Pining in all the best ways possible. This book has it all. Brother's best friend, childhood rivals, he falls first ... fantastic!

This book follows our female main character,Sutton, who is about to embark on a new career path as a physical therapist for an NHL team. Unfortunately the boy who has always been the bane of her existence, Shaw, who also happens to be her brother's best friend is one of the team's top players. Because of all their history I liked that this was a slow burn but there was so much pining and banter. This made them a couple you want to root for plus it made sense. Anyone who has been a part of someone's life for that long would go slow but the love and lust is still there and not brand new. I really enjoyed this book and found myself not wanting to put it down.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good hockey romance full of pining and missed opportunities. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this story.

⭐️ 4/5
🌶 0/5
🩷 4/5
🎧 4/5

📚 I swear thay every book Annah writes is pure comfy cosy romance of the best kind! There may not be any spice, but the tension, the romance, the swoon, the butterflies in your tummy, lusty love she writes is perfect. Romance, with some banter and lots of love.

🎧 Dual style - female does all her own chapters, male does his own. This is not a duet style, where they read all of their own respective genders dialogue. If it was a duet, it would have been 5 stars for audio, for sure.

🎙 Narrators - These actors that are doing romances at the moment are absolutely cookie crumb perfection to my ears 🤌

Overall, this audiobook was exactly what we all want and would love to listen to for a romanctic experience 😘👌

This audiobook was a joy to listen to!! The voice actors did a phenomenal job at differentiating characters & they kept me engaged the whole entire way!!

I adore this story & characters and the way the author weaves it altogether!!

Id definitely recommend for anyone needing an audiobook to listen too!!

✨𝐀𝐋𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰✨

“𝙄 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝, 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙄’𝙫𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧. 𝙄 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙣𝙤 𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙖 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙞𝙩. 𝙒𝙚 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙞𝙣 𝙨𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙢 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙥𝙨. 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙞𝙛 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄’𝙢 𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢.”

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 🫑
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: Closed door
𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧: 82%
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬: Sports romance (hockey), rivals-to-lovers, brother’s best friend, he falls first, it’s always been you
𝐏𝐎𝐕: 1st person, Dual POV
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Dual
𝐊𝐔: Yes

This was such a cute hockey romance! Conwell is quickly becoming one of my favorite closed door romance authors. I’m a Physical Therapist so I loved seeing an FMC as a PT! I thought all the medical content was well written.

There are also plenty of Star Wars references which was fun! Although I disagree with the FMC, Episode III is my favorite 😉. I also love any book where he falls first and the “it’s always been you” trope so I knew I would enjoy this.

The rivals-to-lovers was a fun element with lots of banter. Overall, this was a fun read and would recommend it.

4.5⭐️ | 1🌶

What to expect:
~ Hockey player MMC
~ Physical therapist FMC
~ Childhood enemies to lovers
~ Brother’s best friend
~ He falls first
~ Slow burn
~ It’s always been you

Review:
This is a delightful hockey romance that combines sizzling chemistry, witty banter, and a heartwarming love story. If you're a fan of sport romances and looking for a story with playful tension and a lot of swoon, this one’s a winner!

The story centers on Shaw Daniels and Sutton, childhood rivals turned adult frenemies. Shaw, who’s pretty much every romance reader’s dream—considerate, sweet, and oh-so-swoony—has a heart of gold and a sarcastic streak. His protectiveness for Sutton is both adorable and heart-melting. Sutton, on the other hand, is an independent FMC who knows how to stand her ground, especially when dealing with the wild world of hockey players.

Their love language? Sarcasm and quips… just the way I like it! Their rivalry morphs into an electric connection, with Shaw falling first and hard. I listened to the audiobook and it captured their playful exchanges and Shaw's caring nature perfectly, making their dynamic even more fun. Though there are a few cheesy moments and some high school-esque drama, it’s all part of the charm.

