Lane “Gavin” Knight is the hottest new defenseman for the LA Champions hockey team. He’s my cousin Maverick’s best friend, and by trick of fate, my new roommate. But just because he caught me when I fell off the “Welcome Back” parade float in my International Princess crown doesn’t mean he’s a hero. I know him better than that.
Hayden “Haddy” Bradford is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. She’s a princess, a brilliant scientist… And she hates me. Until a purple-drink-fueled Halloween hook-up changes both of our lives. It’s something I’ve wanted a long time, but I never dreamed I’d have it with her. Still, I’m the master of high-risk, high-reward plays, and I’ll do what it takes to show her I’m not the man she thinks I am.
I’m there for her every step of the way, supporting, holding her hand, doing my best to show her my true self. I told her I’d catch her when she falls, but no one is catching me—and I’m falling fast. I’m headed straight into the offensive zone. Everything I want is at stake, but I’m committed to this puck battle, and I intend to win.
(Pinch is a hockey romance with enemies to lovers, roommates to lovers, a cocky bad-boy Hero, a sassy STEM/pageant-princess FMC, an accidental pregnancy, foster dogs, family, and loads of spicy fun. No cheating, no cliffhanger, and no third-act breakup.)
Tia Louise is the USA Today best-selling, award-winning author of spicy-sweet military romance, small town romance, single parent romance, and romantic suspense novels.
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Huge thanks to Grey’s Promotions and the amazing Tia Louise for letting me read this ARC. Here’s my honest opinion
WHAT AN INCREDIBLE STORY. I always have mixed feelings when it comes to second-generation books, but wow — this one completely blew me away. I’m a Tia Louise fan (so maybe I’m a little biased), but I truly loved everything about this story. I adore men written by women — they’re always attentive, emotionally aware, and just fantastic.
Now, let’s talk about the story.
✨Haddy, daughter of Raven and Hendrix (The Way We Collide)., is strong, brilliant, and unapologetically smart — just like her mom. She’s the perfect example of a modern princess: hardworking, ambitious, and proudly representing women in STEAM. Her work in Aerobiology has led her to some fascinating breakthroughs in infant research. But behind that tough, intelligent exterior is someone who’s been hurt before — and her loyalty always puts friendship first. That’s where Gavin comes in — a college friend she’s built some serious emotional walls against.
✨Gavin, on the other hand, is a professional hockey player who moves to L.A. He’s best friends with Maverick (Haddy’s cousin) and ends up moving into the same house with him and his two cousins — one of them being, of course, Haddy. He’s always had a soft spot for her, but he respects her boundaries. Gavin is persistent but never pushy — kind, noble, and always listening. That’s what I loved most about him. His connection with Haddy isn’t just physical; it’s emotional, genuine, deep. And once the big reveal happens, you realize he’s not just a book boyfriend — he’s a MAN.
The chemistry between them was built beautifully — no unnecessary drama, no silly misunderstandings. Just family warmth, humor, loyal friends, adorable dogs, and characters that feel like home. Seeing the kids from previous stories all grown up was such a treat, and I’m beyond excited for what’s coming next in this new generation.
What to expect: 💡 Women in STEAM 🏒 Sports romance 👶 Accidental pregnancy 🏠 Roommates to lovers 🌌 Star Wars references 🐶 Cute doggies ❤️ Lots of family love
You know, I think the bones of a decent story are hidden somewhere in there, but this is just such a mess that I’m DNFing at 53%.
I was skeptical from the start when we’re told the FMC is International Princess Woman. That’s literally the best pageant name the author could come up with? Yeesh. And then the MMC plays for the LA Champions. The CHAMPIONS?! Just tell me you’re lazy.
There are other things that bothered me—the miscommunication, the MMC whining about her ‘not believing him’ when he made literally zero effort to tell her what actually happened, the FMC finding it impossible to believe that someone would rather lie about being cheated on than admit they cheated on their boyfriend… it’s just… very silly.
But then there were the real WTF moments, like the NHL-playing cousin whose mother has never watched one of his hockey games (?!). The FMC describing her caltech masters thesis as an aerobiologist saying she’s doing it ‘so no more babies will die.’ Yeah, that’s how she described her thesis to professors.
