Winning Goal: Best Friends Marriage of Convenience

by Laura Marquez Diamond

SABRINA
Dexter Whitby is the captain of the Mavericks, my best friend, and my husband.

We made a deal to get married so I can receive the medical treatment I need to recover from a car accident. It’s the favor of a lifetime.

Unfortunately, no one told me about the most important rule for surviving a marriage of convenience

Do not, under any circumstances, kiss your husband.

DEXTER
Sabrina Ramirez is a phenomenal goalie, my best friend, and my wife.

living with this extraordinary woman is a gift to me, not a favor to her. But I can’t let myself forget that this is a platonic arrangement. Trying not to think about her that way is starting to feel like torture.

I wish someone warned me that a marriage of convenience is damn inconvenient when your wife is the woman of your dreams.

Genres: Sports, Hockey, Contemporary, Romance, Marriage Of Convenience, Friends To Lovers, Holiday

110 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 17, 2023

About the author

Laura writes romances featuring women who slay their own dragons and the men who love them fiercely. In her books, the fall is hard, the steam is blinding, the groveling is glorious, and the passion all-consuming.

For updates on works in progress and to connect with Laura and other readers, join the Facebook group Romancing With Laura. Follow her on Instagram and TikTok @romancinglauramd. She loves hearing from readers!

Reviews

[**Tessa** (semi hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Woulda easily been 3 stars without the “it’s always been you” but I’m screwing OP “and it was just sex with everyone else” shit

[Madison_renee2415 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it!

Oh my this was such a good sports, Friends to lovers, marriage of convenience, one bed romance!!

Sabrina had an accident that ended up with major bills to pay and her pest friend Dexter decided to marry her to help her out.

Only her parents know about the arrangement. Then Christmas comes around and Dex’s parents come and stay with them (they know nothing), and they have to stay in one bedroom and that is when the heat gets turned up!


Oh this was the perfect Novella for the Holidays.

[nagako]

I need to caveat my review by saying that if you enjoy this author's other books, maybe ignore my review and read some of the others as I think that will give you a more accurate indication on whether or not you will enjoy this story. I had read Power Play first and while it wasn't quite a hit for me, I was hoping that the more compelling story description for this one would make it a 'yes please!' for me. Ultimately I think it's just a mismatch for the author's writing style and what I like to read so for me, this was a miss. I LOVE a marriage of convenience story and I was really drawn in by the concept here. I did love that they were such close friends before all this happened. But I could not get into the writing style and the spice scenes were just not something that drew me in or compelled me.

[Mrs R · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a novella-length super steamy friends to lovers.

Sabrina and Max have been friends since being kids, playing in the same hockey teams until their professional careers sent them in different directions. However when Sabrina is in an accident, Max steps up to help his friends, only he doesn't really look at her as a friend now she's his wife.

I loved these two, they were so close as friends, but there was also some major chemistry going on between them which they just couldn't resist. Max was super sweet with Sabrina and I really enjoyed them finally getting together for real.


- standalone
- friends to lovers
- fake relationship
- he falls first
- only one bed

[Kristen Lewendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me, the biggest part of the fun of fake marriage and marriage of convenience themes is the moment when the couple discovers that all those “fake” feelings no longer feel like they’re acting. And for Sabrina and Dex, they had all the sweet chemistry of being best friends drawing them together. It just took this little push to wake Dex up to the fact that his best friend may not be in his life forever, and to show them how much more their relationship could be if they gave it the chance. That was just so stinking adorable, and I kind of hate that it’s over already. I’m dying to see what the author has up her sleeve next for these hockey heroes.

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy Sweet and Spicy Christmas! This was one awesome Christmas novella. It was short enough to devour in one sitting, but so good, you didn’t want it to end! I fell in love with Max and Sabrina. I thought it was so sweet that they had been best friends all these years and didn’t even think to cross that line until they had to fake being married. Max is just the best and Sabrina is the sweetest. Together, they are fire! I love this series and if you are a hockey romance reader, you must read this series!

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

love

Short, Sweet but packed with dirty talking heat And all the holiday feels. Loved this quick read. Sabrina and Rex have been life long best friends and fellow hockey players. But they now have a marriage of convenience to help with her health issues after being hit in a car accident. But they each start to realize there is much more to their fake arrangement. So good can’t wait for more maverick stories.

[Elsa Gomes (BookishAurora) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this as part of the Melting the Ice anthology which was a anthology full of hockey holiday themes novellas so I could not resist. It was actually the first anthology I read back to back and I loved all the novellas. Super excited to read some of the series these novellas are set in, not all of them are part of a universe but some are and I'm really excited to read more from a lot of these authors!

[Mrs T · Rating 4 out of 5]

You just can't beat a great marriage of convenience story,  especially when the couple are best friends.

The satisfaction that comes when Sabrina and Dex realise they love the hockey sticks out of each other, had me grinning from ear to ear.

Such a feel good novella, short but packed with a fab backstory, humour,  emotion and sexy times!

[Anoesjka Connolly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great, quick read centred around the Maverick's captain, Dexter and Sabrina. Lifelong friends, after Sabrina's bad accident they end up getting married for convenience and then they realise they are in love with each other. I loved how they both were secretly getting the hots for the other but were to scared of ruining their lifelong friendship. A great read.

[Melody Ludholtz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Amazing Story!

This is another short but amazing story showing big hearts that aren’t selfish. Dex is a completely selfless guy in love with his best friend. What a great story!

[Alicia Bish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dexter and Sabrina!

They were quick, hot and loving. This novella for the holidays we so cute and super spicey. The angst and longing was epic and the bratty plot all the better to spoil our brains!

[Suzanne McNeill Taviner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read.

This was such a fab quick read, just the thing to brighten up my morning! Loved it and Dex and Sabrina so much.

[Virginia E Parenteau · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Columbus Mavericks

The story was well written & a nice short story. It was easy to read & a sweet story about a young couple learning to find their true love.

[Kerri K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too short but was hot when 2 best friends admit their feelings

[Lydia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and sweet

[Pat McNamee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and Sweet

Two friends marry for convenience and find their HEA. Nicely written with friendship turning to love in a believable fashion.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dexter’s story is a super quick novella, he seems like a good guy & I wouldn’t have minded a longer story for him.

[Mona Makhlouf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute but very rushed i know its a short book but I feel like this book could have had more potential unless I read them in the wrong order and it's a continuation from a previous book

[Confidentlyinthe.clouds Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short sweet spicy novella about two hockey players and a marriage of connivence for medical purposes

[Steph Beaudoin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Women in Sports!
Diverse Characters!
Friends to Lovers!
Yes Please!