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Hearts on the Fly
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Expected 3 Feb 26Win a free print copy of this book!
22 days and 22:31:00
10 copies available
U.S. only
Jabari Hall has spent his entire life chasing victory on ice--but one devastating hit leaves him benched, not just from hockey, but from the future he thought he had. Now, as he struggles with deteriorating eyesight, his well-meaning teammates set him up on a date, hoping it will cheer him up--only the date they choose is none other than Val Elliott, his ex's sister.
Val never expected to be sitting across from Jabari, especially after the way he broke her sister's heart. But when Jabari opens up about his diagnosis, Val's guarded heart softens, and she offers him a listening ear out of compassion. What begins as a simple friendship quickly turns into something more.
As Jabari navigates life off the ice and searches for a new purpose, he's drawn to Val in ways he didn't expect. With her loyalty to her family on the line and Jabari searching for faith and a new purpose, can they make it to the goal together, or will their hearts wind up in the penalty box?
Delve into award-winning author Toni Shiloh's sports romance for fans of Emma St. Clair, Pepper Basham, and Melissa Ferguson.
Val never expected to be sitting across from Jabari, especially after the way he broke her sister's heart. But when Jabari opens up about his diagnosis, Val's guarded heart softens, and she offers him a listening ear out of compassion. What begins as a simple friendship quickly turns into something more.
As Jabari navigates life off the ice and searches for a new purpose, he's drawn to Val in ways he didn't expect. With her loyalty to her family on the line and Jabari searching for faith and a new purpose, can they make it to the goal together, or will their hearts wind up in the penalty box?
Delve into award-winning author Toni Shiloh's sports romance for fans of Emma St. Clair, Pepper Basham, and Melissa Ferguson.
320 pages, Paperback
Expected publication February 3, 2026
2 people are currently reading
3164 people want to read
About the author
Toni Shiloh
56 books1,884 followersToni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and an award-winning Christian contemporary romance author. A native of Texas, she now lives in northern Virginia. Learn more at http://tonishiloh.com.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 29, 2025
A great addition to the sports romance sub genre! The story is just as stunning as that cover is. 😍
August 31, 2025
Sweet story. (Full review to come.)
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.25 rounded up, because I make the rules. 😁
What a heart-warming book!
I appreciated the Christian themes and the romance was super cute. It was very unrealistic, but it still felt authentic somehow. And romances don't always need to feel realistic to be enjoyable. :)
What a heart-warming book!
I appreciated the Christian themes and the romance was super cute. It was very unrealistic, but it still felt authentic somehow. And romances don't always need to feel realistic to be enjoyable. :)
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This might be a long one!
Jabari Hall is a star on the ice. But when a hard hit leaves him injured and with eye sight deteriorating, his life turns upside down. Val Elliot is a middle sister, a plant lover and bookworm. And when a mutual friend sets these two up on a blind date, a friendship that each desperately needs forms.
Before I say anything else, I love Toni Shiloh’s writing style. I love her male and female characters. But I have to be completely honestly about my feelings and issues with this book. I INSTANTLY connected with Jabari. I, too, had a seemingly overnight health incident that completely changed my life and took away the job that I loved so much. My heart ached for him and Val’s support of him was amazing.
¡¡SPOILERS AHEAD!!
My first big issue, Val is a strong Christian and her beliefs are interwoven into the story and so beautiful. Jabari is not a believer. They are friends for a while, but eventually they agree to date and he is still not a believer at this point. I think this is such an unwise choice and message to send. Jabari does have his own journey to faith and eventually accept the Lord as his savior and it’s beautiful. But for Val to jump into a dating relationship with him before this, I’m not okay with and I think sends a very murky message about dating to conversion.
My second big issue, this is a very personal issue. Jabari is miraculously healed. I have been battling large life changing health issues for six years and to see some of my story in Jabari, SO GOOD. It was very cool and powerful to see someone have to navigate the turmoil and struggle of a life turned upside down and what that looks like for a relationship and learning to step into faith despite that. And then everything was perfect again. He was healed and life was perfect. It felt like a smack in the face. What a powerful story it would have been for him to work through and trust Christ, despite losing his full vision and to receive the joy of Val in a relationship and a new job DESPITE health problems. But no. It felt like to have a happy ever after, that included no “problems.” Do I believe God works miracles?? ABSOLUTELY HE DOES. But in the context of this story, the chosen story direction felt overly “perfect.”
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the gifted egalley!!
