I love a wife guy, and this one was smitten from the start. He took one look at his girl, and there was no turning back after that. The quirky meet cute was fun, the marriage of convenience was a win, and the roommates scenario won me over. It’s like the tropes were custom made me for me, and that made this an easy, devourable read. I can’t quite put my finger on why I didn’t completely love it, except that the storyline might’ve been a little too low angst and aligned with the usual progression of the tropes. I binged the first 60-70% in one sitting and then lost interest, since I was confident I knew where things were going. That’s more of a me problem than the book’s problem though - this will certainly satisfy that light and swoony craving.

The story follows Jamie, a pro football player from a famous family. When the team begins to struggle, PR encourages him to enter into a fake relationship with a fan to get some positive attention. After an unexpected encounter with Blakely, Jamie knows she’s the perfect girl for the job. She’s the guardian of her teenage brother, a promising football player who is a huge fan. There’s also something about Blakely that reels Jamie in from the start, and faking a relationship - while living together - makes everything feel even more real. But Blakely has been hurt in the past, and she’s hesitant to believe that Jamie is in it for keeps.

I’ve been meaning to try Cowan’s work for a while now, and the tropes in this were just impossible to resist. Yes, it’s the final book in a series and will likely be more impactful for longtime fans, but I had no trouble reading it as a standalone. Jamie and Blakely have great chemistry, and I loved that Jamie embraced Blakely’s brother as well. It’s got found family vibes, and Jamie is a green flag for sure. I ate up the tropes, and the writing is ideal for bingeing. I don’t have any major complaints whatsoever; it just needed a little more of that special something to truly make it great. It’s a lighthearted, easygoing read, and I have to imagine that anyone who has been following the series will consider it an absolute win.

Audio note: Really good audio! Alex Kydd is one of my personal favorites, and I seek out books narrated by him. His voice hooked me the moment I started listening to Becka Mack’s audiobooks, and I definitely associate his voice with “smitten sports guy,” so it was a perfect fit for this. I’ve listened to a few books narrated by Amy Hall, and I enjoy her voice as well. It’s not a standout to me, but easy to listen to for sure. The combination made for an excellent listening experience. The runtime (11-12 hours) was just long enough that I couldn’t finish in a single day, but the vibes were just right for audio. It’s a slow burn that gets spicy later in the story, so you could probably start at the office and finish at home. Audio is for sure the way I’d suggest experiencing the story - highly recommended in the format.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | A touchdown of heart, heat, and happily-ever-after—series finales don’t get more satisfying than this

Hannah Cowan sends her Greatest Love series out on a roaring victory with Their Greatest Strength, fusing sports-romance swagger, marriage-of-convenience sparks, and a heroine who can stiff-arm a billionaire athlete’s ego without breaking a sweat.

🏈 A playbook of perfect opposites
Blakely—reformed cat-burglar, fiercely loyal, and exquisitely unpredictable—bursts onto the page with pickpocket swagger and hidden vulnerability.

Jaxon—gridiron golden boy who “needs a wife for the headlines”—thinks he’s calling the plays, but Blakely keeps intercepting his heart at every turn.

Their chemistry is electric from that first ill-fated break-in, and watching their transactional “two-month deal” morph into soul-deep devotion had me glued to my earbuds.

🎧 Narration that scores the extra point
Alex Kydd gives Jaxon an irresistible mix of locker-room confidence and quiet tenderness, while Amy Hall nails Blakely’s quick-witted bravado and aching insecurities. Their banter feels like real-time sparring; their softer moments land like a perfectly thrown spiral straight to the chest.

💥 What elevates it to five stars
Found-family cameos from earlier books add warmth without stealing the spotlight.

Authentic sports details—from play-calls to press-conference politics—ground the fairytale stakes.

Emotional tackles: anxiety, self-worth, and trusting love after betrayal are handled with sensitivity, never dragging the pace.

A finale epilogue that ties every loose thread into a bow worthy of a championship ring.

Final whistle
If you’ve followed the Greatest Love roster, this closer is the victory parade you’ve been waiting for. And if you’re new to Sugarlake’s swoony universe? Dive in—Their Greatest Strength stands tall on its own, delivering a full-contact romance that leaves your heart doing an end-zone celebration.

Five triumphant stars, and a roaring crowd-chant for Hannah Cowan: you stuck the landing and spiked the ball.

Wow, this audiobook literally blew me away and had me hanging onto the author’s every single word. This was so swoon-worthy and now I can’t wait to read more from her!

