Willa is a tough cookie. Soccer star. Unfortunately for her, one of her professors has made it his mission to make her life miserable, at least in Willa's eyes. When he suggests she get his class notes from the lumberjack looking dude in the front row, and then gets ignored when she asks...well, it's all out war. In her head.

She has no idea the dude in the flannel, with the mangy looking beard isn't exactly ignoring her. There's a good reason Riley didn't answer her request. He didn't hear her. He lost most of his hearing in an accident, and it's not just his hearing Riley has lost. He's basically given up his entire life and retreated into himself.

He had no idea Willa was exactly what he needed to get his life back.

This book. THIS BOOK. I had major feels from start to finish. Riley was...well, let's just say he's one of my favorite book boys I've read in a while. I'm always a bit leery when I try a new author, especially in Romance. You just never really know what you're going to get these days. And let me tell you, I was so pleasantly surprised by <i>Only When It's Us</a>, and Chloe Liese has earned a definite fan in me. My only complaint was Willa's stubborn nature. I sort of wanted to smack her, but Riley more than made up for that. *sigh*

I can't wait to devour the other Bergman Brothers' books!

This was such a fun book! It was an enjoyable, believable romance. I've never read a book where one of the main characters is deaf, and I learned so much reading Ryder's story. I love romances where each character has more going on in their lives than the romance itself. This book at times broke my heart and made me laugh! This book felt so refreshing, and I read it in one sitting. It was a much-needed happy distraction in these frustrating times.

This was an amazing slow-burning romance with plenty of banter and sexual tension sprinkled throughout, and with some tear-inducing emotional elements. It's truly an underrated gem, and it deserves a lot more love.

Willa plays soccer for her university team and occasionally misses classes. No big deal, except the professor from her Business class refuses to just give her his lecture notes. He tells her to ask Ryder, another student in the class, for his notes. But when Willa does just that, Ryder just ignores her. He simply refuses to acknowledge her existence. As far as Willa is concerned, this means war. She will get those notes and declare victory over Ryder. And then the hard-ass professor makes Willa and Ryder partner up for a big class project, pushing them both to the brink.

This was sweet, steamy and funny, but the story went so much deeper than it would appear at first glance. Without trying to spoil anything: maybe keep a few tissues close by while reading? I am so happy this is the first book in a series about Ryder and his brothers. The family dynamics are so great, and hot broody half-Swedish lumberjacks are exactly my cup of tea.

And just like the story isn't as simple as it seems, the characters also have hidden depths to them. I love that this is a sports romance where the woman is the jock and the man is the one who is cheering for her from the sidelines. Willa being the emotionally unavailable character and Ryder being more open and balanced is also a nice change from how these types of romance novels usually go.

Also big thumb up for the author creating a Spotify playlist for this book, with song suggestions for every chapter. That's just so extra and I love it!

Ryder and Willa’s love story was something I kept wanting more of! Their frenemie relationship and banter made this book feel like real life. Of course they both had their own hardships they were dealing with, but they were both very believable. This is a must read for anyone who loves a good modern romance, sports or an enemy to lover story! I can’t wait to read more about the Bergman brothers, because I loved this family!

This book slayed me. I laughed and cried (a lot). I just loved this story. Never read anything like it. I couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait for the next one.

Thanks to Chloe Liese & Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Nice fresh lovely story really really loved it
Like an ice cream on a summer day refreshing and sweet

This book was such a refreshing YA romance. I really enjoyed the new perspectives and the way the story kept surprising me. I really enjoyed this!

I really enjoyed the representation in this book. The plot flowed at a natural pace and really made the romance feel organic. The only thing that annoyed me was Willa constantly having said things she's thinking without realising. I would 100% read more books in this series.

Usually romance books are fifty-fifty for me on hitting my needs accurately, and this one was pretty good on that front and more.

What attracted me the book was the sports romance flipped on its head where the girl was the athlete because unfortunately there aren't enough books like that (or I never find them somehow). But aside from this twist, I really didn't expected anything more from it, so I was happily surprised when I realized that one of the main character was deaf. I have to say, I don't know anyone with hearing disability and I don't have it myself either, so I can't speak on the accuracy of the representation, but for me it was interesting to read and see such representation in a book because it's something we don't often see (or again, I might just somehow never pick up those books).

On top of all of this it was an enemies to lovers trope, which I am forever a sucker for! It was really nice and believable too, the way their "enemies" status started with a misunderstanding out of their control and then slowly they opened up to each other, let their guards down and fell for each other - all of this mixed in with really good tension.

So all in all, I really enjoyed the book and the characters and it was a really nice way of getting away from all the shit that's been happening lately.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this arc.

Thank you for NEtgalley and the publisher for gifting a free copy in exchange of my honest review!