Then there’s the moment the FMC is asked by a little girl if she’s ’a real princess.’ She’s a pageant princess, and it’s in her pageant title, but I think we can all agree that doesn’t make her a real princess, right? Wrong. “I sure am,” the FMC says confidently. Imagine that little girl’s confusion when her follow-up question of ‘is your dad a king’ is answered with ‘no, but he’s a football player.’ Like HUH?!
And then there’s the amazing moment where a little boy says ‘my dad says girls aren’t good at math’ and her ONLY response, this CalTech Biology Masters student, is to say, ‘that’s a common misconception.’ Let’s just hope this kid knows what ‘misconception’ means! Way to really set the record straight and bust some prejudiced perceptions there, Miss International Princess Woman in STEM!
There’s other really silly things, like the pageant requiring she not swear and not get pregnant out of wedlock, but apparently not specifying she has to be unmarried (which is pretty common in pageants?!). The MMC getting from, I *think*, North Carolina to Lower Alabama in a few hours. (Even by plane this is hard to believe, bc 1. It’s Christmas and 2. I think he’s in Wilmington and the closest airport to South Alabama would probably be Birmingham, and he took a rideshare, which would be steep, and also would be HOURS away.)
But also it’s just really silly and ridiculous. The pepper thing, the MMC just deciding to change his first name (not to his middle name or anything, he literally picked a DIFFERENT NAME from a play he was in or read or something in like middle school—it was VERY ridiculous), the dog…grooming? Rescuing? Show judging? Cousin, the insistence that all these adults with MONEY are exclusively imbibing ‘purple drink’ at their parties (and before public appearances, for miss Princess Woman).
Anyway, this is just a bunch of slop with no real thought or logic behind any of it. Too many characters with too many names and nicknames, trying too hard, no sense of time, no logic behind any of the characters’ actions…
And if you’re wondering why the FMC on the cover is wearing such a weird, uncoordinated outfit of lingerie and track pants, well, it’s because the FMC literally wears this exact hyper-specific outfit in the book.
Honestly, it feels like the author found this picture (or… it was created, if you know what i mean) and decided it would feel more authentic if the outfit was written into the story, so she did.
This was such a sweet, fun story that just made me happy. I loved the mix of friends and family. The easy, comfortable dynamics pulled me right in and made me feel like part of the group. I loved the warmth and laughter, as well as that special kind of chemistry that’s both smexy and full of heart.
There was a little bit of tension from Haddy and Gavin’s shared past, just enough to make me anxious for them to finally work through it, but never enough to weigh the story down. It added a nice layer without ever taking away from the overall feel good vibe.
Seeing Haddy as an adult was such a treat! We didn’t get to watch her grow up so catching up with her now was a little bittersweet. I missed those growing up years, especially after seeing Kimmie through so many stages written in a way that only this author knows how to do it.. Still, Pinch felt like coming home to beloved characters and a world filled with heart, humor, and love. I can’t wait for the rest!
I'm so excited to dive into the next generation of the Bradfords! I loved the Bradford Boys series and it really was a great introduction to this author for me. The family element is a big draw to the series for me, as well as the constantly failing birth control... now now, I jest.. but that does seem to be the theme in these books. But it's all just fine for me, because accidental pregnancy is one of my favorite tropes to read.
I loved Haddy & Gavin. They were both such genuine people. They made me smile and the interactions, once we get past a miscommunication from the past, are just so fun. I love the cousins dynamic and how Gavin fit right in with them. I definitely have a group chat with my cousins, and one of my cousins is basically my sibling, we share so much. So I really related to that.
I also enjoyed that Haddy was a scientist, though her needing a scholarship through the princess stuff didn't quite jive with me. She is from a wealthy and connected family, so shouldn't someone more in need get it? I don't know, it would have made more sense if it was a grant or a private sponsor who got upset and withdrew funding over her pregnancy. Just my take. It didn't really affect my enjoyment of the story overall.
Gavin was a total Golden Retriever hero, down to his bones. The perfect white knight. I truly was swooning over him. That's why stupid Karen needed to be confronted much earlier. I wish he would have called her out himself. But how the truth came out was good too.
I really enjoy Tia Louise and I can't wait for the next entry in the New Bradfords.
This was narrated in Duet by Ryan Lee Dunlap & Willa James. They did a wonderful job and really helped me be swept away by the story.
