing I liked. I'm just a little bit in love with this man. He's a fiercely protective father and a legendary hockey player/coach. I fell more in love with him every time he was on the page. I will not rest until we get to read his book. I need more reasons to love him.
- Bea is a treasure and we should protect her at all costs. Every girl needs a friend like Bea.
- Violet and Crosby were both good MCs. It was wonderful watching Violet come out of her shell and learn to stop blaming herself, recognizing things from her past weren't her fault. And Crosby is just the most delightful cinnamon roll and I'm sure he tastes delicious (and our boy also has a bit of a breeding kink for the fans of that...).
- Women support women in this book! Women go to bat for one another in here, in some cases without really even knowing our FMC, Violet. (I'm looking at you Tara! You tell that old hockey player what's up!). Between Bea, Allison, Ava, and Tara, there was all sorts of women standing up for women (in this instance, Violet) that it made my little independent woman heart happy.
Things I disliked or missed the mark:
- Olivier Ahlman, Anders, and Ethan. They're all grade A jerks and deserve whatever karma they get. This isn't a dig at the book, in fact, it's probably a compliment. There are three villains to hate and it's hard to decide who I hate most.
- There's a lot of world building in this book. I get it, it's the first book of a series and that is necessary to some extent (and, in my opinion in this instance, worth it because the side characters are delightful) but I know not everyone loves that. If you don't like world building and prefer the MCs connect or meet early in the books, this is something to consider.
Overall, this was a good read and I enjoyed it. I am 100% buying tickets to future Midnight games and will eagerly await the next one. I don't know who's featuring in book two but it doesn't matter because I'm excited regardless (but I definitely have thoughts on who should be with who...). Midnight, rise!!
January 28, 2025
𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘
Overall ratings:5⭐️
Spicy rating:🌶️🌶️
Shots Taken is Kate Byrne's debut book and let me tell you it did not disappoint!! This is one of my favorite hockey romances that I have read recently. It was so good! All of the tropes were executed perfectly from the coach's daughter, workplace romance, forced proximity, and you cannot forget no 3rd act breakup because that just brought the entire book together!! Days after reading this book I still think about these two characters and everything that they both went through! I cannot wait to follow Kate Byrne through her author career and continue this series because I am ready for it all.
Violet Cameron, has just moved back home from London and has sworn off all hockey players. Her father is the head coach of New Haven Midnights and has secured her job in the social media department and she is in charge of working with the teams newest standout player Crosby Wells. Violet is independent, guarded, and just wants to do her job and keep her head down but soon enough Crosby gets under her skin and she has no idea what to do with him.
Crosby Wells has spent his hockey career climbing the ranks and he is finally given a chance on the first string as center and he couldn't be happier. He’s focused on hockey and doesn’t want any distractions but he constantly wants Violet and decides that hockey doesn’t have to be his main focus.
These two were adorable together, I loved every single interaction especially when Crosby showed Violet how she is supposed to be treated and that there is nothing wrong with her. Crosby was in it for the long haul and did everything in his power to show Violet that he wanted her no matter what. The spice was on point and I was eating every single scene up and couldn’t get enough. These two were beautiful together, they both worked through their insecurities together and dealt with the past together instead of walking away when things got tough. I cannot recommend this book more to anyone that loves a hockey romance and coach’s daughter because you will not be disappointed!!
Thank you Kate and Author Experience for an ARC of this book!
Overall ratings:5⭐️
Spicy rating:🌶️🌶️
Shots Taken is Kate Byrne's debut book and let me tell you it did not disappoint!! This is one of my favorite hockey romances that I have read recently. It was so good! All of the tropes were executed perfectly from the coach's daughter, workplace romance, forced proximity, and you cannot forget no 3rd act breakup because that just brought the entire book together!! Days after reading this book I still think about these two characters and everything that they both went through! I cannot wait to follow Kate Byrne through her author career and continue this series because I am ready for it all.
Violet Cameron, has just moved back home from London and has sworn off all hockey players. Her father is the head coach of New Haven Midnights and has secured her job in the social media department and she is in charge of working with the teams newest standout player Crosby Wells. Violet is independent, guarded, and just wants to do her job and keep her head down but soon enough Crosby gets under her skin and she has no idea what to do with him.
Crosby Wells has spent his hockey career climbing the ranks and he is finally given a chance on the first string as center and he couldn't be happier. He’s focused on hockey and doesn’t want any distractions but he constantly wants Violet and decides that hockey doesn’t have to be his main focus.
These two were adorable together, I loved every single interaction especially when Crosby showed Violet how she is supposed to be treated and that there is nothing wrong with her. Crosby was in it for the long haul and did everything in his power to show Violet that he wanted her no matter what. The spice was on point and I was eating every single scene up and couldn’t get enough. These two were beautiful together, they both worked through their insecurities together and dealt with the past together instead of walking away when things got tough. I cannot recommend this book more to anyone that loves a hockey romance and coach’s daughter because you will not be disappointed!!
