Flow

A Childhood Friends-to-Lovers, Fake Dating Hockey Romance (The New Bradfords, Book 1)

De: Tia Louise

Narrado por: Ryan Lee Dunlap, Stefanie Kay

He's loved her since childhood; one fake date might finally make it real.

I was 15 years old when I stood on a hill in a peach orchard with the girl of my dreams, contemplating marriage. Now I'm a hockey star, The Maverick Murphy.

I have flow on the ice and on my head, but I still have trouble forming sentences when she's around.

And she's all around—living in my house, sharing my space, so close, I can smell her perfume on my clothes.

I'm all grown up, and I'd still do anything for her.

I was 15 when I stood on a hill in my family's peach orchard with the cutest boy I knew and said I'd marry him on the spot.

Now that boy is a grown man, a hockey star with muscles and dimples and smoldering hazel eyes.

He's also my new roommate, but I'm not here to fall in love.

Our beloved peach trees are dying, and I'm here to find a cure.

When the town's rich bully threatens to own our land and me along with it, I kind of snap. I kind of say Maverick's mine for real.

It's a lie. We're only faking, but with every kiss, every touch, every stolen moment, reality starts to blur.

Still, as much as we want to pretend, he's LA's hockey champion, and when the semester ends, I'll have to leave.

That's reality.

(Flow is a hockey romance with a golden retriever hero, a STEM FMC, childhood friends to lovers, he falls first [and so hard], fake dating, close proximity, roommates to lovers, it's always been you, hilariously meddling family, and loads of spicy fun. No cheating, no cliffhanger, and no third-act breakup.)

©2026 TLM Productions LLC (P)2026 TLM Productions LLC

Sweet temptation.

A feast of the senses that starts at the heart. Maverick and Dove bursts the soul wide open with combustible results. From humor to heartache is sweet temptation. Louise pushes the boundaries of emotion to create hauntingly, irresistible romance. My favorite of the series, so far. Nostalgia bubbles over. Dunlap and Kay tiptoe across the senses. Maverick and Dove are sweet temptation. Louise brings the heat without ever losing sight of the heart.

fabulous narrators bring so much in DUET

Story rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (0-5)
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 (0-5)
Overall: 4.5/5
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥☄️ (0-5) 🍑stuff!

What I’m Starry-Eyed Over:
🤩 Narrated in DUET by Stefanie Kay & Ryan Lee Dunlap. They are fabulous narrators & bring so much sweet & spicy entertainment and personality as Dove and Maverick!
🤩 When Ryan Lee Dunlap has to say, “You can’t say sh*t like that. I’m about to j*zz all over your face.” Why am I so smitten over this? 😊😏
🤩 That little flashback prologue is such a perfect almost kiss, showing us all the secret pining!!
🤩 The peach problem situation is captivating! 🍑
🤩 Sweet friends-to-lovers.
🤩 Fake plus forced proximity is one of my favorite combinations!!
🤩 Yesssss, please!! When the forced proximity gets good with an accidentally interrupted shower scene! Holy tingly goodness! 🥵 🚿
🤩 The “Tell me something no one knows” moment definitely had me in tears.
🤩 I love a little hockey game time! And that after game interview is fantastic!
🤩 Pet lovers—you will enjoy this fostering a dog together situation.
🤩 LOL hilarious moments!
🤩 Super sweet epilogue.

What I’m Wishing/Dizzy About:
💫 I don’t love it when one person isn’t willing to adjust goals and plans; a bit repetitive with this hanging over their heads.
💫 I really wanted a steamy scene or two after the little bit of uncertain time apart.

Romantic, funny, perfect narrators

Updated for audio: Excellent narration. I always love Ryan Lee Dunlap’s performance, and in the prologue he makes you hear 15-year-old Maverick as enamored, enraptured, overcome by emotion. He’s droll, dry, obviously attracted to Dove but uncomfortable about showing it and so sincere, including the adolescent cracking voice, it will make you smile. The good man Maverick will be shines through. Even though it’s young love Dunlap makes it feel real. And his transition to the adult Mav, the sexy, irresistible, bad boy hockey star is spot-on with the good guy is still there and around Dove still enamored, enraptured, overcome by emotion and head-over-heels in love. Stefanie Kay’s portrayal of Dove matches Dunlap’s; it perfect. As the 15-year-old Dove she’s girlish and sweet but the strength and dedication to her family and the orchard is already there, as are the feelings for Maverick that peek through. And Kay’s portrayal of the adult Dove is a woman full of life and passion, fear for the family’s legacy and determination to find a solution – and that long-ago yearning for Maverick that never faded but isn’t young love anymore but adult forever love. Both narrators bring this already wonderful story to life with their pace, tone, emotion and humor. A must-read story that is now also a must-listen.

“If I could find someone who loved all this as much as I do…well, I guess I’d just settle right down and marry him on the spot!” Keep that in mind while you’re reading.

