Reviews with content warning for Drug use - Time to Shine

This was a really sweet story! Ace representation, lots of steamy scenes, and a very good performance from the narrator. Wrapped up kind of in a hurry though. I wish there had been more about Landon's personal growth (get him in therapy!!!)

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shingekiyes's review

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

RACHEL REID NEVER MISSES.

the individual character arcs were a bit shallow (Casey is afraid of the dark/of being alone… Landon is dealing with grief and depression) but their weird quirks made them so much more believable and complex. Reid really knows how to craft lovable, relatable three-dimensional characters—even if the pieced that make up each character seem a little silly.

i read some reviews before diving into this book which made me hesitant to read. after the Game Changers series, i doubted Reid could top her shilya duology. however, her extremely commercial, palatable style and the tangible, compelling chemistry drew me in. this book was fast, easy to digest, and gave me SO MANY FEELINGS. i don’t know how she does it.

i liked how she portrayed Landon’s demisexuality and his touch aversion, but i wish Landon and Casey had had a more awkward and realistic first-time experience. or that they would have acknowledged that sex can and will be awkward or uncomfortable. Casey’s sexual expertise and openness (and chattiness) certainly improved their first experiences with one another, but i like Reid’s REALISM in her relationships, and i wish she’d incorporated just a touch more of it here.

the main issue i had with this book was how quickly each character realized and acknowledged their crush. there weren’t really any “oh” moments, and their chemistry really didn’t leap off the page until after they’d stated they were crushing. <edit: i reread the book this week and disagree with this opinion now—i think the gradual build was done well despite not having any “oh” crush moments. we did get that much later though with casey at the christmas party. wink!>

i will say that once they caught feelings, i was hooked. i stayed up until 4am reading because i had such intense butterflies i just couldn’t wait to see what happened next. i loved how wholesome and unconditional their love for one another was, and how that balanced with the sexier scenes.

all in all, a slay. anything Rachel Reid writes, i will read.

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wilybooklover's review

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

5.0

What lovely, cosy Christmassy vibes this book had! So fluffy and festive.

I absolutely adored these two characters; sweet, outgoing himbo Casey and reserved, awkward loner Landon were complete opposites yet balanced each other out beautifully. I really loved how they appreciated each other for who they were. You could see how much better they made each other with the more time they spent together. Landon being flustered by Casey's constant praise was so cute, and Landon telling Casey he wasn't stupid just warmed my heart. These two deserved everything!!

Another thing I loved was how the sex scenes played out. They were slow and exploratory

with the focus completely away from penetrative sex.

I loved how sex-positive and focused on consent Casey was — he really just wants everyone to have a good time. The perfect pairing for Landon,

who was a virgin who'd barely been kissed before.

The side characters were all fantastic here as well, from their families to their teammates and even Casey's one-night stands (Zach flirting with Landon the morning after was hilarious!). Seeing Landon start to heal his relationship with his parents was so heartwarming and the Christmas scenes in the 'cabin' were so fun! I'm not a big sports fan but the sports aspects were well-integrated into the story too, and never took away from the romance.

This whole book was just so soft and tender and I loved it. The perfect Christmas book.

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vagaybond's review

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hopeful lighthearted relaxing

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No

3.25

Nice
- <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/guys-on-the-side-looking-beyond-gay-tops-and-bottoms_b_3082484>side</a> rep . also v sexy
- tender, sweet, the normal romance novel appeals

Negative
- made me think too much about my own heartbreak and how mine cannot be resolved this way.
-lack of diversity. (Typical for the hockey fiction genre.)

Audiobook stuff. None of these are complaints!! Just me being xenophobic toward americans (in a way that is merely silly and completely unreasonable)

It is always a lil funny when an american audiobook narrator has to pronounce <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/tuque">toque.</a> For the unaware — it rhymes with duke. I also think it's interesting how a french canadian accent is done in a france french way as though it doesn't come from back further in the roof of your mouth. Very zee zat hon hon hon baguette and not very <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec_French_profanity">tabarnak</a> celine dion-y. <a href="https://youtu.be/2AKUqgy7UzY?si=C0eKTQRUt2PhyMRm">This Hour Has 22 Minutes has some sketches of a parody of the accent</a>.

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