Thank you Kate and Author Experience for an ARC of this book!
January 20, 2025
I absolutely love a found family book, and a hockey sports romance makes it even better! Shots Taken is the first book in the Midnight series and focuses on Crosby, our hockey player MMC, and Violet, our analytic statistician FMC. Oh, and Violet is also the coach's daughter turning this into a forbidden romance. There is also a lot of foreshadowing of future books which kept me intrigued in how their stories might go. It's a good foundation to build the rest of a successful series! I liked the conflict that we got in the book and the support we see of all the characters, along with the emotional aspects.
There were a few things that I struggled with in the book that pushed it a bit down star wise. The main characters don't meet until about 20% of the way into the book, so there's a lot of time doing introductions and just setting up the story. At the beginning, there were a lot of scenes that cut off chapter to chapter, so it felt like we were being told about their relationship instead of being shown. The story also dragged a bit and didn't pick up until the end and then rushed through the action. The side characters were some of my favorite scenes which is probably an issue when we should be focused on the mains. It's a good story, it just needed some editing to get that engaging aspect that had me craving more of Violet and Crosby.
However, I think I'll continue this series since I really enjoyed a lot of the side characters that made up the found family aspect and would really like to know what their stories will be! So for those of you looking for a contemporary, sports romance (especially hockey), with that found family aspect, this might just be the book for you.
I received an eARC of this book, but the review is entirely my own.
There were a few things that I struggled with in the book that pushed it a bit down star wise. The main characters don't meet until about 20% of the way into the book, so there's a lot of time doing introductions and just setting up the story. At the beginning, there were a lot of scenes that cut off chapter to chapter, so it felt like we were being told about their relationship instead of being shown. The story also dragged a bit and didn't pick up until the end and then rushed through the action. The side characters were some of my favorite scenes which is probably an issue when we should be focused on the mains. It's a good story, it just needed some editing to get that engaging aspect that had me craving more of Violet and Crosby.
However, I think I'll continue this series since I really enjoyed a lot of the side characters that made up the found family aspect and would really like to know what their stories will be! So for those of you looking for a contemporary, sports romance (especially hockey), with that found family aspect, this might just be the book for you.
I received an eARC of this book, but the review is entirely my own.
January 21, 2025
“Eyes on me, Sparks”
Dedication: For the ones who are learning how to stop painting themselves with the brushes of others.
Violet (FMC): 25 • Social Media Strategist • Moved From London • Coach’s Daughter • Recovering Hockey Fan • Statistician •
Crosby (MMC): 26 • NHL Center • Cinnamon Roll • Sweet & Thoughtful • Protective •
Tropes:
💜 Professional Hockey Player x Coach’s Daughter
🏒 Forced Proximity
💜 Workplace Romance
🏒 No 3rd Act Break-up
💜 Found Family (The Rubber Puckies 🥰)
🏒 Nicknames
💜 Text Conversations
🏒 She Wears His Last Name
💜 He Wears a Backwards Hat
🏒 Healthy Communication
💜 Fierce Female Friendships
🏒 Pro Hockey Romance
💜 Team Shenanigans
Rating: 🖤🖤🖤🖤.🌙 (4.25⭐️)
Spice: 🌶️🫑🫑(dirty talk, praise, hand necklace, 🐫, 👅, Sexy FaceTime)
T/W: infidelity (not MCs, referenced), grief (on page), parent death (referenced), car accident (referenced), alcohol (on page), fighting (on page)
Kate Byrne’s debut is an exceptional hockey romance! It’s well-written, with healthy communication, swoon-worthy moments, and characters you can root for. Crosby, the ideal book boyfriend, supports Violet and respects her. He possesses excellent communication skills, and even behind closed doors he’s a sweetheart with a dirty mouth. I thoroughly enjoyed witnessing the growth of the camaraderie among the team members. It genuinely felt like they were all friends who had become a family. I adored the playful banter and the hilarious hijinks. The Rubber Puckies (best group chat name)! I adore all of the characters, and I can’t wait to read their books. Please save me a seat at The Midnights’ game because this is a must-read series!
I received an ARC copy and wanted to leave an honest review.
Dedication: For the ones who are learning how to stop painting themselves with the brushes of others.