2 Frenemies.
1 Disastrous prank.
and 1 fine new adult romance.

My one true and only love of prompts in romance is Enemies to Lovers! I could not say no to reading this one!
I freaking loved it! It was extremely entertaining, sexy and also emotional, swoony, making me 'aweee' all the time by reading all the romantic scenes! t was different and refreshing to have a sports star heroine. She was also the one with commitment issue. So we could say that it was a typical gender characterisctic swap: LOVE! Made this whole novel such a loveable story!

Only when it's us by Chloe Liese was unexpectedly captivating. It was funny, sexy, sad, happy and honest. Even though I'm the complete opposite of Willa Sutter (except for peanut butter cups) and I found her sometimes infuriating; I really liked the story. Really glad to have discovered this author. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the free ebook copy.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this title.

Things I Loved:
- deaf representation. I myself am not deaf or hard of hearing so I can't speak to whether this representation was done well; it seemed to be to me but I would love to hear thoughts from deaf or hard of hearing reviewers as well.
-the sexual tension between Ryder and Willa really is great. Liese amps it up slowly over the course of the book while still giving you enough to stay interested.
-Liese gave both characters some emotional depth; it wasn't just your run-of-the-mill shallow romance (nothing wrong with those, I just prefer when there is more going on)
-Ryder's big Scandinavian family! I'm trying to have Christmas dinner with them.

Things I Didn't Love:
-some of the writing made me cringe. Mostly from Willa's perspective. She was constantly describing Ryder in the same ways: lumberjack, brawny, etc. We get it. He's tall, broad, and wears plaid. Also she often referred to her vagina in really embarrassing terms that just made me highlight and note "NO."
-just a personal preference but I was sort of hoping after reading that Ryder is a bigger guy that that meant he was going to maybe be plus? Where are my chubby/fat dude love interests at?? I wanna read about them, too!

I overall enjoyed this one despite rolling my eyes occasionally at the writing. I think I'd like to continue on in the series and read about the other Bergman brothers!

This was a good book. I honestly was expecting something light and funny. Willa and Ryder are frenemies in the beginning. There was too much drama and misunderstanding for them to be in a relationship. I like slow burn romance books but I thought this one was really slow. I loved the side characters of Rooney and his best friends. I needed more of them!!! Ryder was an amazing friend, boyfriend, whatever you need him to be. Ryder’s hearing loss aspect in the book was done very well. There seems to be a lot of research on it. You can’t help cheer for him. The love between them was beautiful. I’m looking forward to the next book.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Only When It’s Us by Chloe Liese
Book #1: Bergman Brothers Series
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 4½/5 stars

Willa has more on her plate than the average college kid should! Willa is an athlete, she’s trying to successfully get through her classes, and she’s the daughter of a single parent who has been in and out of the hospital for years. Though she tries to juggle all the balls at once, a few things, like her grades in one of her business classes are suffering. In the past, Willa’s professors have been willing to work with her, but this particular professor isn’t having any of that nonsense. In fact, rather than helping Willa himself, he fobs her off on the silent lumberjack she typically sits next to.

Silent lumberjack is Ryder and he has no idea why the hot chick who sits beside him seems so anger . . . all the time. When the professor offers up Riley’s help without his consent, Riley is suddenly faced with having to properly interact with the angry girl. This ought to be fun! For Riley, interactions with others have been difficult, at best, since he lost his hearing after a battle with meningitis. Any time he has to expose himself to another and admit his difficulty with communication, he is vulnerable. Exposing himself to a demonstrably angry girl is going to be incredibly difficult.

Though he isn’t looking forward to the first encounter, Ryder is pleasantly surprised by Willa’s response to his hearing impairment. She doesn’t seem to care that their communications are different and once she begins to know Ryder, she grudgingly admits to liking the big lumber jack. Make no mistake they still banter and bicker with one another, but the verbal jabs are more like foreplay than malice. In fact, for weeks, as the two work diligently on a project for class, they become closer and closer.

The time he spends with Willa is radically changing Ryder and his family so pleased with the changes. For the first time in two years, Ryder is willing to begin work on his speech and hearing, he’s more willing to go out into the world, and he’s more willing to interact with his family. For the first time in two years, Ryder is coming out of his shell and Willa is the reason for that. The only trouble is, Willa is clearly holding back and Ryder has no idea why. If he can’t get her to open up and share her whole life with him, there isn’t going to be much of a future for them.

The Bottom Line: I have to say, this book was quite a wonderful surprise. There is a bit of everything in this book from laugh out loud humor (the whoopie cushion incident) to lovely naughty bits (the waterfall!) to emotional upheavals (Willa’s mother) to a few well-kept secrets (I’m not telling!). Far and away the highlight of this book for me was Ryder with his lumberjack good looks to his fierce determination to live his life on his terms and at his pace. Ryder is the polar opposite of Willa and that is exactly what she needs in her life, a perfect balance. Though some of the topics and themes in this book are somewhat heavy, there are moments of levity that break up the sadness. This is a rather good book and I am glad to say I not only stumbled upon it, but see that it is just the first in a series.

