Books › Time to Shine
Time to Shine
368 pages
A cozy, opposites-attract hockey romance that melts icy defenses with relentless charm and holiday warmth.
What it feels like
This contemporary sports romance delivers a deeply heartwarming and cozy reading experience, anchored by a classic grumpy-meets-sunshine dynamic. The narrative unfolds at a steady, character-driven pace, inviting readers into the intimate, shared space of a massive house where a quiet loner and a relentlessly charming superstar slowly bridge their differences. The mood is tender and inviting, especially as the story leans into the festive intimacy of spending the holidays together. The prose focuses on the subtle, emotional shifts of a bromance blossoming into romance, capturing both the easy banter and the quiet vulnerability of opening up. It is a perfect fit for readers who devour queer hockey romances featuring forced proximity, opposites attracting, and the bittersweet tension of a ticking clock.
- Mood
- cozy
- heartwarming
- romantic
- Tone
- earnest
- warm
- playful
- tender
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- opposites attract · forced proximity · sports romance · bromance to romance
- The writing
- Accessible and character-driven, focusing on the internal shifts and quiet moments of intimacy between contrasting personalities.
- The arc
- Moves from isolated apprehension to warm connection, culminating in the bittersweet tension of an impending departure.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love grumpy-meets-sunshine dynamics and cozy sports romances with a ticking clock.
Content notes
- impending separation
About the book
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.
Description from Open Library.
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