Thank you NetGalley, Dreamscape Select and Gina Azzi for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5⭐️ This was a quick and easy listen. Low angst and relatively low conflict.

FMC flies to Spain to surprise her boyfriend who is there for business and finds him with another woman. Without a place to stay, she goes to a bar to regroup and get a drink only to find her credit cards are frozen. Our MMC steps in to pay for her drink and cannot seem to stay away, especially since she doesn’t know who he is. He invites her to dinner and a friend’s birthday party.

After a fun night of dancing, they part ways. The next morning they are both surprised to see their front page news on the tabloids and agree to pretend to date for 2 months to help him improve his reputation and help her close a business deal.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. The narrators were good and loved that it was duet narration. I’m not sure if it is because it’s a shorter book but it just felt like part of the story was left out.

3.5⭐️

Winning Match is a fun, quick-paced fake dating romance that’s perfect for an easy, entertaining listen.

Ale is a star soccer player with a PR problem. Marlowe has flown to Spain to surprise her boyfriend, only to find him cheating. On top of that, she also needs to land a prominent client to save her family’s business. While drowning her sorrows in a foreign bar, she meets Ale (having no idea who he is), and after a night of unexpected fun, they agree to fake date to solve both their problems, only to find that their staged feelings might be turning real.

The romance leans heavily into insta-lust and did feel a rushed, especially given Marlowe had just discovered her boyfriend’s infidelity. It’s also a touch on the cheesy side for my taste, but it’s full of charm and swoon-worthy moments. The duet narration was a highlight! Both narrators really brought the story and emotion to life!

Overall, Winning Match is a fun, fast-paced fake-dating romance brimming with charm, swoon-worthy moments, and sunny Spanish vibes—perfect for a quick, feel-good listen.

Thank you to Dreamscape Select and NetGalley for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

Lovely quick read

An unfortunate cheating boyfriend leads Marlowe to meet Ale. This slow burn was totally up my alley.

This fake relationship grows exactly the way I like these stories to roll out.

This is a sweet story that I totally recommend

Thank you to @netgalley for this audiobook

Winning Match is Alejandro aka Ale and Marlowe’s story set in the world of Spanish football. It’s book one in the League Valencia and it’s a great start to the series.
Ale is Spain’s most eligible bachelor but he has a big PR problem so a chance meeting in a bar with a tipsy woman who seems to having issues paying her bill could be just what he needs…….
What follows is a humorous and entertaining journey as Ale and Marlowe embark on a fake relationship and it’s not long before real feelings come into play.
Marcio Catalano and Angelina Rocca did a great job bringing the characters and their journey to life. They were spot on with the passion, the love, the banter and the romance.
This is a well written story that i quickly became invested in. I loved everything about this book from the characters to the banter.

This was my first book by Gina Azzi, and it definitely won’t be my last! I absolutely loved this first installment in the League Valencia series. Ale completely stole my heart with how sweet, caring, and protective he was toward Marlowe, and I admired Marlowe’s strength and independence. Together, they’re an incredible couple with the perfect balance of tenderness and passion. A fantastic start to what I know will be an amazing series! 💙💜

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – Winning Match by Gina Azzi completely stole my heart! ❤️⚽

I’ll be honest… I don’t even like soccer, but this story had me hooked from page one. I did an immersive read with this one (listening + reading) and it made the experience even better! 🎧📖

This swoony sports romance follows a talented soccer star who’s all grit and determination on the field, but completely disarmed by the one person he never saw coming. There’s banter, chemistry, and just the right amount of drama to keep you flipping the pages.

The writing flows so smoothly, the characters feel real, and the romance had me rooting for them like it was the championship game. 🏆 Whether you’re a sports romance fan or not, this one is worth every second.

💯 Highly recommend!

Winning Match was an adorable easy listen for me! The narrating was on point and the book had so many things I look for in a good romance. Hot mess leading lady, check! Hottie male lead(with an accent on top of that), double check! Fake relationship turned romance, all the checks! The male narrator….my goodness….all the YES! I could picture everything in my head like a movie the whole time and would honestly love to see it as a movie!!! This was my first Gina Azzi read but will NOT be my last!
The biggest THANK YOU to Gina Azzi and Dreamscape Select for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

▪️fake dating
▪️forced proximity
▪️soccer star MMC
▪️slow burn

After walking in on her cheating bf, Marlow is in a bar in Spain drowning her sorrows. Unable to pay her bill, Ale covers it. He asks her to dinner, and they spend the night hanging out. The next morning pics are all over social media since Ale is actually a famous soccer star. Ale uses this as an opportunity to improve his PR by proposing to fake date in exchange for networking Marlow's family's business.

