Thanks, Dreamscape Select for the ALC.
When Whitney gets a call from the Miami Mayhem administration saying they want to help her rundown soccer academy, she's elated. The place means everything to her as it was where she found shelter and purpose as a kid living in foster care. She never got to realize her own dreams of playing at collegiate level, but she's working hard to make to make it happen to other kids.
So, when they offer to send soccer superstar Alexander Hardy, Brit import to the MLS, to play with the kids and do some press, she thinks it's a dream - meeting her idol and getting financial help for the academy.
But... the arrogant sex symbol stood her (and the kids!) up. The nerve! She confronts him and they ending up betting on soccer skills. If he loses, he'll have to dedicate a month to the academy. His reputation is down in the dumps with the MLS, so he'd better not screw this up. Too bad he's completely smitten with the feisty girl...
What a delightful audiobook! Narrated dual style by Samantha Brentmoor and Gary Furlong, who rock! They both switch back and forth between different voices and  accents and it's perfection! 
I loved this one! Whitney is someone you want to cheer for. Coming from a life of abandonment, you understand her unwillingness to believe good things can happen to her and that people do stay. Hardy is the perfect bad boy with a heart of gold. You get to see the layers peeled off of him and why he's also someone who lost so much and you understand. 
It's a lovely story of found family, showing up, healing from past trauma, Cinderella moments, achieving dreams, finding new dreams. As they say in my country: GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAL!!!!
Content notes: toxic relationship with parents, living in foster care, mentions of drug use and overdose, psychological child abuse, child abandonment, death of a loved one 
Sports Romance | Soccer | Reformed Bad Boy

First of all thank you to K Bromberg, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me early access to this audiobook! All opinions in this review are my own.

3.5 stars rounded up :)

It was a cute book.

Its about Whitney a football coach who teaches at a run down football school for the less fortunate.
Alexander Hardy is forced to help Whitney to clean up his image.
He is a huge asshole but Whitney cant help but to fall for him.

It was cute but goddamn Hardy was absolutely unbearable in the first 50% of the book.
I made a note that i for sure would have killed him at around 25% in.
But at some point he kinda grew on me a bit and i didnt wish him dead anymore💀

Doesnt mean i actually like him tho. Im kinda eh towards him.

Fun romance with just the right amount of spice

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3/5 ⭐️

⚽️ Sports Romance
⚽️ Badboy, Goodgirl
⚽️ British MMC, American MFC
⚽️ Enemies to lovers

Story follows Whitney and Hardy working together (he’s volunteering~voluntold) at her soccer academy for underprivileged kids while fixing his bad boy soccer star reputation. MMC was cocky and MFC was untrusting due to their past traumas and strained family relationships.

Audiobook format was good Samantha Brentmoor and Gary Furlong were both a prefect fit for their respective characters

First of all, thank you NetGalley for the chance to listen to this audiobook!

This isn’t my first book from this author and I’m glad I had the chance to listen to this one! I loved that there’s a cameo from another book of hers the Play Hard series I believe it was!

Don’t want to give any spoilers but if you like football (or American soccer) this is a good adult take on it! Not the typical college romance so it’s a nice change to get into!

Whitney runs a soccer club in Miami. It is struggling financially but she is determined to give the kids in the neighborhood a place to go. She gets a call from Miami's professional team- they want to send a player out for a day, with full media coverage. Whitney knows it is a ploy for their bad-boy (Hardy) to get some good publicity, but she agrees for the sake of the kids. Then he doesn't show up. She is livid. She confronts him and he finally shows up. In the midst of their constant bickering, they make a bet. If he loses, he will come to camp for a month. He is cocky and intentionally misses a shot- and Whitney wins. It changes both of their lives in ways they never imagined.

I liked this one so much! Both Whitney and Hardy were well developed. They both had serious issues in their backgrounds that were similar, yet very different. Both have trust issues and react in different ways. But they were able to recognize that in each other and learned to reassure the other.

It's been a while since I picked up a romance that was this well developed.

Gary Furlong and Samantha Brentmoor narrate the audioboook.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a great sports romance!! And I absolutely loved the narration!! They did so good!

From the first meet and throughout the book I loved the interactions between Hardy and Whitney. There’s angst and both have a bunch of childhood trauma. I was happy with the resolution with things revolving around it. I was also happy with the chemistry these too have! They definitely brought some spice!

There are some heavy elements in this book, including but not limited to drugs and addiction and death, so take care while reading. I feel like it was mostly done well. I overall enjoyed this book and found it hard to put down!

With her soccer academy in jeopardy, Whitley reaches out to the local pro league for donations, but instead of a cash flow she gets a player that it's surprising his ego can fit on the pitch. But Hardy is more than just a larger than life football player from England, he is a man who has skeletons in his closet. The two seem like an unlikely pair, but with a beautiful written story K. Bromberg brings them to life and by the end of the book you will not only become a fan of the game but Whitley and Hardy wil become a favorite duo and these two characters could not have been more perfectly narrated.

I just finished this in audiobook and I really enjoyed it.

Whitney is an incredible main character. She's been through so much, but she's so independent, and I totally connected with her. I was rooting for her every step of the way! Hardy didn't exactly make a great first impression, but he definitely grew on me. By the end, I had such a soft spot for him.

