I received this book for free in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are my own.

"Only When It's Us" brings us two very different characters - Willa, a soccer player with a temper and Ryder - a somewhat of a recluse due to an illness that impaired his hearing. They are forced to work together for a class but both have many issues with each other. They start out as frenemies but soon discover that they have more in common with each other than they figured.
The banter was great in this book, however it didn't sound super organic in some places. The author used some of the words (e.g. bee-kissed lips, lumberjack etc) so many times that it because redundant. Even though I overall enjoyed the story, I felt it was a bit raw... I was sad that we couldn't read about some of the main issues and how the main character worker through them. Rather we were told about the more stressing parts and were able to read about the easier parts. I think if the author had written those situations out we would have connected on a more emotional level to the characters.
I also have to mention that there were quite a few typing errors in this copy and hopefully they will be fixed before the release.
Overall, I am interested in this authors work and would love to read the next books and see how she develops. She definitely has talent, she just needs some work :)

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC for my honest review.

Only When It's Us follows two main characters: Willa, who is a Division 1 soccer player struggling to balance soccer, school, and her mother's illness, and Ryder, who has pretty much become a recluse ever since he lost the majority of his hearing two years ago. The two meet in business mathematics class and are pretty much forced together by their professor. Their frenemy relationship is full of witty banter, lots of competition, sexual tension, and unexpected secrets.

One of my favorite things about this novel was the Spotify playlist accompaniment. I always find that when I'm writing, music can set the mood. As a lover of both music and writing, I truly appreciated the music that went along with each chapter. I had fun listening to the song before I read the chapter and getting little clues about what was going to happen next. The mood changes so much in the book, and the Spotify playlist is a perfect reflection of that.

As far as characters go, I really enjoyed Ryder. There were times when he was frustrating, but he definitely showed the most growth throughout the novel. What I liked about his growth was that it was gradual and believable. There was one point in the book where I was like "I hope he's not doing this all for Willa," but when you learn about the dynamic of his family and peel back the layers of his past, you can tell that Willa is a good excuse for him to make some big life changes, but she isn't the only reason he would want to. Of course, at the novel's core is the love story, but I liked that there was a lot to uncover with Ryder.

Willa, on the other hand, I was not a fan of. I was surprised by this because I usually gravitate toward the female story. My favorite books are those that have female protagonists that I can relate to. Willa does have a lot going on in her life, but the depth of her stubbornness and downright selfishness made her such an unlikable character for me. Her growth was more like a light switch. She's the same person until the end, and then all of sudden, the author flipped a switch and *BOOM* growth. I wasn't a big fan of how her character developed.

The enemies-to-lovers, or in this case frenemies-to-lovers, trope is usually a hit or miss for me. I'm happy to say that this was a definite hit for me. I enjoyed the witty banter and sexual tension between the two main characters. The build-up is believable, and I liked Ryder's character enough to want to cheer for a happy ending for the both of them. I also really liked a lot of the side characters and actually wanted to see more of them, particularly the roommates. I found myself getting frustrated when the main characters would have a conversation with one of their parents that would be more believable if the conversation was talking to a friend. There was one conversation in particular that Ryder had with his mom, and I was like "I feel like this conversation would have been better served if he was talking to one of his brothers or one of his roommates." But that's probably just me being selfish and wanting to see more of Rooney, Becks, and Tucker.

One thing that I can't decide if I enjoyed or disliked was how many ways Ryder and Willa's stories were either connected or were parallel to each other. I felt that some of the connections or parallels were unnecessary and made the story less believable. I know that coincidences happen, but sometimes, I just got frustrated by the things that overlapped in the characters' lives. I don't want to elaborate on this because *spoilers.* I understand what the author was trying to do, but I felt that some of the parallels were unnecessary and didn't really add to the story or the background of the characters. I will say that I was a fan of the big thing that caused the characters' lives to overlap (you'll know which one I'm talking about once you read the book), but some of the smaller things were just unneeded.

I realize that I read the ARC for this book, but some of the typos were actually pretty distracting, and there were A LOT of them. There was even one point where Ryder was referred to as Ryan, and I was like "Where the heck did Ryan come from?" My hope is that a lot of these typos get corrected before the book is released in April. I also wasn't a huge fan of the writing in that the author used the same words over and over to describe the characters. Ryder was referred to as a "lumberjack" throughout the book. Cool, but I got so tired of seeing the word "lumberjack" on every other page. When she made references to his lumberjack-ness in other ways, I enjoyed the sarcasm and creativity, but I started to hate the word "lumberjack." She also used the word "velvety" to describe lips and skin so many times throughout the book. There was just a lot of redundancy with some of her descriptions, and it made me enjoy the book less because I was tired of reading those same words and descriptions over and over again.