Next generation stories are hard to do. Sometimes they are as good as those that have come before them, sometimes – not so much. Not all authors have the knack for now taking us into the grown-up lives of the children we thought were so cute – or so precocious or annoying. Without making caricatures of their parents, who were a short while ago steamy, silly young folks themselves. Well, let me tell you, author Tia Louise has the knack. Flow is the third book in The New Bradfords series after Pinch and Cage, and the next generation is every bit as compelling and enjoyable to watch as their parents were. And their parents are still people we love to check in with.

Flow is Maverick Murphy’s story. He’s the star player on the LA Champions hockey team alongside Gavin and Owen from Pinch and Cage. He’s a hot, sexy hunk, a player on and off the ice, but he’s also sweet and a good guy who loves family. Generous, thoughtful, considerate, well-raised by his parents Dylan Bradford and Logan Murphy. He’s still close to his family in Newhope and Los Angeles. But since Haddy and Gigi have found their HEAs with Gavin and Owen and moved out, he’s once again all alone in his house. They’re all still close by but it won’t be the same and he’ll miss having them there. But wait, he’s not going to be all alone, at least for a while. Dove Rhodes is going to stay at the house while she’s studying and looking for a cure to save her family’s precious peach orchard from dying back home in Louisiana. As thrilled as he is at the idea of seeing her again, finally being around her again, it could be a problem, because . . . “I have flow on the ice and on my head, but I still have trouble forming sentences when she’s around.” Yeah, there’s that.

The families knew each other from Haddy’s beauty pageants, and when he was 15 Maverick realized he had some pretty strong feelings for this girl. Life happened, though. Just after she uttered that unforgettable ‘I’d marry him on the spot’ line she was dragged away by an older neighbor Corey Hayes (an evil villain we’ll see more of), he became a hockey star, she stayed to work in the family business. Sure, he’s got a reputation as a ladies’ man but there’s never been anything serious and he’s never forgotten Dove, that first love, that what-if. Occasionally he wonders if she’s forgotten him or if she ever thinks of him.

When she shows up at the house it’s apparent she has not forgotten him and yes, she most definitely has thought about him. How he still feels is obvious to his cousins Haddy and Gigi and they don’t hesitate to tease him and think about plotting a little matchmaking. It’s not that simple, though. She’s not there to fall in love; she’s there to save the peaches. His career is at its peak and the Cup is in the team’s sights.

The heart wants what it wants, however. Being together in the house makes that teenage attraction blaze into full-blown adult longing. And it all feels so familiar, so comfortable, so right. She still can’t stay. He still can’t leave. He suffers a fairly serious injury and between that and his feelings for Dove turns to his father Logan for advice: how did you know mom was the one, when did you know it was time to hang it up. Back home, Corey makes it clear he wanted Dove then and he wants her now. Her family is in financial straits with nowhere to turn. Corey’s brother has offered to relieve that strain by buying the orchard – and planting soybeans. Corey at first offers to “help” Dove, and when she resists he tries to blackmail her into marrying him to keep the orchard, even though he really has no influence with his brother, and then becomes threatening when she repeatedly tells him she’s not interested.

Flow is an exciting, romantic story. Old crushes to lovers, desperate attempts to save the orchard, confrontations with Corey, sneak peeks at the families, and best of all – Dove and Maverick at her best friend’s wedding. You will cycle through emotions: feeling hopeful, worrying it’s all lost, being angry and frustrated, dabbing your eyes at just what a sweetie Maverick is, using that same hanky to fan yourself when you see just how combustible these two are together. I received an advance copy of Flow and absolutely loved it. Author Tia Louise has perfectly continued the Bradford story. Beautiful surroundings, loveable characters, villains to be vanquished and a look forward to the next book in this satisfying series. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

Mav & Dove

I’m obsessed with this next generation of Bradfords. This New Hope crew has me completely enthralled and personally invested in their journeys to a happily ever after. Oh Mav. How the mighty have fallen. I’ve enjoyed seeing Maverick’s character develop from the the fun loving protector and dog lover in Haddie and Gigi’s stories to this man who has been hooked on an unforgettable moment with a girl from his childhood. Maverick and Dove’s friends to lovers story owned my heart from the beginning. I laughed, I cried, I smiled and blushed. What more could you ask for? Their connection was electric and it proved that some things are worth waiting for. Ryan Lee Dunlap and Stefanie Kay’s duet style narration was incredible and embodied the characters perfectly. I just want to say that I’ll never think about peaches the same way ever again.

Maverick & Dove

Flow is hockey star player Maverick and Dove’s childhood friends to fake dating set-in small-town romance story. It’s book three in The New Bradfords second generation series. I adored Maverick and Dove. They grew up around each other, and Maverick has had feelings for Dove since he was 15 years old. Now, years have passed and Dove is in LA for a semester of school to try to save her family peach orchard and roommates with Maverick. Their connection is everything. The mix of shared history, fake dating, and living together creates this constant, low hum of tension that never feels forced.

The whole book feels warm, comforting, and a little bit magical. The small town, the family chaos, and the orchard add just enough depth without taking away from the romance. It is very character-driven, but when it works like this, it really works.

The audiobook really elevated the story, Stefanie Kay and Ryan Lee Dunlap did such a great job bringing Maverick and Dove to life.