Hannah, I've said it before, and I'll say it again.... It has been an absolute pleasure watching you grow as an author!

This book! This book just weaseled its way deep into my heart! I freaking love, Jamie! Omg how can I not after reading his story!

I'll be honest, though, this quote... This is where you broke me.... "Everyone has scars, whether externally or internally, but if you’re ashamed of them, you’ll never learn how to be proud of everything you’ve overcome."

I needed Jamie and Blakely story in a way I can't even explain!
I loved it!

Overall ★★★★★/5
Spice ☆☆☆/5
Audio ★★★★★/5

This was such a great book! I am so sad this series is over, I love all the characters so much, but this book was a great way to end the series.

I have been waiting for this book since His Greatest Treasure.
Jamieson is probably my favorite MMC of the entire series. He was so caring and just a green flag.
Blakely is struggling trying to make ends meet and provide for her brother. Jamieson and Blakely meet in the strangest way (she literally goes into his house), but Jamie immediately feels a connection with her and can’t stop thinking about her. Fate brings them together again when she is trying to buy her brother shoes and Jamieson just happens to be the football star at the store singing the shoes.
Jamieson is in need of a fake wife to help his team gain more publicity so he asks Blakely and in return she and her brother are able to live with him.
Jamie and Blakely are just so adorable together. Blakely is a fierce, protective and independent FMC. She has a hard time opening up but she starts to let her walls down with Jamie. She started to trust him and learn that it is okay to lean on others for help.
Jamie is just so sweet with the biggest heart and he is all in with Blakely.
I loved how Jamie immediately built a bond with Blakely’s brother, Nate. The three of them and their found family just made me so happy!
It was also fun to see characters from the other book in this one!

🎧 Audiobook: I was so excited when I saw the narrators would be Amy Hall and Alex Kydd. I thought they were the perfect Blakely and Jamie. They made the audiobook so enjoyable and really brought the characters to life.

Rating ⭐️: 5/5
Spice 🌶️: 2.5/5
Audio 🎧: 5/5

🏈 Football romance
💚 Marriage of convenience
🏈 He falls first
💚 Single guardian
🏈 Grumpy x sunshine
💚 Forced proximity
🏈 “My wife”

Thank you so much to Hannah Cowan and Netgalley for the ALC & ARC!

If Hannah Cowan writes it, I will read it! I love love her word! I love her characters the Greatest Love Series are all so good and just so amazing to meet! This book was nothing but perfect ending this beautiful series! This book was swoony and fun to read! I recommend this book 10 folds!

This is one of my favourite series of all time. And Hannah Cowan didn’t disappoint with the last instalment of the series. It was PERFECT.

Now not only was this the perfect ending to a series, I love the fake marriage trope is a favourite of mine and I cannot tell you how much I loved this book.

The narrators were amazing and had me hooked form the first chapter and I love this audiobook so much. It just fits in with all the others in the series

I loved everything about Jamie and Blakely’s story. It was the perfect end to this world that Hannah has created. I loved their meet cute and how his nickname for her was Bandit for the whole rest of the book. I loved how Jamie fell hard for Blakely despite her being hesitant about it. I loved seeing his family take her in. The scene with his dad when she was crying got me.

Is it too much to ask for a guy to love and protect a girl like Jamie did for Blakely? I don’t think so. The scenes at the end make me so mad for her but thank goodness for Jamie.

Then, the epilogue. I wasn’t ready for it. But we were able to see all our favorites and have this world tied up with a bow. I’m sad to see them go but that just means I’ll have to reread!

I listened to this as an audiobook and it was both the first of this series that I have read in the first Hannah Cowan book I have read. I really enjoyed it. There's a little too much history to read this is a standalone, but that didn't bother me. I just went along for the ride and what a ride it was. The angst and the tension were spot on creating a fabulous story that made me love both the always sunny and easy going MMC and the worried and closed off FMC. This is definitely a black cat/golden retriever scenario. The narrators did a fabulous job of portraying the characters and making them come to life. I'm off to buy the rest of the series and anything else Hannah writes!

Big thanks to NetGalley and @hannahcowanauthor for a copy of this audio book. This is my honest opinion.

I was very excited to listen to an ALC of this audiobook. Amy Hall and Alex Kydd are two of my most favorite narrators in romancelandia. They did an absolutely wonderful job portraying Blakely and Jamie and the other cast of characters. The banter, the poignant emotional moments, and the swoony and steamy scenes were performed with incredible skill by these two industry veterans.