Jabari Hall is a star on the ice. But when a hard hit leaves him injured and with eye sight deteriorating, his life turns upside down. Val Elliot is a middle sister, a plant lover and bookworm. And when a mutual friend sets these two up on a blind date, a friendship that each desperately needs forms.
Before I say anything else, I love Toni Shiloh’s writing style. I love her male and female characters. But I have to be completely honestly about my feelings and issues with this book. I INSTANTLY connected with Jabari. I, too, had a seemingly overnight health incident that completely changed my life and took away the job that I loved so much. My heart ached for him and Val’s support of him was amazing.
¡¡SPOILERS AHEAD!!
My first big issue, Val is a strong Christian and her beliefs are interwoven into the story and so beautiful. Jabari is not a believer. They are friends for a while, but eventually they agree to date and he is still not a believer at this point. I think this is such an unwise choice and message to send. Jabari does have his own journey to faith and eventually accept the Lord as his savior and it’s beautiful. But for Val to jump into a dating relationship with him before this, I’m not okay with and I think sends a very murky message about dating to conversion.
My second big issue, this is a very personal issue. Jabari is miraculously healed. I have been battling large life changing health issues for six years and to see some of my story in Jabari, SO GOOD. It was very cool and powerful to see someone have to navigate the turmoil and struggle of a life turned upside down and what that looks like for a relationship and learning to step into faith despite that. And then everything was perfect again. He was healed and life was perfect. It felt like a smack in the face. What a powerful story it would have been for him to work through and trust Christ, despite losing his full vision and to receive the joy of Val in a relationship and a new job DESPITE health problems. But no. It felt like to have a happy ever after, that included no “problems.” Do I believe God works miracles?? ABSOLUTELY HE DOES. But in the context of this story, the chosen story direction felt overly “perfect.”
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the gifted egalley!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
If Toni Shiloh writes it, I absolutely want to read it! Royalty, celebrity, sports... no matter the genre, I haven't read one of Toni's books that I didn't absolutely adore. This one was certainly no exception. First of all, the idea of unintentionally being set up with a blind date with your sibling's ex? It's such a fun premise for a romance... but this story truly went so far beyond that. After suffering an injury on the ice, Jabari finds himself losing his vision and facing an uncertain future. This added so much depth and emotion to his and Val's story, taking readers on a roller coaster of emotion. I loved the romance between these two so much... but honestly, it was Jabari's journey of faith that really set this one apart. This is one of the things I love most in Toni's books-- yes, the romance will make you swoon... but they always point unapologetically back to God in such a beautiful way... and I love every moment! If you love sports romance and stories that point to Jesus, this is one not to be missed!
**ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own.
**ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I thoroughly enjoyed Hearts on the Fly. This was my first book of 2026 and I thoroughly enjoyed it. In a season where more authors re moving to clean instead of Inspirational, I love that Shiloh does not budge from her cross-focused voice. Bravo.
This story features Jabari, a pro hockey player struggling with failing eyesight. He gets set up with his ex’s sister, Val Elliot and in an unguarded moment confides he needs a friend. Val is torn because her sister was devastated when Jabari cheated on her, yet feels compelled to support Jabari.
Readers of Shiloh will know there’s going to be epic family drama. Check. There’s surely at least one diva sibling or parent causing trouble. Check. They’ll get a strong faith thread. Check. Next there’s the cleverly researched and tightly written hocket scenes. Check. Then top that off with a romance that delivers all the feels. Check. Five checks equals a five star review from me. And a firm recommendation. This is a winner.
I recceived a copy of Hearts on the Fly from the publisher via NetGalley. The views are all my own
This story features Jabari, a pro hockey player struggling with failing eyesight. He gets set up with his ex’s sister, Val Elliot and in an unguarded moment confides he needs a friend. Val is torn because her sister was devastated when Jabari cheated on her, yet feels compelled to support Jabari.
Readers of Shiloh will know there’s going to be epic family drama. Check. There’s surely at least one diva sibling or parent causing trouble. Check. They’ll get a strong faith thread. Check. Next there’s the cleverly researched and tightly written hocket scenes. Check. Then top that off with a romance that delivers all the feels. Check. Five checks equals a five star review from me. And a firm recommendation. This is a winner.
I recceived a copy of Hearts on the Fly from the publisher via NetGalley. The views are all my own
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Hearts on the Fly was such a sweet and heartfelt read. Jabari is a hockey player whose life is turned upside down after a bad hit during a game that leaves him injured and benched. As he tries to navigate this unexpected change, he’s set up on a blind date with Val, though things are immediately complicated by the fact that Jabari broke Val’s sister’s heart years earlier, and her family definitely hasn’t forgotten it.
