“The truth is, we both learned a lesson that day: Aiden can only push so far. Freya can only take so much. Before something breaks. Badly.”

What You’ll Find:
✔️Second Chance Romance
✔️Marriage in Trouble
✔️Slow Burn Steam
✔️Anxiety Representation
✔️Dual POV

You know what I love about the Bergman Brothers series? The stories feel real and so relatable. And Ever After Always, a sister edition, was no exception.

I have loved Aiden from day one. And if you’ve read the other books in this series you’ll know he’s a romantic at heart. You’ll also know there was some tension in his marriage with Freya. Well, deciding to try for a baby has put Aiden’s anxiety in overdrive. He’s thrown himself into work, leaving Freya to feel alone, and neither of them seem to be able to communicate effectively. Now they have a getaway vacation to fake through with Freya’s whole family. And they wonder if they will even have a marriage once leaving paradise.

This story has SO MUCH packed into it. Some fantastic emotion. You’ll feel such empathy, at the same time frustration. Freya and Aiden are such opposites, but are they really? While this story was often serious, and sometimes sad, it was also heartwarming and humorous. Those Bergman brothers will have you laughing out loud. Not to mention that parrot. I’m chuckling right now thinking of it.

This story is a slow burn, but has some serious steamy chemistry. Aiden loves Freya so much. And even if he doesn’t always show it well, you felt it coming in waves off the pages. The amount of love you felt in this book period from this whole Bergman clan was just so heartwarming. I truly can’t wait to see where the author takes us next with this family!

This is book 3 in the Bergman Series and could be read on its own, but you will get a better reading experience in my opinion if you read the first two!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for this advanced copy for my completely honest review.

Ever After Always is engaging, heartfelt, and emotional. There are some tough topics addressed in this marriage in trouble story, some that really hit home for me personally. Although serious at times, we still get a lot of laughs and swoons from these characters, and the family dynamic is excellent. This is the first book I have read by this author, and I will read more.

My favorite book in the series so far. I use to hate the marriage in crisis trope, because I found couples love stories boring once they get together. Somehow they lose their appeal, but in the last year I've been reading more books with established couples trying to fix their marriage and I've come to crave the angst that comes with it. Freya and Aiden's story is no different. It was heartbreaking to see two people still so much in love with each other but totally failing to communicate with each other due to their own fears and insecurities.

I adore the Bergman family, but sometimes in this book I was also really annoyed with them, because every time Freya and Aiden made a step forward in fixing their relationship, something happened or one of the other Bergmann interrupted them when they had an intimate moment and I could have screamed of frustration!! It was one step forward, three steps back and urg it made me crazy. For the most part, I still loved the family dynamics between the Bergmann family and I want them to adopt me. <3

Can't wait to read Axel and Rooney's book!!

Ever After Always was an enjoyable second chance romance. I thought Aiden and Freya were very well-written; both as individuals and as a couple. Lack of communication can sometimes feel frustrating, but it felt very understandable when both Freya and Aiden showed the reasons they retreated from one another. If one felt like something might hurt the other, they kept things to themselves. Unfortunately, there's only so many times you can do that before it turns into keeping everything important from each other.

After they unofficially made the decision to try to fix things, I really liked seeing them slowly unravel the harmful habits they got accustomed to in their marriage. Not only did they remember the reasons they fell in love in the first place, but they learned new things about one another and grew to love that as well.

The tropical family-filled setting was also entertaining. Freya's brothers brought some great comedic relief while at the same time showing how much they wanted to help save the marriage. They were a good balance of annoying and endearing lol.
I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!

This book is not a smooth ride, to be completely honest. I’m going to start out with saying - I loved the book. It packs a real emotional punch and the portrayal of Aiden’s anxiety is gorgeous and raw. The marriage in crisis felt real and relatable. I was a bit worried, reading about a marriage in trouble, because these kinds of stories generally don’t call out to me. Except this is Chloe Liese and she makes it work so freaking well. Add the Bergman family to the mix and we got a fun, open and inclusive book with looooots of feels.