I would love to rate this book higher than 4 stars, and the only reason I am not doing so is because it was difficult for me to suspend my disbelief about a couple of the plot points given this is a contemporary romance.

Otherwise, an extremely enjoyable listen.

THOROUGHLY ENJOYED. i only started reading Hannah Cowan late last year and i am disappointed that i didnt read her books sooner, she has quickly become a new favorite of mine.

the narrators were so good for the characters of Blakely and Jamie, they really brought their characters and the story to life. i really think Amy did such a stellar job with Blakely character and really just made her so incredibly relatable. caring and loving Nate? doing everything for him? she was such a strong and fierce character and i loved it.

I swooned hard over Jamie tho, i mean he was a prime specimen and truly this duo in an engagement to help each other out? perfection. Jamie and Blakely nailed that shit and i wanted nothing more than to see them get their happy ending.

“I’ve never experienced such a draw to someone before. Such an overwhelming desire to simply give in and let him take care of me. My heart screams that I wouldn’t regret it, but my mind and plain old-fashioned inability to give my heart to someone are always quick to slap me with reality.”

Just when I think Hannah can’t write a better MMC than the last book, she does and does it again!! JAMIE IS MINE AND NO ONE ELSE CAN HAVE HIM!!!

One of my favorite parts of Hannah’s stories is her ability to write relatable characters. I find a part of myself in every one of her characters, especially Jamie and Blakely! Their inner thoughts, feelings and actions in the book made me feel so SEEN!!

The spice and chemistry between these two was electric from their first meeting and once we finally got to the good part it was SOOOO worth the wait!

I’m so sad that this series is over… Lucky Hit was my first Hannah Cowan novel and I feel like it’s the end of an era here! Cannot wait to see where you take us to next!

“You may be bruised, but you’re not broken. And I didn’t choose you because of your mom. Your pain and the struggle you’ve faced has never affected how I view you. For the good or bad. Not once.”

5⭐️ 3🌶️ 4.75🎧

Relationship dynamic: MF
Tropes/Microtropes/Vibes/Reps:
💍 Engagement/marriage of convenience
🌤️ Grumpy x sunshine
🤝🏻 Forced proximity
🔗 Found family
💞 Single guardian
😮‍💨 My wife
❤️‍🔥 Slow burn
❤️ Curvy FMC
🥷 She tries to rob him

Producer: Lyric Audiobooks
Narrators: Amy Hall + Alex Kydd
Narration type: dual
Writing perspective: first person, dual POV
Standard length (pages): 416p
Standard length (time): 12:02
Listening speed: 2.5x
Listened via: NetGalley
Read via: Kindle
ARC/ALC provided by: Hannah Cowan + NetGalley

📖 This series is EVERYTHING. I absolutely adore Hannah’s writing and this entire family and I’m so sad it’s over, but she gave me everything I could have ever wanted for this last book. I am a Noah girlie through and through, give me a moody broken boy and I’m hooked. BUTTTT Hannah’s golden retriever sweeties have been working their way under my skin and into my heart… between Johnnie and Jamie, I’m wondering if I’m a changed woman lol! Jamie is absolute perfection. He is kind, generous, compassionate, friendly, loyal, and he just so happens to be a HOT as sin football player. Blakey is also fabulous! I adore grumpy/black cat FMCs, and she’s a gorgeous mid size girl which I LOVE! She is guarded for a good reason and has a ton of responsibility on her young shoulders. Her and her brother have the best relationship, and I love how Jamie interacts with Nathan. I had a smile on my face for so much of this book!

🎧 Amy Hall was the PERFECT Blakely! She absolutely nailed the grumpy demeanor and self consciousness that Blakely felt throughout the story. Her deeper pitch and smooth timbre are so easy to listen to and unique to her.
Alex Kydd sounded fantastic as Jamie! He really does an incredible job delivering the high energy required for golden retriever characters like Jamie. His Canadian accent and warm timbre are perfect for the character. I also think Alex has really elevated his female voices!