Violet (FMC): 25 • Social Media Strategist • Moved From London • Coach’s Daughter • Recovering Hockey Fan • Statistician •
Crosby (MMC): 26 • NHL Center • Cinnamon Roll • Sweet & Thoughtful • Protective •
Tropes:
💜 Professional Hockey Player x Coach’s Daughter
🏒 Forced Proximity
💜 Workplace Romance
🏒 No 3rd Act Break-up
💜 Found Family (The Rubber Puckies 🥰)
🏒 Nicknames
💜 Text Conversations
🏒 She Wears His Last Name
💜 He Wears a Backwards Hat
🏒 Healthy Communication
💜 Fierce Female Friendships
🏒 Pro Hockey Romance
💜 Team Shenanigans
Rating: 🖤🖤🖤🖤.🌙 (4.25⭐️)
Spice: 🌶️🫑🫑(dirty talk, praise, hand necklace, 🐫, 👅, Sexy FaceTime)
T/W: infidelity (not MCs, referenced), grief (on page), parent death (referenced), car accident (referenced), alcohol (on page), fighting (on page)
Kate Byrne’s debut is an exceptional hockey romance! It’s well-written, with healthy communication, swoon-worthy moments, and characters you can root for. Crosby, the ideal book boyfriend, supports Violet and respects her. He possesses excellent communication skills, and even behind closed doors he’s a sweetheart with a dirty mouth. I thoroughly enjoyed witnessing the growth of the camaraderie among the team members. It genuinely felt like they were all friends who had become a family. I adored the playful banter and the hilarious hijinks. The Rubber Puckies (best group chat name)! I adore all of the characters, and I can’t wait to read their books. Please save me a seat at The Midnights’ game because this is a must-read series!
I received an ARC copy and wanted to leave an honest review.
January 24, 2025
I loved this book and can't wait to read more of this series. I loved the friendship between Bea and Violet, we all need a great friend like her.
I liked the camaraderie between Crosby and the rest of his team, and how they welcomed Obie onto the team as well.
I loved Crosby, he was so sweet and patient with Violet. I loved their chemistry and how quickly they hit it off with each other.
I loved how all the guys on the team befriended Violet and how nice they were to her.
Obie surprised her by flying Bea over to see her and I loved that part.
When Crosby knew about her ex, I loved how he went after him during the game and punched him. He deserved that and more.
When he tells her he loves her for the first time 🥰🥰🥰
“𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 𝗜 𝗱𝗼. 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 𝗜 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝗶𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗜 𝘀𝗮𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗺𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻. 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗯𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗿. 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱. 𝗜 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗱𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗲. 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝗩𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘁. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗿𝘆. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗲—𝗜 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁.”
Ava was awesome, enough said. I also loved the guys silent resistance idea to get back at Ethan.
This was such a great book, especially with it being the author's debut novel.
I liked the camaraderie between Crosby and the rest of his team, and how they welcomed Obie onto the team as well.
I loved Crosby, he was so sweet and patient with Violet. I loved their chemistry and how quickly they hit it off with each other.
I loved how all the guys on the team befriended Violet and how nice they were to her.
Obie surprised her by flying Bea over to see her and I loved that part.
When Crosby knew about her ex, I loved how he went after him during the game and punched him. He deserved that and more.
When he tells her he loves her for the first time 🥰🥰🥰
“𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 𝗜 𝗱𝗼. 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 𝗜 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝗶𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗜 𝘀𝗮𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗺𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻. 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗯𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗿. 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱. 𝗜 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗱𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗲. 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝗩𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘁. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗿𝘆. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗲—𝗜 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁.”
Ava was awesome, enough said. I also loved the guys silent resistance idea to get back at Ethan.
This was such a great book, especially with it being the author's debut novel.
January 25, 2025
Violet Cameron grew up around hockey. Her dad played, and is now an NHL coach. Her best friend grew up playing, and now plays for her dad. She's worked for a hockey team, and she loved it...until she dated a player who broke her.
Now, she's moving back home to Connecticut, and sworn off hockey players. ...except she's working for her dad's team. And hanging out with the guys now that her best friend is on the team. And Crosby Wells, the new first line center, is making her feel all kinds of things.
Loved this book! As a hockey fan, I love how much of the game Kate included in the book! There are so many crazy things about the sport, and Kate did great with keeping the game as true as possible, while also making it easy for a reader not familiar with the game to understand.
I love that Crosby was all in from the moment he saw Vi, and wasn't shy about it. But also respected her enough to let her take the lead. They both test the waters without pushing each other too far, and see when the other needs support and lifts them up. When Vi showed up randomly on his door, and he just automatically brought her in and took care of her, my heart swelled.
Obio and Violet's friendship is so special, and truly reads as friends who have spent their lives together. Bea is GREAT! I love that we are hopefully getting more of her in the future. She is truly a great friend to Vi. And the boys truly function as a family and welcoming Violet in, and protecting her, is everything you want from a partner's friend group.
Thank you Kate for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book was truly so great, and I can't wait to read more of the series.
Now, she's moving back home to Connecticut, and sworn off hockey players. ...except she's working for her dad's team. And hanging out with the guys now that her best friend is on the team. And Crosby Wells, the new first line center, is making her feel all kinds of things.
Loved this book! As a hockey fan, I love how much of the game Kate included in the book! There are so many crazy things about the sport, and Kate did great with keeping the game as true as possible, while also making it easy for a reader not familiar with the game to understand.
I love that Crosby was all in from the moment he saw Vi, and wasn't shy about it. But also respected her enough to let her take the lead. They both test the waters without pushing each other too far, and see when the other needs support and lifts them up. When Vi showed up randomly on his door, and he just automatically brought her in and took care of her, my heart swelled.