4.5 Stars 3 on the spice scale
CW: Cheating (not by MCs), Childbirth, misogyny, severe sports injury & hospital stay
*Thank you to Home Cooked Books Promo & the author for an ALC of this title.*
The book is not bad, but there are a few things that annoyed me. (Possible spoilers ahead)
My eyes almost rolled right out of my head when H bought h a “push present” 🙄 then I remembered this was the same author who had one of her characters want a “mommy stitch” in a previous book.
There were A LOT of characters in this book. There’s a lot of backstory on all the characters. It’s too much. I did read the parent’s series, but even I got brain overload.
The biggest issue I have with the book- everything is too perfect. It’s like everybody’s family/friends group is all so interconnected and it’s all perfect. If you don’t like any drama, then you will probably enjoy it. It’s not that I don’t enjoy it, it’s just more like it not realistic. Which made the whole scholarship storyline goofy. h had a scholarship for school. She didn’t want to lose it. It made no sense because her parents were loaded. They wanted to pay for her college but she wouldn’t let them. So…..you take that opportunity away from somebody who probably does need it? I guess it doesn’t matter, because H ended up paying them back in the end. 🤷♀️
H’s name change was just…..ugh. It was almost like the author planned to do something big with it, then she lost her way. Idk. I can’t remember his first name, but in college he went by Lane. Now he’s an NHL player and goes by Gavin. 🤨 BUT then most of his relatives call him Laney. Soooo many nicknames thrown into this book. When you have so many characters in a book, then throw in multiple nicknames for those characters, it is confusing
Finally, the ex roommate Karen. The main plot of this book was h not liking H because he used to date Karen, but he supposedly cheated on her. H tried to explain to h MANY times what really happened, but she wouldn’t believe him. BUT we do find out when he caught Karen cheating on him, he did actually hook up with many girls in the sorority house. Was the whole point to prove he was a playboy or not? Idk I was just left thinking “what’s the big deal?” 🤷♀️ He was telling the truth, Karen lied. He didn’t cheat on her.
#Review: *Pinch* - Tia Louise - ARC [18+] 4.7/5✨ 3.5/5🌶️
I was super elated to see that I got accepted for this book by Tia Louise and I wanna thank her and Grey's Promotions for this awesome opportunity! 🥰
The LA Champions hockey team had a new defenseman in the person of Lane 'Gavin' Knight. Because of an error he didn't have a place to stay, so he ended up crushing at one of his best friend's house. But there was also staying a smart, gorgeous scientist and pageant princess who didn't have the best opinion about him. Why? Because of something she believed he did in the past and never got over it. But only one night at a Halloween party, when they got a bit too tipsy, and everything changed between them. How will they handle that new found connection?
It was so delicious to follow the constant bickering and loathing between Hayden and Gavin! Even from the beginning they had the funniest and most awkward interactions, because of how much Hayden disliked Gavin and how much she hated herself because of how affected by him she was. Our scientist was built as a strong, determined woman, linking that we got to see her delicate side too, the one which has shown how vulnerable she could be. I loved how much Gavin has fought for what he felt for her and to make her see his true side. Also, I liked that sincere connection he and Hayden had, where they were always straight forward, not having that strange miscommunication between them.
I'm glad that I got the chance to read this book, being my first one from this author. I really liked how the connection between Hayden and Gavin was built and evolved. Also, that surprise element of this story was such a sweet part and the gang vibes were so much fun!
"She looks like sunshine after weeks of rain. She smiles and warmth fills my entire body."
I was so excited when I saw Ms. Louise was doing a second generation with the Bradford kids. I loved that series and this one is off to a fantastic start.
Gavin has been a goner for Haddy ever since the first time he saw her some years back at college. Imagine his surprise when she literally falls into his arms as he arrives in California as the newest teammate on the same hockey team as her cousin/roommate. Oh yeah, Gavin is also her cousin's best friend. He is a magnet that cannot refuse the pull that Haddy has over him.
It takes Haddy a bit longer to warm up to Gavin but how fun it was to watch. Even after they start spending time together there is still some apprehension on her side while he does nothing but show her how much she means to him. The man is always there supporting her. He is utter perfection.
