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Goal Line

Boston Rebels, Book 4

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Goal Line

By: Julia Connors
Narrated by: Sean Masters, Savannah Peachwood
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As the youngest heir of the Hartmann fortune and the backup goalie for the Boston Rebels, the pro hockey team my family owns, I’ve spent my life being the peacemaker in my cutthroat family and the goalie that my teammates can depend on.

I have only one weakness: my coach’s daughter, Evangeline Wilcott.

Eva is a pairs figure skater, and my life-long best friend. I’ve always wanted more, but she friend zoned me back in high school and we’ve lived thousands of miles apart since.

Eight years later, a secret pregnancy is threatening her skating career. When she’s rushed to the hospital right before Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals, I panic. Now, my team’s loss lies solely on my shoulders and I could be traded.

When Eva needs help, suggesting we get married is the easiest split-second decision I’ve ever made. A grandchild could keep me in Boston playing for my family’s team, and I’d do anything to take care of Eva.

We agree to a marriage based on friendship, but once Eva and I are living together, all those artificial walls we’ve built start crumbling. Now, I’m making up for all the years I couldn’t call her mine.

But when her past reappears in our new life together, her happiness and my family’s reputation are both threatened. And maybe I’m not so different from my family after all, because I find there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to keep my wife safe and happy.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Goal Line is book 4 in the Boston Rebel series, which features interconnected standalones about the players on a fictional professional hockey team.

Tropes:
* hockey player x figure skater
* childhood best friends to lovers
* marriage of convenience
* accidental pregnancy (not his baby)
* mutual pining

©2025 Julia Connors (P)2025 Julia Connors
Contemporary Sports Marriage Hockey Happiness Heartfelt Feel-Good Boston Pregnancy
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Penalty Play By: Julia Connors
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Listener received this title free

SWOON! That is what I was doing as I was listening to this addition to the Boston Rebels series. Luke and Eva have been best friends since the beginning of time, sharing everything their entire lives. So when she is in the hospital right before the final game of the Stanley Cup, Luke finds himself completely distracted while playing. Now he is with her, and a plan comes into place. A marriage of convenience will benefit both of them, either personally or professionally. What they each didn't realize were the feelings that did nothing but grow since their teen years. Where does this all go? Julia Connors is a master at building the family unit, and Luke's family is truly the best. Between the ribbing from his brothers to the support he receives, it's heartwarming and wonderful. Unfortunately, Eva isn't as lucky, dealing with an issue causing parent. I loved this story, it had some twists and turns, keeping my interest and warming my heart.

Savannah Peachwood and Sean Masters are so good together, I blinked and the listen was over! These two dialed into their characters and created chemistry, a little angst and all the feels come alive. Each scene had me riveted, keeping my earbuds firmly in my ears. I enjoyed these two and their performance.

GOALLLLL!!!!!!

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Heartwarming story of friends to lovers in the Boston Bolts series. Luke and Eva have been friends for life, each in love with the other but clueless about each other’s feelings. A simple misunderstanding and lack of communication in high school leads them to just be best friends.
Their paths lead them to ice sports, Luke to hockey, second goalie for his father’s team the Boston Bolts and Eva his coaches daughter and Olympic prospect pairs skater.
After Eva collapses on a plane, Luke hears this before standing in as goalie in the final quarter of the Stanley cup final. He can’t concentrate as he knows she’s pregnant after a one night stand, and her parents don’t know. The team loses, Luke blames himself.
Luke wants to protect Eva and therefore he suggests they get married and say the baby is his.
Soon the marriage becomes real as they each struggle with their careers, Luke anxiety he will always fail in high pressure situations, Eva she won’t get to the Olympics in her final season.
Luckily they have the team and girlfriends supporting them and when the baby’s father makes an unexpected appearance, Luke’s brother join forces to save the day.
When high blood pressure causes Eva to give birth early, friends and family are there to give the support they need.
Finally the pair reach their goals and a HEA

Goal Line

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Listener received this title free

I had been hooked waiting for Luke and Eva's story after the ending of Cross Checked and it didn't disappoint. Luke is the greenest flag I have come across in a while! I'm not a friends to lovers reader normally but I adored him and his golden retriever energy. I've been on a Sean Masters kick for a bit and he was part of the reason I picked this one up; I could listen to him read a menu. The flips between Luke's sweetness and his possessive "my wife" energy later were so natural and Masters is perfect for this kind of role. I did take a minute to connect with Eva largely because I couldn't understand how she kept missing the flashing "I am in love with you" sign above Luke's head but Savannah Peachwood brought a warmth to the character I feel I would have missed on page.

There is a miscommunication at the heart of the story and I did find it a little hard to believe that the inciting incident for the friend-zoning was never brought up again in ten years, especially when everyone around them thought there was something more going on. There were also quite a lot of characters and I felt my attention was being divided trying to remember who everyone was and how they fit with the various subplots. I never really trusted one character in particular after a throw away remark at the beginning but it never came to anything which surprised me. Similarly with a different character later on, they were dealt with pretty swiftly and I expected more. Having said that though, the book kept me guessing as my theories were totally wrong!

Luke is the greenest of green flags

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Listener received this title free

Goal Line is a best friends to lovers, accidental pregnancy (not his baby), marriage of convenience, forced proximity, vegas wedding, "My wife", good girl x good boy, hockey romance. I had so much fun listening to this well written, unconventional romance. Luke and Eva were great, multi-dimensional characters and I absolutely loved them together.

The audiobook narration by Savannah Peachwood and Sean Master was honestly so perfect! Savannah and Sean brought Eva and Luke to life in the perfect way and I could not pause this audiobook!

Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

So good!

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Listener received this title free

Julia Connors pens another winning novel set in her “Boston Rebels” series, an enthralling friends-to-lovers, marriage-of-convenience sports romance. I adored the two lead characters, Luke and Eva, best friends since childhood and each other’s rock, through thick and thin. Luke joined the rebels, his father’s team, that her father coaches, and when it was his time to step up for the team, he blew it, because his mind was elsewhere. He was deeply affected by the loss, feeling like he’d failed everyone, himself included. Eva, a figure skater with goals to make it to the Olympics, and her secret pregnancy may put a damper on those goals, but she won’t be giving up on them. She knows her parents sacrificed a lot for her over the years, taking her to trainings, competitions and so forth, and she does not want to disappoint them either, especially her mother, because of their strained relationship. Luke gets her and when he comes up with a plan that would benefit them both she agrees to it, a fake marriage, except there is nothing fake about their feelings for one another, feelings they have been harboring and not sharing for the sake of their friendship. Luke was a total sweetheart, kind, caring and all about Eve and her needs. I loved all the layers of this story and how it all played out, with the perfect balance of drama, a touch of angst, charming and heartwarming moments, humorous ones too, heartfelt emotions and a slow burn, but so worth the wait, romance. Julia Connors, thank you for another fabulous story and emotional rollercoaster ride.

🎧📚🎧And for the amazing audiobook narration, Sean Masters and Savannah Peachwood were the ideal cast to bring these characters to life, giving them voices that were fitting for a perfect portrayal of each. Masters nailed it as Luke, grasping every aspect of his personality, from his caring side to his protective side. Peachwood did the same as Eva and was just as fabulous in showcasing every aspect of her personality too. Both were fantastic at performing the roles of the side and secondary characters, giving each their own distinct voice, making it easy to follow along and tell who is who. They conveyed all their characters’ emotions in their performance and had you feeling them all. These entertaining storytellers are a pleasure to listen to, and their captivating performance keeps you hooked to the story.

Amazing, Swoony & Heartfelt➞Story & Listen🎧

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