The hockey scenes, the camaraderie with the teammates, and the family dynamics were fantastic. The playful back-and-forth between the two MCs kept me hooked, especially with the insights from Shaw's POV. I enjoyed watching Sutton slowly come to terms with her feelings and the gradual build-up to her falling for Shaw. The chemistry was off the charts, making the story even more captivating. Surprisingly, I didn’t miss the spice at all because this sweet closed door romance is written so perfectly!

Annah has crafted a story that’s not just about romance but also about the joy of sports and finding love where you least expect it. If you're ready for a ride filled with laughs, swoons, and maybe a happy tear or two, ‘The Golden Goal’ is your ticket. So, lace up your skates, grab your headphones, and dive into this fun, heartwarming rom-com.

This is one of my favorite sports romance books ever! And it is a clean romance book which I loved! The main couple are so cute and I can’t recommend this book enough!

I listened to and adored this dual narration of a brother’s best friend hockey romance narrated by Kim Churchill and Oliver Clarke. It’s always a treat when the characters have a tumultuous past relationship, in this case an enemies vibe, and reconnect years down the road. This trope always leads to some great, swoony banter and I thought this author did a fantastic job of this balancing act.

Sutton is the new physical trainer for Shaw’s NHL team and while she isn’t too thrilled about it, he is and the teasing, wit, close kisses, and protectiveness prove that he’s head-over-heels. I loved watching the layers of this relationship develop.

Full of chemistry and kisses, this one is a goal!

I have never understood the hockey romance trope. It Well sports romance in general.

Color me changing my mind. I actually enjoyed the heck out of this book!

Sutton and Shaw have never gotten along, their rivalry through their teens had no limits but when Sutton ends up as the sport therapist to the hockey team Shaw stars on and they find that their rivalry may have been more than they realized.

It was well done, Im not a fan of enemies to lovers either but this book really changed the dynamic in such a way for me that the tropes worked.

I likes the banter, I enjoyed the tension. I liked how well they already knew each other.

Really solid audio and I get the feeling there will be another book...

4 stars

I loved getting to relive The Golden Goal by Annah Conwell through audio! I originally received an advanced reader copy of this book so I thoroughly enjoyed getting to hear it on audio! The narrators did an amazing job at capturing these characters I love! Shaw sounded swoony and Sutton did wonderfully at sounding both strong and feminine! Oh whew did I blush listening to that kiss scene. I loved getting to be reminded of all the tender ways Shaw and Sutton showed up for each other and the lessons they learned and the way their characters grew over the book. What do you get when you combine beautiful writing and talented narration? This story brought to life. Y’all should totally go give it a listen and blush and smile over Shaw and Sutton, maybe while washing the dishes.

This sports romance captures the tension and chemistry between childhood rivals Shaw and Sutton. Their relationship evolves from playful teasing to something much deeper when Sutton becomes the physical therapist for Shaw's hockey team. The slow-burn romance and their competitive past create a captivating dynamic that keeps you engaged. I appreciated the clean, tension-filled storytelling, which kept the focus on their emotional journey without explicit scenes. The dual narration adds depth to both characters, and the hockey setting provides a refreshing backdrop. Overall, it's a sweet and enjoyable listen, perfect for fans of enemies-to-lovers and sports romance.The Golden Goal" is a delightful sports romance that captures the tension and chemistry between childhood rivals Shaw and Sutton. Their relationship evolves from playful teasing to something much deeper when Sutton becomes the physical therapist for Shaw's hockey team. The slow-burn romance, combined with their competitive past, creates a captivating dynamic that keeps you engaged. I appreciated the clean, tension-filled storytelling, which kept the focus on their emotional journey without explicit scenes. The dual narration adds depth to both characters, and the hockey setting provides a refreshing backdrop. Overall, it's a sweet and enjoyable listen, perfect for fans of enemies-to-lovers and sports romance.

The Golden Goal is the first book that I have read by this author and I am now so excited to go back and read or listen to other books that she has written!

