The Shots You Take

My new book is being released on March 4! I hope you like sad sacks.

The Shots You Take is a stand-alone second-chance romance between two former NHL teammates, Adam and Riley. Both men are forty-one now, and retired, so there isn’t much actual hockey in this book. Hockey themes and vibes more than on-page hockey. This book is about grief, regret, mental health, fear, missed chances, friendship, and anger. All sorts of fun stuff. There’s also a cute dog to balance things out!

I set this story in a fictional small town on Nova Scotia’s north shore. The book opens at Riley’s father’s funeral, but the fun doesn’t stop there! Adam shows up for the funeral, even though he and Riley haven’t spoken in twelve years. Riley is NOT happy to see his former best friend/teammate/roommate/secret hookup buddy/love of his life. Adam, on the other hand, is determined to restore their friendship and finally be honest with Riley about who he is, and what he wants.

I loved writing both of these characters so much. Adam is the recently retired superstar captain of the Toronto Northmen, used to being loved and celebrated and admired. He is also recently divorced, and taking some very careful first steps out of the closet. Like Adam, Riley was a star defenseman for Toronto, but his career ended a decade before Adam’s. He has spent the years since trying not to think about his hockey career, or about Adam. I don’t know why all of my Nova Scotian characters are so miserable (besides Fabian in Tough Guy).

This is a quiet book set over a short amount of time in a small town, but it also includes flashback scenes that depict Adam and Riley in their twenties. It’s very character-driven with a tiny amount of plot. Even though a lot of things about this book make it a huge bummer, I still tried to make it funny and sexy. The heat level is similar to Time to Shine, and like Time to Shine, it will be released in trade paperback, ebook and audiobook all on the same day. The paperback looks great (look at that beautiful cover!). Greg Boudreaux was my first choice to narrate this audiobook and he does such a great job.

I’ve been absolutely thrilled with the praise this book has received ahead of its release. I’m always nervous when the first review copies get sent out, but I was especially anxious about this one because it just barely qualifies as a hockey romance. I’m proud of it, though. I think I achieved exactly what I attempted to do with this book, and I don’t always feel that way.

I am doing a couple of virtual events to promote this book. The first will be for Love’s Sweet Arrow in Chicago on March 7, and the second will be with Lexi Lafleur Brown for Northshire Bookstore in Vermont (hosted by Jennifer Dugan). Also, if you want to meet me in person, I’ll be at Love and Romance in Toronto on May 3, and at Romance Con in Milwaukee on Sept 5-6. And if you are a bookstore who would like to include me in a virtual event, or even host something in person, let me know! I also love doing book club Q&As.