This was such a cute book! Shaw Daniels and his absolute devotion to Sutton, even when she thinks they're rivals, is so dreamy. This is a cute addition to the hockey rom-com collection. The audio was fairly well done!

Thanks to Dreamscape and Netgalley for my ALC. All opinions here are my own.

The Golden Goal is a dual point of view, twin brothers best friend/high school rival, closed door hockey romance. Full of funny banter and cute, sweet moments, this is a fun intro into Annah's newest sports series. Full of standalone books, this series set up introduces you to all of the main male characters for the upcoming books.
I greatly enjoyed the banter between Shaw and Sutton, and the friendships depicted between the different sports star main characters, and I look forward to the future books in the series. Thank you so much for the ARC, these are my honest opinions. The Audio of this book is also quite well recorded, and I greatly enjoyed the ALC I received. The narrators did a great job creating fantastic loveable characters.

Shaw and Sutton are childhood friends turned rivals turned almost enemies turned LOVERS! Incredible tension & chemistry. MUST listen to on audiobook because it was genuinely so much fun!

The Golden Goal has been such a fun listen.
I’m a huge mood reader, yet this book got me captivated from the start.
Shaw and Sutton are childhood friends turned rivals turned almost enemies and then you add sizzling tension and BOOM you get this book.
I haven’t had this much fun with an audiobook in so long. The characters are fun, the chemistry is chemistrying, and the writing is good. It’s been a while since I’ve seen dual POV used at its full capacity. It’s become the norm, but there’s a reason why dual POV can be a great tool to use in narration and this book is a great example of that. Being in the omnipresent reader has never felt so fun. The author really worked hard to create a well balanced sports romance with character and heart.
Now, this is an audiobook, so let’s talk about the actors.
The voice actors, Kim Churchill and Oliver Clarke, were amazing! They brought this story to life and added a nice layer of uniqueness to each character.
I haven’t enjoyed myself listening to an audiobook in a while and it made me excited to try the next books!
I can’t believe this is my first Annah Conwell book, that should be a crime. Now I gotta go dive into her entire collection of work.

A sweet enemies to lovers, forced proximity, dual POV hockey romance that had great banter. I really enjoyed this kissing only sports romance. Perfect for fans of The Appies series by Emma St. Clair and Jenny Proctor. I am excited for the next book in this series featuring a pro golfer. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

ARC REVIEW❤️

If anyone knows me, I love reading a book where the man falls first and did Shaw fall? That man couldn’t stop falling!!!
Shaw and Sutton are so freaking cute throughout the book and actual couple goals! I want a man like that!!
The banter between the two and even between all of the hockey boys had me laughing so hard in parts!
It was definitely a cute closed door romantic comedy book!

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the arc.

ALC Review ✨️

☆Obsessed with Shaw♡

Annah is a new author for me, and I'm so happy I came across her book on Netgalley! Her writing is fabulous, and this story was so cute! Shaw and Sutton are absolutely adorable together. They're perfect for each other in every way. I was swooning for Shaw from the jump. He's so sweet, literal perfection in human form, and he treats Sutton like she's the best thing to ever exist💕 I always love reading a good hockey romance but this one was so different from the other ones. The team had so much love for one another, which is probably the reason why they play so well together. They're like one giant family. All of the back characters ended up making this story so much better. They all played an important role, especially Sutton's best friend. The Golden Goal is definitely a must-read for me💕💕

I received the audio version, and I loved the narrators! They were the perfect match for this story. Their voices captured the emotions very nicely and really bought the characters to life! I enjoyed listening to the audio so much!

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC!

The Golden Goal is a light hearted hockey romance following childhood frenemies as they realize their true relationship together. It has aspects of Frienmies to lovers, brothers best friend, he fell first and hard, and hockey!
The best part-
He keeps a hair tie for her on his wrist!

Sports Romance (Hockey), (Twin) Brothers Best Friend, Enemies to Lovers, No Spice

Sutton is a Physical Therapist for Shaw’s hockey team, however she knew him well before she began her new position on the hockey team. He is her brother's best friend and they were childhood rivals. There are so many good troupes in this book including he falls first and a slow burn. I loved the dual POV because you could really feel the tension and attraction building throughout the book. It was a slow slow burn. I think there was just enough sports coverage to give it a good sporty feel, but also enough story drama to keep the plot moving.