Obio and Violet's friendship is so special, and truly reads as friends who have spent their lives together. Bea is GREAT! I love that we are hopefully getting more of her in the future. She is truly a great friend to Vi. And the boys truly function as a family and welcoming Violet in, and protecting her, is everything you want from a partner's friend group.
Thank you Kate for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book was truly so great, and I can't wait to read more of the series.
January 26, 2025
Shots Taken is Kate Byrne debut book. This book is a hockey romance that follows Violet and Crosby. Violet has just moved back home from spending three years in London and has forsaken all hockey players after getting her heart broken. Her father, the head coach of New Haven Midnight, has gotten her a job as a part of the social media department for the team. Violet meets Crosby through her job and her best friend and there is a connection. Crosby has finally gotten the chance at the starting center position for the upcoming season. I loved how Violet came out of her shell and started to trust herself again as the book progressed and she recovered from the betrayal she experienced in her pervious relationship. I loved Crosby and how supportive and protective he was of Violet. He was portrayed wonderfully as he did his best to protect her when she needed but also let, he takes control when he knew she wanted to. My best friends Obie and Bea were wonderful. I can’t wait to read more books in this series and discover their stories. I especially can’t wait to see who Bea ends up with. Obie is such a sweetheart, and I was so happy that he felt like he belonged with the new team. I really want to see him open up more and let his team in more. The dad was also great he handles finding out that Crosby was dating Violet excellently because in most books the dads when finding out their daughter is dating one of the hockey players tend to not take it well but Violet’s dad supported her right to choose who she wanted to be with. Thank you Kate Byrne and The Author Experience for the ARC.
January 12, 2025
Violet has a no dating hockey players rule after her ex. Coming back home puts her back in that life with her dad and best friend. When she meets Crosby and her job also has them working close together for the team, things progress from professional to hot between them.
I really enjoyed the chemistry between Crosby & Violet and how he is committed to showing her how much he cares in the little things he does and how patient he is with her and how natural the relationship develops. One of my favorite things is really the friendships and closeness that as a whole this group has with each other and extends to their family and the team. The banter and fun times they all show through out the book as well as coming together in support during difficult times.
This was a great blend of the game time on the ice and the developing connection off the ice between the characters along with the heat and spice between the two of them. It felt like real life people with how developed they were. It leaves me invested in who will be next and getting more from the other players in this interconnected series.
Kate hit the puck right in the goal with her debut novel 𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒕𝒔 𝑻𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒏. 4.5 💫
🅣🅡🅞🅟🅔🅢
🏒Coach's Daughter
❄️Found Family
🏒Professional Hockey Player
❄️Workplace Romance
🏒Forced Proximity
❄️Cinnamon Roll MMC
🏒No 3rd Act Breakup
❄️Open Door Spice
🏒First in Interconnected Standalone Series
I really enjoyed the chemistry between Crosby & Violet and how he is committed to showing her how much he cares in the little things he does and how patient he is with her and how natural the relationship develops. One of my favorite things is really the friendships and closeness that as a whole this group has with each other and extends to their family and the team. The banter and fun times they all show through out the book as well as coming together in support during difficult times.
This was a great blend of the game time on the ice and the developing connection off the ice between the characters along with the heat and spice between the two of them. It felt like real life people with how developed they were. It leaves me invested in who will be next and getting more from the other players in this interconnected series.
Kate hit the puck right in the goal with her debut novel 𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒕𝒔 𝑻𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒏. 4.5 💫
🅣🅡🅞🅟🅔🅢
🏒Coach's Daughter
❄️Found Family
🏒Professional Hockey Player
❄️Workplace Romance
🏒Forced Proximity
❄️Cinnamon Roll MMC
🏒No 3rd Act Breakup
❄️Open Door Spice
🏒First in Interconnected Standalone Series
January 15, 2025
Kate Byrne absolutely knocked it out of the park with her debut novel, Shots Taken!
Violet wanted nothing to do with hockey players after a hockey player did her dirty, sending her home to her awaiting best friend and dad.
Crosby didn’t know what to expect when he met Violet for the first time, little did he know how quickly she would find a permanent place in his life.
I can’t start this review without mentioning the Taylor Swift references! I love it when my favorite artist makes her way into the world of reading.
The chemistry between Crosby and Violet is unmatched! From the first interaction, these two had sparks flying everywhere, and the spice was SPICING. The way Crosby was patient with her showed his full intent with her from the beginning. Can you say new book boyfriend alert?
The presence of found family was so strong with this one. Between Bea, Obie, Gus, and the rest of the guys on the Midnights team, all of them brought Violet into their little circle from the very beginning. All the boys being so protective of her was something that I absolutely adored about this book.
This book was everything I was hoping it would be, and SO much more! The story was engaging, from the first page to the last word I was hooked! I can’t wait to see what comes next from this series, and this group of friends!
Violet wanted nothing to do with hockey players after a hockey player did her dirty, sending her home to her awaiting best friend and dad.
Crosby didn’t know what to expect when he met Violet for the first time, little did he know how quickly she would find a permanent place in his life.
