Time to Shine

by Rachel Reid

A merry and bright hockey romance about finding your place, finding your people and finding your way back to the one you love the most. 

For Landon Stackhouse, being called up from the Calgary farm team is exciting and terrifying, even if, as the backup goalie, he rarely leaves the bench. A quiet loner by nature, Landon knows he gives off strong “don’t talk to me” vibes. The only player who doesn’t seem to notice is Calgary’s superstar young winger, Casey Hicks.

Casey treats Landon like an old friend, even though they’ve only interacted briefly in the past. He’s endlessly charming and completely laid-back in a way that Landon absolutely can’t relate to. They couldn’t have less in common, but Landon needs a place to live that’s not a hotel room and Casey has just bought a massive house—and hates being alone.

As roommates, Casey refuses to be defeated by Landon’s one-word answers. As friends, Landon comes to notice a few things about Casey, like his wide, easy smile and sparkling green-blue eyes. Spending the holidays together only intensifies their bromance-turned-romance. But as the new year approaches, the countdown to the end of Landon’s time in Calgary is on.

Genres: Romance, Sports, M M Romance, LGBT, Hockey, Sports Romance, Contemporary

350 pages, ebook

First published September 26, 2023

About the author

Rachel Reid is the pen name of Rachelle Goguen. She chose it because it is much easier to say, spell and remember than Rachelle Goguen!

Rachel writes cute, romantic smut, mostly about hockey players. Her Game Changers m/m hockey romance series is available from Carina Press.

Rachel/Rachelle lives in Nova Scotia, Canada. She has always lived there, and it's looking like she probably always will. She has two boring degrees and two interesting kids.

Reviews

[aleksandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5

Look, I really wanted to adore Time to Shine, I really did, but there were a few things about it that I'm not a big fan of in romance stories that kept me from rating it higher. I was actually really looking forward to this release because Rachel Reid finally decided to do a cover without a shirtless man, and the blurb and tropes also appealed to me as they seemed like something I would probably enjoy reading. I mean, it's another MM hockey romance with grumpy/sunshine characters, but I'll never get tired of it. At least I hope so.


But without further ado, let's get down to business — I'll start with our main characters. Spoilers also start here!

Landon Stackhouse, or "Stacks" to Casey, I know his character may seem rude or unfriendly to some people, but I actually related to him a lot, especially, to his antisocial-homebody persona. He had some rude outbursts where he was quite “bitchy” as he himself said, but I eventually warmed up to him at the end. He just wanted to belong somewhere and be understood.

"I go where I’m needed until no one needs me anymore.”
“I need you.” Casey sounded pathetic, but he didn’t care."

Even though I liked his character, there were a few things about him that I still don't know what to think about. The first thing is his decision to end his relationship with Casey. I understand that he thought that long distance might not work with their schedules, constant traveling, and Casey's future plans to trade teams, but at the same time, if he really cared about their relationship, he would have at least tried. I also wanted him to be the one to fly to Casey to confess his love, because having Casey fly to him made it seem like he cared more about their relationship, when he himself had already suggested trying long distance.


Moving on to our second main character — Casey Hicks. I usually like sunny heroes in books, even though they aren't my favorite type, but Casey was sometimes too much for me. He was sweet, talkative, understanding, and generally a good person, but he had some traits that were a big no for me. If I had to say three things about him, they would be: he played hockey, he liked having sex, and he was the "funny friend" in the group. First off I just want to say that I have absolutely no problem with people liking sex, it's your life, your decisions, if it makes you happy and you're not hurting others in the process, then do it. But, I'm not the biggest fan of the main character having a lot of it in a book with other people who aren't the main love interest. Casey was quite sexually active with a lot of people in the first half of the book when he and Landon weren't together yet, but they started thinking about each other more and more. They haven't been together yet, but I despise when the author describes his character kissing, flirting, trying to sleep (successfully) with other people who aren't the main love interest, even if they aren't together yet. It’s just my personal preference, so it might not be a problem for everyone, but as I said I despise it. Let me explain why I hated this here.

"the evenings would be full of movies, video games, beer, weed, bars, and sex. Not with each other, though Casey wouldn’t have been opposed to that. Gio and Petey both seemed pretty committed to heterosexuality, so Casey had never gone there."

I don't really care that Casey thinks both of his teammates are attractive enough that he would sleep with them — even though that would never happen.

"She broke the kiss, smiled a little sadly at him,"

"Landon spotted Casey without meaning to, still on the dance floor, and now kissing the handsome man. Landon’s heart froze. He had no right to feel jealous, and maybe it was shock as much as jealousy."

I don't care and I don't want to read about him kissing other people. If it was once, then maybe, but no more.

"Then they’d driven to the arena for practice, stopping at a café on the way where Casey had flirted with the barista. Landon hadn’t loved that part, but it was probably a useful reminder that Casey was not someone he should develop a crush on."

I know he had a flirty personality, but I really don't care, and I don't want to read about him flirting with other people.

"Landon managed to stop himself from physically recoiling. “A date?”
“Yeah. There’s this guy I hooked up with the last couple of times I was in Seattle. He’s smoking hot. He wanted to get dinner this time too, which I think is kind of adorable.”
Oh.
Oh."

I DON’T CARE.

"He liked Devon, and if they lived in the same city, maybe Casey would even consider going on more dates with him. The sex had been top-notch too. Devon was very talented. So the past couple of days had been decent."

I DON’T CARE that you like some other guy, and the sex with him was "top-notch".

“Aw,” Casey said, then kissed Zach quickly on the cheek. Landon turned to focus all of his attention on the coffee maker, as if it needed to be watched."

I ESPECIALLY DO NOT WANT to read about Casey taking some random guy home and then Landon watching Casey kiss that guy on the cheek in the morning.

"Casey had hoped that having sex with Claudia—which had been awesome, five stars—would clear his head a bit when it came to Landon. It hadn’t."

Oh, wow, I don't care that you had an "amazing, five stars" experience with Claudia when you wanted to take Landon to your room that night.

And finally, once again something I personally didn't like about his character — Casey calling Landon "buddy", "bud", "dude" in bed. It sounds too straight-frat-bro for me, so every time he said that I died a little inside. To add at the end, it's not that I didn't like Casey, he was sweet and he was the one who wanted to fight more for their relationship, but what I said above left a bitter taste in my mouth.


Moving on to the romance between Landon and Casey — it was just lovely, I loved how they went from roommates to friends to lovers. They were sweet, understanding, talked about everything that mattered and despite their different personalities, they were a perfect fit. Generally speaking, I adore friendship-based relationships because then I have more faith that the love will last because your partner should also be your friend/best friend.

“You make me so happy,” he said, in case Casey had forgotten. “That’s all I want.”

“Can I kiss you?”
“Yes,” Landon whispered, with no hesitation. “Okay, but just to warn you: I might not stop. Ever.”
“I’ll risk it.”