Them together makes all the sense in the world. He supports her from afar until she needs him close. He lets her stand on her own two feet and be the independent woman she is. He would never want to take that away from her. He also knows how to treat the lady that holds his heart. Once Haddy's brain finally catches up to what her heart feels all was right in their world.
Tia has started off this series in spectacular fashion. I always love a second generation series because we get to see the characters we miss and she kept the Bradford family dynamics in tow and sprinkled some of the parents traits onto their kids. I am not familiar with Gavin's parents' story so I will definitely be going back and reading theirs.
You know how you wonder if you’ll like the next generation as much as the first? Have no fear here. Mav is definitely his mother’s son, Haddy is definitely her mother’s daughter, and Gavin will make you question what you think you’re so sure you know from the first meeting!
This may be an oops, but it’s no mistake. I promise that. It’s a slow burn that ignites and consumes everything, but the maturity here is so refreshing. You’d think we get no communication and worries and lies. We get worries, but one of the others. We get two people finding their way and realizing that sometimes, outside parties don’t tell the truth. Family can be relied upon, and enough love can make just about anything possible. If these two can get past their immediate NOPE to their living situation, then get past their fears to find a true future together, then I have hope for the next Bradford kid who finds their one. I have a feeling I might know who’s going to find it, but I don’t know if they’re next. I can only hope and wonder.
What happens when the guy your college friend claimed cheated on her ends up being your new roommate? Yes you're both adults now, but it's really hard to forget about the past. Even if he proves daily that everything you thought you knew may not be true.
When the Bradford story came to an end, I was so sad. I loved them so much! But when Tia bought out the second generation, I couldn’t have been happier.
Getting to see the first generation in this book was amazing! Haddy’s parent’s book was one of my favorite. The nickname Super P was perfect! It really pulled in the funny scene in The Way We Collide.
I just adored Gavin!! He’s so full of warmth and charm. He has a personality that’s absolute perfection.
Haddy is brilliant and wonderful in every single way. Together, they balance each other flawlessly.
Their connection was everything I love in books. It was effortless, real, and full of heart. Instead of them having drama, it’s all about family, laughter, friendship, and those sweet dogs that make it feel like home. Those pups were perfect!
I really can’t wait to see what Tia does with Gigi and Owen’s story. Single dad is one of my favorite tropes!
An amazingly huge thanks to Grey’s Promotions and the amazing Tia Louise for letting me read this ARC.
2.5 Stars rounded up. Lord, How did I stumble my way back into a new set of Bradford's?🤦🏼♀️ 😂 In the grab and smash way I read books, I apparently picked this one up without realizing I had previously read and rated the h's aunt's book, and I'm willing to bet with all the complicated side story of the H's parents, they probably have a book or 3 🙄 Apparently this author is another Bella Matthews and is one of those Hallmark movie, gigantic ass family with far too many characters with inside jokes you have to remember or that are call backs that sound absolutely dumb by themselves, like the h's nickname being "Super Pooper", speaking of, what is this authors bizarre obsession with poop? The h decides to forget about doing water birth solely because she's afraid of pooping in the birthing pool 🙄 Girl, what? Speaking of ridiculous, the whole Scientist Barbie thing was so bad. For one thing, she didn't have the logic or rationale of a scientist, she was HIGHLY emotional and not a bit logical, for another, the whole fixation with "I'm an independent woman, I'm not taking my parents money!" yet her whole grand act of independence is to stand and look pretty to get a scholarship that could have gone to someone who actually needed it! 🤦🏼♀️ She was willing to potentially jeopardize her relationship with her family and her baby daddy in order to cling to that crown. The plot was barely hanging to a thread of logic. The h is supposed to be SO loyal to her friend that she hates the H, but before she even fully believes that her friend was lying and while she was still claiming to be this chick's friend, she starts sleeping with her friend's ex-boyfriend! Without even talking to the "friend" about it! 🤦🏼♀️ She can't be *that* loyal 🙄 Lastly, hockey was disappointingly once again, an afterthought and feels like an after market add-on to be able to call it a hockey romance.
