Narrated by Cooper North
I will admit to going into Time to Shine, Rachel Reid’s first book since she ended her excellent Game Changers series, with just a little bit of trepidation, wondering if it could possibly reach the same, high standard. I’m sure that following such a popular series with something new must also be a daunting task for an author, so I’m absolutely delighted to be able to say that Ms. Reid has continued her winning streak with a book that, while also set in the world of professional hockey, is very different to Game Changers while being every bit as good as the best books in that series. Add in an outstanding performance by Cooper North, and you’ve got one of the best audiobooks of 2023.
When the book begins, Landon Stackhouse, the talented goalie for the Saskatoon Bandits AFL team, has just got The Call – he’s to get on a plane to Calgary where he’ll step in for the injured back-up goalie for the Calgary Outlaws NHL team. He’s ready and excited, but realistic – he knows he’ll probably spend most (if not all) of his NHL début sitting on the bench before he hops a plane back home. Landon doesn’t really expect any of his new – temporary – teammates to bother getting to know him, so he’s surprised when Casey Hicks – son of a hockey legend and the team’s pint-sized, superstar left-winger – not only remembers his name, but greets him like an old friend and strikes up a conversation. This is most definitely not how most people react on meeting Landon, whose shy, introverted nature can sometimes make him come off as stand-offish, and he’s not at all sure what to make of it.
Casey is the sunshiniest sunshine character to have ever sunshined. He’s a sweet, outgoing chatterbox with no verbal filter who has never met a stranger, and who, despite his hockey ‘pedigree’ doesn’t have an ounce of ego or arrogance to him. He loves being around people and is more than happy to be the one to make their newest team member feel comfortable and included, in and out of the locker room.
When it’s announced that the injured goalie is going to be out for at least another two months, Casey, sensing that Landon could use a friend, immediately offers him a place to stay. He’s recently purchased a house which is far too big for one person, and he’d be glad of the company, so he tells Landon he’ll be doing him a favour by accepting. Landon secretly worries that he’s too boring and solitary to make a good roommate, but he likes Casey and doesn’t want to say no. He moves in later that day.
Casey and Landon are one helluv-an odd-couple pairing, one an exuberant extrovert (like Tigger on acid!), the other quiet and prone to over-thinking, but the author takes the time to create a solid foundation for their relationship – a genuine friendship built on mutual affection, respect, openness and honesty, so that when their feelings start to progress beyond friendship, there’s already a strong basis for their romance. Casey is sexually experienced (he’s bisexual and out, and makes no secret of the fact that he loves sex – as an aside, I appreciated the lack of on-page homophobia in the story; his teammates accept Casey’s bisexuality and don’t bat an eyelid when he talks about dating guys) and while he certainly wouldn’t be averse to getting Landon into bed, what he wants just as much is to spend time with him, get to know him and make him smile. Landon, however, is bewildered by his responses to Casey. He rarely feels attraction and mostly experiences it in the form of crushes – usually on unattainable people because it’s safer – so his feelings for Casey surprise him because he hasn’t felt like this about anyone, ever, and he doesn’t know what to do about it. Or even if he wants to do anything about it.
The author handles Landon’s questioning of his sexuality and sexual identity really well, and I loved the way Casey is so patient with him, helping him to discover what he likes and what works for him, eager to understand something he doesn’t relate to (Landon not being especially interested in sex) and accepting Landon’s needs without hesitation or judgement. He’s such a bright, optimistic character, yet he has his hang-ups, too; he has a fear, well more than a fear, a phobia, of being alone in the dark, which he regards as childish (and stupid), and although he’s supremely confident in just about every way, he’s become so used to being thought of as dumb that he even thinks of himself that way. Landon is the first person to tell Casey is he isn’t stupid and I was pleased when, near the end, the team captain apologises to him for all the teasing. It’s come from a place of love and affection, but none of them have realised how much it has played into Casey’s belief in his own lack of intelligence, and they promise to do better.
Also running through the story are themes of grief, guilt and forgiveness – and the importance of being able to forgive oneself as well as others. It’s clear from the start that there’s something in Landon’s past that has profoundly affected him and his relationship with his family; he clearly loves his parents very much and they love him, but he’s been avoiding them for a very long time and doesn’t know how he can fix what’s broken between them. After his sister died in a car accident when Landon was sixteen, he left home to pursue his dreams of a hockey career, leaving his parents alone with their grief, and is carrying a massive amount of guilt over leaving. Six years later, he still struggles with it, but has realised that it’s time to try to find a way to bridge the gap – for his sake as well as for his parents’. This aspect of the story is handled very well and the scene where they finally get to talk everything out is wonderful; Landon’s parents are good people who were struggling under the weight of grief themselves, and simply didn’t know how to help their son, thinking that perhaps letting him go was the best thing they could do for him.
I was so glad when I saw Cooper North’s name attached to this audiobook. His work on the final three titles in the Game Changers series was excellent (I live in hope he’ll get to record the first three one day!) and while he’s always a pleasure to listen to, this has to rank as one of his very best performances. It’s well-paced, strongly characterised and expertly differentiated, with distinct voices for all the secondary characters and good female voices. But it’s his portrayals of the two leads that really, well, SHINE, here; he absolutely nails Landon’s quiet reserve, his measured delivery emphasising Landon’s tendency for self doubt and caution, but also brings out his rare, dry humour really well. My favourite, hands down, though, is his interpretation of Casey, which is, quite simply, perfect. In the book, Casey is utterly adorable – warm, funny and gregarious, like an eager puppy bounding around and getting you tied up in its lead! – yet somehow, Mr. North manages to make him even MORE adorable, capturing every bit of his joie de vivre, his enthusiasm, his humour, his desire to make everyone happy… it’s a flawless performance all round and guarantees this title a place on my small list of regular comfort listens.
Time to Shine is a wonderful, warm hug of a book – a gorgeous, achingly tender slow-burn romance full of warmth and charm and humour. I adored it when I read it with my eyes, and adored it even more in audio thanks to Cooper North’s wonderful performance. It’s very, very highly recommended.
Caz
Buy Time to Shine by Rachel Reid on Amazon
Ditto to everything you said. This is a book I know I’ll come back to when I want a lovely feel-good story that still has depth and heart. Like you said, it’s a warm hug in book form. I like how Ms Reid can write a sweet story and give it so much depth to the characters and the story. Nothing treacle-y about it even though it is such a heartwarming story. I’d say it had a hurt/comfort vibe as well.
I haven’t heard what she’s working on now, but she’s set a very high bar for herself.