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Bergman Brothers #2
Always Only You
Get ready for an emotional ride filled with laughter, longing, and a sweet slow-burn in this sports romance about love’s power not in spite of difference, but because of it.
Ren
The moment I met her, I knew Frankie Zeferino was someone worth waiting for. Deadpan delivery, secret heart of gold, and a rare one-dimpled smile that makes my knees weak, Frankie has been forbidden since the day she and I became coworkers, meaning waiting has been the name of my game—besides, hockey, that is.
I’m a player on the team, she’s on staff, and as long as we work together, dating is off-limits. But patience has always been my virtue. Frankie won’t be here forever—she’s headed for bigger, better things. I just hope that when she leaves the team and I tell her how I feel, she won’t want to leave me behind, too.
Frankie
I’ve had a problem at work since the day Ren Bergman joined the team: a six foot three hunk of happy with a sunshine smile. I’m a grumbly grump and his ridiculously good nature drives me nuts, but even I can’t entirely ignore that hot tamale of a ginger with icy eyes, the perfect playoff beard, and a body built for sin that he’s annoyingly modest about.
Before I got wise, I would have tripped over myself to get a guy like Ren, but with my diagnosis, I’ve learned what I am to most people in my life—a problem, not a person. Now, opening my heart to anyone, no matter how sweet, is the last thing I’m prepared to do.
Always Only You is an opposites-attract, forbidden love sports romance about a nerdy, late-blooming hockey star, and his tough cookie coworker who keeps both her soft side and her autism diagnosis to herself. Complete with a meddling secretary, tantric yoga torture, and a scorching slow burn, this standalone is the second in a series of novels about a Swedish-American family of five brothers, two sisters, and their wild adventures as they each find happily ever after.
Ren
The moment I met her, I knew Frankie Zeferino was someone worth waiting for. Deadpan delivery, secret heart of gold, and a rare one-dimpled smile that makes my knees weak, Frankie has been forbidden since the day she and I became coworkers, meaning waiting has been the name of my game—besides, hockey, that is.
I’m a player on the team, she’s on staff, and as long as we work together, dating is off-limits. But patience has always been my virtue. Frankie won’t be here forever—she’s headed for bigger, better things. I just hope that when she leaves the team and I tell her how I feel, she won’t want to leave me behind, too.
Frankie
I’ve had a problem at work since the day Ren Bergman joined the team: a six foot three hunk of happy with a sunshine smile. I’m a grumbly grump and his ridiculously good nature drives me nuts, but even I can’t entirely ignore that hot tamale of a ginger with icy eyes, the perfect playoff beard, and a body built for sin that he’s annoyingly modest about.
Before I got wise, I would have tripped over myself to get a guy like Ren, but with my diagnosis, I’ve learned what I am to most people in my life—a problem, not a person. Now, opening my heart to anyone, no matter how sweet, is the last thing I’m prepared to do.
Always Only You is an opposites-attract, forbidden love sports romance about a nerdy, late-blooming hockey star, and his tough cookie coworker who keeps both her soft side and her autism diagnosis to herself. Complete with a meddling secretary, tantric yoga torture, and a scorching slow burn, this standalone is the second in a series of novels about a Swedish-American family of five brothers, two sisters, and their wild adventures as they each find happily ever after.
355 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 4, 2020
About the author
Chloe Liese
19 books6,571 followersChloe writes romances reflecting her belief that everyone deserves a love story. Her stories pack a punch of heat, heart, and humor, and often feature characters who are neurodivergent like herself. When not dreaming up her next book, Chloe spends her time wandering in nature, playing soccer, and most happily at home with her family and mischievous cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,311 reviews
August 5, 2020
It's a special treat to read a book with an autistic heroine, written by a fellow autistic romance author. ALWAYS ONLY YOU takes that a step further by being a delightful, quirky fun read in its own right. Not only did Frankie, our autistic heroine, speak to me in a unique way, but I downright loved Ren, our red-headed, Shakespeare-loving, hockey-playing hero. He's perfect in every way. This book manages to be lighthearted while also touching upon heavier topics. Chloe Liese's writing style felt very similar to Penny Reid's to me, so if you love Penny's Winston Brothers books, I think you'll love this one.
August 4, 2020
5 ‘Zenzero’ stars
Seriously, where can I find my own Bergman man?!!
Are all those brothers this good?! Now how am I supposed to keep my love life expectations realistic?
Ren is freakin amazing! Everyone needs a Ren in their life. Personally, I won’t settle for less! Now when I say that I have a huge crush on Ren, I’m not exaggerating. When he smiles I found myself smiling. When he blushes, I blush. When he laughs, I start to giggle like I teenager. When he talks, I swoon and I’m not even ashamed to admit all of that!
I loved Frankie so much as well. She was such a perfect heroine. I just love a grumpy not so grumpy heroine so freakin much. The representation of her character was done so well. I was rooting for these two from the very beginning like I knew them personally and desperately want them to be together. And how Ren loves Shakespeare? and he even swear in Shakespearean style? I felt like my heart won’t be able to take it anymore. Chloe’s writing is just so beautiful and addictive. I was so emotionally overwhelmed by this book. I was so freakin happy reading it that I wanted to cry!
Special thanks to NetGalley for providing this copy.
Seriously, where can I find my own Bergman man?!!
Are all those brothers this good?! Now how am I supposed to keep my love life expectations realistic?
Ren is freakin amazing! Everyone needs a Ren in their life. Personally, I won’t settle for less! Now when I say that I have a huge crush on Ren, I’m not exaggerating. When he smiles I found myself smiling. When he blushes, I blush. When he laughs, I start to giggle like I teenager. When he talks, I swoon and I’m not even ashamed to admit all of that!
I loved Frankie so much as well. She was such a perfect heroine. I just love a grumpy not so grumpy heroine so freakin much. The representation of her character was done so well. I was rooting for these two from the very beginning like I knew them personally and desperately want them to be together. And how Ren loves Shakespeare? and he even swear in Shakespearean style? I felt like my heart won’t be able to take it anymore. Chloe’s writing is just so beautiful and addictive. I was so emotionally overwhelmed by this book. I was so freakin happy reading it that I wanted to cry!
Special thanks to NetGalley for providing this copy.
May 24, 2021
5 stars
Give me ALLLLL the slow-burn sports romances with cinnamon roll heroes. ALL OF THEM! I enjoyed the first book in this series, but I was not expecting to love this book so hard. I did. I fell hard for Ren and Frankie and their love story.
Ren is a professional hockey player but he’s so much more than that. He comes from a big family and he’s a great son and brother. He’s also a lover of Shakespeare, a bit of a nerd, and not afraid to show his emotions. I’ll probably gush over him a lot in this review because he might just be the best hero I’ve read in 2020. And he’s got it bad for the social media marketer for his team, Frankie. He’s had it bad for her for years and he’s *swoon* waited for her all this time.
Frankie is a bit of a bad ass. She’s strong, amazing, and is a grumpy girl (according to her) but who could blame her? She suffers from the chronic pain of RA. On top of that, she’s also autistic. She’s been diagnosed with both for some time and does a good job managing them, but sometimes can come off a bit harder than she means to and doesn’t always get certain peoples hits or social cues.
I could not have loved this couple and their romance more. Seriously, there isn’t anything I didn’t love about this one. It was just so great. And listen guys, the older I get the less I want to read about a super alpha hero and the more I want to read about a soft hero. Ren was so so soft and sweet and I loved how the grumpy/sweet troupe was role reversed in this one because Frankie is a self proclaimed grump. Ren never sees her that way, though, and that is one of the things I loved best about this one.
Always Only You is for sure going on my top reads of 2020 list. It was endearing, sweet, steamy, and so beautiful. I loved that this author always seems to give us diverse characters, for this one it’s RA and autism (own voices). Great representation and a fantastic read I’d recommend to all who love slow burn romances, sports romances, and sweet and soft heroes. I’m so ready to read more from this series!
Yes I have a tender spot for the six-foot-three cinnamon roll.
Give me ALLLLL the slow-burn sports romances with cinnamon roll heroes. ALL OF THEM! I enjoyed the first book in this series, but I was not expecting to love this book so hard. I did. I fell hard for Ren and Frankie and their love story.
Ren is a professional hockey player but he’s so much more than that. He comes from a big family and he’s a great son and brother. He’s also a lover of Shakespeare, a bit of a nerd, and not afraid to show his emotions. I’ll probably gush over him a lot in this review because he might just be the best hero I’ve read in 2020. And he’s got it bad for the social media marketer for his team, Frankie. He’s had it bad for her for years and he’s *swoon* waited for her all this time.
Frankie is a bit of a bad ass. She’s strong, amazing, and is a grumpy girl (according to her) but who could blame her? She suffers from the chronic pain of RA. On top of that, she’s also autistic. She’s been diagnosed with both for some time and does a good job managing them, but sometimes can come off a bit harder than she means to and doesn’t always get certain peoples hits or social cues.
I could not have loved this couple and their romance more. Seriously, there isn’t anything I didn’t love about this one. It was just so great. And listen guys, the older I get the less I want to read about a super alpha hero and the more I want to read about a soft hero. Ren was so so soft and sweet and I loved how the grumpy/sweet troupe was role reversed in this one because Frankie is a self proclaimed grump. Ren never sees her that way, though, and that is one of the things I loved best about this one.
Always Only You is for sure going on my top reads of 2020 list. It was endearing, sweet, steamy, and so beautiful. I loved that this author always seems to give us diverse characters, for this one it’s RA and autism (own voices). Great representation and a fantastic read I’d recommend to all who love slow burn romances, sports romances, and sweet and soft heroes. I’m so ready to read more from this series!
Audio book source: Hoopla (library borrow)
Story Rating: 5 stars
Narrators: CJ Bloom and Nelson Hobbs
Narration Rating: 5 stars
Genre: Romance
Length: 10 hours and 18 minutes
March 4, 2022
Another exemplary heartwarming, swoon #ownvoices romance and second book of Bergman brothers’ book made me smile, giggle, laugh too much !! My husband thought I was choking ( sometimes my laugh resembles crow choir which sign a acapella) and performed Heimlich maneuver ( I wish he could be more careful when he lifted me up and didn’t hurt his back. Now he’s walking like Quasimodo at house, ringing neighbors’ bells as a prank!)
Let’s go back to reviewing and telling you how much I’m delightful for finally reading this sequel because since I’ve read Willa and Ryder’s story, I was so curious about Ren and I’m so happy he finally had his own book.
Every time his character appears on the pages, Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t stop the feeling” starts to play in my head. He’s my cinnamon dolce latte! He’s magical rainbow appears in the sky as the rain stops, marshmallow on my hot cacao and sunshine brightening my day! From the beginning he was so adorable character.
But I have to admit: at some parts of the book I adored our heroine more. Yes, I’m talking about our grumpy heroine Frankie. The author created so realistic, genuine and relatable characters who seem like your real life friends.
The representation of Autism via Frankie and her challenges, issues with adjusting daily life, connecting with social life, doing her job and the other people’s reactions and approaches to her illness were impressively real, well-told.
She also suffers from rheumatoid arthritis which is an invisible chronic illness. Both characters are well developed, emotionally layered and their slow burn, forbidden love story was incredibly sweet, poignant and entertaining.
You feel like teenager again as you read their sizzling chemistry. You get excited, your heart rate increases, intact your heart begins to dance and sing: “I got sunshine in my pocket, got the good soul in my feet”
Yes, more five blazing, lovely, swoon, sweet, sunshine stars are coming up!
And of course I’m all set to read Aiden and Freya’s book!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Ownvoices for sharing this incredible Arc with me in exchange my honest thoughts and thanks to Chloe Liese for creating this extraordinary series.
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Let’s go back to reviewing and telling you how much I’m delightful for finally reading this sequel because since I’ve read Willa and Ryder’s story, I was so curious about Ren and I’m so happy he finally had his own book.
Every time his character appears on the pages, Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t stop the feeling” starts to play in my head. He’s my cinnamon dolce latte! He’s magical rainbow appears in the sky as the rain stops, marshmallow on my hot cacao and sunshine brightening my day! From the beginning he was so adorable character.