Anyways, After all that, I'm sure you're thinking "Why 2.5 stars rounded up to 3?" and that's because overall, even though nothing much is happening and it's about as exciting as a rainy Sunday, it was a comfortable easy read, none of the characters were super obnoxious in my opinion and there were some funny/cute moments, Like the whole Princess Leia/Han Solo thing they had going. Near the end the h tells the H "I love you" and he responds with "I know" I appreciate that bit of humor. Doubt I'll read further into the series
Welcome to the next generation! Hayden is everything I expected, given her parents’ backgrounds. She’s brilliant, sassy, and loyal. Enter Gavin, who has a bad reputation but proves himself. I loved that there was no third-act breakup in this book. There’s also character insight into the other Bradford children.
Overall, it’s a nice, sometimes spicy, somewhat predictable story.
However, I have a few hang-ups. The timeline is so weird for me. I know they reference the oldie buff that her mom is, but it’s strange. From the movies to the music, I had a hard time processing it. The new generation is in their 20s, but they have the taste of their parents (feels unrealistic). Then, Hayden is a STEM girl. She has her period on October 1st and gets pregnant on October 31st, but it’s because she ovulated due to a suitable male….. I can’t 😒🥴. I had to rate lower because of the delusion aspect of that completely sending me.
Pinch is the first book in The New Bradford Series. It is a standalone, contemporary, enemies to lovers, hockey romance with roommates to lovers and accidental pregnancy themes. The story is told in first person, dual POV.
Haddy is a clumsy beauty queen and a total science nerd. Gavin is Haddy's new roommate, and her cousin's teammate and bff, who makes a habit of saving her.
This was a fabulous read. I absolutely loved Haddy and Gavin together. I loved the chemistry and heat that these two have in spades with each other. I loved the lengths that Gavin is willing to go to to be there for Haddy, and the limits he sets to preserve his own self respect. I really enjoyed the role that animals played in the story and how important family is to both Gavin and Haddy.
The writing, pace, plot, storytelling, and characters were all terrific, as were the storyline, character development, relationship development, and world building. If you're looking for an entertaining, humorous, oops pregnancy romance with a doting, hockey player MMC, a smart, pageant princess FMC, and a guaranteed HEA, then I'd highly recommend this book.
🏒👑💜🔬 after reading the bradford family series back to back and hearing their was gonna be a second gen series i was sooo flippin excited…and let me tell you, TIA DID NOT DISAPPOINT 👏🏽
this series starts off with haddy and gavin’s story, and ugh that man had it so down bad for her and when she finally let her guard down he made his move. they were so good together and for each other. he was so supportive of her and his protectiveness was sooo attractive. and the connection they shared was oh so HOT 🥵 and the way he was all in when he found out she was pregnant was swoonnn!!!
also i loved seeing the og bradford clan throughout the book and how well they vibed with gavin’s family. i am so excited for what’s to come of this series and for the new bradford’s to get their hea
what to expect: 🏒 hockey romance 😡 dislike to love 🤰🏻 accidental pregnancy 🏠 roommates 👀 cousin’s best friend 😍 he falls first 🔬 stem fmc 😮💨 protective alpha 💜 no third act breakup
Hayden and Gavin. Oh my gosh!!! I loved this story!!! Haddie is the daughter of two characters I also adore so how could I not love her. She is a beauty queen but the best kind. Her role is to show the world you can be smart and beautiful. Her research will save babies across the world if she find the link. She also has a loyal spirit meaning that if you do her friends wrong she takes it personally. Gavin has done her friends wrong. Or so she thinks. Gavin is trying to start new. His past has made him realize he doesn’t want to be that kind of person. And he wasn’t until that one girl. She made him act out of character. He knew he shouldn’t but he did. When he sees Haddie again, all bets are off in trying to win her over. Living in the same house will either help him or break him. I loved how this unfolded. Haddie can’t help her attraction to Gavin even if she resists it. The friendship that unfolds is fantastic and the admiration they have is very sweet. Once the barrier is broken though…. Five alarm fire!!!
Pinch by Tia Louise won me over with its fast-paced writing, lovable characters and plenty of humor. There’s no unnecessary drama here, things are handled quickly and maturely, without any over-the-top moments.
Even the scenes where the male character, Gavin, keeps trying while Haddy does her best to keep her distance managed to put a smile on my face. I was really curious to learn the truth about their shared past, especially since each of them seemed to have their own version of what happened. You can sense there’s some kind of misunderstanding between them, but the suspense lingers just long enough and I really liked that.
