The Way We Play: or Tempting the Kicker

The Bradford Boys

By: Tia Louise

Narrated by: Marcio Catalano, Kirsten Leigh

Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

He’s a grumpy, retired kicker who says he only breaks things. I’m a thirty-year-old virgin with something he can break (and I don’t mean my heart).

How does one get to be a thirty-year-old virgin?

In my case, start with being risk-averse and cautious, focused on building your career, then inherit your 12-year-old, special-needs brother. Done!

Zane Bradford appeared at the perfect time. He takes my brother to equine therapy, he gives me rides to work, and he rescues me when I collapse in the shower. (Yes, he saw me naked.) He says he only breaks things, but I only see him fixing everything. Heck, his job is as a repair man.

This grumpy, angry god with lean muscles, silky dark hair, and ice blue eyes has taken himself out of the game. But massage therapy is my job, and I’m ready to play.

Rachel Wells is ruining everything. She walks into my workplace and argues with me, talks back, defends herself. She gives me romance books to “improve my mood,” and insists on massage therapy to ease my pain. Chronic pain isn’t my problem—she is, with her bright green eyes and sassy attitude. Then she tells me she’s never been kissed. (What’s wrong with the men in Birmingham?) The more she tempts me, the more I feel my resolve weakening. She wants to play, but I’m not going to break.

(THE WAY WE PLAY is a small-town, grumpy-sunshine, sports romance with close proximity, enemies-to-lovers vibes, and a virgin FMC, and an over-protective alpha hero. No cheating. No cliffhanger. No third-act breakup.)

©2024 TLM Productions LLC (P)2024 TLM Productions LLC

Zane and Rachael

There are so many great parts of this story it is hard to pinpoint my favorites, here are a few highlights I thoroughly enjoyed.

When Rachael comes to be Ms Gina's nurse and gets a new start in her life she has no idea that the broody, handsome man who also helped Ms G would steal her heart. Rachael's life hasn't always been easy as she had to care for her brother Edward most of his life and it hasn't always been easy to do. When she gets notice from her grandmother that Edward is having problems without her, she goes and gets him and tries to figure it all out. What she finds is that her new town is full of loving and caring people who wrap them in love and become her family, and they love and care for Eddie as well.

In the previous book, Zane Bradford, aka football star, has come home after a career-ending injury. He is angry, hurt, and in pain and doesn't want to be around anyone. When his sister with a little help from Ms G finally gets him out of his room he starts to live again. Now we are to the present and Zane works for Ms G along with Rachael and she is a distraction like none he has faced before. He wants to keep her at a distance but the pull between them is something he just can't resist.

I loved how this book shows individuals who struggle but find their way. I loved how Zane has such a caring and soft side beneath his grumpy outer layer. I loved how Rachael finds her happy place and her family of friends who truly love her and Eddie. I mostly love Ms G and how this woman can see with her heart even though she can't with her eyes. She is a matchmaker in disguise and does a great job. This book is packed full of funny, great characters and I just loved it.

Marcio Catalano and Kristen Leigh narrate this book.

Loved it!

I love that Zane & Rachel finally gave in to their feelings for each other. But I absolutely adored Ms Gina & Eddy Nashville!!! I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook and the narrators were spot on and did an amazing job bringing these characters to life!

A Lovely Grumpy/Sunshine Romance

I was entertained by this story. I liked the characters and their concern for others. I enjoyed the family interactions and the feeling of family that percolated throughout the story. There were some heavy, steamy scenes described. I thought the dual narrators: Marcio Catalano's and Kirsten Leigh's performances enhanced the story's entertainment. I was given an advanced listeners' copy of the audiobook through Home Cooked Books. I volunteered, without financial gain, to post this review which reflected my honest opinions regarding this story.

These Bradford siblings.