I can’t start this review without mentioning the Taylor Swift references! I love it when my favorite artist makes her way into the world of reading.
The chemistry between Crosby and Violet is unmatched! From the first interaction, these two had sparks flying everywhere, and the spice was SPICING. The way Crosby was patient with her showed his full intent with her from the beginning. Can you say new book boyfriend alert?
The presence of found family was so strong with this one. Between Bea, Obie, Gus, and the rest of the guys on the Midnights team, all of them brought Violet into their little circle from the very beginning. All the boys being so protective of her was something that I absolutely adored about this book.
This book was everything I was hoping it would be, and SO much more! The story was engaging, from the first page to the last word I was hooked! I can’t wait to see what comes next from this series, and this group of friends!
January 22, 2025
Oh wow, what a debut 🤝
This book really got me in the feels. It’s all green flags, wonderful friendships and healthy relationships.
Midnight forward Crosby falls hard and fast for Violet, the teams new social media assistant and best friend of recently signed Obie. But she’s sworn off hockey players after being treated like dirt by her recent boyfriend, and tells him so. Of course, that just encourages Crosby to win her over and convince her he’s worth a shot. Did I mention that her dad’s the team coach but nobody knows?
So much love has gone into writing this book, it’s clear to see from the thoughtful writing and strong character development. The friendship and loyalty between the team mates is second to none *see the Rubber Puckies group chat* and is one of the most memorable I’ve read for sure. The way the guys are all so protective of Violet when she faces difficult times is heart melting 🥲
And when she finally acknowledges their chemistry and lets herself fall… that “fuck it” moment was 🤌🏼 These two are perfect for each other. They’re so tender and precious, and both deserve it all.
Thank you so much Kate and The Author Experience for this wonderful, wonderful ARC 🫶🏼
If you like:
💜 Pro hockey romance
🥅 Workplace romance
💜 Coaches daughter
🥅 Forced proximity
💜 No third act breakup
🥅 Found family
💜 Good boy, dirty mouth
🥅 “Fuck it” moment
This book really got me in the feels. It’s all green flags, wonderful friendships and healthy relationships.
Midnight forward Crosby falls hard and fast for Violet, the teams new social media assistant and best friend of recently signed Obie. But she’s sworn off hockey players after being treated like dirt by her recent boyfriend, and tells him so. Of course, that just encourages Crosby to win her over and convince her he’s worth a shot. Did I mention that her dad’s the team coach but nobody knows?
So much love has gone into writing this book, it’s clear to see from the thoughtful writing and strong character development. The friendship and loyalty between the team mates is second to none *see the Rubber Puckies group chat* and is one of the most memorable I’ve read for sure. The way the guys are all so protective of Violet when she faces difficult times is heart melting 🥲
And when she finally acknowledges their chemistry and lets herself fall… that “fuck it” moment was 🤌🏼 These two are perfect for each other. They’re so tender and precious, and both deserve it all.
Thank you so much Kate and The Author Experience for this wonderful, wonderful ARC 🫶🏼
If you like:
💜 Pro hockey romance
🥅 Workplace romance
💜 Coaches daughter
🥅 Forced proximity
💜 No third act breakup
🥅 Found family
💜 Good boy, dirty mouth
🥅 “Fuck it” moment
January 23, 2025
🏒Shots Taken
By Kate Byrne
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
I absolutely adored Kate Byrne’s debut novel! The plot was engaging and the story flowed so smoothly, making it a true page-turner. This one is definitely going into my hockey romance favorites!
Violet returns home to figure out her life, but there’s one thing she’s certain of she’s done with hockey players. That is, until she meets Crosby Wells. Violet’s back in town to work with her dad, the coach of the Midnight hockey team. While she’s sworn off athletes after a painful breakup with her ex, Crosby is determined to show her that not all hockey players are the same.
As Crosby and Violet spend more time together, their connection deepens. Crosby is not only sweet and caring, but fiercely protective of Violet, and their chemistry is off the charts. Watching their relationship evolve was such a joy, with plenty of heat, humor, and drama that kept me hooked.
This story had everything: banter, found family, and just the right amount of tension. Crosby is the kind of guy everyone needs in their life, and I can’t recommend this book enough! Definitely a must-read for fans of hockey romance!
🏒Coach's Daughter
❄️Found Family
🏒Professional Hockey Player
❄️Workplace Romance
🏒Forced Proximity
❄️Cinnamon Roll MMC
🏒No 3rd Act Breakup
❄️Open Door Spice
🏒First in Interconnected Standalone Series
January 25, 2025
Great debut!
If I didn't already know this was a debut book by Kate Byrne, I wouldn't have guessed it. She writes with a great, consistent voice, knowledge of her subjects, beautiful prose when it fit, and very few, if any, grammatical issues. I read a lot of hockey romance but this had a storyline that I don't recall reading before so another kudos to the author.