I really enjoyed the interactions with the animals, as well as those with the kids. I found it so interesting how, little by little, we get to see how great Gavin is with children and how much he genuinely loves being around them. He’s always there for Haddy, supporting her every step of the way. I do think that, while the tension between them was definitely there, they gave in to temptation a bit too quickly, but after that, their relationship developed beautifully and at a steady pace.
It was so nice to read about them as a group, as one big, close-knit family. I’m really curious to see what Gigi and Owen’s story will bring, especially since single dad is one of my favorite tropes.
— spicy hockey romance — roommates to lovers — accidental pregnancy — he falls first
★★★★☆
Releases October 16! Thank you so much @greyspromo for sending me this ARC! ❤️
“With that in mind, remember always to do your best, stay curious, and look for ways to help others shine.” 💖
Pinch was such an exciting book, Haddy lives with two of her cousins and is a pagent princess and scientist, her life is all on track to meet her goals until Gavin the new defenseman for the LA Champions ice hockey team catches Haddy when she falls off of the Welcome Back parade float and only to be further surprised that he is going to be moving into the spare room at the house thanks to one of her cousin Maverick who is Gavin's best friend as well.
The book starts with tension between our two main characters due to knowing each other in the past and continues that until Maverick thinks of himself as a mixologist and gets both of them quite intoxicated on Halloween and their relationship changes forever, especially when Haddy sees three positive pregnancy tests.
I loved reading as their relationship continued growing and changing as the pregnancy progressed, trust issues, hidden relationship and pregnancy can definitely take its toll on two people but these two handled it quite well against all odds.
I loved Gavin so much, his character is so loving and fun, the personality is just perfection and Haddy is simply brilliant and wonderful and the two of them level each other out so perfectly.
Every chapter in this book was addictive, I did not want to put it down at all and read it all pretty much in one sitting, the plot, the characters just everything made this book so worth the read and I am so excited for the next book and to see Haddy and Gavin again and their little one.
This are totally “me” triggers, if you can call them that. I basically hate nicknames, although “Princess” does fit better than most since she’s a pageant winner. I’m also so, so, so, sick and tired of unexpected pregnancies. This woman is supposedly practically a genius. How could she be so careless? I don’t think it’s addressed here but if it were me, I’d be wondering if the guy didn’t stay with me because of the baby:
****** A majority of young men want to become fathers, with a 2023 Pew Research Center poll finding 57% of young men hope to have children someday, compared to 45% of young women. Surveys have shown a similar desire in other age groups, including 86.6% of teenage boys expressing an intent to have a child and a recent study indicating that nearly six in 10 young men want to become fathers. ****** There are more damning statistics but this one seemed to fit the bill in a non-confrontational manner.
I’m also appalled at Haddy’s duplicity in not advising the sponsors of her scholarship that she’s pregnant. I was already pretty disgusted at her accepting it. She comes from a well to do family who could easily pay for her schooling. She just doesn’t want to accept help from mommy and daddy so in turn is being selfish and preventing someone who genuinely needs financial assistance from completing their education.
5 Star Review Pinch (The New Bradford #1) by Tia Louise
Audio/eBook When I heard that Tia Louise had a new series releasing I could not wait to read Pinch.
This is defensemen for the LA Champions hockey team Lane “Gavin” Knight and Hayden “Haddy” Bradford’s enemies to lovers story and was everything I was expecting and more.
From the first chapter I was invested in their story, with easy to relate to characters who quickly drew me in and held me captive.
The sparks fly between them as the chemistry explodes. However there is more to their relationship than just passion as it developed and that was heart warming to watch.
This is a story of romance, family, friendship and taking a leap of faith. There was nothing I didn’t like about this book and I cannot wait to see what Ms. Louise has in store for this series.
This is a slow burn story that was enhanced by the entertaining narration by Ryan Lee Dunlap and Willa Jaymes. Their performances brought the characters and story to life. Not only are their voices easy to listen to, but they brought humour and romance to their performances.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
It's time for the next generation of the Bradfords and I am beyond excited. Haddy is all grown up and is about to get her HEA! Pinch is giving us all the tropes - Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, Cousins best friend and then a surprise pregnancy! Gavin and Haddy met over a decade ago in college and thats when enemy lines were drawn but fast forward to present day and Gavin is still obsessed with the gorgeous Haddy. Haddy struggles to fight the connection, because hello, hot Hockey god over here is giving off all the cinnamon roll vibes. He's there every step of the way to support Haddy, despite her trying to be independent. It's a beautiful read, low angst and a whole lot of steam.
