What an absolutely sweet marriage of convenience between besties romance. MMC with asperger’s! Down on her luck single mom with a heart condition! A cute baby that acts like a baby and not a plot baby! An excellent start.

But aside from the romance (which was sweet and cute with the best touch of angst via “how do I tell my best friend I’m in love with them), I resonated with Ford’s overstimulation SO MUCH. Just the pure skin crawling, suffocating feeling of having to much sensory stimulation going on at once was so spot on. And I liked that his neurodivergence was something we see him struggle with. Not because autism is a bad thing but because some of us had a bit more of a journey to accepting that it’s not a *flaw*. It’s just part of our DNA and that’s normal for us! Plus big man hold baby is an automatic yes from me.

The MCs are both super loveable and sweet (Ford is a bit of a grumpy gills McGhee. Love). And the marrying for insurance purposes is a favorite angle of mine in romance because if more people could do it, they absolutely would and I don’t blame them. It’s sweet to see these two form a little family with baby Nella and grow into a romantic relationship with each other. I mean Ford was already in love but Amber’s “oh shit is this love was adorable!

Closed door isn’t something I gravitate to but every now and then I need closed door because spicy books can burn me out quickly but the chemistry is deffo there!

Some things were resolved a tad too easily for it to have been built up over the course of the whole story but I appreciated that there was at least an attempt to inject some conflict into an otherwise toothache sweet story. Like Amber’s ex wasn’t a problem until he was and then he went away fast? Ford telling his teammates about his autism (which off I understood why he kept it from them) was kinda anticlimactic? Just nit picky things that kept this from being perfect for me!

The audio was great, but I did struggle with the MMC narrator because at times he got really…monotone? And it was a strange, jarring choice.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an ALC! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

I absolutely love Leah’s books. This one was one of my absolute favorites. Marriage of convenience, friends to lovers, disability rep, A MAN WHO TAKES CARE OF A BABY. I loved every bit of it. The audio was so well done and fun to listen to!

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4.5⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: contemporary romance 📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
A sweet and fun book you need to read if you’re in your hockey romance era!

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
🏒 Hockey romance
💗 Best friends to lovers
👦🏻 Neurodivergent Hero
🤱🏼Single mom
💍 Marriage of convenience
🏠 Forced proximity
🤒 Sick bed scene
👰🏼‍♀️ “My wife”
🖤 Fade to Black

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
I love a cinnamon roll hockey player
No third act break up
Great side characters


I really enjoyed the narration

Amber and Ford been BF since children and Amber known Ford is special he has High functional Autism and it hard for him to express his emotions and doesnt like to be touch. Ford love Amber but she had a fiance until he leave her pregnant and she is on her own. She come to visit Ford and tell him she has to have surgery and if anything happens to her she want ford to look after her child. Amber is struggling with financially so Ford ask her to marry him to help her but the real reason is because he love her and want to help hwr and she is the only person her touch does t irk him. I love it because this hit home my five year is Autistic and everyday i worry for his future so reading books about it, ease my mind.

This is my 2nd Leah Brunner book and it won’t be my last! I really like the characters in this series and can’t wait to read more about these hockey players and their WAGs (wives and girlfriends).
🌹
Ford and Amber have been childhood best friends but Amber finds herself a little lost and alone as a single mother and turns to her friend Ford. He thinks of a creative solution to her problems and their quickly marriage of convenience gives everyone whiplash.
🌹
I liked the past sneak peeks of their friendship and how they always trusted each other. And friends to more, this was a satisfying HEA with some swoon but closed door romance.
🌹
I listened to the audiobook which released 2 weeks ago. The narrators were perfect! I loved seeing Ford care for Amber and loved how Amber took care with Ford’s neurodivergence. Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for the alc.

Even though Ford is a hockey player he is absolutely the most amazing guy and I loved how the author handled his challenges. There was such a steady strength to him and I was in love. Amber was so easy to like and I just wanted all the happily ever after. It’s so far out of my life and was therefore the best escape read.

The narrators did an amazing job keeping me interested and I loved the dual POV.