Overall, I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. I really liked Ryder as a main character, and I enjoyed the parts of the book where the roommates were around, so much so that I craved more of their presence. I enjoyed how the storyline unfolded overall, especially when secrets from their past were being revealed in little pockets overtime. I, however, did not enjoy parts of Willa's personality, particularly her stubbornness and the amount of selfishness she showed throughout the book.

This is the first in a series where we get to learn more about Ryder and his brothers, so if you're a fan of Ryder's family dynamic, you'll definitely look forward to the rest of the books in the upcoming series.

Strong debut to a new series that definitely makes me want to pick up the next one! Only When It's Us follows Willa and Ryder, college juniors who are forced to work together on a class assignment by a matchmaking professor (who happens to be Ryder's brother in law). These characters were super likable and the writing and dialogue had me both laughing and crying by the end. Thanks to Netgalley and the author for the advance copy in exchange for this review.

*Received an ARC for an honest review*. I started reading this with the intention of reading 5 chapters and then continuing on in my sampling. However, this one grabbed me and I spent the weekend reading it. I loved both Willa and Ryder. The story was well developed, complex, and layered. It wasn’t your typical enemies to lovers story, it was just more. Both of them were extremely stubborn, and didn’t communicate well throughout the story. The book was a little longer than it needed to be IMHO, but held my attention. It is always a little irritating when either the hero or heroine spend way too much time talking about how good looking the other person is. We get it, their beautiful. Other then that, I enjoyed the book and highly recommend.

A book about frenemies to lovers? Count me in!
I loved Ryder and Willa and literally laughed out loud at a lot of their banter! This book was full of family, friendship, loss, grief and love as well as some major tension! I found this book to have the perfect amount of steam along with a perfect slow burn. I can't wait to read more about the Bergman brothers and to get to know this family more!

Thank you @netgalley and publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I really, really liked this book! Willa and Ryder had great chemistry and I couldn't wait to see how things would play out with them. It's not often that I'm moved to tears by a book but that first seen when Ryder meets Willa's mom! Wow. I think it could be argued that the connections between Willa's mom and Ryder's dad was a bit of a stretch, but I didn't care. I loved the story and was really invested in the characters. I would definitely recommend.

Thank you to Net Galley and the Publishers for sending me an early copy in exchange for a review.

This contemporary romance follows Willa who is a student but also a rising soccer (football) star. Her mum is terminally ill, and Willa suffers from a rage problem. We also follow Ryder who is a fellow student with high anxiety because he is deaf. He caught bacterial meningitis which affected his hearing and makes him a silent, sexy lumberjack.

Even though there were some seriously steamy sex scenes I did enjoy this book. The banter between Willa and Ryder was cute and I really like their frenemies to lovers journey. This was great for the disability rep, the mental health rep - Willa is encouraged and does eventually go to therapy, and also communication between consenting sexual partners which was lovely to see.

Trigger warnings for death of a parent, cancer and terminal illnesses.

Wow, this book was fantastic. Imagine if the Simple Wild and Kulti had a baby, and you have this book: Frenemies, soccer, grumpy outdoorsy lumberjack, sexual tension and 🔥🔥🔥 for days.I’d have been sold at that, but the book had so much more to offer. A beautifully told emotional story. I love how Chloe’s books show us that characters with disabilities can/are every bit as fufilled as the rest of us in life and love. In my head I keep coming back to the image of the boy in the wheelchair at target staring at the add with a boy in a wheelchair. I’m so excited for authors like this and Helen Hoang bringing us these characters that hopefully make people feel represented and included. Did you like The Friend Zone or The Hating Game? If so, read this book! •
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I’m so thankful for getting a copy of this ARC to read. It’s on sale April 1st, and will be on #kindleunlimited , you can also preorder for $1.99.

I don't usually read YA books, but this one was well-written (minus some grammar mistakes) that I soon forgot that Willa and Ryder were only in college.

This story is about acceptance, change, determination and, of course, love.

Willa is one determined young lady with one goal: to become a professional soccer player. Ryder is a fellow classmate who is standoffish because he's deaf. A class project brings them together and their relationship is volatile. Willa is prickly and sarcastic and Ryder is calm and level-headed. Willa doesn't trust men, in general, due to her upbringing and finds it difficult to open up about her feelings around everyone. Ryder has the patience of a saint and accepts Willa as she is. As the two begin to work together on their assignment, they begin to see that there's more to the other person than they originally thought. If big, loud, Scandanavian families make you smile, then this is a plus.

An emotional read.

I can't wait for Ren's story.

Has a book ever taken you by surprise? I had never read anything by Chloe and, man, am I kicking myself that’s it has taken me this long to find her. This book surprised me in the best way possible and I’m so glad @readingfortheweekend told me about this book.