Ale is protective of Marlow because she is kind and genuine. He doesn't want to hurt her heart, so he tries to set boundaries. It's a slow burn, but eventually, they give into the chemistry.

Narrated in duet by Marcio Catalano & Angelina Rocca. Marcio is a new to me narrator and was fantastic as Ale. Angelina was great as usual and is one of my favorite female narrators.

Thank you to Dreamscape Select for this audio ARC!

I have been putting off writing this review and talking to other bookish friends on how to handle an ARC review when you did not enjoy the book, I have some feedback. This would be the type of feedback I would appreciate if I were an author. We all know opinions are subjective and other readers who are looking for a more laid-back romance with lower stakes, this one just didn’t do it for me.

I requested this book because of the female narrator, Angelina Rocca, she is incredible and brings so much to this character, she is one of my favorites. The male narrator, Marcio Catalano, in my opinion, just did not compliment the female narrator so for me, they didn't mesh well. I do enjoy Marcio’s work, I have listened to his narration a few times and had no issues, but I think for this book, he had quite a few different accents to do, and it just didn't feel smooth for this being a duet.

This was my first read from this author and I am a big fan of fake dating and even instalove, which this book has, unfortunately it just never took off for me. It started out fun, I was enjoying the first 25%. I really loved the chemistry between the FMC and the MMC, the book being set in Spain and the supporting cast were balanced well but the plot was just very slow. I feel as though the book didn’t have high enough stakes for what could have been, maybe I am just used to more toxic characters! But everything was just a bit too easy for the main characters. There were also a couple of moments where the FMC had lines like "I'm not like other girls,” I would like to be shown that more, personally.

I am not usually this critical of the books I read but I promised myself I would be 100% honest and constructive with my feedback on here because I truly respect the craft all around. Much respect <3

1st time reading a Gina Azzi book and she didn't not disappoint. Fake dating is always a good trope and you can't have a good love story without a little drama. Emotions were felt and my personal life was truly comparable in some instances.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read

This was such a cute book. Total meet cute, insta lust, but a bit of slow burn with no annoying 3rd at breakup or unnecessary angst but with enough family dynamics and relationship issues to keep it interesting.

I loved the dual narration. It was very seamless, the accents were not overdone and the Spanish dialogue was not annoying but fit well into the book.

#WinningMatch #NetGalley

“This is more. This is real. This is something entirely different than we bargained for.”

I absolutely LOVED Winning Match! Marlowe and Ale are captivating characters you can’t help but fall for—their story is warm, engaging, and brimming with heartfelt emotion. I fell for Valencia right alongside Marlowe, and once I started reading, I couldn’t put this fun, emotional sports romance down.

“The way I feel in Ale’s presence is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.”

Marlowe is picking up the pieces after catching her long-time boyfriend with another woman. Alone in a foreign country with no credit cards and nowhere to stay, she crosses paths with Ale—and the unexpected adventure that follows is pure magic.

“With him, I’m a version of myself I didn’t know existed.”

Marlowe's sass and huge heart made me adore her. She’s a natural caretaker who puts everyone else first... until Ale flips the script. His kindness and generosity create space for her to discover a version of herself she didn’t know existed. Ale, the ultimate sweetheart, is instantly drawn to her. She awakens instincts in him he never realized he had—but he struggles to believe someone like Marlowe could ever truly choose him.

“Being with Marlowe has made me into a better version of myself.”

Together, Marlowe and Ale are perfection. Their spark ignites from the very first moment, and watching them battle their undeniable attraction while their “friendship” deepens was utterly addictive. I also listened to the audio of this title as well as read it and the audio was superb. Narrated in duet by Marcio Catalano and Angelina Rocca, their performances infused the story with vibrant emotion and charm. They brought every moment to life so vividly that it deepened my appreciation and made me fall in love with the story all over again. With flirty banter, genuine connection, sizzling chemistry, and tender emotion that tugs at your heart, Winning Match is a phenomenal start to a promising new series. I’m already smitten with every character we’ve met—and I can’t wait to revisit this world.