I won’t lie, this book still has me swooning! Betrothal or Breakaway by Leah Brunner is a gem of a romance that had me smiling from start to finish! I sometimes struggle with the ‘lack of communication’ often seen in a romcom read, and found these characters' straightforwardness so refreshing!
This friends-to-lovers / fake marriage tale features Ford Remington, a gentle and steadfast hockey player with mild Asperger’s, and Amber, a sweet single mom who’s been his best friend since childhood. Their journey is filled with heartwarming moments, especially as Ford’s tender care for Amber and her baby girl, Nella, shines through. The way Ford navigates his feelings and supports Amber through her struggles is touching and beautifully done.
The story is brimming with genuine emotion, humor, and the perfect balance of romance and depth. Not only is the romance perfect, but I loved the connections with family and teammates.! If you're looking for a heartfelt and engaging read, Betrothal or Breakaway is the perfect pick!
Huge thank you to @netgalley and Packnack Publishing for the audiobook copy!

Well this was delightful!
I shouldn't be surprised since I adored all the books prior in this series.
Ford is probably my favourite character Brunner has ever written!
So relatable and adorable and heartbreaking.
I loved this story sooo much!!!
Much love to NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for my ARC.

It’s such a cute story! I love the chemistry between the characters. I also love the autism/Aspergers representation of a main character. Things like this are so important in books to show how different people are, challenges we may face, and how people with these conditions can live completely normal lives. The narrators were also great. Definitely give this one a read!

This book had me crying and cackling the whole time! Is there anything better the friends to lovers? No, no there is not. I resonate so much with Ford, our brains seems so similar in the way we processing the world. Amber instance and accepts him for exactly who he is. This is a couple that will be together till the end Noah and Allie style. The kindness of the team and fords family once they found out fire went out and got married without telling anyone will have you wishing you could squeeze into this friend group and family. I can’t wait for what Leah Brunner comes up with next.

I love this book! It’s so sweet! I laughed and cried, Amber and Ford(Remi) are the cutest and the banter in this book is amazing. 10 out of 10!

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This was a fast, cute read. Not a steamy series but enjoyable all the same.

Leah Brunner does it again for this series! I have loved this series so far and this latest one didn’t disappoint. It was so cute how the big hockey player became the tiny girl dad. I actually loved how well the author did with the MMCs struggle with autism too and how he had to reveal his secret. If there was one part I didn’t like, it was the junk about the baby’s real dad. That felt like a bit too much, he could have just stayed out of it. The rest was adorable and it was so good to see the FMC be loved like she deserved and to see her daughter be loved and cared for too.

What a sweet book! This book is a childhood friends to lovers fake dating story that will make your heart melt. I really enjoyed these characters and the spectrum representation!

This book follows Amber a newly single mom who is stubbornly independent and her childhood best friend Ford who is a big time hockey player. Amber needs surgery but finds herself in-between health insurance plans at the moment and that's where Ford steps in. He suggests what any logical person would do with is suggest marriage so she doesn't have to pay as much out of pocket. This is a great addition to the DC Eagles series but definitely can be read as a standalone. It wasn't until I requested this book that I realized it was a part of a series that I had started and really enjoyed so no pressure to read the others first. This can definitely be enjoyed on it's own! - And yes I will definitely be continuing the series.

The one frustration I have with friends to lovers is that sometimes the spark can feel out of no where on the end of the person. And although I felt that way a little bit on Amber's end, because yeah you have a gorgeous, sweet professional hockey player as a best friend for your whole life and never consider more? That seems a little crazy. But their romance I think Ford will always have a piece of my heart.

I recommend this book to anyone who has enjoyed hockey romances in the past and is looking for a sweet loving addition to their collection. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this story!

𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑻𝑹𝑶𝑷𝑬𝑺:
🍼 single mom
🏒 marriage of convenience
🍼 childhood friends to lovers
🏒 cinnamon roll MMC
🍼 closed door

𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑻𝑯𝑶𝑼𝑮𝑯𝑻𝑺:
This book was exactly what I pictured Out on a Limb to be with zero spice. I loved it so much 🥹

Amber was such a good mom and I loved the found family that happened in this book. It warmed my heart 💓 she really valued her friendship with Ford and the love that blossomed between them was just so pure and innocent!

Ford is a 6’5” NHL team captain who has autism and struggles to make connections either others. I feel like he really stole the show in this book because he was the SWEETEST MMC 😭 he loved Amber since they were young and immediately wanted nothing more than to help her. Y’all love a man who’s never been with another woman until her?? HERE YA GO. Y’all love a, “my wife” moment that just absolutely slaps? HERE YA GO.