But I have to admit: at some parts of the book I adored our heroine more. Yes, I’m talking about our grumpy heroine Frankie. The author created so realistic, genuine and relatable characters who seem like your real life friends.
The representation of Autism via Frankie and her challenges, issues with adjusting daily life, connecting with social life, doing her job and the other people’s reactions and approaches to her illness were impressively real, well-told.
She also suffers from rheumatoid arthritis which is an invisible chronic illness. Both characters are well developed, emotionally layered and their slow burn, forbidden love story was incredibly sweet, poignant and entertaining.
You feel like teenager again as you read their sizzling chemistry. You get excited, your heart rate increases, intact your heart begins to dance and sing: “I got sunshine in my pocket, got the good soul in my feet”
Yes, more five blazing, lovely, swoon, sweet, sunshine stars are coming up!
And of course I’m all set to read Aiden and Freya’s book!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Ownvoices for sharing this incredible Arc with me in exchange my honest thoughts and thanks to Chloe Liese for creating this extraordinary series.
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June 2, 2022
4.5 Shakespearean Stars! ✨
Chloe Liese has done it again with this incredible, own-voices story about an autistic woman with rheumatoid arthritis, hell-bent on living life according to her terms and not letting anything hold her back or limit her.
I don’t know what to say that hasn’t already been said about Frankie and Ren’s story. It was disgustingly adorable and tender.
I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this since the first 100 pages did not work for me. For reasons that probably have nothing to do with the book, but me. And sure enough, as I read on, I latched on and didn’t want to let go.
Chloe Liese is such a game-changer for the romance genre. Her stories are heartfelt, honest, funny and educational. I respect that she looks to educate others and herself and write about it within a genre that isn’t always positively received.
Her writing conveys everything her characters want to portray and as the reader, you are right there with them on their journey. My heart was so full!
I can’t wait to read the next book. I don’t want this series to end! I’m gonna need everyone to have their own book. Ziggy and Rooney, especially.
Chloe Liese has done it again with this incredible, own-voices story about an autistic woman with rheumatoid arthritis, hell-bent on living life according to her terms and not letting anything hold her back or limit her.
I don’t know what to say that hasn’t already been said about Frankie and Ren’s story. It was disgustingly adorable and tender.
I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this since the first 100 pages did not work for me. For reasons that probably have nothing to do with the book, but me. And sure enough, as I read on, I latched on and didn’t want to let go.
Chloe Liese is such a game-changer for the romance genre. Her stories are heartfelt, honest, funny and educational. I respect that she looks to educate others and herself and write about it within a genre that isn’t always positively received.
Her writing conveys everything her characters want to portray and as the reader, you are right there with them on their journey. My heart was so full!
I can’t wait to read the next book. I don’t want this series to end! I’m gonna need everyone to have their own book. Ziggy and Rooney, especially.
August 4, 2020
#1 Only When It's Us ★★★★★
#2 Always Only You ★★★★★
This adorable, well written romance was:
🏒A Hockey romance
🏒Opposites attract
🏒An own voices Autism and Rheumatoid Arthritis portrayal
🏒Forbidden love
🏒Slow burn
Ren Bergman, a literal ray of sunshine is a hockey star (despite his football/soccer loving family's dismay) and a bookworm! He's been in love with Frankie Zerferino, his team's social media manager for years, but can't act on it because they work together.
Frankie, a tough, no-nonsense woman, with Autism and RA, keeps her Autism, and her soft marshmallow heart a secret, and doesn't let anyone close. Ren and Frankie develop a strong friendship, but;
Will Ren finally tell Frankie how he feels?
Can Frankie open her heart?
OMG I devoured this precious love story, and I loved these two!! I really cared about them both, and really enjoyed following their journey! Ren was just adorkable! Sweet, patient, gentle and understanding, he wasn't your usual stereotype of a hockey star. And the way he pined for Frankie!
I just adored Frankie!! She was such a well written character, authentically written by an own voices author with a lot of talent. Frankie was so brave, strong and determined, and it was eye opening seeing her daily struggles in terms of both her Autism, and with her chronic illness. This is the second book I have read this year, that featured a character with RA, and the way both characters dealt with their hidden disability just awed me. Chloe Liese always excels at writing diverse characters, and has fantastic representation in all of her romance books, but she really nailed it here. Chloe's own experiences shone through, giving Frankie's character a lot of depth. There was also a look at mental health, and both characters' vulnerability. I just loved that beneath Frankie's grumpy façade, lay a woman with a heart of gold!
Frankie and 'Zenzero' had amazing chemistry, and some of their scenes were hawwwwt! I loved their banter and their slow burn, friends to lovers romance, which was sexy and sweet, and made me both swoon and smile! Most of all, I loved the friendship that they built up together!
I also loved all the other friendships, from Frankie and Willa, to Frankie's supportive friends Annie and LO. Additionally, Frankie and Ziggy's relationship made me tear up several times! Ren's teammates were (mostly) a joy, and I loved his Shakespeare group! As for family.. how can I hang out with the Bergman family?!! Either in their A-frame, or the parents' house, I just want to be part of it!!! 🤣
Although this was a romance book, it was also so much more. Chloe Liese wrote this emotional story beautifully. By the time I had finished, my heart was so full and I had dried tears on my smiling face! And then she had the audacity to hit me with that author's note!!
I would definitely recommend this series, and can't wait to read the book about Freya and Aidan! And was that a sneaky nod to another possible match with Rooney and Axel?!!
Available everywhere from today (August 4th 2020).
Many thanks to the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review! Thank you so much Chloe! 🙌
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Could this be Ren's story?! Squeeeee! Not that I'm excited for the the follow up to Only When It's Us or anything *whistles*
#2 Always Only You ★★★★★
This adorable, well written romance was:
🏒A Hockey romance
🏒Opposites attract
🏒An own voices Autism and Rheumatoid Arthritis portrayal
🏒Forbidden love
🏒Slow burn
Ren Bergman, a literal ray of sunshine is a hockey star (despite his football/soccer loving family's dismay) and a bookworm! He's been in love with Frankie Zerferino, his team's social media manager for years, but can't act on it because they work together.
Frankie, a tough, no-nonsense woman, with Autism and RA, keeps her Autism, and her soft marshmallow heart a secret, and doesn't let anyone close. Ren and Frankie develop a strong friendship, but;
Will Ren finally tell Frankie how he feels?
Can Frankie open her heart?
OMG I devoured this precious love story, and I loved these two!! I really cared about them both, and really enjoyed following their journey! Ren was just adorkable! Sweet, patient, gentle and understanding, he wasn't your usual stereotype of a hockey star. And the way he pined for Frankie!
I just adored Frankie!! She was such a well written character, authentically written by an own voices author with a lot of talent. Frankie was so brave, strong and determined, and it was eye opening seeing her daily struggles in terms of both her Autism, and with her chronic illness. This is the second book I have read this year, that featured a character with RA, and the way both characters dealt with their hidden disability just awed me. Chloe Liese always excels at writing diverse characters, and has fantastic representation in all of her romance books, but she really nailed it here. Chloe's own experiences shone through, giving Frankie's character a lot of depth. There was also a look at mental health, and both characters' vulnerability. I just loved that beneath Frankie's grumpy façade, lay a woman with a heart of gold!
Frankie and 'Zenzero' had amazing chemistry, and some of their scenes were hawwwwt! I loved their banter and their slow burn, friends to lovers romance, which was sexy and sweet, and made me both swoon and smile! Most of all, I loved the friendship that they built up together!
I also loved all the other friendships, from Frankie and Willa, to Frankie's supportive friends Annie and LO. Additionally, Frankie and Ziggy's relationship made me tear up several times! Ren's teammates were (mostly) a joy, and I loved his Shakespeare group! As for family.. how can I hang out with the Bergman family?!! Either in their A-frame, or the parents' house, I just want to be part of it!!! 🤣
Although this was a romance book, it was also so much more. Chloe Liese wrote this emotional story beautifully. By the time I had finished, my heart was so full and I had dried tears on my smiling face! And then she had the audacity to hit me with that author's note!!
I would definitely recommend this series, and can't wait to read the book about Freya and Aidan! And was that a sneaky nod to another possible match with Rooney and Axel?!!
Available everywhere from today (August 4th 2020).
Many thanks to the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review! Thank you so much Chloe! 🙌
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Could this be Ren's story?! Squeeeee! Not that I'm excited for the the follow up to Only When It's Us or anything *whistles*
December 27, 2020
Ren 'Zenzero' Bergman.
That's it. That's the review.
P.S. still too lazy to write a review, but I feel like if you liked Take a Hint, Dani Brown, you would also like this book! These men are just ✨ adorable ✨.
That's it. That's the review.
P.S. still too lazy to write a review, but I feel like if you liked Take a Hint, Dani Brown, you would also like this book! These men are just ✨ adorable ✨.
July 24, 2022
You know, as a reader, I have read many different named for the word dick
length of course
Velvet wrapped steel (i still have nightmares)
Or the worst one yet (or so i thought) charlie
But never in my life have i heard viking sledgehammer
traumatised
That and one other thing that really messed with my head is the reason that this is 3.5 stars and not 4.
That other thing is this:
“I can’t deny it any more than i can deny my Harry Potter panties are now as wet as a rainy day at hogwarts”
There was another one where they talked about how Hedwig was drowning because of how wet she was.
Oh look, you see that, my childhood out of the window
”That's an impressive length. If you read Harry Potter with any kind of dedication, you’d know me calling your penis a wand is the worlds best compliment to man”
First viking sledgehammer? And now this?! Whats next?
All these things made me chuck my kindle down with second hand embarrassment and just sit there wondering how it got past this author's editor.
Apart from that I loved this book.
Ren is now one of my fav book boyfriends ever
We love a man that
→reads and curses shakespear
→is caring and loving
→ has loved the same woman wholeheartedly for 3 years
→is a feminist (damn the bar is really on the ground)
→is a fantastic hockey player
→charitable and kind to everyone
And that my friends, was Ren through and through. He was amazing and i loved him with Frankie. He was so patient with her and so kind.
There was a whole scene where Frankie got her period and she automatically was like ph my gosh im so sorry ill clean it up. But Ren was so chill and went out to get her pads and made sure she was comfortable.
In that moment my heart combust.
And I know that that's the bare minimum but like real men are trash, and that's why we read books.
And talking about Frankie we love to see autism and arthritis representation in a book. Its so refreshing to see, and I loved seeing Frankies hardships and issues and how she got through them. I also loved her dry humor and the way the team loved her like a mother. Because yeah she was basically the mother to the team.
As you probably know, I love big families in books, and this book did not disappoint, i'm gonna have so much fun reading all the families love stories and see the previous couples in the future books.
If you liked the kiss quotient, the bride test or the heart principle you will love this! This author deserves more recognition, although this book was not one of my favourites, reading the next book in the series I know this author is amazing.
{previous review}
ITS REVERSE GRUMPY SUNSHINE OMG NEXT READ RIGHT HERE
AND ITS HOCKY ROMANCE YES PLEASE
length of course
Velvet wrapped steel (i still have nightmares)
Or the worst one yet (or so i thought) charlie
But never in my life have i heard viking sledgehammer
traumatised
That and one other thing that really messed with my head is the reason that this is 3.5 stars and not 4.
That other thing is this:
“I can’t deny it any more than i can deny my Harry Potter panties are now as wet as a rainy day at hogwarts”
There was another one where they talked about how Hedwig was drowning because of how wet she was.
Oh look, you see that, my childhood out of the window
”That's an impressive length. If you read Harry Potter with any kind of dedication, you’d know me calling your penis a wand is the worlds best compliment to man”
First viking sledgehammer? And now this?! Whats next?
All these things made me chuck my kindle down with second hand embarrassment and just sit there wondering how it got past this author's editor.
Apart from that I loved this book.
Ren is now one of my fav book boyfriends ever
We love a man that
→reads and curses shakespear
→is caring and loving
→ has loved the same woman wholeheartedly for 3 years
→is a feminist (damn the bar is really on the ground)
→is a fantastic hockey player
→charitable and kind to everyone
And that my friends, was Ren through and through. He was amazing and i loved him with Frankie. He was so patient with her and so kind.