I rarely talk about intimate scenes in a book because I don't usually focus on them, but I loved how understanding and communicative they were. The fact that Landon didn't like certain things in bed, and Casey had no problem with it and completely accepted it without pressuring him to change his mind about it, made my pretty average opinion of Casey go up a lot. I know it should be the bare minimum, but let's be honest, the bar is hell these days. I've never read about a character who didn't like this in an MM romance, so it was nice to see it here, as there should be more characters with different preferences. I'm sure there are books like that, but it's not very common.


One last thing at the end. I hated the way Casey’s teammates made fun of him. "We chirp you all the time, and I told myself that we do it out of love.”. It's so damn funny to make people feel stupid. I know they didn’t meant that, but I couldn’t imagine grown ass men — some almost forty, thinking it’s a good and funny idea.


As you can see, I'm a bit disappointed, but I hope I'm in the minority, because if it weren't for those few things I'm not a fan of in romances, I think I could have rated it much higher, as I still had fun at times.

────────


Finally a cover without shirtless man

[Emmy Rosam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couldn’t stop smiling my way through this one 🥹 they’re so cute

[Snjez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a lovely, sweet and heartwarming story.

I absolutely loved Casey right from the start. He is pure sunshine and a very kind and caring person. The only thing I wasn't happy about were his hookups in the first half of the book but, luckily, they were mostly off-page.

Landon is his complete opposite and, to be honest, it took me a while to start liking him. In the end I did and I loved how their relationship developed. There were so many tender and funny moments between them. I literally laughed out loud at Landon's banana bread recipe 😂. My only niggle is that I felt that Casey was the one who fought for them more.

I was equally invested in their relationship and the hockey part of the story. I really liked all the teammates, their banter and the humor, but also their unconditional support. Their hockey games felt so real and I couldn't help rooting for them.

Loved the writing. I've always been a fan of how this author writes dialogues. They sound so natural and organic. And the epilogue couldn't have been more perfect.

[Maditales · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t really know how to feel about this book because even though the overall story was cute, there were so many red flags that were just brushed over or never resolved.

On top of that the dialogue was often so cringey that I had to put the book down and breathe because the jokes weren’t funny just annoying.


Spoiler warning for this:
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.
.
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Casey being called dumb and stupid by everyone in his life as a joke isn’t really that funny. Idk but I didn’t laugh. And yes, it was addressed but then nothing changed???

[chan ☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

a very different kind of romance from Rachel Reid but no less lovely. the characters are still figuring themselves out and do feel younger than her others but it added to the charm. also appreciated the discussion of sexual boundaries & how respectful the guys are to each other 🫶🏻

[Meags · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars

Sweetly romantic, heart-achingly tender, and undeniably smile-inducing, Time to Shine is hands down my favourite contemporary MM romance of 2023.

Here, Rachel Reid has delivered a damn near perfect MM hockey romance—and I’m saying that as a first-time Rachel Reid reader. Please, don’t shun me!

The opposites-attract pairing between these new teammates—superstar young winger Casey Hicks and new reserve goalie Landon Stackhouse—was all things my favourite book couple dynamics are made of.

Casey was this deliciously sweet and sunshiney chatterbox, brimming full of energy and kindness, happy to make new friends wherever he goes. He’s the team's young-gun superstar, son of a legend in the game, but there is never a single ounce of ego or arrogance in him. He’s also proudly bisexual, to which his teammates and friends don’t bat an eye over, which was wildly refreshing.

Then there’s Landon. He’s the polar opposite of Casey. Although only a year apart in age, Landon is shy, quiet and lives a lot up in his own head. He’s a damn skilled goalie and this chance to play in the big leagues is everything he’s ever wanted, but his grief over a familial loss from his youth serves as a cloud shrouding his potential for true success and happiness. He also doesn’t much like physical touch and due to the distance that he puts between himself and others, he’s still questioning his sexuality and sexual identity, especially since Casey burst into his life and began consuming his every thought.

Casey, ever the open and caring guy that he is, quickly befriends Landon, always making sure he feels included in the team, even offering him a place to stay during his brief tenure in Calgary. It’s in their new relationship as roommates that they slowly become friends and confidantes, opening up to one another in ways that shocks and surprises them both. Slowly, but surely, a crush begins to bloom between them and the most deliciously paced slow-burn romance begins to play out.

These two characters together warmed even the coldest corners of my withered heart. Casey’s radiance as a person shone through on every page and I adored him for it so much so, that his first half hookups (mostly off page, but mentioned several times) didn’t bother me nearly as much as I would usually be bothered by such. But it was in Landon’s soulful reticence and deeper heartaches that I was completely gone over. I wanted to wrap him up in a hug as much as Casey did, and I absolutely adored the way Casey was patient and accepting of every one of Landon’s needs, without hesitation or judgement. Their relationship is the thing swoon was made of and I enjoyed every minute of their unfolding romance.

Although never specifically labelled, Landon’s ace representation was also a divine element of the story and represented in a way that made me feel truly seen and understood. I loved the unconditional level of acceptance shown in this entire book and from every character within, like identity and sexuality were a non-issue and unequivocally embraced at every turn, as they damn well should be in life!

With two complex and engaging leads this story was always going to be a win, but the fact the larger cast of characters were so lovely and likeable only added to the joy I felt reading every entertaining and consuming page. The fact the writing itself was wholly engrossing and effortlessly readable only goes to show I should have been on this Rachel Reid book-train a lot earlier than now.

Although warm and uplifting in nature, this story still definitely deals with some touching and sensitive issues, from Landon’s grief to his anxiety, as well as his relationship with his self-worth and his sexuality. All these things gave the story the emotional weight it needed to be truly genuine and memorable, but it was all off-set wonderfully by the pure joy that characters like Casey (and some their more jovial teammates) injected into the mix, making the story really well-balanced and absolutely worth the read.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! <3


***A special thanks to the publishers (via Netgalley) for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[gloria .☆ﾟ. · Rating 5 out of 5]

➥ 5 Stars *:･ﾟ✧

"What?"
"Nothing." Casey shook his head. "I guess I forgot about your giant fucking cock."
Landon was in too good a mood to be embarrassed. "First of all, it's not giant. And second of all..." He leaned down, brushed his lips against Casey's ear, and in a low rumble said, "No you didn't."

━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━

Rachel Reid you literal god, you made giving this 5 stars easy. Great books are the hardest to write reviews for, because they leave you so speechless and stunned and amazed and gasping that there's little coherence left in me.

Reid should be so proud of her work here. It feels like she sat down and was determined from the very start to write a fucking fantastic love story between two of the most endearing and wonderful male characters I've ever read. Now, although I don't doubt that most authors' intentions are to write a good book, I'm convinced that Reid's approach was somehow different, because she produced something perfect. Not a single easy, cheap or frustrating decision was made on her part.