I’m totally addicted from one book and I’m definitely looking forward to continuing this series!

I absolutely adored this audiobook! The ONLY gripe I had was whenever Nella ‘cried’ in Ford’s POV, the cry startled me. Otherwise the voice actors were fantastic.

It is so refreshing to get a genuinely adorable friends to lovers romance that fade to black. I generally lean towards novels that are not fade to black, but this one was phenomenal! There was nothing taken away from the story/plot by not having those scenes play out in page. All the tension, tenderness, and relationship building was insanely good!

Ford Remington is such a softie and very well written autism representation as an adult. The author did a great job at portraying how it is to be neurodivergent as you age and how tough it can be to be yourself around neurotypical peers.

The author also did a great job at writing Amber as a supportive friend, partner, and mother throughout her life.

This was my first book by this author and I will most definetly be going back and reading the previous novels in this interconnected series!

Betrothal or Breakaway
by Leah Brunner

I was gifted this audiobook by Leah Brunner, Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for my honest review. This is my first time listening to a Leah Brunner book. This is book 3 of the DC Eagles hockey series but I was able to start listening this with no issues. It can be read/listened to as a standalone. I felt like I jumped right in and understood all the characters effortlessly while listening.

This is such a charming story about childhood friends that become lovers. I truly enjoyed this audio book. I fell in love with Amber and Ford's relationship. It starts out with their childhood meet cute and develops into a life long friendship. I have never read a book about a neurodivergent character I felt like it was so tastefully done. I loved Ford how caring and attentive he was to Amber and Nella throughout the book. My heart just melted on the floor.

I'm new to David Bendena he did an amazing job bringing Ford's character to life. He was able to convey all of Ford's emotions. Alex Picard brought Amber's sassy and sweet personality. Together I really think they hit the mark on delivering a spectacular listen.

If you love marriage of convenience, single mom, one bed, and forced proximity this book is for you. I'm a sucker for forced proximity romance novels. This was a sweet and endearing audio book.

I have enjoyed all the books in the D.C. Eagles series but this one is a new fav! I loved Amber and Remy's connection and how dedicated to her he was. I also loved his connection with Nella her daughter. This book was so incredibly sweet and I loved the mental health representation.

Remy has always been in love with Amber and it's so cute to see them finally figure out that they should be together. I loved how she understood and supported Remy so well. Remy has high-functioning autism and I loved how Leah Brunner showed his struggles as well as him being able to be flexible and competent despite them.

If you like a sweet hockey romance, a marriage of convenience, friends to lovers or a single-parent romance this is for you! It is a closed-door romance so perfect for fans of a hockey romance who prefer lower spice. I can't wait for the next in the series!

I listened to the audiobook of this title and enjoyed it! Alex Picard and David Bendena did the narration. They were both new to me narrators. Overall I enjoyed the audiobook but there were some sound effects like baby cries I wish the narrators hadn't attempted.

This is the 4th book in the series. And I have been (not so) patiently waiting for Remy's (Ford's) book! And it did NOT disappoint!! This book is absolutely going to be one of my favorite of the year. It is that good! We get lots of answers. Why Amber couldn't consider Ford as more than a friend for a long time. What is that tattoo that Ford got? Will Amber's ex come in an ruin everything she and Ford have going?

Some of my very favorite things happen in this book. No spice, but ALL THE SIZZLE! Toe curling kisses. Adorable time between Ford and Nella (Amber's daughter), Autism rep. Such funny banter with the team. I couldnt' get over it. And NO MISCOMMUNICATION TROPE! Seriously, I will be living in this book for a long time. Maybe it is time to reread the series. Ahhhh Ford. Ford and Amber and Nella FOREVER!

This friends to lovers, single mom, marriage of convenience was SO good!! I love the DC Eagles books, and its definitely a favorite ice hockey romance series for sure.

I loved the comfortable dynamic between Amber and Ford, and Ford's relationship wth Amber's daughter. They had a very natural relationship and it felt so genuine. Ford was protective but not a bulldozer at all. I appreciated that.

I do wish we had more tense moments of the 2 having to fake their marriage before they ultimately confessed their feelings for each other. I feel like they weren't tested in having to fake the marriage. I do also wish we got more group scenes with the other hockey wives and players. The other books had more of that and I missed it in this one!