Marlowe’s world gets turned upside down when she decides to fly to Spain to surprise her boyfriend, to find him cheating on her. Like any girl would, we drown our sorrows so Marlowe heads to the bar to find herself in a bit of a pickle with her cards not working & the bank obviously being closed due to the time zone difference. Ale decides to take care of her bill, being the understanding & kind man he is.

They decide to go out and have fun (Ale enjoying not being known to Marlowe) to only be captured and end up on the front page news! Ale is supposed to be keeping himself out of the tabloids and focusing on becoming captain & Marlowe needs to make this deal for her company. So, one thing for another they end up in a fake relationship only to find themselves in love after the 2 months.

This was a cute & semi steamy sports romance book! I’m not normally into Soccer but this one kept me hooking from the beginning!

Thank you NetGalley and dreamscape select for allowing me to listen and review this book! I have to start out by saying that this book is a true 5/5 stars and such an easy/fast read/listen!! The narrators were amazing and truly helped keep the story alive and going! This book was a great sports romance, mixed with a romcom. I truly have nothing bad to say about this book and I was so happy to be able to listen to this book and would truly recommend it to everyone (as long as you like sports romances)!

3.5

Winning Match is a cute, low angst romance that reads like a good old romcom movie. Somehow it combines insta lust with pining and a tad of slow burn and I was surprisingly intrigued by that. While I might have had minor issues with parts of it, I overall enjoyed my first soccer romance audiobook.

PLOT

Between the instalust, the MMCs past and the whole situation, there was a lot of potential for plot driving conflicts. While I was surprised by the ones the author chose, I was glad they didn’t take the classical paths of angst and betrayal. It is very much a sweet romance where good things happen like miracles at times and while I personally don’t love that so much, it made sense for this story.


CHARACTERS

Overall, I liked both the MMC and FMC. They had chemistry and they generally worked well together. The way their relationship evolved and they were allowed development, both individually and together, was great.

Upon closer look, I had minor issues that threw me off.

The FMC was business smart, or so it seemed, and was on her way to taking over a company, yet a lot of times I was irritated by moments that felt like unwarranted naivety that didn’t always seem to align with what else I knew of her.

The MMC has his past and has very much reflected on that. I do like that a lot, even though we don’t really see his past self, mostly just the evolved version. Which, fine by me. It allowed focus on the development necessary for these two to work.

One thing I had an issue with was their dynamic in certain situations. The ‘She’s not like other girls’ vibe or comments that felt like unreflected nagging from his end when in fact meant with love. There seemed to be some deep seated believes underlying their relationship that I don’t love.


WRITING

The writing was good, some dialogues felt a tad unrealistic but matched the romcom vibe and I overall enjoyed the style. (Though I’m still confused as to how everyone, including his abuela, speaks English and it’s not addressed once).

I liked the elements of Spanish language and culture incorporated in both plot and writing. Personally I didn’t feel like all terms for uniquely Spanish items would have needed explanation when they came from his POV but I imagine many would find it helpful.

I also loved the narration, both narrators did a great job with this one!

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Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Select and Gina Azzi for an ALC of this book

3.5 ⭐️

🎧ALC review 🎧
📚WINNING MATCH by Gina Azzi
🎤Duet narration by Marcio Catalano & Angelina Rocca
💘 Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Select for this ALC!

This was a fun sports rom-com and an insaannnneee audiobook!

What I did like:
-Set in Valencia, Spain - made such a nice and unique setting
-Good diverse cast of characters across the board
-Family obligations is a good theme across the board and you get to hear from a lot of fun side characters
-Appears this will be a series, looking forward to reading on!!
-The AUDIO??? A beautiful performance from both narrators but my god… I didn’t know I needed Marcio doing a Spanish accent / speaking Spanish at all, but I am obsessedddd.
-Duet audio already made this such a fantastic experience and I love anything Angelina narrates obviously
-Audio alone is 5 stars


What I didn’t like:
-I felt the story overall was very rushed
-She arrives in Spain to meet her boyfriend of 5 years, finds him cheating on her, and really he’s hardly discussed again. Same night she meets our MMC and things take off from there.
-I had a hard time suspending reality here, it just felt glossed over
-Same with the progression of their relationship, I didn’t feel like they spent much time together and then suddenly they were in love
-Characters felt a bit immature for their age (mid 20s?)

Winning Match by Gina Azzi is an absolute delight for any romance reader looking for a story that's as charming as it is heartfelt! From the moment Marlowe, newly single and in a pickle in Valencia, crosses paths with the swoon-worthy Alejandro, I was completely hooked. Their meet-cute, involving a stranded Marlowe and a chivalrous (and incredibly attractive) Ale, sets the stage for a fake relationship trope that's executed to perfection.

What truly shined in this book was the character growth. Marlowe starts off a bit lost, but throughout the story, she truly comes into her own, finding her footing both personally and professionally. And Alejandro? Oh, Ale! He's introduced as the quintessential playboy soccer star, but as the layers are peeled back, you see a man with depth and genuine affection. Watching them both evolve, individually and as a couple, was incredibly satisfying. You really root for them!

The pacing of Winning Match was spot on. It's a quick, engaging read that never drags. The story moves at a delightful clip, keeping you eager to turn the page and see what happens next. There's a perfect balance of witty banter, emotional moments, and just enough tension to keep things interesting without ever feeling rushed.

And the chemistry! Goodness, the chemistry between Marlowe and Alejandro practically sizzles off the page. Their fake kisses quickly turn into something undeniably real, and you can feel the connection building with every shared glance, every late-night conversation. Gina Azzi does an excellent job of making their romance feel authentic and earned, even with the initial "fake" premise. The way their relationship develops from a convenient agreement to genuine, deep affection is beautifully done.

If you're a fan of fake relationship tropes, charming heroes, strong heroines, and a romance that will leave you with a big smile, you absolutely need to pick up Winning Match. It's a winning match indeed!

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Select for the ALC

This was a fun and fast, fake dating to lovers, sports romance. Marcio Catalano and Angelina Rocca did an amazing job narrating and bringing the characters to life. The chemistry between Marlowe and Ale was instant but didn’t feel forced, and the progression of their relationship felt sweet, natural and inevitable.

Sports romance

Duet narration - Marcio Catalano & Angelina Rocca

Fantastic narration these two were amazing together.

This was a fun and cute steamy romance. Marlowe is trying to salvage her family’s business while she is in Spain after flying to surprise her long term boyfriend who had a surprise for her. Heartbroken and without money because her cards aren’t working Ale steps in to help her pay for her stuff.

Marlowe and Ale spend a fun night out on the town getting to know each other. Ale just wants one night to be a regular guy but the paparazzi have other thoughts. When they post pictures of the two of them out they strike up a deal. He will help her get the meeting with a potential client and she will fake date him to help his image in the public eye.

Instant chemistry, a caring and sexy MMC. Strong FMC.

I loved the writing style. Easy to follow and very enjoyable. Great start to a new series and great intro to a new to me author.

This is a fake dating romance. Marlowe goes to Spain and finds her bf in bed with another woman. She ends up in a bar, penniless, and a knight in shinning armor rescues her. Rich, famous and beautiful. 4 stars

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