This wizard of a woman absolutely nailed pretty much every aspect there is to a queer contemporary romance book. Everything about this book was like a breath of fresh air (other than the weed but whatever):

❥ Delightful, good-hearted, lovable main characters Landon (H) and Casey (H)

❥ Lovely, genuine and caring side characters that really add to the story

❥ Consistent, detailed and well-researched hockey action scenes

❥ Realistic, authentic-feeling and moving dialogue (apologies for popping 3 adjectives but I can't stop now)

❥ No homophobic situations/confrontations (wait oops, you'll be missed dearest adjectives)

❥ Effective, polished and tasteful writing (back at it 🔥)

❥ Completely respectful characters. Often in hockey romance you see the typical degradation of "puck bunnies" but no such term is ever used, and the woman that Casey has a ONS with at the beginning is depicted very humanely and likably and ofc with Casey being super respectful always.

❥ Although Casey is confident in his bisexuality, no one forces Landon to adhere to a label ♥

❥ Some really great, romantic sex scenes, but a far stronger emphasis on the actual emotional connection between our leads. So many adorable moments that I lost count! "Dragon Lizards exist", Landon wearing Casey's hair tie on his wrist, Landon teaching Casey how to cook, the list goes ON.

Isn't this list above great? It saves me from rambling (somewhat) because believe me, we'd be here all day if I let my brain just spew its thoughts. You'll notice I added this to my "healthy real love" shelf because it is that. I'm just read so many sports romances littered with misogyny, homophobia, toxic behaviour etc. And that is not excluding GAY sports romances, because some female authors of gay romances still write all that stuff in, fetishising wlw and everything. That's just not the case here. It'll sound dramatic, and I am being dramatic about this because I love it so much, but I really think Reid is doing something pretty revolutionary. While Reid mainly writes achillean leads, she always writes more diverse side representation. It's just so refreshing. And not one bit of toxic masculinity in sight? Am I in heaven? Her heroes are actually lovely people, and we see their feelings for each other grow in a tender and very real fashion.

Landon smiled back at him. “We’re going to the playoffs together.”
Casey glanced around, then gave Landon a quick kiss. “We’re going everywhere together.”

Look at them! 😭💘 Admittedly, I was between this quote and the one up top but you know I had to go with the hot one, SORRY I don't make the rules 🤗.

AHEM back to the review... the whole book was just so well thought out. Everything was so solid. I liked how their hockey coach was healthy, supportive and respectful (BARS AMIRIGHT 🔥), I liked how the leads mention that the team captain is a POC, I liked how comforting and attuned both leads are to each other's emotions, always being there for each other *AGGRESSIVE SNIFFLE 🤧* anyway, don't mind me! It must be the allergies 🥺😭💛.

Both characters had their own realistic insecurities and things they were working through. Casey's fear of the dark was lowkey so relatable 🙈 and Landon's journey through grief and reconnecting with his parents was so beautiful! (And again, so healthy. His parents went to family therapy to learn how to better support him). But ohymygod Landon and Casey 🥺.

"And, obviously, we shouldn't tell our teammates about it."
"Got it," Casey said. "It's just...some of them know already, probably."
"Well. West does. But he was pretty drunk. Maybe he forgot."
"I mean, everyone knows how I feel about you."
"What?"
"Yeah. I think I was pretty obvious about it. The guys have been teasing me."
"Oh my god. Landon moaned. "This is going to be so weird."
"Nah, I'll play it totally cool. "No tongue."
"No kissing at all, you fucking doofus."
"I know. Don't worry, I won't even talk to you. Won't look at you. Who are you, even?"
"Thank you."

LMAO 😭💞. Rachel Reid, can I just say, please keep doing what you're doing, keep the books coming. You really made something beautiful. (Not your children, though I'm sure they're sweet. I mean this book 😁).

To anyone reading this review: this is a book release to write in the planner! It can't get much better than this. Even the itsy bitsy teeny weeny third-act conflict was one I enjoyed (collective gasp) (me nodding) YEAH!

Casey couldn't help flirting a little. "You got plans after we win?"
And then Landon winked at him.
Casey was actually blushing as he went to line up for the face-off.

Mr. Adorable Shy Guy throwing his lover a wink? I think the fuck yes 😭💛! And that ending was perfect. Rachel Reid, I'll be applauding you till my hands fall off 🤭😚!

Thank you Netgalley and Carina Press for an arc copy in exchange for an honest review!

━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━

[Lau ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Landon Stackhouse temporarily leaves his AHL team to go to the NHL as backup goalie, he doesn’t know whether to be happy or resigned about fall the bench time he’s about to endure. Being hopeful isn’t in his nature, but Landon knows it’s time to make sure not to pass any possible opportunity. What he isn’t expecting is to have to put his heart also on the line.


Casey hates living alone in a very big house that was ‘a good investment’ but has too many windows to be able to sleep at night. When he discovers that the new backup goalie is living in a hotel, Casey is more than happy to let him crash there. But handsome Landon seems to be already tired of him, always staying in his room and avoiding his gaze. Casey knows he’s a handful, but there is something about Landon’s action that makes him wonder: is there any chance his crush is not so unrequited after all?


Everything started with my obsession for pretty covers; I couldn’t help but click and read the blurb. Something was telling me maybe Rachel Reid could be the one making a sports romance that finally made me feel the warmth and happiness that reading the subgenre used to bring me. Not only was I not disappointed, but this ended my new favorite book by the author.


If you asked me what’s Reid’s biggest strength, I'd say creating a new set of characters for every book she writes. This may sound very logical, but I’m sure you are tired of seeing authors who can only create the same three characters and recycle them in every single book they release. This has its downside: every book she writes seems to have a different kind of reader in mind. What I’m trying to say it’s that you shouldn’t try Time to Shine if you are looking for a copy of Heated Rivalry, because you will be disappointed. I didn’t like Heated Rivalry-it had too much smut too soon for me-, so that may be why I adored how they took their time here (in part it was because Landon’s feelings towards sex, while I don’t think he actually labeled himself, hinted he may be demi).


I have loads of highlights of just me smiling, sighing, crushing and breaking into tiny pieces because I was feeling along with them. Casey was such a sweetheart to follow; he only wanted people around him but he always felt like he was too much: too loud, too chatty, too energetic. I loved how Landon loved being around him especially for that, how he never had the right words yet he always managed to show Casey those thoughts. I also appreciated how the author didn’t create a traumatic experience for Casey’s fear of being alone at night. I was dreading the terrible story so I was extremely glad when it didn’t come!


I won’t say anything about the final problem other than I understood why the characters behaved the way they did. Yes, they were being silly and it was frustrating, but it made sense that Landon’s struggles led him to make those decisions. I was really glad Casey was always ready to save the day, Landon’s POV was breaking my cold heart:

Tonight his attention kept being drawn to the dance floor, and Landon wished he could be different. He wished he could be fun. He wished he was the one laughing at whatever ridiculous shit Casey was saying.

()He just wanted to be someone who could be happy.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time following Landon and Casey. While the structure wasn’t anything earth-shattering, I had a great time reading this book. I’m so glad that now I can admire the cover while feeling all my heart warm at the memory of them.