I was completely invested in this story because it was like nothing I have ever read before. I’ve read a lot of books that were based off college students or college aged students and found that a majority of them have no substance. All they really worried about about was where they could find alcohol and who their next conquest was. This book and these characters had a lot of heart and emotions that makes it feel like your reading actual human lives with diverse and real situations rather than idealized youths on spring break.

Willa is feisty, but has a hard time expressing her emotions. She throws up sturdy emotional walls that no one has been able to tear down. She also has the road block that people are out to get her or ruin her and because of that, she has a hard time trusting people or letting them in. Ryder, the keeper of notes, is a dream. He’s a Washington born guy who loves all the things I love about Washington. But Ryder has his walls up around himself and has a hard time letting people in as well. He likes to keep his emotional cards close to him and is a person who now sees life as glass half empty.

Together they make the perfect storm to be natural born enemies. The tension between Willa and Ryder was so delicious with their chemistry bouncing off the pages. Between each witty comment or spiteful action, there was so much fire in each stolen glance or touch that were meant to be innocent. The games they play were so delightful. My heart ached for these two and butterflies fluttered in my stomach waiting for and anticipating the next chapter. The way they acted toward the beginning were like two kids playing on the playground. They just picked on each other because they didn’t know any other way to express their feelings.

This book was the opposite of all new adult books I have read. It had a depth in Willa and Ryder that I was not expecting. This book showcased not only what it was like to fall in love for the first time, but it also shows all the spectrum of love people can express and experience. There was a surprisingly large amount of emotion ranging from happiness to sadness and everything in between.

I really did enjoy this book and everything it represents. Even the side characters were fantastic. There were tasteful additions from Willa’s mom’s sage advice and sarcastic humor to Aiden‘s provoking and meddling that lead to the chaos he had created. I loved how it showed how terrifying love can be, because that’s what it’s like to open yourself to another. It’s completely terrifying to trust your heart to another. Life is beautiful and it is tragic, but it is how to decide to live that makes the ride worth it.

5 ‘Sunshine and Lumberjack’ stars

This book was so good, so funny, so emotional, and so sweet. I didn’t know what to expect going into it, but it was so much more! It has the perfect romance package. I loved their frenemies relationship. And the slow burn was so good!! The type of slow burn that ends with a huge fire. I loved how this book shows how deceiving first impressions could be. This book is just deeper than it appear to be. It was so perfect.

I loved those two characters a lot. It was different and refreshing to have a sports star heroine. She was also the one with commitment issue. She’s the one with a temper who don’t let anyone in. I loved her relationship with her mama. The family dynamic in this book was so good. Bergman was so sweet and vulnerable. I loved how they both accept and support each other. I loved how their characters were so real. I just loved them both so much. This is a highly recommended book, do yourself a favor and download it from NG while you still can. You need to read this book!

I love this book! It took me a little bit to get into it because the first chapter was a little slow, but it was totally worth reading all the way through! Ryder and Willa have a rocky frenemy relationship that gets worse before it gets better. They have a college course together where Ryder is the perfect student who takes all the notes and Willa is close to failing the course, but has to pass in order to play soccer. This is an amazingly-written story and 100% worth the read!

This book actually hit closer to home than I expected and I loved it. It brings you on a rollercoaster of emotions, is heart breaking, steamy and oh so sweet.

Ryder lost his hearing due to bacterial meningitis and has decided to stop talking completely. He pushes everyone away and isolates himself. He isn’t the typical leading man and I loved it.

Willa is working hard as a top tier student athlete as she deals with the fact that her mother is dying of cancer. She is quick to jump to conclusions with explosive anger.

While both are dealing with their own personal hardships they are brought together (purposefully) to complete an assignment given to them by their meddling professor. Hilarious pranks ensue, enemies become friends, friends become lovers.

Chloe Liese does wonderful job of providing her characters with emotional depth that you rarely see in romantic novels. They are well developed and you are immersed in their lives. I loved that her characters had true problems and struggles. This was my first book by Chloe and it definitely won’t be my last.

I want to thank NetGalley, the author and publisher for the e-ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are honest, my own and left voluntarily.

Usually, I don't read romance (only once in a while) but when I do I try to read something different and unique, and Only When It's Us was definitely a surprise! I didn't expect to enjoy it so much! From the synopsis you can see it's a frenemies-to-lovers kind of story BUT there is so much more: love, friendship, family, loss, grief and acceptance. I've also adored Willa and Ryder (my sweet giant! If I could, I'd have hugged him through the whole story) and their relationship full of banters, funny moments and sexual tension. The ending was perfect and my heart completely melted. So, yes! I totally recommend this book!

Holy Moly I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did! It is like my favorite fudgy brownie and I cannot stop eating it. I must consume everything this woman has ever written!