We start the story with Violet moving back from London to Connecticut where her father, a retired hockey player, is the coach for their local NHL team. He gets her a job in their social media department.
Our MMC is Crosby, a center for the team, who's just been promoted to the first line. He meets Violet when she comes out with his teammate, her best friend from childhood. It's pretty much love at first sight for Crosby but Violet "doesn't date hockey players."
And from there we get the makings of a beautiful relationship. Crosby is so dang sweet. I feel like a lot of hockey players in books are playboys, often dominant, tough guys. And while nothing is wrong with that, our Crosby just isn't like that. He does have a pretty dirty mouth though and definitely takes care of our girl 😉
There's a decent amount of drama but nothing that's over the top or takes away from the story. Great side characters who I presume we'll read about in future books and I can't wait for that!
If I didn't already know this was a debut book by Kate Byrne, I wouldn't have guessed it. She writes with a great, consistent voice, knowledge of her subjects, beautiful prose when it fit, and very few, if any, grammatical issues. I read a lot of hockey romance but this had a storyline that I don't recall reading before so another kudos to the author.
We start the story with Violet moving back from London to Connecticut where her father, a retired hockey player, is the coach for their local NHL team. He gets her a job in their social media department.
Our MMC is Crosby, a center for the team, who's just been promoted to the first line. He meets Violet when she comes out with his teammate, her best friend from childhood. It's pretty much love at first sight for Crosby but Violet "doesn't date hockey players."
And from there we get the makings of a beautiful relationship. Crosby is so dang sweet. I feel like a lot of hockey players in books are playboys, often dominant, tough guys. And while nothing is wrong with that, our Crosby just isn't like that. He does have a pretty dirty mouth though and definitely takes care of our girl 😉
There's a decent amount of drama but nothing that's over the top or takes away from the story. Great side characters who I presume we'll read about in future books and I can't wait for that!
January 23, 2025
This was one of my favorite Hockey Romances. Violet and Crosby have a love like no other. It was pure, fun and beautiful to watch. I enjoyed the set up of the story. Violet having a history of being involved with hockey through her father, added a nice touch to the story. I loved Violet so much. She truly was an amazing character. The way she was written was phenomenal.
One of the biggest themes of this story is found family. I was so enticed by the hockey team and their welcoming arms. Everyone played a role in this love story and that made it all the better. I have a soft spot for Gus and hope that he will get a story. Obie as well.
I just loved Crosby. A man with a plan. A protective lover and most of all, someone who wasn’t gonna take anyone’s crap. He was amazing and one of the best book boyfriends. I enjoyed his persistence and his love for Violet from day one. He had my entire heart.
Also Ethan got what he deserved. And I hope Olivier never plays again.
The writing was excellent. The plot was great. The story was excellent and I was extremely pleased by the end. Definitely recommend this one.
Thank you Kate Byrne for this story. And thank you Authors Experience for letting me read it.
One of the biggest themes of this story is found family. I was so enticed by the hockey team and their welcoming arms. Everyone played a role in this love story and that made it all the better. I have a soft spot for Gus and hope that he will get a story. Obie as well.
I just loved Crosby. A man with a plan. A protective lover and most of all, someone who wasn’t gonna take anyone’s crap. He was amazing and one of the best book boyfriends. I enjoyed his persistence and his love for Violet from day one. He had my entire heart.
Also Ethan got what he deserved. And I hope Olivier never plays again.
The writing was excellent. The plot was great. The story was excellent and I was extremely pleased by the end. Definitely recommend this one.
Thank you Kate Byrne for this story. And thank you Authors Experience for letting me read it.
January 25, 2025
⭐️: 4/5
Violet has sworn off hockey players following an emotionally traumatic experience with her ex. Hockey isn’t something she can escape with her father being the coach and her best friend being part of the team. Hockey can be a big part of her life, she just has to keep it away from her love life. Her thought may change the night she meets Crosby. Holding Crosby at arms length may turn out may be harder than anticipated.
🏒 Coach's Daughter
💜 Found Family
🏒 Professional Hockey Player
💜 Workplace Romance
🏒 Forced Proximity
💜 Cinnamon Roll MMC
🏒 No 3rd Act Breakup
Crosby and Violet are such a cute couple. Their story was so sweet, I loved how seamlessly they went from acquaintances to lovers. Their interactions gave me all the butterflies, from their moments sharing food to the way he cared for her when she was upset. There was definitely the sweet, but also the spicy. I loved the spice, especially the away game spice…even when they weren’t in the same room they were 🥵. Not only was their relationship great, but I love camaraderie and love between the Midnight Boys. I am so excited to see what comes next, most excited for Nicky’s story 😈!
Violet has sworn off hockey players following an emotionally traumatic experience with her ex. Hockey isn’t something she can escape with her father being the coach and her best friend being part of the team. Hockey can be a big part of her life, she just has to keep it away from her love life. Her thought may change the night she meets Crosby. Holding Crosby at arms length may turn out may be harder than anticipated.