As a side note, there were moments at the beginning where Landon and Casey’s dynamics reminded me a tiny bit of one of my all time favorite couples, Lan Wanji and Wei Wuxian (Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation), which definitely made me love them even more. I can’t help it, every time I see a shy/social butterfly dynamic I transform into fangirl-mode:

↬Exhibit A: ‘I love you, Stacks,’ Casey finally said. ‘You are hilarious.’
No one had ever accused Landon of that before.


↬Exhibit B: ‘Hicks thinks dragons are real.’

[an hour of teasing later]

Landon began to walk away, then paused. He took a step toward Casey, then bent so their faces were close and quietly said, ‘Dragon lizards exist.’

It took Casey a moment to realize Landon wasn’t making fun of him. Then another moment to get over the shock of learning that Landon had been listening to the whole dragon conversation while seemingly being focused on destroying the treadmill.
Finally, Casey smiled.

they are so beautiful together *screams in chinese*


I kindly received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of the Game Changers series and sports romances in general, I was excited to dive into this slow burn, heartwarming men-to-men gay romance that awakened my holiday spirits. It combined the perfect blend of grumpy meets sunshine, friends-to-lovers, forced proximity, and opposites attract tropes.

Thankfully, this book exceeded my high expectations. I appreciated the LGBTQ representation and the positive environment that the author created.

Landon Stackhouse, a man of few words, brooding, introverted, caring, and a perfectionist backup goalie, couldn't be more different from Casey Hicks, the sunshiny, talkative, optimistic, and social butterfly star winger.

Casey, who fears loneliness and darkness, offers Landon the opportunity to be his housemate in his massive house. Despite having nothing in common, Landon can't refuse this generous offer, especially since he's been searching for a place to stay instead of crashing in a hotel room. Despite their initial differences, Casey acts as if they've been long-time friends, even though they've exchanged only a few words.
As I delved deeper into the story, I found myself completely immersed in the lives of Landon and Casey. The author skillfully developed their characters, painting a vivid picture of their individual struggles, fears, and desires. Landon's quiet and reserved nature contrasted beautifully with Casey's vibrant and outgoing personality, creating a dynamic that was both captivating and heartwarming.

The chemistry between Landon and Casey was undeniable, and as their forced proximity turned into genuine companionship, their bond grew stronger with each passing day. I relished in witnessing their bromance evolve into something deeper, something filled with affection, understanding, and a shared vulnerability. Their interactions were filled with tender moments, stolen glances, and the gradual breaking down of walls that had long confined Landon.

What struck me the most about this book was the way it explored important themes of self-discovery, acceptance, and healing. Through Landon's journey, we see a character haunted by grief and guilt, trapped in his own emotional turmoil. But it is through Casey's unwavering support and love that Landon finds the courage to confront his past and embrace a future filled with hope and happiness. The author's portrayal of this transformation was beautifully done, and it left a lasting impact on me as a reader.

Moreover, the positive and embracing messages conveyed throughout the book were truly inspiring. The author crafted a safe and inclusive environment, allowing readers to witness a genuine and heartfelt love story between two individuals regardless of their gender or sexual orientation. It was refreshing to see such representation, and it added an extra layer of authenticity to the narrative.

I found myself deeply moved by the sweet, swoon-worthy moments between Landon and Casey. Their love story radiated warmth and tenderness, and it left me with a profound sense of joy and fulfillment. This book reminded me of the power of love to heal, to bring light into the darkest corners of our hearts, and to ignite a sense of hope for the future.

In conclusion, I cannot recommend this book enough. It is a remarkable piece of queer romance that beautifully captures the complexities of human emotions, while also providing a much-needed dose of optimism and happiness. The writing is engaging, the characters are relatable and endearing, and the story will leave you with a heart full of warmth. I eagerly await future installments in this series, hoping to once again be captivated by the author's enchanting storytelling.

Once again, I express my gratitude to NetGalley and Carina Press & Carina Adores (Harlequin) for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me. It was a true pleasure to experience this sweet, swoon-worthy, and lighthearted queer romance and share my honest thoughts.

If you’re interested in reading my extended book reviews, movie critiques, and hilarious astrology articles, be sure to check out my Medium account using the link below:

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[nark · Rating 3 out of 5]

✦ i wanted to love this, but overall, it's just another one of those average MM romance hockey books for me. i liked it for what it was, sure. it was a sweet, soft, puppy love type of book. but it's one of those reads i'm most likely going to forget in a couple of days.
✦ regarding the mcs - i definitely liked Landon more than Casey. i found him relatable in some ways, because i am a fellow loner introvert. Casey was too much at times for me personally, but i suppose that's his character. very sunshiney, flirty and extroverted.
✦ to sum up, sadly not a new favourite, but a sweet read overall.

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars*

I think I'm rating Time to Shine a little more harshly because I know how killer Rachel Reid's books can be. That's not to say that Time to Shine wasn't good, but it wasn't close to my favorite from this author.

The story has two adult MCs, but I couldn't shake the feeling that it felt a little YA/NA to me. There was a young-feeling to the two MCs that I couldn't put my finger on, but I prefer a little more life experience with my characters. I liked how these two grew together and how Casey brought Landon out of his shell, but I thought there was a bit too much of an innocent feeling to the whole vibe of the story. I wanted more intensity.

On the good side, I was in love with Casey. I found him to be just extremely adorable, and a breath of fresh air. He was open and unashamed of anything about himself, and I like how he put himself out there with Landon. I was a little more hesitant with Landon because I felt like he was waffling and playing with Casey a bit too much, but I understood his side of things and the fact that he is on the asexuality spectrum.

I think Time to Shine was a nice story that will please most fans of hockey romances, even if it didn't bring the feels for me.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

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[Marieke (mariekes_mesmerizing_books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time to Shine is my first Rachel Reid book, and I know some of you will tell me that I should read the other ones, too, ESPECIALLY those about Shane and Ilya! Well, maybe someday 😀.

Time to Shine made me laugh a lot. Casey was such a sweet and outgoing, and talkative guy, and a huge smile danced on my face when he gifted Landon underwear in front of their family. What I loved most about him was how he reacted to Landon, not always wanting to be touched and being somewhere on the asexual spectrum (probably demisexual). The way Landon could set his own boundaries and Casey just followed was precious.

Landon was such a quiet guy with his quirks and insecurities, and I loved that he and Casey found each other in their loneliness. They fitted so well together!

This book is for all of you who love low angsty romances with some dept and fully fleshed-out characters. The story is nothing groundbreaking, but it’s sweet and cozy and warm, and sometimes I don’t need more.

I received an ARC from Carina Adores and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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[Celine Ong · Rating 5 out of 5]

therapy is great but sports romance is free!!!

[Sarina Bowen]

This is just fantastic! As usual, Ms. Reid has created a pair of indelible characters. (Casey is a hoot!) And the writing is just top notch.

[Marci · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Landon kept raking those big brown eyes all over Casey while wearing a soft sweater, he was gonna get himself kissed.