I voluntarily reviewed a free advance copy of this book provided by the author. The opinions expressed are my own
I loved the Bradford boys series so much, so when the next gen series was teased, I couldn’t wait. I wanted to love this book and I tried to love it. But there was just too many things that didn’t work for me.
The constant changing of names between the cousins. I honestly thought there were more people around because the names switched back and forth so much. The cousins also had an extremely close relationship. I’m all for family relationships but it felt too close at times for me. There was also some side inconsistencies and way too much repetitiveness. Their history also was all over the place for me. She hyper focused on not believing him but let all her other feelings take over. I mean when you know you know, but drop the stuff about the past. I’m interested to see where the series goes.
I encourage people to give it a try if accidental pregnancy, forced proximity and found family is your thing. But this one has wasn’t for me.
There was something about these two that I absolutely loved. For some reason, their spiciness surprised me, but of course, I enjoyed it.
Lane "Gavin" Knight is the newest member of the LA Champions hockey team. He's her cousin, Maverick's best friend, and somehow my new roommate. He saved me when I fell off the "Welcome Back" float, but that doesn't mean he's a hero.
Hayden "Haddy" Bradford is the most beautiful woman Gavin has ever seen. She's a princess and a scientist, and she hates Gavin. Until a purple-drink-fueled Halloween hook-up changes both their lives.
He's worked to show her that he's not the man she thinks he is. So he'll be there every step of the way to support her, hold her hand, and catch her if she falls. Because he's already fallen for her.
Thanks so much to the author and Greys Promo for this ARC to review.
The first pepper reference was a cute callback but then there were more 💀 Gav mentions letting the past go multiple times and that Haddy isnt understanding but he didnt even try to get her to understand 💀 she can only believe one side if that's all she has to go on... Also, her cousin Mav not even responding to her being upset about lack of privacy leading to gav seeing her naked... what as assjole cousin... the other cousin didnt care either 💀...oh and he changes his name for no reason??????? And all the tripping and catching isnt building sexual tension... its lazy writing...so soft dnf 14% I'll finish later... edit... started and giving up gav highschool jock bullies poor timothy 💀 the character and the author need to grow up it seems
The MMC, Gavin Knight, a Cousins best friend, transferred professional hockey player! I loved the connection between Gavin and Maverick they are a hoot and a half together. The FMC, Hayden (Hattie) Bradford, is a fun ditzy character (minus the actual ditz!) as she is smart at heck at her science stuff! However Hattie person reads as at least five years younger more YA/NA with her indecisions and indecisiveness! And, using her tears to get what she wants. Also, I am not a fan of her prioritizing her scholarship over her secret. Her baby daddy is loaded and her father is loaded. She is definitely still part of the one percenters. She interrupts his professional hockey game with her tears and her drama!! I really enjoyed this Bradford siblings series and will continue this one, however this stories fmc feel way to short for me to unfortunately enjoy thing story and i usually enjoy surprises baby!!
I was devastated when the Bradford series ended and learning about this series made my heart aflutter. When we left these particular Bradfords, they were babies, and now we have them as adults. Football has become hockey, and the romance starts flying.
Gavin and Haddy met in college, and it was not a good experience. But fast forward a few years, and Gavin needs a place to live. His cousin Maverick invites him to use the guest room. When a towel goes awry, Gavin gets an eyeful, and the tension begins to grow. This is a feel-good, no cheating, no third-act breakup romance.
Sports romance Roommates to lovers Scientist beauty queen Accidental pregnancy
Absolutely loved this book. Great start to a new series! I love second gen series and we start off with Haddy! They're all so fun and different in their own way. I was also happy when the parents made appearances. Gavin and Haddy were perfect for eachother and I totally missed this was gonna be an accidental pregnancy but oops! In a good way. Cant wait to read more!
- In A Pinch louder for the ones in the back who love a SECOND GEN SERIES!!!!
