Betrothal or Breakaway
by Leah Brunner
Narrated by Alex Picard; David Bendena

I received an ARC of this audiobook through Netgalley.

Amber and Ford are easy to love because neither of them is perfect.

Amber’s fiancee left her when he found out she was pregnant, oh, and her mother disowned her at the same time. Now she’s a single mother of a 3 month old and needs to get heart surgery. Who better to help than her best friend since 2nd grade?

Ford is the team captain for the D.C. Eagles. He has a loving family including a mother that worries about him endlessly. He has great friends in his teammates and a nice house and a lot of money. But, he has no one to share his life with; especially not the woman who he’s loved since he was 8 years old.

Over Thanksgiving Ford proposes marriage to his best friend, Amber. She needs money, surgery, insurance, and someone to take care of her adorable newborn while she’s in surgery and recovering. He’s lonely and he’s sick of his mom feeling sorry for him.

Can this fake marriage become more? Yes, it can!

I loved the narrators (Alex Picard; David Bendena)! They were perfect!

And, I love this audiobook by Leah Brunner! It’s magical. This whole series is fabulous! I highly recommend this audiobook!!! Don’t miss out on a beautiful romance!

Love love loved this sweet hockey romance. I just adored Ford and Amber and their friendship. The glimpses into the past to show how their friendship started and grew were so sweet. And can we just talk about how stinking adorable all of the hockey players were with the baby?! Swoony! I am a huge fan of the marriage of convenience and single parent tropes and this book did not disappoint. I can’t wait for more books featuring the DC Eagles!

I enjoyed this story more than I expected, not having read the prior two in the series. Despite this being my first, the author made it easy to fill in any gaps.
I especially liked the ending of this "friends to lovers/marriage of convenience" trope. The way the relationship between the MCs evolved felt believable.
Another aspect that I liked was the dual POVs. It was nice to get Ford's perspective as well.
I can't say that I loved the audio narration. Ford's voice sounded "too old" for his character. The female narrator was easier to listen to.

Cute love story that kept you wanting more.

I listened to the audio version of this and the narrator was great....Thank you to Dreamscape Audio and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

This was a cute read! I loved this book Virgin heroes single mom golden retriever, hero, childhood, best friends, marriage of convenience these are just some of the troops that make this book so great. I love a hockey romance and marriage of convenience. It’s just the icing on the cake. I got to read. Listen to this arc from NetGalley.

I listened to the audio version of this. Thank you to Dreamscape Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity.
Amber and Ford take turns doing the narration and there are different voices for each character. It's great to have the different Pov. The readers are really perfect for the characters. Ford is high functioning autistic so that adds a dimension to the story that gave it some depth. Amber's back story also added some understanding. I loved that the author gave us snippets of the relationship between Ford and Amber from different times in their lives so we could see how they grew together. 2nd grade, middle school, high school, and graduation.I have only read this book and book .5 of the series. This book was much more interesting than book .5. I was much more invested in it. But... marriage of convenience is my favorite romantic trope so it had that going for it from the start. It is very well done.

I loved this title and especially the way a neurodivergent character was represented. It was a beautiful story of life-long love, despite the odds and I look forward to more by this author.

I was so excited to be back with our DC Eagles crew and learn more about Remi! And boy was he just the sweetest🥹 I loved watching him grow out of his comfort zone with his teammates and best friend’s baby.

Read if you like:
🏒hockey romance
🍼 baby (but not his)
🏒 childhood friends to lovers
🍼 marriage of convenience
🏒 found family
🍼 closed door romance

This is book 3 of the series (though there is a novella to set it all up). While they can all be read as standalones, I highly recommend reading them in order! This one is out now and I was lucky enough to receive a copy of the audiobook. Thank you netgalley and the publisher for my copy. All opinions are my own.

Ford and Amber have been friends since childhood and when Amber’s life takes an unsettling turn Ford wants to do everything he can to help.

They agree to an arranged marriage to help with her health issues, but it’s obvious from the start that Ford is in love with Amber and has been for a long time.

I loved watching Amber slowly realise that her best friend is also the man for her.

They are both nervous about changing the status of their relationship, but it’s obvious to everyone around them that they belong together.

I loved how he wanted to protect and support her and how she gave him a safe place to land when his world got too chaotic. She was strong, beautiful, talented and caring. He was serious, loving and gave her the family she had always longed for.