This was so lovely. Deeply complex and interesting characters, hilarious banter and super sweet without overdoing it. Pining and lingering touches. Self-discovery. Sizzling chemistry. A nice balance of all the things I love most in my romances! Both characters are hiding their hurts and it was so special to see the comfort they found in one another and that they were able to completely open up to each other despite the initial shame once felt. Casey and Landon have the golden retriever bf x black cat bf energy and I was obsessed. While this dynamic has been done many a time, it felt so fresh here in part because of how well written the characters and dialogue are!! Them both denying how much they like the other one and then a single glance or touch and they’d be like !!!!!!!!!!!!! Just absolutely distraught at how in deep they are without knowing the other person felt the same. AMAZING!!!! That’s cinema. I couldn’t get enough. I love this book so much, I want to live in it. So comforting. What an absolute joy to read!!!🩵

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and easy, ya know?
Just Rachel Reid doing what Rachel Reid does best.
Creating characters with two very distinct personality types, and then eventually making them kiss.
😍MY FAVE THINGS😍
Books where the 2 MC's don't blend into one, CHEF'S KISS.

Sometimes you just need a simple lil read to get through your day, and this could be the one? When your noggin needs a break.
There is no wheel-reinventing with this story, it was predictable and if I'm honest completely forgettable, but I had a really great time!

I think Casey is pretty damn close to what I think a sunshine character should be!
OTT, chatty, friends with everyone, always wants to hang out etc.
And his love and respect for Landon and his boundaries.. Wholesome af. 🍌



Is it wrong I wish there was butt stuff?
I loved the boundaries, and discussions around sex, but also....
I like butt stuff.... 🤷🏻‍♀️
🤣🤣🤣🤣

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 3 out of 5]

RATING 3.5 STARS

Time to Shine is a stand alone, MM hockey romance by Rachel Reid. I loved Rachel’s Game Changers series and have been so excited about this new book. The cover is adorable. But, I’m sad to say I ended up not enjoying it as much as I hoped.

Landon Stackhouse is twenty four years old and is a very talented goalie for the Calgary Outlaw’s farm team. When the back up goalie for the Outlaws is injured, Landon is called up to the NHL. His dream come true. He doesn’t even mind that he’ll most likely sit on the bench all the time. Just to be there among his idols is enough. Landon is a super quiet man, very much a loner, very introverted, and very shy. So all of this experience is going to be so much for him to take in.

Casey Hicks is twenty three years old and is the star winger for the Outlaws. He’s opposite to Landon in just about every way. He’s like a puppy, always bouncing around, always talking, always trying to plan something for after games to get all the guys together.

When it becomes obvious Landon will be with the Outlaws longer than he thought, he’s going to need somewhere to stay other than his hotel. Casey just bought a huge house for himself but there was one big problem with that...he can’t stand to be alone. So Casey has the perfect solution, Landon will be his roommate for the time he is with the team!

Both Landon and Casey have some history. Landon is still trying to come back from a trauma his family experienced several years ago and Casey with his own phobias. Together, they seemed to settle each other. Even though they couldn’t be more opposite, they seemed to balance each other. At the same time, they both began crushing on each other. It was an attraction born from friendship. But Landon was only in Calgary until the goalie he was replacing was cleared to return to the ice. His time in the big leagues has an expiration date.

So, first, this is a very slow burn romance, which by itself is fine. My biggest issue was with Casey the first half of the book. I just couldn’t personally justify his actions. I really can’t say what they were without spoiling things but it really bothered me. I did like the character development of both men, the effect they had on each other. And it had a super sweet ending which added a half star to my rating. But due to Casey’s actions and the slow burn, I just could not warm up to them the way I wanted to.

[Ditte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread January 2025: ugh, I just adore Casey and Landon, and their friendship and relationship so much! Upping this to 5 stars.

_________

Time to Shine is peak grumpy/sunshine friends-to-lovers queer hockey romance!

This book was such a joy to read. Like with any hockey book, I understood none of the hockey stuff but that wasn't needed for me to fall in love with its characters.

Both Landon and Casey are mid-twenties, and while both are hockey players, they are otherwise complete opposites.

Landon's pretty reserved, quiet, and prefers to just blend in which is his plan when he's called up to play for Calgary. He's nervous about proving himself, and he tells himself he's only there to do a job and then go home. He's still dealing with losing his sister when he was a teenager, and his life is now fully dedicated to his career.

Casey on the other hand is sunshine personified. He's outgoing, charming, and maybe a bit too loud. Everyone loves him, at least in small doses, he's a star on the team, and to most people he seems to have no worries at all (spoiler, he does.) He loves hockey, people, and sex, and he's openly bi, something that's never an issue to anyone in this book and it was honestly refreshing to have no homophobia in a sports romance.

No one can resist Casey's charm, and his insistence on Landon staying with him has the two opening up to each other and slowly becoming friends. These two guys just fit together, and they were absolutely wonderful.

Casey is the loml, he's so bright and good, and I adore Landon as well. Casey loves sex and has a lot of it while Landon is aspec and has never really been interested in sex until Casey. The way they navigated intimacy and consent was wonderful and had aspects I'd never read before but absolutely adored. The communication between the two was *chef's kiss* and they had so much fun together, in and out of bed.

Honestly, this book was just so fully delightful and wholesome, and while it's set in winter, I wouldn't say it's a Christmas book. I would however say you should read it when it's released because it's pretty damn amazing.

Time to Shine by Rachel Reid // ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 of 5

Thanks to Carina Adores and Netgalley for the ARC. Time to Shine is out September 26

[Kathleen in Oslo · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, friends, I am taking you on a journey. A journey called “expectations management.” Join me!

I was over the moon to get an ARC for this new hockey romance standalone. The Game Changers series is one of my all-time favorites – not just for sports romance, but for all romance – and to say I was excited to get Rachel Reid’s newest is an under-statement. I dove into this book and read it in one extended go. And then I sat on it a couple of days before launching a re-read. And only then did I feel I could write a proper review.

First off: I liked this book the first time around! There is a lot to like here. But I liked it way more the second time around. Way more. And that’s because on the first read it was hard to separate my expectations from my experience of reading it. The second time around, when my expectations were properly calibrated, I was able to more thoroughly enjoy what was going on, rather than mentally and – given that the blurb is clear that this is a standalone in a different universe – unfairly comparing it to GC.

So: if you are going into this tabula rasa, feel free to skip down to the part with the good stuff. But if your tabula is . . . un-rasa’ed, hopefully this will enable you to go in with more helpful expectations.

The main point to remember is that this is not Game Changers!!! (Here I mean the series as a whole, not just the first book.) Of course, I knew that going in, but again – knowing it and separating it from my experience of reading TtS were two separate things. This is a low-angst, fluffy hock-rom. By which I mean – it’s not just not GC in terms of characters and the wider universe: it has an entirely different feel and tone to it.