The storyline was gripping, and all the characters were so well developed. I especially loved getting those glimpses into both Whitney's and Hardy's pasts, it really helped me understand them on a deeper level. They had great chemistry and I could really feel the connection between them.

Shoutout to the narrators, Gary Furlong and Samantha Brentmoor. They did a great job bringing these characters to life. Their performances were spot on, and they perfectly conveyed all the emotions, making me feel everything right along with them.

If you're looking for an audiobook with a strong heroine, a hero who'll win you over, and a story that pulls you in, definitely give this one a listen!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Select for an ALC of this audiobook. I voluntarily read and gave an honest review.

I'm a sucker for a soccer romance and this one doubled down with two elite players from opposite sides of the track; paired together for a mutually beneficial publicity stunt. One a boarding school phenom turned Premier League star with a scandalous reputation; the other a foster kid with a revoked full-ride scholarship left in charge of a failing soccer academy for underprivileged kids. Both have as much baggage as they have talent. A bit of a slow burn despite obvious chemistry, his eagerness early on and being her "hall pass". But once their carefully constructed walls finally come down, they relate in more ways than the one. Sassy and spicy, yes, but with a depth that will tug at your heartstrings. The duet audio narration definitely contributed to my enjoyment of this story. How can it not with a British football player MMC and Samantha Brentmoor as FMC?

Quick Summary: A dreamy "think, wonder, & decide" romance

My Review: Lucky Shot by K. Bromberg is a standalone, contemporary romance. It is scheduled for release on 6/25/25.

About the Book: "Our first meeting? He stood me up. Our second chance encounter? I told him exactly what I thought of him."

In My Own Words: Two people with broken pasts suddenly find themselves in an impossible situation. In learning how to work together for the good of others, they soon find something that they never thought would be possible for either of them to find - home.

My Favorite Quotes:

- "Dreams change. Dreams adjust."

- "You are the dream I never had."

- "...dare to dream with me."


About the Characters:

Whitney and Hardy are two opposites who are more alike than they ever realized. They both have good hearts at the core of their being. They are both stubborn. They are both guarded and careful with their hearts. It was a pleasure to watch them face themselves and each other. It was evident that they had to grow in order to survive and in order to take hold of everything they deserved.

My Favorite Scenes (coded, so as to avoid spoilers):

- The Cracked Screen
- 911
- The Mom Chronicles (Whitney, Alexander, Joey)
- Tears for All That Was Lost
- The Said and the Unsaid
- Champions! (We did it!)
- The Jersey
- A New Dream ("Dream bigger.")

About the Audiobook: This novel was narrated by Gary Furlong and Samantha Brentmoor. This team brought the story to life. The way they expressed the emotions behind the characters had me all in my feelings. I honestly cried 5 times. Five!

My Final Say: Hardships. Struggle. Loss. Brokenness. Sacrifice. Friendship. Found family. Growth. Dreams. The good, the bad, and the ugly that go along with having the courage to love. All of these were a part of the romance & the forever love story of Alexander and Whitney. I adored them and appreciated their hard fight to take a step toward each other. Theirs was a story that was not only entertaining, but it was also memorable in the best way.

Other: Readers who enjoy romances with close proximity, workplace tension, sports, kids, and enemies to lovers themes will love this book.

Rating: 5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Re-read: Yes
Keeper: Yes
Favorites Shelf: Yes
Status/Level:
Audiobook: Yes
Narration: +

Sincere appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (Dreamscape Select | JKB Publishing, LLC), and to NetGalley. Thank you so very much for granting access to an ALC of this title in exchange for an honest critique. It was an absolute pleasure to review this remarkable work. I look forward to acquainting myself with more writing from this novelist.

Sports romances are realllllly hit or miss for me, and because this was labeled as “spicy bad boy” I was worried it wouldn’t contain a lot of depth or have a thoughtful plot. However, this had the right amount of spice, great backstories and character development and was really sweet. Great addition to the sports romance genre.

Bad boy / good girl, close proximity, sports romance is a combo of tropes that will entice me every single time. In this book we get Alexander Hardy, a British soccer star who acts holier than thou and is a pompous ass. Then we have Whitney who is a kind, caring, fall on your sword type of gal who will protect her academy and it's kids at all costs.

Once Alexander and Whitney meet, you just know this is going to be good because Alexander cannot stop thinking about her and Whitney can't stand him and his antics.

Now, hear me out (and yes, this may seem farfetched) but does this sound like two other main characters you know? Listen, maybe I read too much Draco/Hermione fanfiction but this book was giving stroooong Dramione vibes in the best way possible. Sub in quidditch for soccer here and elf laws and protections for the academy and kids and this is a Dramione rom com. I do want to state that this has no magic and has literally nothing to do with Harry Potter or the characters I mentioned but it was just the vibes I was getting.

I had a wonderful time listening to this audio and I ended up liking this one much more than I thought I would. This is a great sports rom com and I read it in practically one sitting.

Audio narration is wonderfully done by Gary Furlong; Samantha Brentmoor.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Select | JKB Publishing, LLC for access to the ALC in exchange for an honest review.