I loved the narrators, they really made the characters come to life for me.

[audiobook review]

The story still captivates me like the first time, and hearing how the narrators brought it to life was the best thing I could do this month. Alex Picard and David Bendena were good narrators, although I'll admit that I struggled a bit to follow the male narrator's voice: it felt a bit old at first but eventually, everything fell into place, and I ended up thoroughly enjoying his voice along with Alex's. They were excellent at giving life to Ford and Amber and those emotions I felt when I first read the book, they managed to convey them beautifully.

📌I received an advanced listening copy through netgalley, and this is my honest opinion/review of it.

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[first digital read april 04]

This book holds the title of favorite in the series, and that's because Leah has written an absolute gem of a book!

Ford and Amber have been best friends since the second grade. Amber is one of the few people who really understands Ford (he's neurodivergent), and they've been inseparable ever since. Obviously, our Ford has feelings for her, but he's afraid to admit it for fear of jeopardizing their friendship. As time goes by, our girl has a baby, and her friendship with Ford is stronger than ever.

This is a beautifully written friends-to-lovers story. You can feel the characters' emotions, and you just want to dive into the book and tell them to realize their feelings. One pivotal action changes everything: they decide to get married so our girl can have better insurance for an operation. They move in together and form an adorable family - a family that Amber desperately needed, and now little Nellal will have. This story is the sweetest thing in the world, not because it's a "close door" romance, but because of the genuine interactions between the characters. The author handled every aspect with such care that I was amazed.

These two friends loved each other; I could feel it. And when they finally confess their feelings, everything falls into place perfectly. There's no big drama, except that her ex is a jerk (but thanks to that, we get a dreamy "my wife" scene). The guys at the D.C. Eagles are completely crazy about little Nella, and this heartwarming story will make you sigh with love.

I absolutely adore the books in the D.C. Eagles Hockey series. The author has crafted characters who feel so real and set them in the exciting world of professional hockey. Well, after listening to Betrothal or Breakaway, I know that Ford and Amber are my favorite characters. And that is really saying something, because each book and each set of characters has had something that captured me and made me feel connected to them. It is why this is one of my very favorite contemporary romance/romcom series. These books are sweet and closed door, with only a bit of mild language occasionally.

I loved the dual narration! The narrators really captured and brought to life Ford and Amber. This is the ultimate “he falls first” novel, too. Not only does it have the marriage of convenience and best friends to more tropes, but Ford has loved Amber since they were children. And we, the readers, get to experience some of their moments as children through flashbacks that were just the right peek into their friendship. And even though Amber didn’t see Ford in a romantic way until they were married, I liked that she wasn’t simply overlooking him all of those years. He truly was the most important person in her life and her love for him and their connection to each other through friendship was beautiful.

This book gave a peek into what Ford dealt with regarding his high functioning autism in a very realistic way. The way he approached life and the way he managed those things that overwhelmed him were part of who he was. I loved that Amber loved and understood him. They were so sweet together and their little family, with baby Nella, was wonderful to read about.

I received a complimentary copy of this audio book, although I also purchased the print version. All opinions are my own.

When Amber got pregnant, her fiance bolted and hasn't contacted her since. Now 3 months after giving birth to a cute babygirl Nella, she's in need of a heart surgery, which she obviously can't afford. Her best friend since childhood, Ford, who is a famous and wealthy hockey player, offers to marry her, so she can hop on his insurance plan.

What a delightful quick read!

I just loved it. It's such a heartwarming story. I loved how absolutely sweet Ford was with Amber and her daughter. He's an amazing husband material! I also loved the neurodivergent representaion.

This one has got to be my favorite book from this series so far. I still love all the guys from the team and adored all their cameos.

I'm hoping Ford's sister story is next!

Best friends since second grade, Ford and Amber had been there for one and another through the good and the bad. She is the only person, apart from his family, that accepts him with his Asperger and his struggles. He has been her rock since childhood, sharing his family and accepting her. Now a marriage of convenience is what Amber needs from Ford. Can they stay friends or will Ford finally shaw Amber how he really feels about her? The audiobook with Alex Picard and David Bendena makes a great story an even better one.

Betrothal or Breakaway has taken over the top spot for me in this series!

I adored the friendship between Amber and Ford and how they cared for each other.