Put simply, Landon and – especially – Casey read much younger than the GC characters. They are younger: Landon is 24 and Casey 23, whereas the GC guys tend to be older and more mature. My first read-around, I thought this had more of a YA vibe (with blowies). While an exaggeration -- this is closer to NA than YA, although I guess NA is essentially YA with blowies -- I think it struck me so forcefully because I was contrasting it in my head with the more grown-up tone of GC. The second read-around, the tonal difference was still there, but it didn’t activate the same YA-response as before. Mostly because I keyed more into the differences between Landon and Casey’s POVs: Casey, our filter-free sunshine, is written like the puppyish hockey himbro he is, while Landon, our not-really-grumpy-just-overthinking introvert, has a somewhat more mature (if afflicted by doubt and guilt) feel.

Time to Shine is also, as noted above, pretty low angst. It’s briskly paced enough to keep things moving forward – I’m not using low angst as synonym for boring – but again, in terms of the GC comparison, it’s significantly more chill than most of those installments. Something to keep in mind if you like your hockey hotties to suffer. (There is some suffering in this book. But it’s fairly quickly resolved.)

Once I managed to stop implicitly comparing this with GC, I was better able to appreciate all the good stuff that's here. To wit:

A non-exhaustive list of the good stuff

The tropes! Not just not-grumpy-but-overthinking/ sunshine, but a fun twist on only one bed that, ngl, raised some definitional questions. Call the trope police!

The way Landon’s sexuality is handled, and particularly Casey’s openness and enthusiastic acceptance of something he doesn’t necessarily relate to, but is compassionate about and eager to understand.

Morin! Off-page for much of the book -- he's the one Landon is called up to replace -- once he reappears, the dynamic is handled very well.

The total lack of on-page homophobia and the fact that Casey is living openly as a bi man, including going on dates and hooking up with men without being worried about being outed on social media or the like. This is a non-issue for the team and the two MCs, and it’s really wonderful to see RR characters who aren’t closeted and/or where coming out isn’t a major theme in the story.

The humor – Rachel Reid always serves good laughs, and while I wouldn't count this as the funniest of her books, it's still funnier than 90 percent of the stuff out there.

The Landon-Casey bond and how it develops on the basis of mutual liking and respect and taking each other seriously and being honest and vulnerable with each other and communicating and, yeah, they think the other is scorching hot, but the work is definitely done in making us see why these two are into each other.

So why am I not 5-starring? Mostly because I think it was too pat or facile in some parts. Particularly in Landon’s relationship with his parents, which was resolved too easily. Landon carried around some heavy, debilitating emotions for years; and while I thought the scene where this was hashed out was well done, I would have liked to see more follow-through in terms of, for example, Landon seeking therapy or taking other steps to work on his mental health, especially his anxiety and intrusive thoughts. Landon’s family arc lacked the depth that would have made it more resonant and emotional, and there was some magic wand-waving here that didn’t fully serve the story.

But all in all: this was a fun, quick read that left me feeling satisfied, especially once I managed to separate it from all my GC-related expectations and feelings. Definitely going on the re-read shelf!

I got an ARC from Carina via NetGalley, and this is my honest review.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wasn't sure if I should go with 3 or 4

I really enjoyed the beginning of the book- It was laugh out loud funny and I really enjoyed reading it. Casey was such a funny character and I really enjoyed everything he said. I loved reading the scene of everyone shopping at costco together, it really cracked me up. The first half had such good secretly pining for each other -

once they stopped pining and actually got together, the book just kind of lost what I enjoyed so much in the first half. It was still pretty good but it stopped being a "wow I cant put this down" kind of book.

I didnt mind the first three times Casey hooked up with other people in this book, but time number 4 at 52% when him and Landon had already started having feelings for each other was a bit of a choice by the author

This is an author that I would usually buy all her books right away, but after I read some of the early arc reviews I decided to wait and check it out from the library, and I'm glad I did - while its a pretty good book, its not ten dollars good.

[kaye taz · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶/5
Format: audiobook
Narration: 🎤🎤🎤🎤/5

Holy effing cute! I had no idea what I was getting myself into with this book, but I was not expecting to love this as much as I did.

Casey was literal sunshine personified and I adored him from the very beginning. He immediately latched onto backup goalie Landon from the very second he was brought up from the farm team to fill in. Landon took a bit of time for his characterization to really start to pan out, but once it did I fell in love with him just as easily. He wasn't exactly a grumpy character-just very reserved and a little socially awkward.

Casey has this adorable fear of being alone, and uses Landon's temporary displacement to convince him to move in and keep him company. The forced proximity allows them to form a friendship that eventually turns into adorable mutual crushes on each of their parts. This was relatively lighthearted and just a super fluffy read. There were some sad themes and a bit of hurt/comfort, but mostly this was just a very sweet story between two non-toxic characters.

What I really enjoyed most were the demi representation, the virgin MC trope, and also the fact that this was a couple that really sat and discussed their sexual preferences and figured out what would work for them together. I've seen so many MM books bring up the fact that a large majority of gay couples don't engage in penetrative/anal sex, but this was the first book I've read that actually had that as part of the dynamic. I also really liked the ways in which they worked around that to still have a very steamy and fulfilling sex life.

The narration for this was also really well done, and I totally recommend going that route if you enjoy audiobooks.

Rachel Reid just seems to kill it every time and I cannot wait to read more of her books!

[Cat the bookworm (semi hiatus ish) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rachel Reid is the queen of tugging at my heartstrings by telling stories in 3rd person povs.

And she’s also the queen of telling (hockey) stories that are low on angst, but still not boring because you can’t help but fall in love with her characters.

Case in point: Casey and Landon. Casey is a literal sunshine, and most of his acquaintances would label him as a himbo. He’s not. Yes, he’s good looking, ready to laugh and party, and he might not be the smartest when it comes to literature, or culture in general. But he’s so much more - he’s kind, vulnerable beneath all his flashy layers, and he firmly believes in good, and in happy-ever-afters.

He’s a hockey player in the NHS, and when Landon is traded to his team to replace an injured goalie, Casey immediately latches onto the quiet, grumpy newbie, trying to ease his way into the team.

Landon, “the grump”, has some baggage of his own. He never really got over the death of his sister a few years earlier, and his relationship with his parents has been strained ever since. He’s convinced that he’s not worthy of the NHS (or a relationship. Or love). But he can’t resist Casey, who persistently chips away at his cool demeanor, until - well I don’t need to tell you how it goes, right? 😂

So while the plot in itself isn’t a surprise, I found myself absolutely loving this authors writing style, and the way she gets into her characters heads, making them so relatable. And without comparing Casey and Landon to THE Ilya and Shane (this author’s most famous couple), they definitely made me swoon and laugh and hurt for them, too.

Why not full 5 stars then, you ask, and only 4.5 (rounded up)?

There’s one thing I didn’t like, and that’s the fact that Casey kept hooking up with others before getting together with Landon. Yes, it’s probably realistic, but I hurt too much for Landon to completely forgive Casey for it 😂

As for the audiobook: it’s Cooper North, so it’s awesome, up to the point that I even knew the voices of the side characters.