The Spoiler free Summary:

Ryder and Willa hate each other. She's the division 1 athlete who keeps missing class and he is a very giant bearded recluse who keeps ignoring her. When she asks the professor for the class notes that she has missed he points her in the direction of Ryder. The problem is Ryder always ignores her when she talks to him! It's not a problem though because Willa is nothing if not determined!


What I loved:

1. This is the first time a book has a spotify playlist attached. I am REALLY feeling this. I love to relate music to books so the heavy lifting is done for me. Love love love
2. My sweet and sour dish-washing giant: This is the type of guy that while sweet I want to give him a great big hug! I LOVED Ry. Sure he was stubborn but who wouldn't be after what he went through!
3. Sassy Pants Heroine: I typically do not like heroines in novels, I usually can't relate to them because they can never just relax and act cool, but for some reason Willa is the type of girl I want to hang out with. Strong, independent, and can usually come around when she knows she's wrong, I love that! <spoiler> Plus she didn't act all weird or treat Ry any differently when she found out about his disability.</spoiler>
4. The witty banter: It is so hard to be amusing in a book. I see it tried to be done a lot and often it's not very successful but this book absolutely NAILS it!
5. The tension: one word, delicious.
6. Consent is a beautiful thing when done correctly. This book does.

This book has a lot, and I mean a lot of weird connections. Be prepared to be slightly overwhelmed. A lot happens but over all I could not put it down. I am excited to see what else she writes!


I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley but these opinions are all my own

I picked this one up since I was needing a lighter, fun read and this book was perfect. It was funny, sweet, steamy, and even a bit sad at times. I read the whole thing over the course of one day.

I read this book twice! Yes, I read it the first time and thought, "a book can't be that good," and then read it waiting with bated breath for the 'it's good...but,' and that didn't come to pass.
What happens when you've got two characters, Willa who's an athlete hoping to ace good grades, graduate and get recruited by one of top soccer teams for women giving her that shot into a league she's yearned for. Then there's Ryder, this lumberjack dude who ignores Willa when she asks for notes- as prompted by her Professor, and turns out he lost his hearing at the height of his soccer prominence...and he's just trying to curve out a new life for himself. The two clash and Willa's not one to back down without a fight. She's feisty, flighty, intelligent and a great soccer player. He's calm, centered and still healing from the turnaround in his dreams...and the two are dealing with life's struggles while trying to graduate.
It's a page turner with such an easy flow that you cannot help but ease into the next phase of the story. I can't wait to read the next story in the series because this was just an awesome introduction.
Thank you Netgalley for the eARC.

I am extremely picky when it comes to new adult - sometimes the characters are just to young and too immature. This book, however, gets it just right. Both Willa and Ryder are dealing with things no one their age should have to deal with - on top of going to school and, for Willa, being a top tier Division 1 student athlete.

Ryder lost his hearing due to a bout with bacterial meningitis just as he was supposed to start his own student athlete journey. He has been struggling since then to deal with the changes in his world and life. He has pushed everyone, including his very close-knit family away. From his first encounter with Willa you can see that they will be so good for each other.

Willa is working hard to achieve her dreams, at the same time her mother is dying of cancer. Willa and her mom are closer than close. They have been each other's only for a long long time. Neither is ready to let the other go - but cancer is spiteful and isn't leaving them much more time together.

This book is just awesome. It is highly emotional and really gets to the heart of what it means to experience something new and scary. Not just starting a new school or job - but really facing a change in your life that is outside of your control. It is also about embracing life after the change and finding your way forward.

This was my first book by Chloe Liese, but it won't be my last. I had a serious crush on Ryder, a feminist who takes consent seriously and shows what it means to be someone's partner in a real way. The scene where he brings Willa whiskey and peanut butter cups is swoonworthy at its best.

I can't wait for more of this series and to learn more about the Bergman family. Adored it.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley but these opinions are all my own.

Thank you to Net Galley and Chloe Liese for the ARC of Only When It's Us! I thought this book would be a cute enemies to lovers story, but this was so much more! This was a beautifully written book! This was not only a great love story, but a beautiful, heart-wrenching story of grief and the trials of life. Ryder and Willa navigate their way through devastating situations that tear at your heart. I cannot say enough good things about this book! This will for sure be a popular book on KU! I will just be over here impatiently waiting for the next book in the series!

I absolutely adored this perfectly paced romantic drama. The characters are unusual, she's a football star, he's a quiet introvert with secrets of his own but man when they finally open up their eyes to each other, the chemistry is something else. I loved the family dynamics, the slow burn and growth of the relationship, I loved that they felt relatable as college students while not being immature and shaped by their life experiences. I enjoyed every scene and can't wait to read more about the Bergman brothers. So glad I found a new fav author through netgalley - thank you to the publisher, all opinions my own.