I loved Amber's strength, positivity, and resiliency.

Ford is the sweetest! I love how the author handled Ford's autism. She didn't just label him and move on. She showed how it affected him and the ways in which he learned to cope with the situations with which he struggled.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrators did a fantastic job of bringing Ford and Amber to life. They sounded age appropriate, they brought the full spectrum of emotions, and the pacing of the narration was great.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Loved Ford and Amber’s story! I’m a sucker for marriage of convenience and forced proximity so this one really hit home for me. Also who doesn’t love a man that loves your baby?!? He’s a keeper. Loved the autism rep as well. I would definitely recommend this one. I listened to the audiobook and I think the narrator did a wonderful job!

I am so in love with Ford. I loved this book and I loved it even more in audio. The narrators did a fantastic job. I loved Ford and Amber so much. Their marriage of convenience progressed perfectly. There wasn’t a constant back and forth about their feelings…their relationship progressed naturally. I identified so much with Ford. Leah did such a great job with his character. I felt like she was describing me when Ford was describing what it felt like when people touched him or how he starts to feel in a crowded room. (Not sure if my “quirks” are from autism or childhood trauma🤷🏼‍♀️I have no official diagnosis of autism)
I loved how well Amber understood him and his needs. I loved how protective he was of Nella and Amber. I have loved the entire series so far, but Betrothal or Breakaway is definitely my favorite.

4.5 rounded down to 4

A marriage of convivence leads to something real, something that was destined. Ford and Amber have been best friends since the second grade. When she needs surgery for a hole in her heart, he offers to marry her so that she can use his health insurance and won't worry about who will take care of her infant daughter as she recovers. It should be easy to be 'married' but avoiding feelings? That's going to be a problem.

Read this book if you like:
-Childhood Friends to Lovers
-It's Always Been You
-Marriage of Convivence
-Friends who Cuddle
-Single Mom
-Aspergers Rep

I devoured this book. Literally could not put it down. It was everything I love in one amazing package. Ford had my heart from the start. Sneaking into Amber's room to check on her and baby Nella only to fall asleep because he was finally relaxed????? Yes, please. And then cuddled for them both because they needed it??? I loved how Amber understood him. She never judged and always supported him. And Ford just knew that she was his.

I would read a hundred more books like this!

Thank you to Dreamscape Media & NetGalley for an ARC of this book; in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a short, sweet, and very wholesome Hockey Romance. Ford and Amber were perfect for each other; and the way baby Nella brought them closer together was just swoony! I loved the audiobook version with dual narration. Also, this is part of a series, but can definitely be read as an interconnected stand alone!

Read if you enjoy:
-unrequited love
-hockey romance
-marriage of convenience
-autism representation
-childhood best friends to lovers
-closed door romance (no spice)

“Good morning, girls.”

“Being around Amber Park makes me feel like I’m normal, whole, complete. Like every step feels like a step closer to safety. A step closer to forever.”

* Okay but why are they so cuuuute
* Ford is such a softie and I LOVE him!
* They are so sweet and so tender and my heart is so full
* The proposal! 😭😍
* Oh my gosh not the puppy!!!

Yet another hockey romance by Leah Brunner that I’m obsessed with.

Amber is so good and so funny and I loved seeing how she interacted with Ford and really just saw him for who he was. And her with her baby? Ahh my heart!

And Ford? LOVE him! He is such a sweetheart. I love how much he loved Amber and her baby. He was such a natural at becoming a husband and a father and I loved to see it.

The whole best friends forever and now we’re married? So good! And their chemistry and kissing! Yes! 👏

Thanks to NetGalley and Leah Brunner for this ALC. I thought the narration was great! All opinions are my own.

✨NO third act breakup!
✨best friends to lovers
✨fake marriage
✨Asperger's rep

Best friends since 2nd grade turned lovers?!!! YES YES YES!

Have you ever been so into a book that you HATE getting interrupted because you don't want to stop listening/reading? THIS WAS THAT BOOK FOR ME!

I loved the characters and the storytelling was amazing! By also sharing how they met and how their lives were in the past was a perfect way to show how far they've come as adults. Ford will forever have a special place in my heart! He is the true definition of a book boyfriend! The way he loves and caters to Amber & Nella was truly swoon worthy! This book is now on my list of favorites for 2024!