OVERALL: 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
•Storyline: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
▪︎Spice Level:  🌶🌶/ 5
•Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧/5
•Swoon level: 🫠🫠🫠🫠/5
•Bookshelf Worthy: 📚📚📚📚/5
•Platform: E-book
•Recommend: Yes
▪︎Re-read/re-listen: Yep
•Trope: Football Romance, Grumpy -Sunshine, Single mom vibes, Co-workers

• Thoughts:
I love the Bradford family!!! Zane did not disappoint at all! I loved his grumpy butt. Rachel is a ray of freaking Sunshine and throw in Edward. Perfection! I know this is gonna be a series where I am going to love each brother, and I won't be able to pick a favorite.
Their connection and dynamic are so sweet! I love Edward as well. I really enjoyed Zane and his connection with him. I felt Zane just needed a little kick in the butt with his grumpiness. He holds a lot on his shoulders. This is a great read and easy to find yourself sucked in and not wanting to put the book down. I recommend!! It made my heart happy.

Narrator Thoughts:
Marcio Catalono and Kirsten Leigh are the narrators for this book. They did a good job. They brought the characters to life. Marcio is a new to me narrator, and I very much enjoyed his voice and the performance he brought to the character. I will definitely be seeking out more of his work Kirsten is a newer to me, narrator, and I still absolutely afore her. I love her voice and her performance as Rachel.

Pure Gold!

I loved this cute enemies to lovers! These two were so adorable! They have wonderful personalities/charm and their chemistry(hate to love) is fun to watch! Each one has some tough devisions to work through and try to figure out if they can still be together.

Secondary characters are where its all at in this one! Gina is amazing! I loved that nothing gets her down and can stop her. Edward is a terrific young man. So smart and really has a heart of gold! If thats no enough lets add in the Bradford family! They are a hoot and I could not stop laughing at their text thread! Especially when Logan was added that brought a smile to my face. I would love to stop in their place and get some food just to observe them.

I listened to this on audio. Kirsten Leigh and Marcio Catalano surprised me with their performance. Both are fairly new to me and they did an amazing job!

I look for to the next because this one is Pure Gold!

Sweet and steamy, loved it

What a sweet love story, and perfect for an audiobook. The Way We Play is the second book in author Tia Louise’s Bradford Boys series and you can bet I’m going back to catch up. The Prologue does a great job of introducing you to the Bradfords and filling you in on their backstories: how they lost their parents about 16 years ago, how all the brothers have followed in their football star father’s footsteps, how a tragic accident on Thanksgiving 12 years ago ended their baby sister Dylan’s dreams of being a professional Angelina Ballerina, and how another tragic accident ended Zane’s career and left him in pain much of the time. Since Zane’s the one who accidentally fell on Dylan during what was supposed to be a fun game of family football, he considers his own career-ending fluke accident nothing more than karma, just what he deserves. And his pain isn’t only on the outside.

The story opens with Zane back home in Newhope, Alabama, living in the old family house with his sister Dylan and her fiancé Logan, working at Second Chance Stables, doing equine therapy with kids, also working as a handyman for a sweet, rich old blind lady, Miss Gina, a few miles north of Newhope, and having an inner grumble with himself about Rachel Wells. Rachel who with her 12-year-old brother Edward had to get away from Birmingham, is a friend of Dylan’s so they are staying at the house (nobody asked Zane if this was okay!) and working at the Bradford family restaurant Dylan runs. If sleeping in the room right across from Zane’s isn’t bad enough, she’s also Miss Gina’s nurse and massage therapist, so he has to see her every single day, at home and at work. Rachel is in Zane’s way. She’s also in his thoughts. Thoughts which sometimes are a little bit racy. Definitely some attraction and chemistry there. When he’s not grumping and griping and complaining, that is.

Rachel hasn’t had an easy life. Neither has Edward. Their mother wasn’t interested in having another child when Edward was born, and once it became clear Edward is on the spectrum their father wanted nothing to do with him. So Rachel has always been the one to care for him, watch out for him. They’ve been living with their grandmother, but when Rachel moved away to finally try and start her own life – about time at almost 30, right? – Edward became too much for their grandmother to handle without him being medicated. Rachel couldn’t imagine that being an acceptable option. So here they are in Newhope, trying to settle in and adjust.

