[ARC REVIEW] “Taking Sides” (Moonshot Hockey #3) By: Rebecca Jenshak

Conrad “Shep” Shepard’s story is finally here!

What is Taking Sides by Rebecca Jenshak about?

A high school hockey coach with one firm dating rule meets the quiet pro hockey player who makes breaking it look dangerously tempting in this fun, swoony sports romance from USA Today Bestselling author Rebecca Jenshak.

Conrad Shepard is Moonshot Hockey’s star defenseman but when it comes to the ladies, he’s sitting on the bench.

Despite his teammates’ best attempts at playing wingman, he’s hopeless. He can barely speak around women, let alone ask one out. Between his dating problems and a season-ending loss, he thinks volunteering at a high school hockey camp is the perfect escape.

That is until he meets Coach Whitney. She’s beautiful, she’s smart, and she knows hockey. It’s the perfect combination to render him speechless (even more so than usual).

Whitney Aven has been surrounded by hockey players her entire life. Which is why she has a strict rule to never date one.

But Conrad isn’t like any other man she’s met. He’s unbelievably handsome, unexpectedly sweet and patient with her players, and one of the most talented skaters she’s ever met.
The fact that he barely looks in her direction and blushes anytime she speaks to him is also pretty irresistible.

She never expects him to ask her out.
Or that she’ll say yes.
One awkward date somehow leads to another and another.

And Whitney’s no hockey player rule? Well, it’s a lot more complicated now because Conrad isn’t just a hockey player.
He’s her brother’s biggest rival.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Review:

I think this my favorite Moonshot Hockey book yet! I listened to the audiobooks of the first two (“Lucky Shot” and “Keeping Score”), so I’ve been following Conrad’s dating woes for quite some time, and was excited to finally get to dive into his story. (It’s also always been amusing to me how all of the other women in the other books, although they weren’t destined for Conrad, have been telling us readers how insanely attractive Conrad is from the moment they saw him.) I love a brother’s rival romance, and Rebecca really delivered on this one. Conrad’s issue with talking to women are a lot different from how we normally see athletes portrayed in books (and a stark contrast to the previous book, centered around his friend Travis), and I thought that was a refreshing take and added on an interesting layer to the story. I thought Whitney was a great character as well, and watching how she navigated her interactions with Conrad (and her love for Dr Pepper) was a lot of fun. I’m definitely looking forward to the rest of the series, and can’t wait to see Conrad and Whitney in the next book as well – plus the cameos from characters from previous books in this one! (I already started having theories as to some of the other upcoming love interests pretty early on in this book, too). Special thanks to Rebecca for allowing me to read an early copy – “Taking Sides” is available now!

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