All in all a wonderful feel-good-hockey-romance, made even better by the audio version.

[Evie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ll be honest, I picked this up cause I needed something mindless that was going to be a safe soft and fluffy bet cause my brain is still fried from a previous read- and to be fair this completely delivered on that front.

Unfortunately, however outside of that, this didn’t really work for me and I will probably forget about it the second I start my next book. This isn’t a reflection on the quality of the book or the writing- those were both fine (although I’m kind of regretting this being my first Reid book because from all accounts there are much stronger places to start).

I think that the features of the relationship between Casey and Landon, as well as them as characters, just didn’t click in a way that resonated for me. I understand that there was this kind of golden retriever fuck boy/ virgin dynamic meant to be at play here but I didn’t love all of the hooking up Casey did before they got together (it doesn’t normally phase me much but for some reason the way it is used here is apparently my threshold for what I enjoy).

This strangely enough didn’t feel like it had enough hockey to be a real hockey romance nor enough character work/ plot development to be something more than a hockey romance 🤷🏼‍♀️.

This was a fine read

[Cadiva · Rating 4 out of 5]

People expecting something like the Game Changers series from Rachel should temper their expectations with this book as it's nothing like those.

For one, this is a new adult story, with both men in their early 20s, but it feels more like a YA as there's not a lot of steam (which works perfectly for the narrative, so it's not a disappointment).

It's also a festive setting, taking place in the run up to Christmas although it's much longer than novella length. It looks, in roundabout ways, at the effects of trauma on young people.

Personally I wouldn't have described this as a merry and bright romance as there are some moments where things get pretty serious.

Landon deals with grief over the death of his sister Erin in a car accident when he was just 16 and she two years older, guilt that he left his family to go play ice hockey as a junior, and Casey lives with how he processes anxieties and a crippling fear of the dark.

Now, that's not to say this whole book is doom and gloom!

On the contrary, it's a really beautiful friendship which develops into love and, while it's never explicitly stated, I think it's clear Landon is demi-sexual or possibly aromantic, he doesn't often have sexual thoughts, he's had fleeting crushes on men, he's got hang-ups about touch and intimacy.

One thing this book does exceptionally well, is how how he comes to trust Casey with letting out his feelings, but also with his body autonomy, their hesitant growth into hugs, then kisses and finally into slow, sexual exploration, is gorgeous to read.

There's a great sense of team here too, the locker room scenes are full of banter, but also genuine feelings and support, they want Landon to feel involved, not just the backup goalie but a valued member.

I also loved both families, we don't really get to meet either of them properly until later in the story, but Landon's parents are lovely people who realise things went awry after his sister's death. Casey's parents and his sister are fab, his dad was an ice hockey star but he's down-to-earth, supportive of his son and not an arse.

The story is charming as a whole, even though it feels like the world is ending when Landon's shift as backup comes to an end, Casey is determined to not let something precious slip through his fingers and Landon's parents give him a heart-to-heart that has him re-examining his future.

Together they're a perfect partnership, Casey's exuberance draws Landon out of his shell, while his steady presence comforts the over-excitement of the younger man.

Overall, this was a read in one go book and I did enjoy it, especially as I had already got the idea it wouldn't be like Rachel's other ice hockey works.

I hope people don't compare it and just enjoy it for what it is, a beautiful coming of age romance where two young men find their potential lifelong happiness together.

#ARC kindly received from the publisher Carina Press via NetGalley in return for an honest and unbiased review

[NicoleR.M.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 stars.
I've been reading mm romance for about 4-5 years now, and for some fellow mm readers it might sound rather unbelievable that until this book I haven't read anything yet written by Rachel Reid. So, no, I'm still not familiar with Ilya and Shane, one of the most popular (or maybe The Most Popular) mm couples ever.
With that being said, I maybe should add it might be a good thing I'm not familiar (yet) with her other work, because I had no expectations whatsoever when I started reading this book.
I must say this was an enjoyable read. In several reviews I read that other readers had a feeling of this being closer to YA/NA than to an adult romance, and I share these feelings. How sweet Casey and Landon maybe were, they didn't always sound like mature hockey players. More like they had just outgrown their teenage years. Which isn't a bad thing, really, but it surprised me a bit.
Casey was this sweet, loud cinnamon roll where Landon was the exact opposite with his quiet and reserved character. Maybe they shouldn't even work, but they did.
I enjoyed how their friendship developed naturally, and how that friendship slowly and naturally turned into something more.

Other complaints I have been reading is about Casey's hookups while he was already having feelings for Landon, which, at that point, were still unanswered. And I also agree with that. When I read romance, I don't need to know about one of the mc's having sex with characters other than the other mc. I don't really need to know whether he or she was a nice person and whether the sex was very satisfying or whether it wasn't. I don't care for that and it shouldn't be in a romance book.

It took a while for me to warm up to Casey. I thought he was too much of an immature character, too loud, but at times too hard on himself. I did like Landon right away, but then that's maybe because I care more about the silent guys, the ones who have been hurt a time or two and are uncomfortable around people. I think it's because I can relate to them much more than I can to a loud, very present character. Anyway, their romance was just sweet and the secondary characters were great as well.
All in all an enjoyable, pleasant story, but nothing that will stick with me for a long time.

I was kindly given an advanced copy through Netgalley and this is my honest opinion.

[ivanareadsalot · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank NetGalley and Carina Press & Carina Adores (Harlequin) for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

So yeah I've been in a mood lately. The one where I just wanna cuddle and daydream about pumpkin spice lattes and my chunky cable knits and the end of my allergy season!



to be fair it's gone from once a year to about 3/4 of the year now and counting lawd. So needless to say i'm tired and grumpy like a sleep deprived toddler, but i'd like to think my coping methods might be a tad bit less meltdown and more #treatyoself!



therefore to meet every sniffle with a snuggle, it only made sense to turn to my queen Rachel Reid, who is like my number one romance author for go-to mm-loving self-care.

To say i devoured this book in one sitting is an understatement. the heart wants what it wants what can i say?

and while Time to Shine's Casey and Landon are probs gonna catch some flak for not being Shane and Ilya, tonally this book was on a whole different level, and i thought RR's characterizations were very on point for this sensitive and sweet love story!

Casey was a big old sunshine softie, while quiet giant Landon flexed like Eeyore. and even though these two navigated some very big fears, insecurities and years long trauma, they also shored each other up in all the best ways possible and earned their HEA. Though, if i'm being totally honest, i thought L gave up on C a bit too easily when it came to the long distance thing, and while i can respect that as being true to his character, i would have loved it if he had pursued C more, because i thought C was really precious and he deserved more effort from L i thought at certain times throughout the story. but i get it! Because the hurdles were significant and RR does not write vapid romances and i respect that.

This story was heartwarming and gentle, and if you need something to snuggle with for an afternoon, Time to Shine is a lovely way to give your brain and your heart a bit of a hug and some legit R(&)R, any time of the year, whenever you need a sweet and soft love story the most!