Zane’s attitude is defeatist: wherever he goes, whoever he gets close to, something bad happens, so he just won’t get close. His life is what it is. Best not to get involved or let his hopes get too high. The Bradfords are well-known and well-regarded in town, he’s close to his brothers, has friends, enjoys his work with the kids at Second Chance and loves Miss Gina, but he was an introvert before and it’s only gotten worse since his accident. Rachel is the opposite, and it’s driving him crazy. As crazy as her smile and sexy body and sunshiny attitude. She’s always chirping away about something, always trying to fix something, always talking to him when he just wants her to stay away – out of sight, out of sound, out of his thoughts.

The Way We Play is so much fun. Zane is a good guy, lovable and deserving of love, even if he doesn’t believe it. Rachel is a wonderful woman, perfect combination of sweet and spicy. Inexperienced, but not a child. And the attraction between them just keeps heating up in spite of the conflict that also often occurs. They are surrounded by family and friends that love them and want them to be happy. Watching Edward find his place and bloom is amazing. Getting to see more of the Bradfords and the rest of the characters, especially Miss Gina, is heartwarming. Zane’s inner dialogues and resistance are often laugh-out-loud funny, just the same as Rachel’s push-ahead-and-take-no-prisoners approach is. And the narrators? Absolutely outstanding. Marcio Catalano is low-key as Zane, bringing just the right amount of emotion and grumpiness and unexpected possessiveness and protectiveness and jealousy, and desire and yearning. Kirsten Leigh makes Rachel vulnerable and weary and afraid, but also brave and determined and ready to grab life and live it, and feeling protectiveness of her own, not just for Edward but now for Zane, who so needs someone in his corner to help him open up. Timing, tone, emotions – all just right and make for a very, very enjoyable listen. So much that you can hardly bear to remove those headphones.

Thanks to Home Cooked Books for providing an advance copy of The Way We Play. I thoroughly enjoyed it and have found a new series to love. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

Swoon Worthy

The Way We Play is grump/sunshine, small town romance. This book is the typical romance book, the best part of a romance book is how they get there. I love all the characters, especially Gina. Rachel & Zane seems like they would be a good and cute couple.

I like the denial part, it makes me laugh. I loved the first time she called him Baby, this book is so swoon worthy. I like how Zane helps so much with Edward, helping Rachel. I wanted to slap Jaden so much, he deserves it.

Marcio Catalano & Kirsten Leigh did very well voicing the book. these two are new to me, I liked them very much.

This is the 2nd book in a series, a so far good series. Check it out.

Fantastic narration

Found family, grumpy/sunshine and forced proximity are some of my favorite tropes. Zane is grumpy and growly but has a good heart. Rachel is a ray of sunshine. They find each other at the right time and help one another through life’s challenges. They have great chemistry, compassion and love for one another. Marcio Catalano and Kristen Leigh delivered a fantastic performance. They took the authors words and gave the characters perfect emotion, voice and personality. A great listen. Thank you Home Cooked Books for the complimentary copy.

Great story and narration

From the first chapter to the last I was invested in Zane Bradford and Rachel Wells’ (who is guardian to her twelve year old special needs brother Eddie) story.

From the moment they met the sparks flew and not necessarily in a good way. However as their relationship developed there was more to it than chemistry.

This is a story of romance, family, friendship and taking a leap of faith. Zane is my idea of a book boyfriend. He is protective and caring and I loved how supportive he was of Eddie and how he treated him.

This book ticked all the boxes for me. Once again Tia Louise has delivered an emotional, well written and heartwarming story.

The narration by Marcio Catalano and Kirsten Leigh
 brought the characters to life for me. Their voices were easy to listen too and they brought all the passion, drama, romance and humour to their performances. They most certainly did justice to the wonderful story written by Tia Loui

Love Zane and Rachel

The narrators did a wonderful job. I literally couldn't stop listening. I absolutely loved this book and all the Bradford family. Zane Bradford is a grumpy, damaged man with a heart of gold. Rachel has spent her life caring for her brother instead of living. These two have amazing chemistry but Zane fights it at every turn. This book is full of angst, humor, spice and lots of family antics. I adore the Bradford family dynamics and all the other wonderful characters. I highly recommend this book and can't wait for the next one.

I was sent a free book from HCB and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.