There was a whole scene where Frankie got her period and she automatically was like ph my gosh im so sorry ill clean it up. But Ren was so chill and went out to get her pads and made sure she was comfortable.
In that moment my heart combust.
And I know that that's the bare minimum but like real men are trash, and that's why we read books.
And talking about Frankie we love to see autism and arthritis representation in a book. Its so refreshing to see, and I loved seeing Frankies hardships and issues and how she got through them. I also loved her dry humor and the way the team loved her like a mother. Because yeah she was basically the mother to the team.
As you probably know, I love big families in books, and this book did not disappoint, i'm gonna have so much fun reading all the families love stories and see the previous couples in the future books.
If you liked the kiss quotient, the bride test or the heart principle you will love this! This author deserves more recognition, although this book was not one of my favourites, reading the next book in the series I know this author is amazing.
{previous review}
ITS REVERSE GRUMPY SUNSHINE OMG NEXT READ RIGHT HERE
AND ITS HOCKY ROMANCE YES PLEASE
Read
June 10, 2022The wait is over and ALWAYS ONLY YOU is here! This story about an autistic woman living with arthritis and chronic pain and a man who’s trying to find his way as a gentle soul in the often toxic masculinity of professional sports, is my love letter to the misfits, a celebration of embracing your adorkableness, discovering your found family, and finding healing and joy in being known and loved for who you are.
Paperback, e-book, and audiobook are available for purchase from major retailers and also for request from your library!
Enjoy book playlists? Like all the Bergman books, ALWAYS ONLY YOU has a playlist, one song per chapter. Listen with Spotify.
Paperback, e-book, and audiobook are available for purchase from major retailers and also for request from your library!
Enjoy book playlists? Like all the Bergman books, ALWAYS ONLY YOU has a playlist, one song per chapter. Listen with Spotify.
January 1, 2021
This book snuck up on me and I had no idea that I would love this as much as I did!
This is a sunshine hero and grumpy heroine book, which is a trope I didn't know I needed in my life. Frankie is on the autism spectrum and has arthritis, and she's had bad experiences with relationships in the past dealing with her lifestyle and her physical struggles. She hates feeling like a burn to anyone and doesn't ever want to be treated as less than or less capable than others. She works as a social media manager for the hockey team. Ren is a hockey player on the team and he's liked Frankie from the moment he met her, but he can't do anything about it because they're coworkers. The more Frankie and Ren start to spend time together, the more they start enjoying being around each other.
This book was just so cute and I was so in love with the romance. Ren was so patient with Frankie and the communication between those two was AMAZING. Frankie needs things blunt and honest and Ren made sure to tell her exactly what he meant and how he felt. I also loved Ren's whole family and how Frankie got to know them more and grew close with them too. I am really hoping we get a book for every sibling in the series!
As a sports romance, this was amazing. We got a lot of hockey and it was still a big part of Ren's life. I loved the forbidden aspect and the really slow development of the romance. This is easily one of my new favorite books and I cannot wait to see what else Chloe Liese has in store for us!
This is a sunshine hero and grumpy heroine book, which is a trope I didn't know I needed in my life. Frankie is on the autism spectrum and has arthritis, and she's had bad experiences with relationships in the past dealing with her lifestyle and her physical struggles. She hates feeling like a burn to anyone and doesn't ever want to be treated as less than or less capable than others. She works as a social media manager for the hockey team. Ren is a hockey player on the team and he's liked Frankie from the moment he met her, but he can't do anything about it because they're coworkers. The more Frankie and Ren start to spend time together, the more they start enjoying being around each other.
This book was just so cute and I was so in love with the romance. Ren was so patient with Frankie and the communication between those two was AMAZING. Frankie needs things blunt and honest and Ren made sure to tell her exactly what he meant and how he felt. I also loved Ren's whole family and how Frankie got to know them more and grew close with them too. I am really hoping we get a book for every sibling in the series!
As a sports romance, this was amazing. We got a lot of hockey and it was still a big part of Ren's life. I loved the forbidden aspect and the really slow development of the romance. This is easily one of my new favorite books and I cannot wait to see what else Chloe Liese has in store for us!
April 28, 2023
Books help me feel a bit more connected to a world that is hard to make sense of. Books are patient with me. They don’t laugh at me instead of with me. They don’t ask why I’m “always” frowning, or why I can’t sit still. Books welcome me -weirdness and all- and take me exactly as I am.
I had the most ridiculously high expectations for this book and it lived up to all. Always Only You is an unforgettable romance featuring a grumpy, independent heroine and a cinnamon roll, beautiful inside-and-out hero.
*Disclaimer: this review is full of quotes and fangirling.
“She’s the first person who I ever felt right around. Like I’m not a walking contradiction who’ll never belong anywhere, but someone who actually makes a bit of sense. Like I don’t have to choose between these different parts of myself."
Francesca is the only woman Soren Bergman has ever wanted. Unluckily for him, she works in the same team he plays in, so they can’t be together. But Ren is a patient man and he can -and he will- wait until their love is not forbidden anymore. He only hopes that, when the time comes, Francesca will want him too.
When someone breaks into Francesca’s apartment and she comes to his house to live while everything gets fixed, Ren knows it’s now or never. Will he be able to convince her they have always meant to be?
I want Francesca Zeferino. She’s been the ultimate goal. And now I finally have a clear shot.
I LOVED this book since the first pages and didn’t stop loving it until the end. It was such a delicious pleasure to lose myself in it, fangirling and sighing and loving all the gorgeous characters Always Only You is full of.
It features two of my favourite trops: a big family with strong bonds and awesome dynamics, and autistic characters. PLUS an it’s-so-perfect-it-hurts hero! WHY are books so beautiful? They will end up spoiling RL!!
Meet our hero...
SOREN BERGMAN. He Who Will Not Stop Smiling.
↬ Hockey player, sunshine bookworm, romantic soul.
Ren is not only a hopeless romantic waiting for the woman, a bookworm who cries while reading to children in hospital and a true gentleman with the kindest soul. He is honest, determined, humble, caring... Can someone tell me what is his supposed flaw? Because I didn't see any, but maybe I was too busy dying of love.
“Lord help me. He smiles while reading.”
Meet our heroine…
FRANCESCA ZEFERINO: The Ice Queen.
↬ Sharp mind, gold heart, iron determination.
It’s been so long since I embraced the part of myself that aches to come to life when Ren’s near. The one that laughs and jokes, that hugs hard and kisses deeply. The one that cries at sappy movies and throws open her heart for those she loves. The one that believes someone could love her without one day resenting her, without seeing her laundry list of needs and hurdles as burdens but rather as beautiful parts of what make her her.
Frankie doesn’t want a relationship, for all people she ever loved ended up seeing her as a burden and breaking her in the process. Her caring heart is now well hidden beneath layers of coldness and she’s not letting it out. Frankie hardly ever smiles, jokes or shows feelings. She’s deadly serious on the outside, but her mind is the funniest.
Archaic male demonstrations of protectiveness are not sexy. Archaic male demonstrations of protectiveness are not sexy. Archaic-
Dammit, this is sexy and my body knows it. I can’t deny it any more than I can deny my Harry Potter panties are now as wet as a rainy day at Hogwarts.
She loves reading and her POV is full of HP-related comments. How I’m supposed to not love her?? Also, THAT critic. Chloe Liese, I salute you!
“ What did she do now?”
“Just showed that you can write a magical world brimming with complex, label-defying characters and still be a trans-exclusionary feminist disappointment.”
The amount of iconic, complex, non-cliché characters Always Only You has is breathtaking. I’m pretty sure I’ve just found a new favourite author, I can’t wait to read the other books in the Bergman series *cough* Rooney and Axel *cough*. I have only read one scene with these two, but it was enough for me to know they are going to rock my world.
When he notices Rooney, he does a double take. “Your hair is shorter.”
“Yeah, I chopped it. What do you think?”
He stares at her, wetting his bottom lip with his tongue. “You changed it.”
Her smile falters. “You don’t like it?”
() Axel stares at Rooney still. “I think… I need to get used to it. In my head you have long hair.”
“Well, at least I’m in your head.”
DAMN GIRL! Also, why is this book full of bookworms and where are they in RL?? I need to be adopted by the Bergmans; Ziggy, Frankie and I would be besties.
I think Ziggy is reading. At her own birthday party. Smart girl.
Overall, Always Only You is the perfect romance if you love friends-to-lovers, slow-burn, nerdy heroes, great side characters, big families, autistic characters and independent, brilliant heroines.
Chloe Liese’s writing is sexy, light and heart-warming, focused on real characters full of life and authenticity. I can’t wait to read more by her, and if you haven’t yet, I truly recommend to give this one a try!!
We love, entranced by the breathtaking view, and we fall, not knowing where we’ll land.
↬ Series:
1. Only When It's Us: 4.25 stars
2. Always Only You: 5 stars
3. Ever After Always: 5 stars
4. With You Forever: 3 stars
5. Everything For You: 3.5 stars
6. If Only You: 3.75 stars
I had the most ridiculously high expectations for this book and it lived up to all. Always Only You is an unforgettable romance featuring a grumpy, independent heroine and a cinnamon roll, beautiful inside-and-out hero.
*Disclaimer: this review is full of quotes and fangirling.
“She’s the first person who I ever felt right around. Like I’m not a walking contradiction who’ll never belong anywhere, but someone who actually makes a bit of sense. Like I don’t have to choose between these different parts of myself."
Francesca is the only woman Soren Bergman has ever wanted. Unluckily for him, she works in the same team he plays in, so they can’t be together. But Ren is a patient man and he can -and he will- wait until their love is not forbidden anymore. He only hopes that, when the time comes, Francesca will want him too.
When someone breaks into Francesca’s apartment and she comes to his house to live while everything gets fixed, Ren knows it’s now or never. Will he be able to convince her they have always meant to be?
I want Francesca Zeferino. She’s been the ultimate goal. And now I finally have a clear shot.
I LOVED this book since the first pages and didn’t stop loving it until the end. It was such a delicious pleasure to lose myself in it, fangirling and sighing and loving all the gorgeous characters Always Only You is full of.
It features two of my favourite trops: a big family with strong bonds and awesome dynamics, and autistic characters. PLUS an it’s-so-perfect-it-hurts hero! WHY are books so beautiful? They will end up spoiling RL!!
Meet our hero...
SOREN BERGMAN. He Who Will Not Stop Smiling.
↬ Hockey player, sunshine bookworm, romantic soul.
Ren is not only a hopeless romantic waiting for the woman, a bookworm who cries while reading to children in hospital and a true gentleman with the kindest soul. He is honest, determined, humble, caring... Can someone tell me what is his supposed flaw? Because I didn't see any, but maybe I was too busy dying of love.
“Lord help me. He smiles while reading.”
Meet our heroine…
FRANCESCA ZEFERINO: The Ice Queen.
↬ Sharp mind, gold heart, iron determination.
It’s been so long since I embraced the part of myself that aches to come to life when Ren’s near. The one that laughs and jokes, that hugs hard and kisses deeply. The one that cries at sappy movies and throws open her heart for those she loves. The one that believes someone could love her without one day resenting her, without seeing her laundry list of needs and hurdles as burdens but rather as beautiful parts of what make her her.
Frankie doesn’t want a relationship, for all people she ever loved ended up seeing her as a burden and breaking her in the process. Her caring heart is now well hidden beneath layers of coldness and she’s not letting it out. Frankie hardly ever smiles, jokes or shows feelings. She’s deadly serious on the outside, but her mind is the funniest.
Archaic male demonstrations of protectiveness are not sexy. Archaic male demonstrations of protectiveness are not sexy. Archaic-
Dammit, this is sexy and my body knows it. I can’t deny it any more than I can deny my Harry Potter panties are now as wet as a rainy day at Hogwarts.
She loves reading and her POV is full of HP-related comments. How I’m supposed to not love her?? Also, THAT critic. Chloe Liese, I salute you!
“ What did she do now?”
“Just showed that you can write a magical world brimming with complex, label-defying characters and still be a trans-exclusionary feminist disappointment.”
The amount of iconic, complex, non-cliché characters Always Only You has is breathtaking. I’m pretty sure I’ve just found a new favourite author, I can’t wait to read the other books in the Bergman series *cough* Rooney and Axel *cough*. I have only read one scene with these two, but it was enough for me to know they are going to rock my world.
When he notices Rooney, he does a double take. “Your hair is shorter.”
“Yeah, I chopped it. What do you think?”
He stares at her, wetting his bottom lip with his tongue. “You changed it.”
Her smile falters. “You don’t like it?”
() Axel stares at Rooney still. “I think… I need to get used to it. In my head you have long hair.”
“Well, at least I’m in your head.”
DAMN GIRL! Also, why is this book full of bookworms and where are they in RL?? I need to be adopted by the Bergmans; Ziggy, Frankie and I would be besties.
I think Ziggy is reading. At her own birthday party. Smart girl.
Overall, Always Only You is the perfect romance if you love friends-to-lovers, slow-burn, nerdy heroes, great side characters, big families, autistic characters and independent, brilliant heroines.
Chloe Liese’s writing is sexy, light and heart-warming, focused on real characters full of life and authenticity. I can’t wait to read more by her, and if you haven’t yet, I truly recommend to give this one a try!!
We love, entranced by the breathtaking view, and we fall, not knowing where we’ll land.
↬ Series:
1. Only When It's Us: 4.25 stars
2. Always Only You: 5 stars
3. Ever After Always: 5 stars
4. With You Forever: 3 stars
5. Everything For You: 3.5 stars
6. If Only You: 3.75 stars
August 8, 2020
*swoon*
I fell hard for these characters, their story but especially their friends and family. Chloe has wonderfully expanded the world she introduced us to in Only When It's Us, with the next Bergman Bro on the totem pole in Ren.
The odd one out of the family, being a *gasp* hockey player when everyone else is into football/soccer. This BGE (😈 so glad I get to whip out Big Ginger Energy again) dude is a giant softee with a heart of gold, ready smile & penchant for the classics, but more specifically Shakespeare - indulging the readers to a hilariously inspired "potty" mouth for a big tough puck boy *cough* 😉
Typically there is something about a "Mary-Poppins" *practically perfect in every way* guy that is grating, but for some reason Søren gets away with it - he is so dang endearing!
He has had a seemingly unrequited crush on his team Social Media guru, Frankie, since his first day on the team and has been tying himself in knots to keep things professional. She thinks herself a prickly customer, ⛈ to his ☀️, and shelters herself from the world which isn't always easy for her to navigate socially or physically between her autism and rheumatoid arthritis. This being an own voices book is very clear in the way these subjects are handled. Frankie is not the only character on the spectrum and seeing her interact with the others, recognising kindred spirits and aiding them come to terms with how their diagnosis does not have to be debilitating. How everyone is still an individual and there is no one-way forward, helping them see that new parameters just need to be found, boundaries redrawn and communication channels changed a little. Frankie's relationship with , is possibly my fav - there was something so pure and heartwarming in their interactions and understanding 🥰 and I am curious to see where they all are when we get 's story - such wonderful possibilities but I am getting ahead of myself.
Having a friend whose RA returned in her mid 20s, I have had to educate myself as to what flare ups mean and how the pains relocate and come & go without warning. Frankie does not wish to be treated differently nor molly coddled & is not afraid to wield her Elder Wand (loved this name for her cane) to her advantage which led to awesome HP references (garden) although after one scene in the bathroom I feared all their kinky'fying & HP jokes while priceless may make me unable to reread these kids books again 🤣
As undeniably 😍 & swoony as I am for the MCs, the side characters will not be ignored. Every single one makes an impact and leaves the most wonderful impressions...well not , but he is the exception and thankfully plays a very minor role. The rest of the hockey team are like adorkable hyperactive puppies (speaking of shout out to Pazza who also should not be overlooked 🐶), honourable mentions go to Rob & Mildred and the "Rude Mechanicals" sounds like such fab fun team building 😎
But the real MVPs of the supporting cast are Frankie's bffs, Annie & Lo who are awesomely supportive and call BS on her when needed with some hard truths & tough love. Although the delightful bffs take a slight backseat to the Bergmans themselves. Willa, Ryder & Rooney from book one make delightful cameos (here's hoping the hints dropped about Rooney's interests can be woven into this delicious dynasty 🤩)
The ManCubs & bro-call gathering for a romance intervention/summit was far too short IMO - I need a novella of that full conversation plz Kthxbai 🤞
My 💞 for Ziggy knows no bounds and I want to protect her at all costs. Axel had way too small a role but there is little doubt in my mind that his time is coming intertwining our cast even deeper and I cannot wait to see how his story will unfold as we revisit topics touched upon in this book but until then 🤐
Elin & Dr B make cute appearances with Papa B's heart to hearts being all the more poignant - the way Chloe ties so many themes together in so few pages is commendable and my 💖 is so full for the wonderful way she weaves such layered storytelling together.
Hints were dropped about Freya & Aiden and we're told their story is next for which I am super excited about as meet cute romcoms are all well and good but I'm ready to see what Ms Liese will do with an established relationship 🤗
Okay, ok...I know I have probably said way too much - but I really loved this book and fully intend to reread both back to back asap alongside listening to the playlists shared as chapter subheadings.
I hope I haven't given too much away, I struggled slightly to start this review but now I cannot seem to stfu & lowkey think I might've said too much 🙊
I do just want to round out with a commendation for communication, openness and despite being a sports romance actively bucking against toxic masculinity...now I promise to zip it🙈
Final shout out to Sense & Sensibility, which I have not read yet...but may well have to now!
*****************************
2/7/20 *Pre-ordered*
And anxiously awaiting August
#alliterationftw
I fell hard for these characters, their story but especially their friends and family. Chloe has wonderfully expanded the world she introduced us to in Only When It's Us, with the next Bergman Bro on the totem pole in Ren.
The odd one out of the family, being a *gasp* hockey player when everyone else is into football/soccer. This BGE (😈 so glad I get to whip out Big Ginger Energy again) dude is a giant softee with a heart of gold, ready smile & penchant for the classics, but more specifically Shakespeare - indulging the readers to a hilariously inspired "potty" mouth for a big tough puck boy *cough* 😉
Typically there is something about a "Mary-Poppins" *practically perfect in every way* guy that is grating, but for some reason Søren gets away with it - he is so dang endearing!
He has had a seemingly unrequited crush on his team Social Media guru, Frankie, since his first day on the team and has been tying himself in knots to keep things professional. She thinks herself a prickly customer, ⛈ to his ☀️, and shelters herself from the world which isn't always easy for her to navigate socially or physically between her autism and rheumatoid arthritis. This being an own voices book is very clear in the way these subjects are handled. Frankie is not the only character on the spectrum and seeing her interact with the others, recognising kindred spirits and aiding them come to terms with how their diagnosis does not have to be debilitating. How everyone is still an individual and there is no one-way forward, helping them see that new parameters just need to be found, boundaries redrawn and communication channels changed a little. Frankie's relationship with , is possibly my fav - there was something so pure and heartwarming in their interactions and understanding 🥰 and I am curious to see where they all are when we get 's story - such wonderful possibilities but I am getting ahead of myself.
Having a friend whose RA returned in her mid 20s, I have had to educate myself as to what flare ups mean and how the pains relocate and come & go without warning. Frankie does not wish to be treated differently nor molly coddled & is not afraid to wield her Elder Wand (loved this name for her cane) to her advantage which led to awesome HP references (garden) although after one scene in the bathroom I feared all their kinky'fying & HP jokes while priceless may make me unable to reread these kids books again 🤣
As undeniably 😍 & swoony as I am for the MCs, the side characters will not be ignored. Every single one makes an impact and leaves the most wonderful impressions...well not , but he is the exception and thankfully plays a very minor role. The rest of the hockey team are like adorkable hyperactive puppies (speaking of shout out to Pazza who also should not be overlooked 🐶), honourable mentions go to Rob & Mildred and the "Rude Mechanicals" sounds like such fab fun team building 😎
But the real MVPs of the supporting cast are Frankie's bffs, Annie & Lo who are awesomely supportive and call BS on her when needed with some hard truths & tough love. Although the delightful bffs take a slight backseat to the Bergmans themselves. Willa, Ryder & Rooney from book one make delightful cameos (here's hoping the hints dropped about Rooney's interests can be woven into this delicious dynasty 🤩)
The ManCubs & bro-call gathering for a romance intervention/summit was far too short IMO - I need a novella of that full conversation plz Kthxbai 🤞
My 💞 for Ziggy knows no bounds and I want to protect her at all costs. Axel had way too small a role but there is little doubt in my mind that his time is coming intertwining our cast even deeper and I cannot wait to see how his story will unfold as we revisit topics touched upon in this book but until then 🤐
Elin & Dr B make cute appearances with Papa B's heart to hearts being all the more poignant - the way Chloe ties so many themes together in so few pages is commendable and my 💖 is so full for the wonderful way she weaves such layered storytelling together.
Hints were dropped about Freya & Aiden and we're told their story is next for which I am super excited about as meet cute romcoms are all well and good but I'm ready to see what Ms Liese will do with an established relationship 🤗
Okay, ok...I know I have probably said way too much - but I really loved this book and fully intend to reread both back to back asap alongside listening to the playlists shared as chapter subheadings.
I hope I haven't given too much away, I struggled slightly to start this review but now I cannot seem to stfu & lowkey think I might've said too much 🙊
I do just want to round out with a commendation for communication, openness and despite being a sports romance actively bucking against toxic masculinity...now I promise to zip it🙈
Final shout out to Sense & Sensibility, which I have not read yet...but may well have to now!
*****************************
2/7/20 *Pre-ordered*
And anxiously awaiting August
#alliterationftw
September 25, 2021
i dont particularly like a grown woman mentioning her harry potter underwear every chapter but maybe that's just me idk
January 13, 2022
renfrankie OWN me! one thing about chloe? she’s gonna eat UP disability representation! it’s always done so well and then the romance flows so organically it’s incredibly easy to follow, i just adored this story
June 20, 2021
#1 Only When It’s Us — 4.25 stars
#2 Always Only You — 3.5 stars
🎶 youre just too good to be true
cant take my eyes off of you... 🎶
i really have no place saying this seeing as imsometimes a hypocrite myself, but i’d like to point out anyway... ✨the hYpOcRiSY✨
here you have the most puurrfectt numero uno type of hero who,
✓ is attentive, considerate, AND a feminist;
✓ reads and curses in Shakespeare;
✓ has a gorgeous body; and,
✓ is excellent at playing hockey.
on top of that, hes also a VIRGIN who has been PINING for the heroine for yEaRsSss.
then you have a heroine who ✦objectifies✦ and lusts after the hero pretty much every chance she gets; YET - despite not being ashamed of her disability and autism - is annoyingly stubborn and a bit of a wimp when it comes to opening herself up to love and commitment.
i mean, gIRL what more do you need?!? god himself??? idk how anyone could surpass the H’s level of perfection. 😭
idk if i ‘subconsciously’ didnt love this out of spite because literally every single review i came across gave this four stars and above OR if the Bergman charm just wore off for me in this one. it was disgustingly cute and all, but none of the scenes really hit home.
the hero is simply tOooOo flawless, and thats a flaw in itself in my book. add to that, the feminism and Shakespearean talk, all of those combined honestly made the book seemed rather posey and pretentious in my eyes. still very much a fan of the writing tho.
(read as an audiobook)
#2 Always Only You — 3.5 stars
🎶 youre just too good to be true
cant take my eyes off of you... 🎶
i really have no place saying this seeing as im
here you have the most puurrfectt numero uno type of hero who,
✓ is attentive, considerate, AND a feminist;
✓ reads and curses in Shakespeare;
✓ has a gorgeous body; and,
✓ is excellent at playing hockey.
on top of that, hes also a VIRGIN who has been PINING for the heroine for yEaRsSss.
“Nobody knows if love’s going to hurt them. You simply have to take a chance.”
then you have a heroine who ✦objectifies✦ and lusts after the hero pretty much every chance she gets; YET - despite not being ashamed of her disability and autism - is annoyingly stubborn and a bit of a wimp when it comes to opening herself up to love and commitment.
i mean, gIRL what more do you need?!? god himself??? idk how anyone could surpass the H’s level of perfection. 😭
idk if i ‘subconsciously’ didnt love this out of spite because literally every single review i came across gave this four stars and above OR if the Bergman charm just wore off for me in this one. it was disgustingly cute and all, but none of the scenes really hit home.
“You have my heart, Søren Bergman,” she whispers against my neck. “Please, please be careful with it.”
the hero is simply tOooOo flawless, and thats a flaw in itself in my book. add to that, the feminism and Shakespearean talk, all of those combined honestly made the book seemed rather posey and pretentious in my eyes. still very much a fan of the writing tho.
(read as an audiobook)
October 2, 2021
Fantastic autistic and chronically ill representation with beautifully flawed characters.
August 11, 2020
5 out of 5 stars!!!
"Nobody knows if love's going to hurt them. You simply have to take a chance."
Important underrepresented voices.
Autistic heroine.
Sheds light on chronic pain.
Feminist men.
Slow burn romance.
Forbidden-ish love.
Shakespeare-loving sunshine of a hockey ginger-head hero.
Grumpy heroine with a cane she named as her "Elder Wand". (I loved this!)
Harry Potter References!
Endearments that you may/may not stomach. (Depends on your swoon meter.)
Ren Bergman is a hockey-playing, Shakespeare-loving goodness from a family of soccer-fanatics. He is a walking sunshines and rainbows with a heart for service (like reading & tearing over story books to medically-ill children!). He cradles this years-long adoration for his workmate who handles his sports team's social media contents. Frankie Zeferino deals with chronic pain from her Rheumatoid Arthritis. With all her childhood troubles and therapies with her Autism diagnosis & chronic pain, she has settled into a cynical outlook in life. Hence, the grumpiness.
Sick of being treated as the baggage or someone who is not worth the headache and the commitment, she decides to never put herself on a place to be seen as an obligation ever again. But when The Walking Sunshine and her share gummy-bears and walks on the beach (with her adorable dog, Pazza), that tightly sealed lock inside her chest gets threatened to be jammed open and let loose.
Another book blazing with brilliance, representing the underrepresented. I want this book to be mass-produced and shoved at every available reader of every corners of the world! I want this story to be framed in my non-existent dream house for all my descendants to see and be enthralled to read and spread its valuable goodness about love and loving.
If only the world is a world full of Rens, then this place wouldn't be filled with so much heartbreak and unnecessary relationship troubles.
Chloe Liese, if by any chance you come across this review, I want you to know that I want to make your romance-writing-skills into a religion that I would, without a doubt, bow down to. Such masterful sorcery.
I have a specific preference for romance novels and you hit the spot, right. on. the. fucking. feels. Not too much. Not too less. The perfect combination of swoon, steam, slow burn, and dissections and repairs of character vulnerabilities. I even ate up all the out-of-this-century endearments Ren kept throwing upon Frankie! This book will definitely go to my "Books I will reread time and time again just because." Chloe Liese. Top-tier. Hands down.
To y'all romance reading junkies (even if you're not), I compel you to READ. THIS. I tell you, buy the book/ebook and be stupefied. Chloe Liese is now one of my automatic-tbr authors. Plus, her books have PLAYLISTS, which is such the cherry on top of a ginormous double-dutch ice cream. If that's even a thing, idk, I just love double-dutch.
"Nobody knows if love's going to hurt them. You simply have to take a chance."
Important underrepresented voices.
Autistic heroine.
Sheds light on chronic pain.
Feminist men.
Slow burn romance.
Forbidden-ish love.
Shakespeare-loving sunshine of a hockey ginger-head hero.
Grumpy heroine with a cane she named as her "Elder Wand". (I loved this!)
Harry Potter References!
Endearments that you may/may not stomach. (Depends on your swoon meter.)
Ren Bergman is a hockey-playing, Shakespeare-loving goodness from a family of soccer-fanatics. He is a walking sunshines and rainbows with a heart for service (like reading & tearing over story books to medically-ill children!). He cradles this years-long adoration for his workmate who handles his sports team's social media contents. Frankie Zeferino deals with chronic pain from her Rheumatoid Arthritis. With all her childhood troubles and therapies with her Autism diagnosis & chronic pain, she has settled into a cynical outlook in life. Hence, the grumpiness.
Sick of being treated as the baggage or someone who is not worth the headache and the commitment, she decides to never put herself on a place to be seen as an obligation ever again. But when The Walking Sunshine and her share gummy-bears and walks on the beach (with her adorable dog, Pazza), that tightly sealed lock inside her chest gets threatened to be jammed open and let loose.
Another book blazing with brilliance, representing the underrepresented. I want this book to be mass-produced and shoved at every available reader of every corners of the world! I want this story to be framed in my non-existent dream house for all my descendants to see and be enthralled to read and spread its valuable goodness about love and loving.
If only the world is a world full of Rens, then this place wouldn't be filled with so much heartbreak and unnecessary relationship troubles.
Chloe Liese, if by any chance you come across this review, I want you to know that I want to make your romance-writing-skills into a religion that I would, without a doubt, bow down to. Such masterful sorcery.
I have a specific preference for romance novels and you hit the spot, right. on. the. fucking. feels. Not too much. Not too less. The perfect combination of swoon, steam, slow burn, and dissections and repairs of character vulnerabilities. I even ate up all the out-of-this-century endearments Ren kept throwing upon Frankie! This book will definitely go to my "Books I will reread time and time again just because." Chloe Liese. Top-tier. Hands down.
To y'all romance reading junkies (even if you're not), I compel you to READ. THIS. I tell you, buy the book/ebook and be stupefied. Chloe Liese is now one of my automatic-tbr authors. Plus, her books have PLAYLISTS, which is such the cherry on top of a ginormous double-dutch ice cream. If that's even a thing, idk, I just love double-dutch.
March 30, 2021
"So let me promise you, here and now that I will never view you as a burden or a problem to be surmounted. You're a person, Frankie, one that I'm wild about. Any hardships, anything difficult in your life, well, I'll just be grateful that I get to be with you as you weather it"
This might be the perfect book. I find literally no fault in it.
Hard and tough social media manager Frankie Zeferino works for the same team professional hockey player adorably soft Ren Bergman plays for, they've known for years that dating each other has been off limits. That has not however stopped the incessant longing and with Frankie about to leave the team to start law school they might finally have a chance at being together within their reach.
So lets look at what we have here.
I am always a sucker for a grumpy/sunshine book and here we have it bUT in which she is grumpy and he is sunshine. AMAZING.
He is an adorable professional hockey player and Shakespeare fanatic to the point of being in a literal Shakespeare club. And for once the Hero is the one who is the virgin!! (I've gotten really sick of the whole man whore/ virgin trope because as we all know virginity is in fact a societal construct).
She is a hardened social media manager who is secretly soft and sweet as well as having Rheumatoid Arthritis and Autism.
AND ITS AN OWN VOICES STORY
I think above all when I'm reading a romance the ones I tend to love the most are the ones which are centred around a relationship which at its core is built on attentiveness and unconditional support. I adore stories in which the characters remember little things about their partner or do small tasks to make their lives easier. Both Frankie and Ren we're so supportive in each others lives whether it was Frankie spending time with his little sister so his parents could watch his hockey game or Ren buying her a new shirt because some asshole spilled a drink on her and it was one with magnetic snaps to make it more accessible for her (It was at this point I knew this book would be getting five stars and it literally in the 4th chapter).
I absolutely adored the characterisation of Frankie and Ren, they were both so different but both so richly portrayed. There really isn't any character in this series I don't love. Books which focus around a family are my absolute favourites and I love getting to see all the Bergman family together particularly since that means seeing Ryder and Willa again!!!
Chloe Liese's books are seriously adorable like-
"I navigated us per her request to the In-N-Out drive-through, prepared to buy the franchise if necessary, whatever it took to put a smile on her face"
"Yes I have a tender spot for the six-foot-three cinnamon roll
THESE TWO ARE SERIOUSLY ADORABLE
I cannot wait for the next book in this series I have adored these first two books so much, there are not enough inclusive romance stories being told and these books are always going to have a special place in my heart.
This might be the perfect book. I find literally no fault in it.
Hard and tough social media manager Frankie Zeferino works for the same team professional hockey player adorably soft Ren Bergman plays for, they've known for years that dating each other has been off limits. That has not however stopped the incessant longing and with Frankie about to leave the team to start law school they might finally have a chance at being together within their reach.
So lets look at what we have here.
I am always a sucker for a grumpy/sunshine book and here we have it bUT in which she is grumpy and he is sunshine. AMAZING.
He is an adorable professional hockey player and Shakespeare fanatic to the point of being in a literal Shakespeare club. And for once the Hero is the one who is the virgin!! (I've gotten really sick of the whole man whore/ virgin trope because as we all know virginity is in fact a societal construct).
She is a hardened social media manager who is secretly soft and sweet as well as having Rheumatoid Arthritis and Autism.
AND ITS AN OWN VOICES STORY
I think above all when I'm reading a romance the ones I tend to love the most are the ones which are centred around a relationship which at its core is built on attentiveness and unconditional support. I adore stories in which the characters remember little things about their partner or do small tasks to make their lives easier. Both Frankie and Ren we're so supportive in each others lives whether it was Frankie spending time with his little sister so his parents could watch his hockey game or Ren buying her a new shirt because some asshole spilled a drink on her and it was one with magnetic snaps to make it more accessible for her (It was at this point I knew this book would be getting five stars and it literally in the 4th chapter).
I absolutely adored the characterisation of Frankie and Ren, they were both so different but both so richly portrayed. There really isn't any character in this series I don't love. Books which focus around a family are my absolute favourites and I love getting to see all the Bergman family together particularly since that means seeing Ryder and Willa again!!!
Chloe Liese's books are seriously adorable like-
"I navigated us per her request to the In-N-Out drive-through, prepared to buy the franchise if necessary, whatever it took to put a smile on her face"
"Yes I have a tender spot for the six-foot-three cinnamon roll
THESE TWO ARE SERIOUSLY ADORABLE
I cannot wait for the next book in this series I have adored these first two books so much, there are not enough inclusive romance stories being told and these books are always going to have a special place in my heart.
July 24, 2020
chloe liese you have a civil duty to write a book for each of the Bergmans, i will accept nothing less
more BERGMANS
buddy read with my sports romance loving fav
more BERGMANS
buddy read with my sports romance loving fav
April 8, 2021
Pros:
Cute love story
Great representation of autism, and multiple types of autism
Great representation of chronic pain
“Misunderstanding” trope didn’t last very long
Cons:
Cheesy dialogue
Straight up cringy scenes
“Man who invented feminism” trope
I really enjoyed the autism representation in this book, as someone who has a son on the spectrum and who is quickly realizing he got it from my side of the family. But I kind of think without that aspect of the story that I connected with personally, I wouldn’t have rated this book as high. The romance aspect is not what I found compelling, which isn’t the best considering it’s a romance book lol.
Cute love story
Great representation of autism, and multiple types of autism
Great representation of chronic pain
“Misunderstanding” trope didn’t last very long
Cons:
Cheesy dialogue
Straight up cringy scenes
“Man who invented feminism” trope
I really enjoyed the autism representation in this book, as someone who has a son on the spectrum and who is quickly realizing he got it from my side of the family. But I kind of think without that aspect of the story that I connected with personally, I wouldn’t have rated this book as high. The romance aspect is not what I found compelling, which isn’t the best considering it’s a romance book lol.
August 4, 2020
⭐️ [5/5 Stars] ⭐️
You know what’s so annoying? When talented authors don’t get enough credit and noticeability. Chloe Liese is fan-fucking-tastic and a goddamn delight. I’m so glad I found her books and especially this series.
This was everything I was expecting and more. I don’t see enough light shed on autism in romance novels at all. I think this might be the second or third novel I’ve read EVER with an autistic main character and knowing it’s #ownvoices makes it even better. I don’t know much about the spectrum besides from what I’ve read and researched over the years and that’s why it’s so damn important for it to be normalised more. Fiction is a fantastic way to educate people in subtle ways. A lot of people are too stubborn or inconsiderate to educate themselves for other people’s purposes and thus we come back to how fiction is important for this reason.
For example if someone read Frankie’s story and didn’t know a single thing about autism prior to reading, they’d walk away with a tonne of knowledge that could be beneficial to someone else who happens to be on the spectrum. I wanted to make a note of that before I jumped into the review because I truly loved Frankie as a character and I adore the author even more for writing her and putting so much of herself into her. Okay, let’s get into the review.
I adored the first novel in this series and this one is no different. It’s a sweet little gem of a book that deserves so much praise because it really is fantastic. The characters were amazingly developed and thought through. I didn’t question their character voice even once. The chemistry was off the charts. The pacing was great. The slow burn was painfully delicious. And then there’s Ren. Let’s talk about him.
It’s hard not to love a softie cheerful book boyfriend who is good down to the bone. Normally though when I read a character like him, I still find some flaws, like for example I’d find them ultimately boring. That was not the case here. Ren is an absolute dreamboat and made me swoon so many times. The pining? Oh my god. It was unbearable in the best way. The way he adored Frankie in every single way made my heart damn near snap in half. He’s respectful. He’s gorgeous. He’s caring. He’s not overbearing. He likes Shakespeare and poetry and hockey and SLOW DANCING? I want him to myself. I want to take him and clone him and make him mine and tell every man ever why they suck and make Ren tell them how to be better people. I want to wrap him in a bow and put him under my Christmas tree. I love love love him.
I loved how Frankie and Ren were complete opposites. How he balanced her out in the best ways and made her open up and trust and lower her guard. I adored how strong and resilient Frankie was and how Ren didn’t treat her like glass. On top of all of this, I loved the representation for arthritis and autism. YES. More #ownvoices !!! Normalise making fictional characters have disabilities and illnesses!! Imagine if someone with chronic arthritis read this and how validated they’d feel. Ahh. It just makes me so happy when I read a book like this.
I really loved everything about this, if you couldn’t tell already. I loved that we got to see Willa and Ryder again and we got some good hockey action. I’m a sucker for hockey. I loved these characters together and Frankie’s character growth and her friends and Pazza. I can’t wait for the next book.
Thank you so much to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced readers copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Always Only You is now available for you to read!
You know what’s so annoying? When talented authors don’t get enough credit and noticeability. Chloe Liese is fan-fucking-tastic and a goddamn delight. I’m so glad I found her books and especially this series.
This was everything I was expecting and more. I don’t see enough light shed on autism in romance novels at all. I think this might be the second or third novel I’ve read EVER with an autistic main character and knowing it’s #ownvoices makes it even better. I don’t know much about the spectrum besides from what I’ve read and researched over the years and that’s why it’s so damn important for it to be normalised more. Fiction is a fantastic way to educate people in subtle ways. A lot of people are too stubborn or inconsiderate to educate themselves for other people’s purposes and thus we come back to how fiction is important for this reason.
For example if someone read Frankie’s story and didn’t know a single thing about autism prior to reading, they’d walk away with a tonne of knowledge that could be beneficial to someone else who happens to be on the spectrum. I wanted to make a note of that before I jumped into the review because I truly loved Frankie as a character and I adore the author even more for writing her and putting so much of herself into her. Okay, let’s get into the review.
I adored the first novel in this series and this one is no different. It’s a sweet little gem of a book that deserves so much praise because it really is fantastic. The characters were amazingly developed and thought through. I didn’t question their character voice even once. The chemistry was off the charts. The pacing was great. The slow burn was painfully delicious. And then there’s Ren. Let’s talk about him.
It’s hard not to love a softie cheerful book boyfriend who is good down to the bone. Normally though when I read a character like him, I still find some flaws, like for example I’d find them ultimately boring. That was not the case here. Ren is an absolute dreamboat and made me swoon so many times. The pining? Oh my god. It was unbearable in the best way. The way he adored Frankie in every single way made my heart damn near snap in half. He’s respectful. He’s gorgeous. He’s caring. He’s not overbearing. He likes Shakespeare and poetry and hockey and SLOW DANCING? I want him to myself. I want to take him and clone him and make him mine and tell every man ever why they suck and make Ren tell them how to be better people. I want to wrap him in a bow and put him under my Christmas tree. I love love love him.
I loved how Frankie and Ren were complete opposites. How he balanced her out in the best ways and made her open up and trust and lower her guard. I adored how strong and resilient Frankie was and how Ren didn’t treat her like glass. On top of all of this, I loved the representation for arthritis and autism. YES. More #ownvoices !!! Normalise making fictional characters have disabilities and illnesses!! Imagine if someone with chronic arthritis read this and how validated they’d feel. Ahh. It just makes me so happy when I read a book like this.
I really loved everything about this, if you couldn’t tell already. I loved that we got to see Willa and Ryder again and we got some good hockey action. I’m a sucker for hockey. I loved these characters together and Frankie’s character growth and her friends and Pazza. I can’t wait for the next book.
Thank you so much to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced readers copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Always Only You is now available for you to read!
February 17, 2022
A beautiful rom-com about acceptance and friendship. Review and aesthetics coming soon! 🖤The way Frankie and Ren own my heart…
tropes: reverse grumpy sunshine, sports romance, interabled couple, friends to lovers, and forbidden romance! (employee x player)
tropes: reverse grumpy sunshine, sports romance, interabled couple, friends to lovers, and forbidden romance! (employee x player)
December 21, 2021
3.75✨
”My therapist says, show peopke who you really are, and you get the absolute thrill of knowing they love you for you. That's why the friends I do have aren't many, but they know and love the real me."
loved both mcs
"I can't lose her."
"So don't. Go home and fight for her"
He laughs but it breaks into emotion. "How do you fight for someone who doesn't want to be fought for? How do you repair something that they say is irrevocably broken?"
"You show up and demonstrate hope. You show her that, yes, things break, and they'll never be what they were before, but when you piece them together, they can still be beautiful, only different"
(kay that was about aidenfreya btw) anyway, I loved this & both mc, it was cute, but I thought nothing eventful really happened in the last half, and as per usual it dragged on after they got together
January 10, 2022
“And I hope you know I’m a safe place for you to be you.”
this was a solid four star read until the conflict in the final act... but we’ll get to that🤨
after devouring The Mistletoe Motive i knew i had to read more by this author and was recommended this series. i skipped book one bcos Julia told me Willa ain’t shit😌
i was intrigued by the grumpy x sunshine trope being flipped on it’s head, since it’s always the hero who’s a big ole grump while the heroine is his own personal ray of sunshine.
Frankie snatches a roll from the bread baskets, rips it open, and smashes some butter into it, entirely focused on her task while she mutters under her breath.
“What are you grumbling to yourself?” I ask her.
Frankie gives me a withering stare and says around a bite of bread, “As if I’d want anyone else if I had you.”
Frankie didn’t feel all that grumpy, imo. maybe a little bit? but not as much as i expected. i liked Frankie... i– yeah. i liked her. she was fine. Ren Bergman however... 👀🥰
i low-key picture Ren as Chris Evans? i don’t normally assign celebs to the fictional characters i read but the moment Frankie said:
His eyes crinkle when he laughs, and he has this habit of clutching his chest and bending over slightly, like someone’s capacity to amuse him goes straight to his heart.
all i could picture was this:
i liked the romance a lot, honestly (mainly the way Ren deeply loved Frankie). but in the beginning, i just... i wanted more of it? like at times i felt like i was waiting for the romance to really start, you know? i mean, i was 25% in and i was still waiting for something. i would get glimpses of a really cute romance with Ren and Frankish having adorable interactions, but they were so brief. i couldn’t really sink my teeth into anything for a while, like i was always on the cusp of something for it not to come to fruition?
but once they were in each other’s proximity a lot more, finally this book took off and i was so excited. i was liking the book and could see the potential, but i just needed more and luckily the author gave it to me :)
it was so stinking adorable to see how excited and giddy Ren got around Frankie🥺 like this man messaged his group chat with his brothers right after their first kiss bcos he couldn’t believe it, i– men written my women🤌🏻
I also pinch myself that I get to see Frankie every day I work.
🏒 get you a guy who metaphorically pinches himself every time he sees you bcos he can’t believe he gets to be in your vicinity.
🏒 and a guy who carries you when you’re on your period and pampers you the whole goddamn time.
🏒 and a guy who smothers your lips in lip balm when you’re unconscious in hospital for two days so you don’t get chapped lips.
🏒 and a guy who has been pining after you for three years and hasn’t so much as glanced at another woman since he met you, even when you didn’t give him the time of day.
just the way Ren loved Frankie really called my single in all the languages they both speak, combined. if my future husband doesn’t treat me like Ren Bergman treats Frankie Zeferino??
that being said, while i loved the romance... i truly didn’t give a fuck about anything else lmao. like any interactions that weren’t between Frankie and Ren, i skimmed tf out of them. i mean, i appreciated seeing some of the team’s dynamics, but i didn’t love them. it was the family dynamics that i loved— those were sweet, hilarious and got me intrigued for the rest of the series :)
like Viggo just munching on an apple during the whole Frankie-Ren towel disaster lmaooo. while Ziggy and Frankie’s friendship got me like 🥺 they were so sweet together and Ziggy is officially my other favourite Bergman along with Ren. i need her book ASAP.
while, i know hockey enthusiasts who read sports romances appreciate the research and detail that’s put into the portrayal of the sport... but i am not one of those people lmao. the really intricate writing describing exactly what occurs on the ice, the manoeuvres and such, bore me to tears. and i don’t understand it anyway— brief detail is fine, but when it goes on for a few pages, you’ve lost me. and the author lost me a few times here lmao.
The Love Hypothesis really made me hyperaware of info-dumping atm, so i noticed it a lot in this this— even if it didn’t occur that often... it’s just something on my mind recently so it’s been jumping out at me more when reading.
“I’m tough,” I whisper.
He nods. “I know you are.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“You have,” he says. “You still do. You always will. I’ve just joined in, too. Now we take care of each other.”
now it was the conflict that kinda ruined this for me. it’s a bit spoilery, mind you: but Ren and Frankie butt heads over Frankie’s health— she wants to not be coddled or domineered by anyone, especially her partner, while Ren wants to be there for her unconditionally even if it means him having to put parts of his life on hold, momentarily.
now... Frankie was really mean to Ren here. and i didn’t like it at all. i have lived with a chronic health condition since i was 11 years old. and i will for the rest of my life. like Frankie, my immune system is weak af so we’re both more susceptible to illnesses, which are usually more severe for us. so i understood her anxieties about feeling like a burden, the impacts of your condition on the people in your life... stuff like that.
but the interaction was downright cruel for me. especially to Ren who was just one of the best heroes i have ever read. i just didn’t like it and it ruined a lot of my happy, squishy feelings. if the hero hadn’t been Ren, then i doubt this would have bothered me... but he’s truly the biggest sweetheart ever. like the way he loves that woman?? and she threw it back in his face like that??
it ruined the vibes, honestly. just seeing how her words affected him😡 girl you better run.
when they got back together i was just like -_- bcos i didn’t give a fuck anymore lmao. the damage had been done.
so really, the star of this show was Ren. i liked Frankie to a certain degree, but Ren is a solid five stars.
Her face falls. “Some imperfections aren’t so beautiful, Ren.”
“No. Perhaps not.” I slip my fingers through her hair. “But if they’re yours, I love them. And you love mine.”
August 17, 2020
[08.2020] 1º read. 2.5 stars.
unfortunately, didn't work for me. i was really excited about this, but right away something was... off. i remember getting to the 30% mark and considering dnf'ing, but i couldn't pinpoint what was bothering me, and i wanted to like it... the pacing was off, the heroine is supposedly not into the hero but his name is her first thought in the book, the working relationship is an issue until *pof* it isn't (they even call it forbidden and it is such a non-issue in the rest of the book). i didn't really enjoy the writing, the dialogue felt weird, like the characters would preach to one another about something or another, it wasn't organic and it made the characters seem less real. Ren is sweet and all, but unreal. there is no struggle about him, he is a bit of a pushover, there is talk about him feeling as an outsider, talk about bullying, talk about managing his temper, but there is all that is: talk. there is no growth to him. Frankie would project her attitude and sell it as how she really was and at the same time admit it was a mask but then hide behind it anyways. she was very selfish at times, that fight in the 90% mark was ridiculous, and her attitude towards women wasn't great, i mean, if the woman is not her friend already or the guy's relative she would freak out, and she is such a feminist apparently. the Shakespeare and Harry Potter references felt gimmicky and way too much (the part about the Hedwig's theme panties was disturbingly too much). there is a homophobic bit where two guys accidentally kiss and it results in violence and one of the guys repeatedly rinsing his mouth, there is no purpose to it beyond "comedy" and to show how evolved the hero is. but, personally, what upset me the most it was the fact that even though there is more than one autistic character in here, the view used to portray them was a negative one - like the characters don't like themselves, like they don't exist beyond the rigid limits preset for them. Ziggy and Axel were redressed in some of the same patterns used to write Frankie, autism is a spectrum it has different range and experiences and in here we seem to get only one experience, and it is not a happy one. i know this is an OwnVoices story, and i wanted to like it, but it didn't do it for me.
unfortunately, didn't work for me. i was really excited about this, but right away something was... off. i remember getting to the 30% mark and considering dnf'ing, but i couldn't pinpoint what was bothering me, and i wanted to like it... the pacing was off, the heroine is supposedly not into the hero but his name is her first thought in the book, the working relationship is an issue until *pof* it isn't (they even call it forbidden and it is such a non-issue in the rest of the book). i didn't really enjoy the writing, the dialogue felt weird, like the characters would preach to one another about something or another, it wasn't organic and it made the characters seem less real. Ren is sweet and all, but unreal. there is no struggle about him, he is a bit of a pushover, there is talk about him feeling as an outsider, talk about bullying, talk about managing his temper, but there is all that is: talk. there is no growth to him. Frankie would project her attitude and sell it as how she really was and at the same time admit it was a mask but then hide behind it anyways. she was very selfish at times, that fight in the 90% mark was ridiculous, and her attitude towards women wasn't great, i mean, if the woman is not her friend already or the guy's relative she would freak out, and she is such a feminist apparently. the Shakespeare and Harry Potter references felt gimmicky and way too much (the part about the Hedwig's theme panties was disturbingly too much). there is a homophobic bit where two guys accidentally kiss and it results in violence and one of the guys repeatedly rinsing his mouth, there is no purpose to it beyond "comedy" and to show how evolved the hero is. but, personally, what upset me the most it was the fact that even though there is more than one autistic character in here, the view used to portray them was a negative one - like the characters don't like themselves, like they don't exist beyond the rigid limits preset for them. Ziggy and Axel were redressed in some of the same patterns used to write Frankie, autism is a spectrum it has different range and experiences and in here we seem to get only one experience, and it is not a happy one. i know this is an OwnVoices story, and i wanted to like it, but it didn't do it for me.
January 5, 2023
When it's bad, it's really bad; and when it isn't, it's moderately okay.
The Not Like Other Girls vibes are STRONG with this book, largely in the first half. Frankie isn't like other girls because she eats BURGERS and knows what a SPARK PLUG is. Hi there, welcome to the present day. I thought we left all that bullshit behind 10 years ago?
The first half of the book is...bad. The second half almost feels like it was written much later and the first half was never updated to match it. It's not wildly better, but it's not as bad.
The FMC's Harry Potter obsession is incredibly cringe (and the author's inclusion of a line from another character about how much JKR sucks so she can still feel fine about including it so heavily was...not subtle). And the bit about her Hedwig panties, I...if you know, you know; and if you don't, keep it that way, for your own sake. There is more discussion of Harry Potter panties in this book than I ever needed to see in my life. This HP obsession is very prevalent in the first half, and is barely mentioned in the second.
The first half of the book also includes a lot of "first person talking to the reader" moments (which I personally hate, but that's just me), and these are also non-existent in the second half.
The male love interest is, like a lot of things in this book, just...fine. He feels like a placeholder person, honestly. I like a sweet MMC, but his one personality trait is liking Shakespeare and it gets old and over the top very quickly.
What a waste of my Saturday ;___;
The Not Like Other Girls vibes are STRONG with this book, largely in the first half. Frankie isn't like other girls because she eats BURGERS and knows what a SPARK PLUG is. Hi there, welcome to the present day. I thought we left all that bullshit behind 10 years ago?
The first half of the book is...bad. The second half almost feels like it was written much later and the first half was never updated to match it. It's not wildly better, but it's not as bad.
The FMC's Harry Potter obsession is incredibly cringe (and the author's inclusion of a line from another character about how much JKR sucks so she can still feel fine about including it so heavily was...not subtle). And the bit about her Hedwig panties, I...if you know, you know; and if you don't, keep it that way, for your own sake. There is more discussion of Harry Potter panties in this book than I ever needed to see in my life. This HP obsession is very prevalent in the first half, and is barely mentioned in the second.
The first half of the book also includes a lot of "first person talking to the reader" moments (which I personally hate, but that's just me), and these are also non-existent in the second half.
The male love interest is, like a lot of things in this book, just...fine. He feels like a placeholder person, honestly. I like a sweet MMC, but his one personality trait is liking Shakespeare and it gets old and over the top very quickly.
What a waste of my Saturday ;___;
October 21, 2020
I never ever write a review for a book before I finish it, but I’m at 85% now and struggling to finish (and I will finish because stopping at this point is like quitting a marathon at mile 25) and that last 15% of the book isn’t going to change my opinion, so here goes.
I should start by saying I fully recognize and appreciate the importance of this book. An autistic author writing about an autistic heroine having “normal” (well, heteronormative) romantic life experiences with “normal” (i.e. non-autistic) men is refreshing and encouraging and very much needed.
That aside, I still didn’t enjoy this as a reader of romance novels, and all of my displeasure had nothing to do with not being able to identify with any of the characters, being that I am not on the spectrum myself. Despite not being able to identify with the experience of living life as an autistic individual, I still found I had a lot in common with Frankie – I too come from an overbearing Italian-American family and have struggled to live my introverted, socially anxious life in a world that just isn’t built for understanding people that aren’t happy happy HAPPY all the time. I struggle when it comes to interacting people and often my internal voice becomes my external voice and it sometimes gives me grief. I too would be intimidated by someone like Ren, because I don’t get people that are so upbeat all the time.
None of this has anything to do with anything really, except to show that I’m not dismissing this book because I’m a normie that just doesn’t get what it’s like to struggle with living a life on the fringes, or that I’m turned off by a depiction of a life that I can’t 100% identify with. I think it’s only natural to look for the familiar in what we read, for me any way, and I find I enjoy books most when I can live vicariously through them on some level. I enjoy them a lot less when the experiences depicted therein are so far out of touch with reality that I find myself not caring. This doesn’t mean the book itself has to be rooted in reality (I love fantasy and sci-fi) but that the life experiences should be….otherwise, why bother? We mostly write what we know, whether we’re fully conscious of it or not.
But again, I digress. The book was adequate, and I think it would have functioned a lot better for me if it wasn’t trying to function as a day-in-life depiction of an autistic person and a smutty romance at the same time. That’s not to say that autistic people do not deserve to see themselves depicted in smutty situations (because everyone does and I salute every author that takes that leap), just that I think I would have gotten more out of the experience if the two were kept separate.
The things that annoyed me most actually have zero to do with Frankie being autistic, or suffering from RA. I found her to be a pretty accurate and realistic representation of a real-life woman, autism and RA aside. I HATED Ren though, and pretty much all of my issues with this book have to do with him. I know that sounds weird because there's literally nothing to hate about Ren, but to paraphrase his beloved Shakespeare, therein lies the rub. The romance genre isn’t really known for being great with accurately representing the female population that the books are largely written for, and I get that they’re largely about idealism and rose-colored glasses and HEAs and blah blah blah, but like I said earlier, if they’re not some aspect of realism the book is just gonna come off as a pretty empty experience.
I want to feel fulfilled, filled-up, overflowing when I finish a book (that’s how I know it’s a good one), and people like Ren make me feel empty. Why? Because they’re so one-dimensional and over-idealized that it’s not even worth imagining them to be real. Characters like Ren are designed to make women resentful towards their very real spouses/partners/significant others. Real men do not function like this, they do not exist, so don’t start hating on your hubby because he’s not some 6’3” Shakespeare-quoting ginger with abs of steel.
Really….Ren is so stinkingly perfect that every revelation of an ideal characteristic (the abs, the hair, the beard, the muscles, the pro-athleticism, the sensitivity, the Shakespeare) caused my eyes to roll so far back into my head that by the end of the book I was blind and had to finish on audiobook (not true, but still…). There’s literally nothing wrong with him. He’s smart, has a great family, takes care of his family, loves dogs, quotes Shakespeare, is overly sensitive, and oddly anticipates every single last one of Frankie’s needs. He buys her tampons (and isn’t grossed out by it!!!!!). And to top it all off, he’s a fucking virgin that still somehow knows how to give a woman multiple orgasms. Why bother having a character being a virgin if there’s going to be zero awkwardness with his first time? What’s the point? He’s literally an expert-level sex god on his first time with actual p-in-v fucking, so why oh why does he have to be a virgin? It adds nothing to the story at all.
Oh, and I can’t forget his huge dick. In case you were wondering, it’s extremely large, is constantly hard because he’s that turned on by Frankie (I work in a hospital, dudes go the ER for stuff like that, IT’S NOT NORMAL OR HEALTHY), and because Frankie is a wee, fragile womanly woman, she’s not sure if Ren’s super-huge ginger love rod is going to fit in her vag. Note to romance authors: if you feel a need to make your heroine speak some variation of “oh wow, your dick is SO HUGE that I’m not sure if you’re going to fit in my petite vagina”, stop writing, go back to the beginning, and start over, because YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG. Shit like this is worse than the “letting out a breath you didn’t know you were holding” or all the fucking lower lip biting. I love me some abs, but I need a little dose of reality with my heroes (at least make him kind of a dick, or have a little bit of a temper, or something) or I just can’t lose myself in the story.
It’s moments like that that really wanted to make me stop reading, but like I said, before I knew it I was at 85% and I was just like “pshaw, might as well see this shit through at this point.” Taking all of this into consideration, if you want a book with competently-written smut (if not entirely realistic) featuring a heroine that is not your standard cookie cutter type, sprinkled with a fair dose of Harry Potter references (go go Slytherin!) give this a shot. If you like your heroes like they just came off the assembly line of the perfect boyfriend factory, you’ll love this. If you’re a cynical bitter shell of a human like me though, that’s lived just enough of life to know that they don’t make them like this, go find something else, or save yourself the trouble and continue to masturbate to thoughts of Henry Cavill dressed as Geralt of Rivia.
I should start by saying I fully recognize and appreciate the importance of this book. An autistic author writing about an autistic heroine having “normal” (well, heteronormative) romantic life experiences with “normal” (i.e. non-autistic) men is refreshing and encouraging and very much needed.
That aside, I still didn’t enjoy this as a reader of romance novels, and all of my displeasure had nothing to do with not being able to identify with any of the characters, being that I am not on the spectrum myself. Despite not being able to identify with the experience of living life as an autistic individual, I still found I had a lot in common with Frankie – I too come from an overbearing Italian-American family and have struggled to live my introverted, socially anxious life in a world that just isn’t built for understanding people that aren’t happy happy HAPPY all the time. I struggle when it comes to interacting people and often my internal voice becomes my external voice and it sometimes gives me grief. I too would be intimidated by someone like Ren, because I don’t get people that are so upbeat all the time.
None of this has anything to do with anything really, except to show that I’m not dismissing this book because I’m a normie that just doesn’t get what it’s like to struggle with living a life on the fringes, or that I’m turned off by a depiction of a life that I can’t 100% identify with. I think it’s only natural to look for the familiar in what we read, for me any way, and I find I enjoy books most when I can live vicariously through them on some level. I enjoy them a lot less when the experiences depicted therein are so far out of touch with reality that I find myself not caring. This doesn’t mean the book itself has to be rooted in reality (I love fantasy and sci-fi) but that the life experiences should be….otherwise, why bother? We mostly write what we know, whether we’re fully conscious of it or not.
But again, I digress. The book was adequate, and I think it would have functioned a lot better for me if it wasn’t trying to function as a day-in-life depiction of an autistic person and a smutty romance at the same time. That’s not to say that autistic people do not deserve to see themselves depicted in smutty situations (because everyone does and I salute every author that takes that leap), just that I think I would have gotten more out of the experience if the two were kept separate.
The things that annoyed me most actually have zero to do with Frankie being autistic, or suffering from RA. I found her to be a pretty accurate and realistic representation of a real-life woman, autism and RA aside. I HATED Ren though, and pretty much all of my issues with this book have to do with him. I know that sounds weird because there's literally nothing to hate about Ren, but to paraphrase his beloved Shakespeare, therein lies the rub. The romance genre isn’t really known for being great with accurately representing the female population that the books are largely written for, and I get that they’re largely about idealism and rose-colored glasses and HEAs and blah blah blah, but like I said earlier, if they’re not some aspect of realism the book is just gonna come off as a pretty empty experience.
I want to feel fulfilled, filled-up, overflowing when I finish a book (that’s how I know it’s a good one), and people like Ren make me feel empty. Why? Because they’re so one-dimensional and over-idealized that it’s not even worth imagining them to be real. Characters like Ren are designed to make women resentful towards their very real spouses/partners/significant others. Real men do not function like this, they do not exist, so don’t start hating on your hubby because he’s not some 6’3” Shakespeare-quoting ginger with abs of steel.
Really….Ren is so stinkingly perfect that every revelation of an ideal characteristic (the abs, the hair, the beard, the muscles, the pro-athleticism, the sensitivity, the Shakespeare) caused my eyes to roll so far back into my head that by the end of the book I was blind and had to finish on audiobook (not true, but still…). There’s literally nothing wrong with him. He’s smart, has a great family, takes care of his family, loves dogs, quotes Shakespeare, is overly sensitive, and oddly anticipates every single last one of Frankie’s needs. He buys her tampons (and isn’t grossed out by it!!!!!). And to top it all off, he’s a fucking virgin that still somehow knows how to give a woman multiple orgasms. Why bother having a character being a virgin if there’s going to be zero awkwardness with his first time? What’s the point? He’s literally an expert-level sex god on his first time with actual p-in-v fucking, so why oh why does he have to be a virgin? It adds nothing to the story at all.
Oh, and I can’t forget his huge dick. In case you were wondering, it’s extremely large, is constantly hard because he’s that turned on by Frankie (I work in a hospital, dudes go the ER for stuff like that, IT’S NOT NORMAL OR HEALTHY), and because Frankie is a wee, fragile womanly woman, she’s not sure if Ren’s super-huge ginger love rod is going to fit in her vag. Note to romance authors: if you feel a need to make your heroine speak some variation of “oh wow, your dick is SO HUGE that I’m not sure if you’re going to fit in my petite vagina”, stop writing, go back to the beginning, and start over, because YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG. Shit like this is worse than the “letting out a breath you didn’t know you were holding” or all the fucking lower lip biting. I love me some abs, but I need a little dose of reality with my heroes (at least make him kind of a dick, or have a little bit of a temper, or something) or I just can’t lose myself in the story.
It’s moments like that that really wanted to make me stop reading, but like I said, before I knew it I was at 85% and I was just like “pshaw, might as well see this shit through at this point.” Taking all of this into consideration, if you want a book with competently-written smut (if not entirely realistic) featuring a heroine that is not your standard cookie cutter type, sprinkled with a fair dose of Harry Potter references (go go Slytherin!) give this a shot. If you like your heroes like they just came off the assembly line of the perfect boyfriend factory, you’ll love this. If you’re a cynical bitter shell of a human like me though, that’s lived just enough of life to know that they don’t make them like this, go find something else, or save yourself the trouble and continue to masturbate to thoughts of Henry Cavill dressed as Geralt of Rivia.
December 18, 2020
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa i want more bergmans!!! i want books for all of them,,,all the brothers and the sisters and hell i’d even read about their parents!!!! im in love with this family so much,,,,adopt me please and thank you.
i loved ren and frankie so much??? they serve the best sunshine/grump relationship with frankie!! being!! The grump!! I mean i’ve been obsessed with grump female/sunshine male ever since i read chloe brown so is it even a surprise that i loved this? probably not. and they were both lowkey pining for each other all this time? well frankie was pining lowkey, ren was pining very very highkey. i swear he was in love with her from day one!!
at one point she had to stay at his house and i swear the scenes were so domestic IT WAS TOO MUCH FOR ME,, i mean playing on the beach with her dog????? they truly wanted to kill me. they kept trying these ridiculous nicknames for each other and it was soo cutee!! also allow me to fangirl over ren not letting anyone except for frankie call him by his full name!! I FREAKING LOVE THAT TROPE
ren is the sweetest human on the planet!! he’s this huge nerd with his obsession for shakespeare,, he even has a book club dedicated to reading his plays!! he doesn’t like violence even when provoked by other players, he CRIES while reading to a bunch of kids, his love for his family is !!!! and i love his relationship with his brothers!! he’s basically the softest most perfect person ever. i was making heart-eyes at the screen every time this man blushed.
frankie is basically the opposite of everything he is. the cynical grump who’s afraid of relationships (she’s a secret softie but don’t say that in front of her),, she’s this all business straightforward no bullshit girl and i love her so much!! i love the scene with her and ziggy,, i literally cried so much during it 🥺🥺
the thing that i didn’t like was the amount of harry potter references!! I get that frankie’s obsessed with it and the author kinda acknowledged the dumpster fire that is jk rowling’s actions on twitter in the book but sometimes it felt like it was a little too much.
the next book is about freya and aiden y’all!!!!!!!! And it’s about fixing their marriage!!!!!! i love this trope so much ever since i read the bromance book club! and while i felt like wanting to punch aiden three or four times in the first book IM SO EXCITED FOR IT!!!
the fourth book better be about axel and rooney or im suing
buddy reading with my fav bergman stan
thanks to netgalley for approving me for the arc!!!
i loved ren and frankie so much??? they serve the best sunshine/grump relationship with frankie!! being!! The grump!! I mean i’ve been obsessed with grump female/sunshine male ever since i read chloe brown so is it even a surprise that i loved this? probably not. and they were both lowkey pining for each other all this time? well frankie was pining lowkey, ren was pining very very highkey. i swear he was in love with her from day one!!
at one point she had to stay at his house and i swear the scenes were so domestic IT WAS TOO MUCH FOR ME,, i mean playing on the beach with her dog????? they truly wanted to kill me. they kept trying these ridiculous nicknames for each other and it was soo cutee!! also allow me to fangirl over ren not letting anyone except for frankie call him by his full name!! I FREAKING LOVE THAT TROPE
ren is the sweetest human on the planet!! he’s this huge nerd with his obsession for shakespeare,, he even has a book club dedicated to reading his plays!! he doesn’t like violence even when provoked by other players, he CRIES while reading to a bunch of kids, his love for his family is !!!! and i love his relationship with his brothers!! he’s basically the softest most perfect person ever. i was making heart-eyes at the screen every time this man blushed.
frankie is basically the opposite of everything he is. the cynical grump who’s afraid of relationships (she’s a secret softie but don’t say that in front of her),, she’s this all business straightforward no bullshit girl and i love her so much!! i love the scene with her and ziggy,, i literally cried so much during it 🥺🥺
the thing that i didn’t like was the amount of harry potter references!! I get that frankie’s obsessed with it and the author kinda acknowledged the dumpster fire that is jk rowling’s actions on twitter in the book but sometimes it felt like it was a little too much.
the next book is about freya and aiden y’all!!!!!!!! And it’s about fixing their marriage!!!!!! i love this trope so much ever since i read the bromance book club! and while i felt like wanting to punch aiden three or four times in the first book IM SO EXCITED FOR IT!!!
the fourth book better be about axel and rooney or im suing
buddy reading with my fav bergman stan
thanks to netgalley for approving me for the arc!!!
October 4, 2022
5 freakin fantastic stars!!
These books just do it for me! They truly hit the spot and then some. This one was truly special.
•Ren. A 6’3” cinnamon roll hockey player who is a virgin!🥵
•Frankie, a bad ass woman who deals with chronic pain (RA) and is on the autism spectrum. (Own voices story)!
•These two had unrequited love for each other and unbeknownst to the other one.
•The Great Naked Towel Tango 😏
•The slow delicious burn that built to an incredible crescendo!
•Ren was so sweet, sensitive and loved Shakespeare. He owned his cinnamon rollness. The way he showed his love and care for Frankie made my heart melt into an ooey gooey puddle.
This audio was super duper fantastic and I can’t wait to dive into the third book!!!
These books just do it for me! They truly hit the spot and then some. This one was truly special.
•Ren. A 6’3” cinnamon roll hockey player who is a virgin!🥵
•Frankie, a bad ass woman who deals with chronic pain (RA) and is on the autism spectrum. (Own voices story)!
•These two had unrequited love for each other and unbeknownst to the other one.
•The Great Naked Towel Tango 😏
•The slow delicious burn that built to an incredible crescendo!
•Ren was so sweet, sensitive and loved Shakespeare. He owned his cinnamon rollness. The way he showed his love and care for Frankie made my heart melt into an ooey gooey puddle.
This audio was super duper fantastic and I can’t wait to dive into the third book!!!
January 7, 2022
Everyone kept telling me that this was going to be my favorite of the Bergman Brothers series ... and they were right.
It checked SO many of my boxes. It's a sports romance, the most cinnamon roll of cinnamon roll heroes (he loves Shakespeare and is SUCH a gentleman) who also happens to be a giant hockey player, he's a virgin, he's been secretly pining for the heroine for a long time, there's forced togetherness, it's grumpy/sunshine in which he is the sunshine and she is the "grump," she's strong and independent, she has a chronic illness (RA), and she's autistic. This is also OWN voices for the autistic representation, however, I'm not sure about the chronic illness representation.
Frankie handles the social media account for Ren's hockey team, so they are around each other all the time, however they've never been much more than acquaintances. That is, until Frankie's apartment gets broken into and Ren offers to let her stay with him.
I already loved Ren's family from the first book, but I fell in love with them even more after this one. In fact, I need his older brother's story RIGHT FREAKING NOW! I ADORED how Frankie connected with Ren's younger sister, Ziggy. Ziggy was recently diagnosed with Autism and though her parents mean well, they don't really know how to handle everything that she is dealing with - but having gone through it herself, Frankie does. And the fact that Ren falls even harder for her because of that had me swooning.
If you love cinnamon roll heroes, you'll adore Ren, I promise. I mean, he's this big badass hockey player, but he refuses to get into fights on the ice. he doesn't even curse at players to chide him, he just mutters Elizabethan insults under his breath at them.
I just... I need every single member of this family's story! Including the parents!
It checked SO many of my boxes. It's a sports romance, the most cinnamon roll of cinnamon roll heroes (he loves Shakespeare and is SUCH a gentleman) who also happens to be a giant hockey player, he's a virgin, he's been secretly pining for the heroine for a long time, there's forced togetherness, it's grumpy/sunshine in which he is the sunshine and she is the "grump," she's strong and independent, she has a chronic illness (RA), and she's autistic. This is also OWN voices for the autistic representation, however, I'm not sure about the chronic illness representation.
Frankie handles the social media account for Ren's hockey team, so they are around each other all the time, however they've never been much more than acquaintances. That is, until Frankie's apartment gets broken into and Ren offers to let her stay with him.
I already loved Ren's family from the first book, but I fell in love with them even more after this one. In fact, I need his older brother's story RIGHT FREAKING NOW! I ADORED how Frankie connected with Ren's younger sister, Ziggy. Ziggy was recently diagnosed with Autism and though her parents mean well, they don't really know how to handle everything that she is dealing with - but having gone through it herself, Frankie does. And the fact that Ren falls even harder for her because of that had me swooning.
If you love cinnamon roll heroes, you'll adore Ren, I promise. I mean, he's this big badass hockey player, but he refuses to get into fights on the ice. he doesn't even curse at players to chide him, he just mutters Elizabethan insults under his breath at them.
I just... I need every single member of this family's story! Including the parents!
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