I listened to this in one day. Loved it.
Everything I want in a sports romance.
Got abit confused around the getting married so fast but spicy and believability was spot on

Loved it!
What a fantastic start to this series.
I fell in love with all of the characters and the knitting circle were a hoot.
This is a fun fake relationship story between Ale, the football star and Marlowe, a sweet American girl.
Their attraction is instant and they seem perfect for each other the more time they spend together.
Will Marlowe leave Ale and Spain once their relationship time limit has been reached or will they be brave enough to tell each other how they really feel?
Loved the storyline and the narrators, Marcio Catalano and Angelina Rocca did an awesome job of bringing this story to life.
Really enjoyable listening experience and story, I’m looking forward to the rest of the series.

Thank you NetGalley, Gina Azzi and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to this book.

When I tell you the narration of this book was 🤩 I mean jt. The Duet narration combined with the Spanish male narrator and the Incorporation of Spanish words/ phrases definitely helped to set the scene.

I do have a few issues with the pacing of this book, as the main chunk of this story all took place in like 10 weeks which was not it for me. Also, this book is very insta-lovey, they meet the days she finds her boyfriend of 5 years cheating and they instantly have a connection and are hanging off each other, it just did not feel real in that sense.

Nonetheless, it was such a fun little listen, I’ve never read a soccer romance so super exited for a sports romance series following the sport (??? Maybe see some of the racing sport from the other side of the family?). Would love to see more of the Spanish culture

There is also a touch of misunderstanding (n it really miscommunication but still) that wasn’t my favourite

Thank you NetGalley for the ALC 💕

This was a cute book with a compassionate, loving, teddy bear of a MMC and an overwhelmed FMC who is trying to do and be everything for everyone. He takes care of her and she gives him the love he didn’t know he could have. They are surrounded by good friends and family that helps them traverse every issue. It is a feel good romance through and through.
The narrators did a great job with the male narrator leaning into this character with a a Spanish accent and authentic annunciation.

Close proximity
Sports romance
Fake dating
Celebrity romance
Friends to lovers

Audio review
narration - Marcio Catalano & Angelina Rocca


Ale
Marlowe

Spain’s hottest athlete has needs to fix his public image. He enjoyed the single life a little too much which resulted in a crazy stalker ex. He has to clean up his image if he wants to be named team captain. He, however, is a nice guy. He loves his family and plays hard.
Marlowe leaves Rhode Island to surprise her boyfriend. Only she is the one who gets the surprise. Stranded with no money, she is rescued by Ale. She has no idea who he is and he loves it. He takes her to dinner, gets het a room for a few days and leaves.
The paparazzi gets wind of it and they decide on a mutually beneficial arrangement. She needs access to one of his business contacts and he gets a fake partner to quiet the critics.

It is a fast paced story. There relationship grew from friendship to lovers in a matter of weeks but it was believable that they would develop feelings. They are both nice and family oriented.

My first audiobook of the month:

Winning Match
by Gina Azzi
Narrated by Marcio Catalano; Angelina Rocca

This is an ARC from Netgalley. It’s about an American woman that flies to Spain to visit her boyfriend of 5 years, just to find him cheating on her. So, she goes to a bar to get a little tipsy, only to find 3 of her credit cards rejected. A handsome stranger pays for her tab, offers an open ear, a dinner, dancing, and picks up her hotel room fee - all without the expectation of anything in return. The next day, the media goes wild, handsome perennial bachelor, Alejandro Garcia, of League Valencia, has been seen looking rather serious with a mystery woman.

Due to Ale’s terrible PR image, he proposes a fake relationship. The two are obviously already head over heels for each other, but they are letting logic and common sense get in their way.

I’m 40% through this book and 100% loving it!

I just finished the audiobook and it was great. I highly recommend this book to romance fans.

This was such a cute and fast listen. First listen/read by this author but it won’t be the last. The narrator’s did an amazing job and the males voice was absolutely perfect for the story.

Lovely written. Great narrators. Without giving too much of a spoiler. The scene in her bedroom after dinner broke me. Would have liked some more reaction from her ex. Just because I'm a sucker for drama and would love the see him get what he deserve...