Kim and Oliver did an excellent job as narrators. They had excellent pacing and both did great with different character voices. I would recommend the audiobook for this novel.

One small note about Physical Therapists. I am a PT and did a residency with the PT of an AHL hockey team. I appreciated that Annah included stretching and exercises in her PTs treatment plan. So many people assume we just give massages, which is not accurate. Suttons college career is mentioned several times throughout the book as a four year degree. In the United States a Physical Therapy degree is a medical doctorate (DPT). Most PTs who go onto working with sports teams will also do an additional Residency in Sports Medicine. However, adding all this schooling would make Sutton a much older character, taking away from the new age adult feel of this book.

Basic info:
- Contemporary sports romance
- Dual POV, 1st person, single timeline
- Part of the series of standalone books

Tropes/hooks
- MMC hockey player/FMC physical therapist
- Dislike to love
- Brother's best friend
- He falls first and harder
- Forced proximity
- Caretaking
- They have known each other for their whole life.
- Romcom
- No spice, just kisses and make-outs

Synopsis and opinion:
Sutton (MMC) is a professional hockey player. Sutton and Shaw (FMC) have known each other since childhood and have been rivals from the same moment. When I say rivals, I mean it, they are one of those who keep score of how many times each of them won. They also might have sabotaged each other relations in the past. Nowadays Shaw got the job as a physical therapist for Sutton's team, so now they have to work together. From the moment Sutton sees Shaw at work, he knows it's his opportunity and is very determined to make her understand that their rivalry is in the past and they should be together. I enjoyed this book. It was a quick and fun read. Sutton and Shaw were cute together and their banter was very entertaining. Shaw brought his A-game as a book boyfriend. For some people, Sutton and Shaw can feel a little too childish, but they are in their early twenties after all.

Audio:
The audiobook was good. I have no complaints about the narrators. I enjoyed listening to the audiobook.

I received an ALC in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you to everyone involved in ALC distribution.

Plot: .5
Writing: .5
World building: 1
Characters: 1
Themes: .5
3.5/5

Spice: .5/5
Audiobook: 4/5

What you can expect:
- Clean/very low spice
- Brother's best friend
- He falls first, hard
- Rivals to lovers
- Hockey Romance

This was a light, fluffy hockey romance. It was a quick read with some angst and no spicy scenes. Over-all I liked the story and the dual POVs. I felt like the end was a bit rushed. I would have liked to explore them in an actual relationship more.

The audiobook is a dual narration. It was well done. I didn't love the narrators doing the opposite gender's voices. But other than that I enjoyed it! Their narration sucked me into the story and I enjoyed it all the more because of it.

Thank you to Dreamscape and Netgalley for an ALC of The Golden Goal in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly thank you Annah Conwell and NetGalley for picking me to receive and Audio ARC of The Golden Goal!!

So I started my first Annah Conwell book a few months ago, I started with One Last Play and I have loved every other book I’ve read by her. When I heard she was working on audio books for her books I wanted to give them a shot since I do listen to the occasional audio book and I hadn’t read the Golden Goal yet so I figured two birds one stone. And like all her previous books this one did not disappoint.

The FMC Sutton is great. She strong, independent, and snarky with Shaw, the MMC. I loved listening to them banter back and forth and for her to realize her feeling for him. Also the narrator for Sutton was amazing! I definitely think she brought the character to life and did a phenomenal job!!

The MMC Shaw is hilarious. He’s always teasing Sutton and their dynamic is some of my favorite's but I also adore banter. And while we watch Sutton realize her feelings for Shaw in her POV, Shaws POV is a different story since he’s loved her the whole time and listening to that was both making me swoon and also want to pull my hair out when I thought something would happen and then it just wasn’t the right moment. The voice actor for Shaw grew on me. He threw me off at the beginning but the more I listened the more I loved him as Shaw. And I think he did an amazing job as Shaw as well!

Overall I loved this book also if I had to pick a song that would go with their book I feel like ‘I won’t say I’m in love’ from Disneys Hercules would fit Sutton to a T but I think ‘All Of Me’ By John Legend would fit Shaw to a T. I’m definitely planning on reading the rest of Annah’s books!!

Title: The Golden Goal
Author: Annah Conwell
Narrators: Kim Churchill and Oliver Clarke
Rating: 3.5 rounded up to 4

This is my first book by Annah Conwell and it won't be my last!