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Opposites attract in this holiday themed sports romance. This book has likeable and endearing characters, Landon, and Casey. Landon is quiet while Casey is outgoing and loud. Both love hockey and play in the NHL. I found this to be a fast read and enjoyed being a fly on the wall, as both characters interact while going on a journey together.

Landon Stackhouse is called to be the backup goalie. He is a quiet loner who gives off the vibe that he does not want to talk. Casey Hicks is a social butterfly who enjoys talking. What Casey doesn't enjoy is being alone in his big house. When Landon needs a place to stay, Casey is happy to offer up his home.

What I enjoyed most about this book was each character's warmth for the other. They fall into an easy friendship. Both accepted each other and their individual insecurities. With their close proximity, their bromance turns to romance.

Romance is about the journey for me, and I enjoyed the journey that Landon and Casey went on individually and together. Their relationship is sweet, warm, and loving. There is a gentleness there that was nice to read about. I also enjoyed that there was no real angsty or "big" issue in their relationship i.e., misunderstanding, miscommunication, etc. There is the issue of Landon being on the team temporarily, but it was nice to read a book where I didn't want to take the characters aside and tell them to get their act together and communicate.

Reid threw in some typical tropes: opposites attract and close proximity but did so nicely. She also threw in some humor, understanding, and happiness.

This book is positive, shows acceptance, growth, self-worth, self-acceptance, and love.

Thank you to Carina Press & Carina Adores (Harlequin), Carina Adores and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com

[Cyndi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars - This book was super sweet and cute. I love when characters meet and become friends first, so the time it took for Casey and Landon to develop feelings for each other and eventually act on them really worked for me. Casey was adorable. In real life, his excited puppy personality would have been too much for me, but as a fictional character he was easy to like. Landon was his polar opposite. He was introverted and quiet and liked his alone time. This might sound harsh but I worried at times that Landon would kill Casey's joy. He was so set in his ways that I was afraid Casey would push him too far and he'd lash out and I didn't want to see Casey get hurt by that. Casey was so genuine and happy and wanted everyone around him to laugh and have a good time. His teammates and family already teased him more than I was comfortable with, so I was relieved when Landon treated him with kindness (most of the time).

I appreciate any author willing to take a stab at ace rep. It's a difficult sexuality to navigate, especially in romance where sex reigns supreme. I thought it was handled really well in this book. Being anywhere on the ace spectrum can be confusing af and I appreciated that the author allowed Landon to be confused by it, even frustrated by it at times. And when Landon and Casey got to a place where sex was on the table, I liked that Landon expressed his limits and that Casey was respectful of them. He was actually surprisingly amenable considering how much he loved sex. I know a lot of readers didn't appreciate Casey's various hookups throughout the first half of the story, but I liked the way they highlighted the difference between Casey's casual approach to sex and his feelings towards Landon. I will admit that once Landon and Casey started having sex, I got a little bored. It made me realize that outside of the slow burn between them, there wasn't a whole lot else going on.

There were a few other things that I liked and disliked that made me waffle on my rating. I didn't like the way Landon tried to muffle Casey during the holidays, but I laughed out loud at the Christmas gift exchange. I didn't like the 3rd act discontent, but I did like how it was resolved. I liked the epilogue, but I would have liked it better had the roles been reversed. As a whole, I enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone looking for a fluffy, low angst, character-driven story about two boys who love hockey and, eventually, each other too.

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

~3.5~

I would have liked this book even more if Casey hadn't fucked four people (two men, two women) in the first half of the book while crushing on Landon. One hookup even spends the night, and Landon (who's rooming with Casey) meets him the next morning in the kitchen.

Was it cheating? Nope. Casey and Landon were not in a relationship at this point (although feelings were involved).

Was it necessary? Also NOPE.

We get it. Casey likes sex. I'm not sure what the author was hoping to achieve here, but it's never a good idea to piss off your readers.

But I'm doing like Elsa and letting go because there were many aspects of this story I enjoyed:

- Casey is goofy and funny. I liked his attitude toward life and the way he draws Landon out of his shell.

- Landon, who's ace/demi, is introverted to the max. He is decidedly not a cookie-cutter character, and I like characters who make me think.

- Strong, believable relationship development

- Great secondary characters

- Fun team camaraderies

- Lots of ice time (call me crazy, but when I read a hockey romance, I expect to read about hockey)

- Complex family dynamics (not so much with Casey's family, but Landon and his parents had a lot to work through)

- Soft sweaters and even softer underwear

- Epilogue/HEA

We shall not talk about Landon's behavior toward the end when he essentially ghosted Casey. I know he was trying to protect Casey, but the "I know what's best for you" excuse never works.

P.S. I bought this book on July 15, 24 for $1.99. Today (July 30, 24), it's $11.99! What is happening?

[Vini · Rating 4 out of 5]

original review
”I thought goalies saw everything. I’m fucking bananas about you, Stacks."

For Landon Stackhouse, being called up from the Calgary team is exciting and terrifying, even if, as the backup goalie, he rarely leaves the bench. As a tall, intimating, quiet loner by nature, Landon gives off strong "don't talk to me" vibes. The only player who doesn't seem to notice is Calgary's superstar young winger, Casey Hicks. He's endlessly charming and completely laid-back in a way that Landon can't relate to. They couldn't have less in common, but Landon needs a place to live that's not a hotel room, and Casey has just bought a massive house—and hates being alone. Spending the holidays together only intensifies their bromance-turned-romance. But as the new year approaches, the countdown to the end of Landon's time in Calgary is on.

As you can tell from the lack of shirtless men on the cover, this book is very different from the Game Changer series. I think everyone knows by now how obsessed I am with that series (specifically, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov), so I was a little anxious going into this one, not because I thought I wasn't going to like it, but because it's something a little different from Rachel Reid. There's always that feeling going into a new book by a favorite author, of what if I hate it?

However, I shouldn't have worried. Because, to quote Mike's Mic, Rachel Reid really said would you rather never slay again or slay so hard every day that slay loses all meaning?

Time to Shine was a delight. I'm surprised by HOW different it feels to Game Changers, despite both being hockey romances. I saw some reviews saying that it reads YA, which I really disagree with because the characters are 23/24, and Ilya & Shane are younger than that when Heated Rivalry starts soo?? It does have a very different feel, and that's mostly because of it being low angst.

I'm usually not a big fan of low-angst romances (because I love to suffer), but Casey & Landon just stole my heart.

They're so sweet and supportive of one another, I can't!! They are also oblivious idiots, which is always a plus in my book 😌

Like the last few Game Changer books, this one also focuses on mental health, primarily with a character processing his grief of losing a loved one and another processing his anxiety. Oh, and also, Landon is on the ace spectrum!! It isn't said by him, but it is very explicit in the text, which is great to see!!

This was just such a sweet read, and thankfully!! It wasn't as Christmas-y as I thought it would be (I don't love holiday books. I kind of only like them in November/December 🫣). Again, this is very different from Game Changers, but I think if you LOVE Role Model, you'll probably love this one too ;)