Tia Louise came to play with book 1 in her newest series. The fact that I get to love on these characters after getting to love on their “parents” in previous series just makes me giddy.
Pinch is an enemies to lovers, college hockey romance, accidental pregnancy!! Gavin needs a place to stay when he is picked up on a new hockey team & what better place besides with his bestfriend. He didn’t know the girl he fell for a long time again is going to be his new roommate.
There is a lot to hash out between Gavin Knight and Haddy.. considering she has all the opinions about him and one of her old roommates. The longer she is around Gavin it’s hard for her to keep her guard up.. he isn’t at all what she thought and after a night together that altered both their brain chemistry’s- looks like a baby Knight is coming into the chaos!!
Tia writes the perfect mix of serious and hilarious. Honestly I live for the vibes because you get all the feels. I’m so excited for the rest of this series I can’t hardly stand it.
currently reading at 32%. so when I started reading this I didn't realize that this is the continuation of another series. I think it's the kids of the people from the other Bradford series. I wish that this said that anywhere in the book or the blurb because of that would have made more sense.
so this book is extremely repetitive. I'm not sure why the same topics gets brought up so many times. it's like we get the internal dialogue of both the MCs about the topic then we get a separate conversation with both MCs talking to their friends and then we get the same conversation with the MCs talking to each other. the spelled out word for word. with the friends it could have simply been cut down to I caught friend up with everything that's happened with Gavin or something like that and then continue the story. it really bogs down the story.
then you get the bits and pieces about the parents and what went on in their books but I'm still kind of confused about it because I didn't read those books and I think the author is trying to give us too much information but also not enough information that's relevant to the story about the side characters.
then there's some things that get talked about that kind of don't add up like the FMC talks about how Karen who used to date the MMC in college used to be her roommate I guess at the sorority maybe I'm not sure if the FMC was part of that. but she says they were roommates but then later she says that she used to deal with her during the summer during the princess pageant because Karen is also one. but then she says it was 10 years before when they were in college so I don't know if she was roommates with Karen for college in a sorority setting or if she only saw Karen during the summer and roommated with her then. I don't know it just was kind of confusing because the author would throw in bits and pieces of information throughout the story.
then they talk about this purple drink which is Everclear and purple Kool-Aid and how they like to go out and drink but then she talks about being a lightweight but then not a lightweight and then she talks about how the drink was strong because Maverick made it but then she talks about drinking two of them and tasting the Everclear so did she not taste the Everclear the first drink? then why did she drink the second one. then when the MCs have sex she only has one drink but she's hungover and all over the place.
Pinch is book #1 from the second-generation series, The New Bradfords. Going into this I wasn’t sure how much I would like the second-gen aspect, but I’m pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed Pinch!
Pinch is about Hayden Bradford, aka “Haddy” (daughter of Raven and Hendrix from The Way We Collide) and Lane Knight, aka “Gavin”. Haddy is a pageant princess and also a STEM girlie, conducting research on infants. Gavin, on the other hand, is a professional hockey player and he happens to be best friends with Haddy’s cousin, Maverick. He recently signed to the LA Champions hockey team, but due to an error, is left with nowhere to live. And so, he ends up living with his best friend Maverick and Maverick’s cousins, one of whom is obviously Haddy. They don’t have the best history, and so there’s some tension there in the beginning. But one night during a Halloween party, everything changes for them. 😊
This was such a joy to read. I loved both Haddy and Gavin. Gavin has had a soft spot for Haddy for a long time. But Haddy took a bit longer to come around. Seeing them grow together, and get to know each other more was soo special. Their chemistry was just the best! I also just adored how much of good people they were; such genuine personalities. Side note, Gavin, now that’s a MAN! A true golden retriever who was soo caring. I just loved their moments together. Finally, I also loved seeing the family members interactions. All so fun!
Overall, Pinch was a cute and fun sports, enemies-to-lovers romance between roommates. But it was a whole more than that! I definitely recommend!
Narrated in duet style by Willa James and Ryan Lee Dunlap. They were both fantastic and entertaining. They captured their voices and personalities perfectly! Definitely bringing the story and the characters to life!
Thanks to the author, Tia Louise, and the team at HomeCooked Books for providing me with an advanced audio review copy of this book. All opinions provided in this review are entirely my own.