The Golden Goal is is a clean romance with the following tropes: sports romance (hockey), slow burn, childhood rivals to lovers, brother’s best friend, best friend’s sister, he falls first. All of my favorites. I loved the chemistry between Sutton and Shaw. Not to mention, the narrators were SO good. I am excited to continue with this series.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this ALC!

This is one of the best romances I’ve read in a long time. The narrators made the story come alive; they were top-notch. The sense of love and longing made me fall in love with one of the characters. The author gives you a dual perspective in this novel, which is nice. I hope this novel turns into a series! I would love to see another novel from this author. Definitely give this book a read.

The Golden Goal is the first book in Annah Conwell’s More Than a Game sports series. This is a closed-door sports romance told in dual POV, with some mild cursing (no F-bombs).
Sutton Jones is a physical therapist who has relocated from North Carolina to Alabama to work for the Alabama Rockets, a NHL team. Her twin brother, Brock, is a professional golfer. Sutton has always been very competitive with both Brock and his best friend, Shaw. She resents Shaw for being naturally good at things that she has to work hard at. By high school she really resented Brock and Shaw’s interference in her romantic relationships.

Shaw Daniels has always had a secret crush on his best friends’ twin sister, Sutton. He recommended her for the position on his hockey team, hoping they could get reacquainted. He wants to end their childish rivalry and pursue a romantic relationship. However he has to get Sutton on board with the idea while keeping his teammates away from her.

There have been a lot of closed-door hockey romances published this year. The Golden Goal is unique because it takes place in Alabama, and it has a brother’s best friend trope. However I didn’t like Sutton as much as the heroines in other books because she seems spoiled and immature. Shaw, on the other hand, is a great guy. The best part of the story is the witty banter between Sutton and Shaw. I look forward to Brock’s story.

I enjoyed listening to The Golden Goal. The narrators, Kim Churchill and Oliver Clarke, do an outstanding job giving life to Sutton and Shaw. However, the female narrator did not use a southern accent for Sutton, which I found strange. She did an excellent southern accent for Dutton’s mother. It was great to listen to a clean hockey story.

I received an advance review copy (ARC) of the audiobook from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Golden Goal by Annah Conwell is a sweet hockey romance. I listened to this on audio, and it was a well-done dual narration. 

This story follows Shaw and Sutton, who have known each other forever but have never gotten along. Shaw is Sutton’s brother’s best friend. Sutton is a physical therapist and was just hired as the physical therapist for a hockey team, Shaw’s hockey team. 

I enjoyed having both of their POVs and seeing both of their stories and personalities. Shaw and Sutton have a connection that has gone ignored for too long. They banter like old friends, but Sutton has some grudges with Shaw she needs to work through. Their communication comes off a bit angsty and immature at times. 

If you are in the mood for a clean/closed-door hockey romance with chemistry and tension, this is for you! 

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy to read and review honestly. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really wanted to like this book! I've been into hockey romances lately, but this one missed the mark for me.

Started out liking the book but got bored super fast. They never fight and it felt like the beginning of a middle school relationship.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this advanced audio copy.

I listened to an advance audio recording from NetGalley. I appreciate being given the opportunity. As an audio book, it was very well done. The narrators did a great job. That is a big reason I kept listening when I wasn't loving the it. You can read the summary when looking at the book I won't add it here. I liked this book, in general. I liked Shaw alot. I had a harder time with Sutton. I had to stop listening and listen to something else several times because she was just bugging me. Kudos to the author for not taking the plot the way I thought she would. I was dreading that and it was the way she ended it that redeemed the book from where it was at 1.5-2 stars in my mind at halfway through. But, I don't really like, or believe, the enemies to lovers thing very much. It was worth it in the end but I really struggled getting there.

This was such a fast cute read. I am in love with the he falls first trope and it was done so well here. I loved the banter and how the characters didn’t instantly fall in love. I do wish we got to see slone on the ice more. It was clear she loved it and I loved them on the ice together.

Shaw Daniels, everyone. Honestly, Shaw was THE BEST and it made me just love this book. I love how their relationship evolved from being competitive kids to working together to finding romance there. He was so sweet to her all the time and really protective too. He stood back and watched her make her own life though, all while loving her fiercely. Sutton is great too and I really appreciated how open they were about their feelings and knowing that they meant more to each other. I especially liked that they confided to others early, not risking someone finding out by accident. Overall, this was such a wholesome and cute hockey romance!