It never ceases to amaze me how much harder I fall in love with Hannah’s writing with each book I read of hers. I have been a follower and adoring fan of Hannah since “Lucky Hit” so to say that this was my absolute favorite book of hers to date, that is not an easy thing for me to say. I love everything she has put out but this book just holds such a bittersweet place in my heart. The end of an era, the conclusion of the greatest love series, took a piece of my heart with it. However, I genuinely couldn’t have dreamed up a better couple to end it with. Jamieson and Blakely were utter perfection and everything I could have wanted and more. Jamieson Bateman, has stolen my entire heart with his cocky but also somehow sweet confidence and heart of gold. Blakely Monroe, wasn’t far behind, she’s a complete and total warrior! Her fierce protectiveness and sheer determination to take care of Nate and give him the best life she could no matter what it took, Whatta queen.

To say goodbye to such a phenomenal family tree had me very emotional but I adored the way Hannah weaves everyone into this final book seamlessly. The entire crew, from the OG Swift Hat Trick characters, to the now grand babies of the greatest loves, are so effortlessly featured and wrapped up in this final installment. It took me a bit to be able to put into words how much I loved this book, but I guess it’s hard to really eloquently describe the conclusion of characters and universe that brought you to one of your favorite authors. Infinite stars wouldn’t even begin to describe it.

This audio was immaculate and perfectly fit for this book. I would listen to Alex Kydd read a take out menu if he read it and Amy Hall was the perfect Blakely.


WHAT TO EXPECT:

What to expect:
💍 Engagement of convenience/marriage of convenience
👦 Single guardian
♥️ He falls first and harder
🫶🏻Found family
🥵She walks in on him in the shower
💋Forced proximity
🔥 Slow burn
☀️ Reverse grumpy sunshine
🚿 Mutual hair washing
🍆 We’ll make it fit

This is #5 in the Greatest Love series by Hannah Cowan. I read this as a standalone.

I really liked this. I can see me picking up the rest of the series. The character development was really good. I loved the storyline. Who doesn't love a modern day Cinderella story? The narrators were perfect. 5 stars.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Tantor Audio for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My favourite of the series so far. The characters had such good chemistry and the found family element was so perfect! I absolutely loved how well he integrated her into his world and was so proud of her for using her voice. Amazing read overall

Hannah is a sports romance queen! And Amy Hall has quickly become one of my absolute favorite female narrators, so seeing her name on this one was a quick grab for me. Her voice is such a comfort listen and brings any character and ease. I love knowing that Hannah can deliver in this genre and I'm just going to throughly enjoy from start to finish.

The Greatest Love Series has been such a sweet and swoony journey. So many charming love stories that make your heart flutter. And I can't believe Their Greatest Strength brings this adorable series to a close, but what a adorable and heartfelt finale. Like the rest of the series, it's lovable, it's endearing, it's full of characters we adore, and the HEA is swoonworthy.

Jamie is loads of fun- he's loyal and sweet, genuine and kind...but also full of that athlete swagger. He has SO much charisma, and he's truly game for the very unique situation he finds himself in. And I loved Blakely. She's a hard worker and sincere and so resilient. She's got some hang-ups, sure, understandably after the adversity she's faced. But she's so relatable- and has so much heart. And gosh I just adored how she was with her teenage brother. Their dynamic was so cute.

I loved watching Jamie break down her walls- he's the perfect type of hero to really dig into a heroine that is more closed off. A heroine who needs genuine love. They have a bit of an instant connection and attraction, but Hannah cultivates their connection over the story. I loved their chemistry- the banter, the push pull, the genuine respect. The flirty fun but also the more sincere moments too. This is definitely more of a slower burn, but the pay off was worth the boiling tension of the wait. And in the meantime, we've got plenty of "my wife" content to just sizzle.

The audio for this was really well done. Alex Kydd I think is one of the most underrated male narrators- he always brings so much swagger and heart to every performance. The perfect bravado but with real substance for Jamie. And I'm less familiar with Amy Hall, but she really captured all of Blakely vibes so well. The grumpiness, the closed off hesitation, the strength and vulnerabilty. I really loved her performance.

What to expect
🏈 marriage of convenience
🏈 single guardian (of her teenage brother)
🏈 he falls first and harder
🏈 found family
🏈 forced proximity
🏈 black cat x golden retriever / opposites attract
🏈 slow burn

this was so cute!!!! i am forever a hannah cowan fan and this was no different. i quiiickly fell in love with them. i was so excited for her brother when she accepted the fake marriage proposal because he's a huge fan of him! like how cool?!?!

I have enjoyed this series so much- I was so happy to be able to listen to Jamie’s story! Jamie and Blakely’s love story is a bit of a rollercoaster to start but I love how it progressed! I appreciate that there wasn’t a third act breakup! These narrators are so good, I highly recommend the audio version!