🏒 Coach's Daughter
💜 Found Family
🏒 Professional Hockey Player
💜 Workplace Romance
🏒 Forced Proximity
💜 Cinnamon Roll MMC
🏒 No 3rd Act Breakup
Crosby and Violet are such a cute couple. Their story was so sweet, I loved how seamlessly they went from acquaintances to lovers. Their interactions gave me all the butterflies, from their moments sharing food to the way he cared for her when she was upset. There was definitely the sweet, but also the spicy. I loved the spice, especially the away game spice…even when they weren’t in the same room they were 🥵. Not only was their relationship great, but I love camaraderie and love between the Midnight Boys. I am so excited to see what comes next, most excited for Nicky’s story 😈!
February 1, 2025
When you mix coach’s daughter with the most golden retriever MMC of all time and the sweetest found family - you get the perfect hockey romance!! I loved every second of reading this book! Violet was such a fun character and I loved her relationship with her best frjend…she was a hoot! Violet has sworn off hockey players but the second Crosby met her, he knew she was something special and a challenge he wanted to pursue. He took things slow and got to know her while working together since she worked with the social media department that covered his team, but made his intentions clear. He wasn’t even all that scared that that her dad was his coach.
Crosby was absolute perfection from a book boyfriend perspective. He communicated, he built Violet’s trust and took care of her. He was dominant in the bedroom and it took me off guard but in the best way since he’s so golden retriever normally. He likes to “eat” too IYKYK. Can I also petition for more books to mention men moaning???
His friend group of teammates took to Violet easily and they were this cute little family. They instantly brought Violet into the fold and would do anything for her. I absolutely adored it! The best found family trope writing I’ve ever read! This is going to be an amazing series and I can’t wait for what’s next!
Crosby was absolute perfection from a book boyfriend perspective. He communicated, he built Violet’s trust and took care of her. He was dominant in the bedroom and it took me off guard but in the best way since he’s so golden retriever normally. He likes to “eat” too IYKYK. Can I also petition for more books to mention men moaning???
His friend group of teammates took to Violet easily and they were this cute little family. They instantly brought Violet into the fold and would do anything for her. I absolutely adored it! The best found family trope writing I’ve ever read! This is going to be an amazing series and I can’t wait for what’s next!
January 14, 2025
“For the ones who are learning to stop painting themselves with the brushes of others.”
This book made me smile so much.
I seriously can not get over the fact that Crosby is the standard of men.
The man paid attention, even when Violet told him she does not date hockey players, he still paid attention.
I will never recover from that.
Like if he wanted to he would, see Crosby Wells!
And not just Crosby but Violet was just as freaking sweet as him.
They are like the cutest couple.
Crosby definitely takes a 180 in the bedroom though.
Never would have thought he had it in him to be filthy in the bedroom😳.
Also, the team, one of the best found families.
Gus was so funny in this and sweet, protective Obie.
Their group chat of the Rubber Puckies, one of the best I’ve read.
Like I can’t wait for them all to have their own books.
I’m ready for this!
Tropes:
💜Hockey romance
🖤Forced proximity
💜Player and coach’s daughter
🖤Workplace romance
💜Found family
🖤She wears his last name
💜F it moment
🖤Cinnamon roll MMC
💜Nicknames
🖤No 3rd act break up
💜Backwards hat
This book made me smile so much.
I seriously can not get over the fact that Crosby is the standard of men.
The man paid attention, even when Violet told him she does not date hockey players, he still paid attention.
I will never recover from that.
Like if he wanted to he would, see Crosby Wells!
And not just Crosby but Violet was just as freaking sweet as him.
They are like the cutest couple.
Crosby definitely takes a 180 in the bedroom though.
Never would have thought he had it in him to be filthy in the bedroom😳.
Also, the team, one of the best found families.
Gus was so funny in this and sweet, protective Obie.
Their group chat of the Rubber Puckies, one of the best I’ve read.
Like I can’t wait for them all to have their own books.
I’m ready for this!
Tropes:
💜Hockey romance
🖤Forced proximity
💜Player and coach’s daughter
🖤Workplace romance
💜Found family
🖤She wears his last name
💜F it moment
🖤Cinnamon roll MMC
💜Nicknames
🖤No 3rd act break up
💜Backwards hat
February 4, 2025
ARC Review
Shots taken
By: Kate Bryne
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Shots taken is such a good start and opener for the Midnight boys! This book starts off with Violet making a big move from London back to the states to be with her dad after a traumatic break up (iykyk) because of this Violet swore off dating hockey players and anything to do with hockey in general. But this proved to be a hard thing for her as her father is a retired hockey player and the coach as well as having a best friend being a jacket player…….Ya Violet didn’t think this through
You then meet Crosby the new center in the first line. Crosby is such a sweet and patient guy that just makes you swoon 😍 even though he fell for Violet by just seeing her, he respected her wishes to remaining friends but lets her know where his intentions lie.