Despite the awkward beginning, Val decides to stay on the date, and it turns out they both really needed a friend. I loved how their relationship grew naturally from friendship into something more.
This story isn’t just about romance. Val’s journey of learning to stand up for herself within her family was meaningful and relatable. Jabari’s struggle with his injury, and his growing relationship with God added depth and heart to the story.
This book had me laughing out loud at times, feeling genuine sympathy for what they were each walking through, and even experiencing a few “oh no she didn’t” moments along the way.
Despite the awkward beginning, Val decides to stay on the date, and it turns out they both really needed a friend. I loved how their relationship grew naturally from friendship into something more.
This story isn’t just about romance. Val’s journey of learning to stand up for herself within her family was meaningful and relatable. Jabari’s struggle with his injury, and his growing relationship with God added depth and heart to the story.
This book had me laughing out loud at times, feeling genuine sympathy for what they were each walking through, and even experiencing a few “oh no she didn’t” moments along the way.
January 9, 2026
This is a contemporary Christian hockey romance, and while I enjoyed the romance between Jabari and Val, what really stood out to me were the strong faith elements and Val’s learning to be able to stand up for herself with her family. I really enjoyed how the “forbidden romance” was written in this.
One thing that pulled me out of the book a bit was the consistent phrasing of “make a goal” rather than “score a goal”. Parts of the book felt somewhat cheesy but yet real also.
This is the second book of Shiloh’s I’ve read and I love how her stories don’t follow the “typical formula” for tropes and are also approached with a strong faith perspective. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
One thing that pulled me out of the book a bit was the consistent phrasing of “make a goal” rather than “score a goal”. Parts of the book felt somewhat cheesy but yet real also.
This is the second book of Shiloh’s I’ve read and I love how her stories don’t follow the “typical formula” for tropes and are also approached with a strong faith perspective. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
When hockey player Jabari Hall begins to lose his vision, it feels like his world is coming to an end. But when his friends set him up on a blind date with his ex-girlfriend's younger sister, it's another chain in a series of difficulties. But God was not done with Jabari.
Hearts on the Fly is a reminder that God works in mysterious ways and with perfect timing.
I enjoyed reading Val and Jabari's story, watching as an unlikely friendship bloomed into a once-in-a-lifetime love.
I received an advanced reader's copy from NetGalley; a positive review was not required.
Hearts on the Fly is a reminder that God works in mysterious ways and with perfect timing.
I enjoyed reading Val and Jabari's story, watching as an unlikely friendship bloomed into a once-in-a-lifetime love.
I received an advanced reader's copy from NetGalley; a positive review was not required.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
"Hearts on the Fly" By Author Toni Shiloh was a super delight to read!! Jabari's painful injury and subsequent vision diagnosis; along with going out with his Ex's sister Val, sports and JESUS, made this impossible romance story, impossible to put down!!!! I highly recommend this book for all who love unusual romance stories that have Jesus Christ at the center!!!!
Disclaimer: I received an e-copy ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. No positive review was required. All opinions are my own.
Disclaimer: I received an e-copy ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. No positive review was required. All opinions are my own.
November 14, 2025
Hearts on the Fly by Toni Shiloh is a Christian sports romance. Also includes the forbidden love and friends-to-lovers tropes. This was a deeply moving yet sweet read and I could barely put it down. I love love the journey to finding God and yes, miracles do happen! Great character development too. An enjoyable read overall.
I got the ARC from Bethany House via Netgalley. This is my honest review
I got the ARC from Bethany House via Netgalley. This is my honest review
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Kudos to Toni Shiloh for a fabulous sports romance! I loved the raw and vulnerable first person voice of Jabari as he struggled with his diagnosis and possible end to his ice hockey career. His integrity, loyalty and grit made him an excellent hero. Val was a delightful heroine; she was tender, compassionate, and nurturing and her first person voice was like a warm cocoon of quiet strength and comfort for Jabari. I loved the action on the ice and the camaraderie among the team members. The sisterhood dynamics was a lot but the family drama added depth to the persistent love and forgiveness that Val pursued. I am totally looking forward to the next book featuring the youngest sister Fran and a man who made a cameo appearance in this book.
If you enjoy clean sports romance with a faith theme, you will absolutely love this book.
I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Bethany House via Interviews and Reviews and NetGalley. I was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.
If you enjoy clean sports romance with a faith theme, you will absolutely love this book.
I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Bethany House via Interviews and Reviews and NetGalley. I was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews