Only When It's Us is a sweet, angsty, slow burn with a lot of heart and humor. Willa and Ryder are prickly in their own ways both with plenty of reason to be so. When they're forced to partner up in a class together, they both learn how to trust and love. This was not a typical NA/YA novel, yes both characters are in their last year of college, but both are dealing with some very big and unfortunate life issues. It has great banter and a lot of humor, it is most definitely not a fluffy book (but does have an hea). I loved watching Willa and Ryder both grow and help each other through tough times. I'm interested to see where the other stories in this series go.

I really enjoyed this book. I had never read anything by this author before, but I like her - I would read her work again.

I thought it was unique that this book came with it's own playlist on Spotify - I was supposed to listen to a particular song at the beginning of each chapter. I did this for about 1/3 of the book, but then I stopped listening to the songs as I didn't want to take time away from the books. Plus, I couldn't always figure out why she chose the song she did for each chapter. It was a memorable touch, but I viewed it as unnecessary.

This book alternates between Willa and Ryder. Willa is the star soccer player on UCLA's women's soccer team. Ryder used to play soccer for UCLA, but the summer before his first season (after he had already started practicing with the team), he developed meningitis and his hearing was basically eliminated. Due to the difficulties of playing soccer without being able to hear his teammates and the fact that his life was suddenly turned upside down, Ryder quit the team.

He and Willa did not know each other until their junior year when one professor told Willa she could get class notes from Ryder (since Willa missed class due to games). The only problem was Willa didn't know Ryder was deaf so she asked for the notes and Ryder ignored her - because he couldn't hear her. You can only imagine what Willa thought about Ryder after she assumed he was blatantly ignoring her.

They finally figure out what's going on and it was nice to see a friendship blossom. Both Willa and Ryder were broken in different ways and as long as they can learn to trust each other, they are just what the other one needs.

The next book in this series is about Ryder's brother, Ren - who is a professional hockey player. I'm sure I'll want to read that book as well.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated above is mine and I did not receive any compensation for this review.

4/5 stars

Kindly received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was much deeper than I expected. The characters were multi-faceted. I can't wait to read Ren and Rooney's book!

This book was the perfect balance of romance and weightier issues! Both main characters are dealing with big life challenges while navigating an enemies-to-lovers relationship. I appreciated that there was not too much time spent on the enemy part of the story because it made the evolution of their relationship more realistic. They never truly disliked each one another, they just needed to understand who the other was. Ryder is the best version of a book boyfriend. He respects Willa and issues around consent, is loyal, and wants the best for himself and the people around him. There are definitely some difficult issues raised in the story but they are done sensitively and with thought. This book entertains but also makes you more empathetic to what others are facing in life! Thank you to NetGalley and NetGalley Connect for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Only When It's Us was highly enjoyable.

And that's all you'll get if you don't want to see any TW or spoilers. If you do however, do move ahead.

Let's start with some Trigger Warnings that I know would have been a big deal for me and still would be a big deal for some people I know, so if you at all feel uncomfortable reading about these things, you probably shouldn't read this book: TW: Death (by Cancer), mourning, trauma, hearing loss due to illness, smut.

Okay, now let's get into it!
The main characters Willa and Ry were absolute peaches. They are university students, both very much into football (or soccer, I suppose), but Ryder had to give the dream of becoming pro up because he lost his hearing two years prior to when our story is set.

I have never actually read a rom-com about a character with a disability before, so I think this is absolutely more than refreshing. The writing felt authentic to a point where I could feel Ryder's frustration about not being able to do everything he did before (without going into TMI, I absolutely know what this feels like so for me this part of the story carries even more meaning). It's even more refreshing to see how Willa handles Ryder. Exactly as she had before.

They know exactly which buttons to push on each other and how to drive each other up the wall to a point where they don't know if they want to punch the other or kiss them, as all great strangers-to-friends-to-lovers story goes. Or... strangers-to-enemies-to-frenemies-to-lovers. The tension between them was fantastic, the misunderstandings and the pining simply divine and both Willa and Ryder are absolutely headstrong individuals who know what they want without pushing too far. There is nothing that irks me more than a male protagonist in a book that either lets himself be groomed by the heroine or forces her to become something she's not. Ryder is neither and for that I love him.

This book has everything from romance, to comedy, to bickering, to angst, to self-discovery and I can highly recommend it to everyone who enjoys a good romance.

The only things that irked me a little were the fact that Willa's mother pushed Ryder to speak. Despite her situation, I really was not too enthusiastic about him being forced to speak, especially in that way because I always think that after a traumatic experience such as Ryder definitely had, he is allowed to take his time. And if it takes longer than 2 years than people will have to accept it.

The other thing which never fails to make me laugh are the very colourful descriptions used in rom-coms referring to genitals and this book was no different. I think I even snorted once or twice out loud but for me that only added to the amusement and comedy and I don't even think of it as a bad thing per se.

The third thing that made me stop in my tracks was the fact that every single chapter started with a song title. Which, don't get me wrong, is an absolutely fabulous idea. I even loved that there was a spotify playlist and I did listen to it while reading 100%, but here's the thing... this is a book featuring a deaf character. Or at least one who is hard of hearing. And I was thinking that it was probably likely for deaf/HOH readers to pick up this book to see themselves represented, right? And sooo... is this really the book to attach to a musical playlist? Just a thought.

All in all, this is a very enjoyable read and for I definitely recommend to all the romance lovers out there! This is definitely DEFINITELY one of the best ones I've ever read!

4.5 great read. It’s sexy and funny and heartbreaking. Willa is a soccer star with a temper. Ryder is deaf and no longer talks. They are in the same business math class. They are frenemies who have been assigned to work together by a meddling professor. The play hilarious pranks on each other. You will fall in love with them as they grow up and fall for each other. It really is a slow burning love that will make you laugh, and turn you on.

Review will be posted on my blog on release day. Www.readingrobyn22.wordpress.com

Sparks aplenty between the two main characters . Loved this sports romance. I finished this book the same night I started it so I think that tells you how much I enjoyed it!

I absolutely loved this book!! So many things about it were just exactly right. The fact that it was college aged characters was so cool to see, because romance is often high schoolers in YA romance, or full on adults in adult romance. But it’s so much fun to read about characters that are my age! The characters of Willa and Ryder were so dimensional and refreshing. The struggles that they dealt with were different than you often see with female and male leads of romance, which was the main thing that I really enjoyed. It was nice to see the girl was the one afraid to be emotionally available, as I often find myself the same way, and so could relate. And seeing a male lead who could be vulnerable, and fragile, and emotional and all for the empowerment of women made me love him even more. And enemies to lovers is the best trope when done right, which it definitely was in this book. I also loved the diversity of ability in this book. As an ASL student who loves the language and culture, I love when it’s represented in main stream mediums! The maturity and complexity of both the characters struggles and the ways they dealt with them made me care more about them, and never want to put the book down. The only issue I had, and this is a personal preference thing, was Willa’s constant speaking her thoughts out loud. I’ve never been a fan of the “oops, did I say that out loud?” trope, possibly because I have never done that myself and so can’t relate. It was the only thing that seemed unrealistic and pulled me out of the story. Otherwise I really have no complaints! Not to mention the humor was spot on, and the sexual tension and release was perfectly executed! I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!

If you like a slow burn sports romance, with witty banter and plenty of pranks, this book is for you. I personally stayed up until 1 am to finish it.

Like other reviewers have stated, Only When It's Us is not your typical NA college book. Sure as far as plots go, this was a pretty straightforward enemies-to-lovers story. Willa and Ryder are both taking a Business Math class. Willa is a student-athlete and is having trouble keeping up. She could really use the class notes that Ryder has, but due to a misunderstanding, he doesn’t share them with her. Add in a meddling professor and a joint assignment, and shenanigans, pranks, and seduction games will ensue as they both struggle (and ultimately fail ha!) to keep one another in the friend zone (frenemy zone?). However what really surprised me is the depth of the characters. While this book was super, super cute and flat out hilarious at times, it was not a light, fluffy read.

Willa comes off as an intense hothead in the beginning while Ryder is the strong, silent type. Both MCs have deep rooted relationship and trust issues, and it takes them a long time to show any vulnerability. I loved that the author didn’t wave a magic wand and instantly fix their hang-ups. And so their relationship developed slowly – hello, delicious slow burn! – but I have to say the last 30% or so moved extra slow. I think the book could’ve benefited from a little consolidation towards the end. My only true complaint is that the plot involved a series of misunderstandings and miscommunications, which is a big pet peeve of mine; however, thankfully they were often quickly resolved.

I also really liked the family dynamics. Willa’s relationship with her mom was both heartwarming and heartbreaking as was Ryder’s relationship with his own family. It was so easy to imagine the Bergmans as the Skarsgards, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy.

I passively heard about Only When It's Us on Youtube and I just figured I'd pick it up on a whim.

Probably the best decision I've made this year.

Only When It's Us is a new adult romance set during college between a hot head and a quiet secretive type. I was captivated by the first chapter. Willa and Ryder had so much witty banter and chemistry immediately - I was totally immersed in their story.

While this story was started on a misunderstanding and then blossomed into both of the characters keeping secrets from each other, I feel like both of the parties were believable in why they were afraid to communicate with each other.

Definitely one of my favorite romances I've ever picked up.

3.7 stars
This was cute AF!

This book completely blindsided me, I was just browsing the Instastories and saw someone posting that this was up for grabs on netgalley. The idea of a genderbent version of the typical jock vs antisocial hermit NA romance appealed to me (our female MC is a soccerplayer here) and by the time I looked up next, I was halfway through the book!

I'm always a sucker for a hate to friendship to love storyarc but we get more than that here. I found that the family, friendship and just life's general shitstorm was mixed well with the romance plot so even though we still get a mostly lighthearted, fun story, there are heavier moments and topics to keep it grounded. I teared up at one point which was embarassing because I was on a plane at the time (can ya tell I read this before the dystopian times) but honestly, that was probably a 50-50 between the book and my period. (TMI, sorry not sorry.)

The author's style is easy to get into, it flows well and even though I noticed quite a few editing mistakes, I later got a very nice email saying that we accidentally got the uncorrected copy, so I'm assuming all those have been indeed corrected and you probably won't encounter them if you decide to pick this up.

As for our protagonists, they were fun and human, the banter was brilliant, so I totally ship them! I have to say, Willa came off as really intense at first but then I thought.... would I remark on that if she was a man? Probably not, because we're used to it. And athletes tend to be intense and competitive so why wouldn't she be? It was a great part of her personality and I loved her for it, even if I wanted to tear my hair out at times due to her tendency to evade difficult conversations. She felt real in the best way. Ryder I have less to say about. I liked him, he was a sweetheart and his no bullshit attitude appealed to me greatly. Also loved his mum, and honestly, the entire Bergman family, they were a riot.

We've seen some amazing character growth through the book which was so much more than I expected (because I'm cynical like that) and it even managed to surprise me by evading done to death tropes or doing them in a way that felt just a little more fresh and interesting.

Most of my issues came from the structuring of the story itself. I do feel the second half of the book dragged quite a bit in certain places and the plot could have been tightened further to make it less clunky. I liked that nothing magically got better and it didn't happen all at once, however. Still, a bit more balance there could have done wonders.

The other thing which kind of relates to that is that sometimes points were made just a little excessively. Now, this might just be a personal pet peeve but I have this thing where I haaaate repetition. Like, I've been here for the past 200 pages boo, I REMEMBER. No need to move in circles. Better yet, what iiiif.... you just allude to something without driving it through my head with Thor's hammer? I think this has been magnified from the dual 1st POV but again, this might just be my issue and would not bother others at all.

All in all, this was a fun time, an unexpected delight, and just really cute. However, there was also some substance to it! Would totally recommend Only When It's Us not only for seasoned romance readers but also for those who are like me: kinda wanna read a romance but also tend to end up hating them. This is a good one! Especially nowadays, we love some good escapism. (They hike a lot too so we can live vicariously through them.)

I wasn’t going to go for this book because the cover put me off but I’m oh so glad I stopped to read the blurb. This was a ‘read in one go, couldn’t put it down’ book for me. There isn’t a character I didn’t like, I particularly loved the banter between Willa and Ryder, their interactions were very entertaining.
I enjoyed the pace of the book up until the last third of the book.. at that point I was almost screaming at Willa to just go for it! I liked the writing style and will be looking up the author to read more books from her.

If you like college romances with a twist, great dialogue and a host of fab characters, then this book is for you! I can’t wait to read the second book in this series.

4.5 stars

I couldn't put this one down! I loved that the female MC, Willa, was the superstar athlete. It was a nice twist from the normal romance novel roles. And the male MC, Ryder. Uh, love him. I love that he is hearing impaired and selectively mute, and while these are treated as barriers, they are never viewed as being drawbacks to him as a romantic partner.

I adored that both of the MCs, even with their baggage/ issues, both maintained strong friendships. And they both have amazing families but it never seemed over the top. I felt there was a really good balance with all of the relationships presented.

Also, I always love when a character goes to therapy, and it is not seen as shocking or wrong. I applaud the author for presenting mental health and physical health as being on the same level.

This frenemies-to-lovers trope was definitely a slow burner, but the wait was worth it for the steamy scenes. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 for sure!

I'm really excited that this is just the beginning of the series. I can't wait to read Ren's story next!

Really solid first book in a new series! I really enjoyed how the hero and heroine develop as the story progresses. I also really enjoyed how the author chose to include a song for thematic reference for each chapter it really sets the mood! While not always light and fun (trigger warnings for death of a parent) it is a very nice story of family, friendship, love and acceptance from unlikely places.

Only When It’s Us is a super sweet “my bed time doesn’t exist when I’m reading this” kind of book. I read this all in a single day, and it was the perfect escape! I loved Willa from page one, with her quirky voice and quick banter. Bonus: she’s a talented soccer player looking to go pro. Could I love her any more? Heck yes. She’s blunt and sarcastic, rough around the edges, and a total softie, and I loved every moment of her chapters. Ryder took a little warming up to, but their slow burn frenemies relationship was so worth the read.

This is different from any NA college romance I’ve read before and exactly the kind I’ve been looking for. It’s funny and sweet but doesn’t shy away from heavier emotional topics like grief and loss. There are college age characters that are actually learning to balance coursework with busy schedules and felt like real people, and the emotional growth and connection between all of the characters made this such a satisfying read. Definitely looking forward to reading more of Chloe’s books!

Ryder & Willa happen to be taking the same Business Mathematics class, and just so happen to sit next to each other, but that doesn't mean they like each other - it's more of a loathe at first site situation. Ryder ignores Willa when she asks for class notes, Willa is upset and lets her temper take the lead, and the battle begins. Who is going to come out on top - the college soccer star destined for greatness, or the brooding lumberjack wannabe?
This would be considered new adult, and it's a veeeery slow burn of a book ... but so worth it! I'm a huge fan of the enemies to lovers trope, so I knew this would be enjoyable for me. Willa is a thorn in your side type of character. She has a hot temper, always takes things to the max, and is not open to sharing her life. I loved her progression & where she was by the end - it's always wonderful to see a character work on themselves. Ryder is every woman's outdoorsy lumberjack type dream. He was so sweet & understanding, and I loved that he was direct & knew what he wanted. The whole story had such great elements, and I loved how it all came together.
I'm so glad to see that this is going to be an entire series about these Swedish brothers, because I want more of these characters & this family! Chloe did an awesome job giving us Ryder's story & introducing his family in this book, and I'm so looking forward to reading more about them.

Willa is a strong, sassy, stubborn collegiate soccer player. She meets Ryder and there are instant death rays! Both have life altering issues they work through throughout the story. And I think that’s why I liked it so much. Liese didn’t just glaze over the main characters problems like they were an easy fix. IE girl finds boy and suddenly her trust issues from chapter 2 evaporate. NO! Not this novel!

I love when I can totally relate to the main character! Willa struggles when dealing with conflicts and tends to avoid them.... anyone else 🙋🏼‍♀️ or is it just me!?

If you’re looking for a great read with:
Frenemies to lovers
Slow burn romance
College Soccer
Teary eyes scenes - I’m not crying, you’re crying!
Lumberjack men with beards who wear flannel - who isn’t
Some Jane Austen thrown in for us P&P lovers 😍
A quick unputdownable book

You’ve found it boo 😘

Can’t wait for Ren’s story next!
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!

This book. This was one of those "omg how is it 2 am" books. This was a "I don't want this to end" book. This was a "I'm buying a copy for all of my friends" book.

Chloe Liese does such a fantastic job telling this story of two frenemies coming together I really felt like I was a fly on the wall watching their lives unfold. I may have cried a couple of times, I won't spoil the story and say when, my husband kept looking over and saying "Are you crying again?!" haha.

The writing is great, the story is fantastic, the characters are well thought out with good history and you'll wish this book never ends. I'm definitely in a reading slump after this one. Give me more Ryder and Willa!!

Chloe, I think there needs to be another book solely on their story and how they're doing. I'd definitely read it!!

Chloe has an absolute talent to reach to your heart and make you laugh and cry at the same time. Enemies to lovers stories are my favourite and I believed this will be a great one from the very first page. As much as this story is about love, it’s also about life and its unexpected occurrences which aren’t always fair, but they happen. As it is, Sunshine and mountain man learn how to accept each other, throughout long days of teasing and hating each other’s guts. Is this a rom-com novel? Yes, definitely! But it’s also so much more that your heart will threaten to explode from your chest with love for these adorable characters.
This has become one of my favourite books and I cannot wait for a reread!
Thank you NetGalley for offering me this ARC.

First of all, let me stress on the fact that this is not your normal NA college romance. This is much more the story is of two people growing up and the fact that makes this book special is that our characters were willing to grow. In a way this book is much more mature than one would think. If you’re looking a for a while-bang-and-a-fuck, this is not for you. Yes as many mentioned before this book is a slow burn but the romance and the sexual tension is definitely evident from the beginning. It’s just the execution that taken a slow burn and that too with reason.

We get two individuals thrown into life with some hard times and we get to be part of a beautiful journey that shows their road to happiness. The story packs a sweet feminist twist with our sporty jock taking a gender swap as the girl being the one. Ryder too has his moments but the manner he shines through out the story is astonishing. It makes you wonder why you do not have “The One” yet. Obviously book boyfriends such Ryder sets the bar pretty high up for them mortal hooligans we run around with.