Wanna know when’s the moment Violet and Crosby get together? Wanna know what experience in London made Violet move back to the states? Then go grab your copy of Shots Taken by Kate Bryne.
Shots taken
By: Kate Bryne
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Shots taken is such a good start and opener for the Midnight boys! This book starts off with Violet making a big move from London back to the states to be with her dad after a traumatic break up (iykyk) because of this Violet swore off dating hockey players and anything to do with hockey in general. But this proved to be a hard thing for her as her father is a retired hockey player and the coach as well as having a best friend being a jacket player…….Ya Violet didn’t think this through
You then meet Crosby the new center in the first line. Crosby is such a sweet and patient guy that just makes you swoon 😍 even though he fell for Violet by just seeing her, he respected her wishes to remaining friends but lets her know where his intentions lie.
Wanna know when’s the moment Violet and Crosby get together? Wanna know what experience in London made Violet move back to the states? Then go grab your copy of Shots Taken by Kate Bryne.
February 4, 2025
Shots Taken is Kate’s first novel and I was so thankful to receive an ARC!
Violet moves home from London after a horrible breakup intending to stay lowkey working for the hockey team her dad coaches. Crosby is struggling a bit with imposter syndrome as he takes on a leadership role on The Midnight which sets Violet directly in his path as the newest member of the social media team. Forced proximity and immediately SPARKS are flying! Crosby is the simpiest of men and yet he was patient, respectful, witty, etc etc I could talk about him forever. All of the woman empowerment pieces of this novel were also fantastic. Kate’s incorporation of Taylor Swift prophecy had to be one of my favorite pieces of the story. I loved consuming the writing that made Crosby and Violet jump off the pages.
I would also die for this cast of characters - there are a couple in particular that I am chomping at the bit waiting on their HEA stories! If you’re a MF hockey romance lover, give Kate’s book a read!!
Violet moves home from London after a horrible breakup intending to stay lowkey working for the hockey team her dad coaches. Crosby is struggling a bit with imposter syndrome as he takes on a leadership role on The Midnight which sets Violet directly in his path as the newest member of the social media team. Forced proximity and immediately SPARKS are flying! Crosby is the simpiest of men and yet he was patient, respectful, witty, etc etc I could talk about him forever. All of the woman empowerment pieces of this novel were also fantastic. Kate’s incorporation of Taylor Swift prophecy had to be one of my favorite pieces of the story. I loved consuming the writing that made Crosby and Violet jump off the pages.
I would also die for this cast of characters - there are a couple in particular that I am chomping at the bit waiting on their HEA stories! If you’re a MF hockey romance lover, give Kate’s book a read!!
January 16, 2025
Shots Taken ARC Review
Hockey knowledge: 🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Kate Byrne’s DEBUT Book will have you refusing to put it down during your read. Crosby Wells and the rest of the New Haven Midnight are just the sweetest group of guys who treat each other like family. When Violet , the coaches daughter, returns from London to start fresh after a messy breakup, she surely didn’t anticipate the love and support these men would bring her. Especially Crosby Wells (Kate, a round of applause for the way you created this man).
This book shows you the entirety of their season with an equal focus on the hockey (INCLUDING PWHL REFERENCES) AND the romance. The way this is written makes it one of my favorite hockey romance novels I’ve read. Add this to your TBR IMMEDIATELY if you are a hockey fan.
So much love to Kate Byrne for the chance to be a part of this process. I can’t wait for the world to read it. Already can’t wait for book 2.
Hockey knowledge: 🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Kate Byrne’s DEBUT Book will have you refusing to put it down during your read. Crosby Wells and the rest of the New Haven Midnight are just the sweetest group of guys who treat each other like family. When Violet , the coaches daughter, returns from London to start fresh after a messy breakup, she surely didn’t anticipate the love and support these men would bring her. Especially Crosby Wells (Kate, a round of applause for the way you created this man).
This book shows you the entirety of their season with an equal focus on the hockey (INCLUDING PWHL REFERENCES) AND the romance. The way this is written makes it one of my favorite hockey romance novels I’ve read. Add this to your TBR IMMEDIATELY if you are a hockey fan.
So much love to Kate Byrne for the chance to be a part of this process. I can’t wait for the world to read it. Already can’t wait for book 2.
January 26, 2025
A sweet hockey workplace romance featuring a jaded coach’s daughter and star player. Violet returns home and begins a position in social media for her father’s hockey team. She catches the eye of Crosby, a giant with a tender heart of gold and a bucket of patience. The relationship development between the main characters was beautiful and organic, including the open door spicy scenes. I appreciated how woman were portrayed in general in this debut-the reluctance and difficulty of opening up to love again, the importance of friends and female coworkers who are supportive and the fierceness of women in a man’s world. The hockey details were detailed yet not distracting or overwhelming to the overall romance plot, the scenes added to the authenticity of a relationship with a professional player. I enjoyed meeting these characters and the rest of the Midnight hockey team. Thanks to the author and The Author Experience for an advanced copy-thoughts are my own, honest and voluntary.
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