This book is perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover. I honestly felt like this combined two of my favourite books of hers - Maybe Someday and Slammed.

Willa is hard-headed but not without reason. Life not giving her much of a break made it easy for her to harden her heart and hold people at a distance. Ryder's life has also not been easy and the two of them are just a mess to start. After their prof meddles a little, the two are paired together for a final assignment and must face the music they've been forcing themselves not to hear.

Only When It's Us packs a punch in its pages. Chapter after chapter you laughed and cried and felt everything Willa and Ryder felt and everything they were trying not to feel. Chloe Liese is a new author for me but one I will definitely be revisiting if this is what it will get me.

As I said, absolutely loved this stunning book. One of my favourite reads for sure.

Thank you NetGalley Connect for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book came just at the right time for me. I have always been a fan of an enemies to lovers trope and this did not disappoint. While it’s clear that there is tension between the two main characters, Ryder and Willa, from the beginning of the story, we quickly learn that they each have more than enough difficulty in their lives as individuals. Readers will quickly been rooting for this couple that we realize is perfect much earlier than they do but we’re also rooting for and concerned about them as they face their various trials in their personal lives. This was a start and finish in one sitting read for me. So grateful to have been able to spend time with these characters.

Y'all, I didn't even know how much I wanted this book until I saw the synopsis - soccer romance? frenemies to lovers? angsty slow burn? I MEAN?⁣
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Furthermore, I didn't know how much I NEEDED this book until I started reading - It. Was. Perfect. In. Every. Way.
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I loved both Willa & Ryder so much and the pranks and push/pull and snark was pitch perfect in every way. The development of their friendship / romance is really organic and so stupid fun.⁣
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Also, one thing I really like about the two of Chloe's books that I've read? She always finds a way to throw some hard hitting REAL topics in there, but they never come off contrived or Over The Top. I love the topics discussed in this particular book, and not only did they seem well written, I had a lot of takeaways from them in how I can be a better person when things of this nature come up in my own life.
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Last but not least...it was so great to read about soccer, I can't even tell you! It's clear that Chloe knows what she's talking about and I could feel her love for the game shine through the pages - and as I REALLY miss the game myself, it was just so awesome.
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Definitely, definitely, DEFINITELY pick this one up if you're a fan of frenemies to lovers, slow burn angst, & happy ever afters! (Also, EEK, cannot wait for the second of the Bergman Brothers series!)⁣
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Thank you to NetGalley & Chloe Liese (the author!) for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.

This book was such a treat! I really loved the plot and pacing. It had so many really great beats as Willa and Ryder were getting to know each other and developing as characters. They had such a good dynamic and amazing chemistry. I loved their frenemies to lovers progression. It was a really good slow burn, and by the ending it felt like the relationship was really earned. There were a lot of really cute moments that had me smiling so hard and really rooting for them.

Not everything is perfect for this couple though! There is so much depth to this story and the characters are much more complex than they first seem. We dive into some heavier topics like disabilities, heartbreak, and the death of a loved one.

My main gripe with this novel was just the writing. It got to be a bit repetitive towards the end, and there were some parts of the dialogue that felt a little too on the nose. There were also some really long pieces of monologue that felt forced and took me out of the story.

Ultimately though, I can't deny how much I enjoyed myself while reading this novel. It had a great mix of sweet and sexy, and I can’t wait to read more books about the Bergman Brothers!

I usually enjoy enemies to lovers type storylines. I don’t care that they are predictable, most romance books are a bit on the predictable side, but I like the journey.

Unfortunately, I just couldn’t engage with this book. I tried, but something was missing for me.

I don’t like to leave negative reviews, I always consider the time and effort spent by the author, so I’m relieved to see that it has received lots of good reviews.

Thank you NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book 📚

I’m still reeling from finishing this book the other day. Trying to find the words to tell you how much I loved it and also how it was exactly what I needed to read right now. Prepare yourself for all the gushing and probably (mostly) rambling 💕. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Willa is an incredible soccer player with a rather short fuse. Ryder is a broody, flannel wearing lumberjack. They meet in business class when they are thrown together to work on a semester long project. The two of them bicker from the very beginning. Ryder has significant hearing loss from meningitis and he hasn’t actually spoken in a few years. That doesn’t stop him from getting under Willas skin constantly. There are so many things that I loved about this book and their constant needling is one of them. Willa is a strong female and I loved reading about her badassery in soccer. I also learned a lot more about hearing loss and cochlear implants. (I took sign language in high school and use it still today occasionally so it’s of particular interest to me.)This one is a slow burn for sure but it’s so worth it. Under that grumpy exterior, Ryder is the sweetest guy and so unbelievably patient and unwavering in his feelings for Willa. They work through some pretty heavy stuff in their journey from frenemies to lovers. It made me laugh out loud and I cried at the end. I could go on and on but basically this is 5 out of 5 🌟 and I wjill be recommending it to everyone ❤️