This story was, without a doubt, one of the best tales of unrequited love that I have read. The way Shaw had loved Sutton since they were children was so sweet. It made me feel bad for him as I realized all the times he had stepped in to be there for Shaw, but she had only seen him as someone who antagonized her.

The tropes in this book are some of my favorites, including brother’s best friend and celebrity or sports romance. I have realized lately that I also am a big fan of those moments when an unrequited love is suddenly made known to the person who is clueless as to the other’s feelings. And the moment between Shaw and Sutton when this occurred was perfection. I listened to this part of the story three times and then went back and read it in the ebook, as well. That’s how much I loved the reveal!

There is also an enemies to more vibe in this book. That is not usually a trope I consider a favorite, yet I loved it in this story! Again, Shaw’s devotion to Sutton persevered through all of the years that she considered him her enemy and I loved the moment when she realized all of the ways that Shaw had been there for her in the past. It was like her eyes were finally opened to who he really was.

I listened to the audio version of this novel and it was wonderfully performed in dual narration. Both narrators did a fantastic job and I plan to buy my own copy of this audio book, as well as a print copy for my shelves.

I received a complimentary copy of this audio book, however, I did purchase the ebook version. All opinions are my own.

Enjoyable hockey romance with a brother’s best friend trope. Wouldn’t say it’s my favorite NHL story, but the characters were great and story was entertaining.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
Really nice hockey romance for the lovers of the genre!
I read I don´t know how many hockey romances until now and sometimes they all look the same.
The Golden Goal was a refreshing, fast, and super sweet book that all lovers of this genre should read.

💖Brother Best Friend / Childhood friend
💖Reverse grumpy x sunshine
💖He falls first (actually he fell a long time ago)
💖´Fake´ enemies to lovers
💖amazing banter

I love how the author approached some of the tropes, for example from Sutton's pov we really think they are Enemies to Lovers, but when reading the MMC, Shawn, we realize he is just so in love with her he doesn´t even know how to behave and it was just too good.
All the little things Shawn does for Sutton! He really was the gold of this book!!

As always thank you my beloved Dreamscape fot the ALC! I loved both the voice actors, but maibe a little more Oliver Clarke, thanks to his beautiful character.

This was a nice sweet hockey, brothers best friend, enemies to lovers romance. I give it a 3/5. It was a nice easy listen that I burned through but not a lot of substance.

An adorable and cute friends to lovers hockey romance. If your liking for low spice and believable storyline, this is it. I loved the female narration however at times the pace of the male narrator felt off. Lacked personality. Overall a good listen!!!

This was a cute "enemies" to lovers listen! The book read super well, and the voice actors were great!

Thank you, Dreamscape and Netgalley for the ALC. All opinions are my own, and are being left voluntarily.

The haters to lovers trope is my most favourite and along with he falls first 🤌 damn
This book was quick read and so interesting that i literally finished it all in two sittings only. The banter and interactions between the leads was amazing. I absolutely love this book .

4.5⭐

I absolutely loved this one! I could not stop listening to this, the narrators were perfect for these characters. Sutton and Shaw were so perfect for each other, the love Shaw had for Sutton was beautiful. I loved how their relationship progressed and it was the perfect slow burn. Highly recommend this one and I cannot wait for more from this series!

Amazing. Annah Conwell is the best. I loved this so much! Brothers best friend. FIVE STARS . FIVE STARS. FIVE STARS

The Golden Goal is a hockey romance, brothers best friend, he falls first story, written in dual POV. Reminded me a lot of the Elle Kennedy Off-Campus series with the hockey and dual POV. I had the opportunity to listen to this as an audiobook. The female narrator was fantastic, the male narrator on the other hand was not quite as easy to listen to. It seemed he couldn't pick a voice to stick with for the character, alternating between surfer, stoner, and cowboy accents. When he quotes the FMC's lines, he pulls out a voice that sounds like a mocking caricature of a woman. Not a fan. Overall a cute story, though. Ends with a set-up for the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the arc.