And because we’re being honest here, I have to say I actually put the book down for a few days there in the middle. I was so frustrated with all of them for laying all the blame on Aiden and so worried Freya wouldn’t have to confront her own issues and part in their marriage. Freya seemed to think she had not fault in the marriage crisis, that she'd been so clear with Aiden that she was hurting and got more and more upset the less he noticed it. But, thankfully, I picked the book up because of my faith for the author and I’m so glad I did! Not only is there communication, there’s also understanding, reevaluating and realising a marriage can’t be the same thing for 10 years. So, if you’re reading this book and get as frustrated as I did with their behaviors, be patient! It’s necessary for the story and you will get your reward.

Other things I loved - the sex scenes. Yep, because they've been together for 12 years and it shows in the intimate details. The insecurities - because things change and people change and then you realise you've been keeping yourself back as to not hurt or inconvenience your partner. The body positivity - Freya is a curvy, sexy goddess in a red bikini. Sexual frustration/difficulties - yes! Of course anxiety/stress/life can affect your sexual performance and I'm so glad how this is handled here.

There's lots to say about this book - book club material? - but I'll leave it at this: This is a lovely book, which I recommend to be read under a blanket and tissues if you're one of those *wink*.

/ Denise

Firstly I would like to say that i like chloe liese’s writing, book 1 and 2 really got me hooked and this one at the beginning did that too but unfortunately the marriage crisis trope wasn’t like I was expecting and although they were great support characters on the other books when it was their turn I couldn't love them as much as I love the others.

Despite that, I liked the moments of reconciliation on the trip that was very cute and I love the family’s moments that are always funny, and for me the best part of the book and obviously, the confirmation that axelrooney is coming.

I’m going to be real honest and admit the marriage-in-crisis trope is one of my least favorites. The anguish, the heartache, the emotional regurgitation of interpersonal foibles which culminated in the crisis is TOO MUCH. I’m usually after that sweet sweet falling sensation of a blooming romance between two characters.
That said Chloe Liese impressed in the first two books of this series, I couldn’t not read this one.
Ever After Always picks up with Freya after she’s kicked Aiden out of the house. For months she’s felt him pull away when they’re supposed to be transitioning to becoming parents. This book follows their journey back to each other through counseling, family vacations, wise talks with parents, and meddlesome brothers. Plus our favorites from the previous two books make appearances (shout out to Frankie!!).
This story is more than worth the read. It’s even worth a third or fourth read honestly. Liese drops some truth bombs. I could not put it down for a second it was so good.
Once again Liese writes characters who feel recognizable, who walk around with problems and hurts like us real humans out here AND she sheds light on healthy ways to respond. Aiden struggles with his mental health and post-poverty trauma (which research has shown literally alters the brain) while Freya moves through the loss of trust in their marriage.
"This is what’s so hard to articulate to people who haven’t grown up like me. When things get difficult, I rely on myself. Because when life’s taught you that you’re the one person you can count on to survive, the thought of exposing yourself to other people when you’re at your most vulnerable feels … nearly impossible.”
At its core Ever After Always hits us with the truth about relationships; at some point you will hurt your loved one. It can happen by accident or come from the best intentions but the nature of humans is to err and someone is left with the emotional fallout.

“People whose love lasts, whose love grows and endures, choose each other in the unhappily ever after, the dark moments, not just the dazzlingly ones. We can’t possibly hope to always live ’happily’. But ‘ever after’? That we can hope for and choose.”
The key, the goal, the constant hill to climb is loving forgiveness. And after many tears (their’s and your’s) Aiden and Freya just might find it.

The Bergman family is back and this time we get the oldest sister- Freya! WOW--What a powerful 5 star book! Uftda this is one hard review to write. This book was just a tear jerker for me so much. I saw myself in Aiden so much but also Freya. During grad school after hitting rock bottom I started therapy and was diagnosed with GAD and realized just how much I didn't understand most people don't have panic attacks or overanalyze simple things in daily life. Aiden's fear of failure is so real and can't communication even with his wife over his fears from his anxiety. I didn't have the hard childhood background but just saw the GAD parts so real and anxiety is not the same for everyone and on a spectrum but Chloe- thank you so much for writing this! And in Freya we also get body positivity and a red bikini!

Chloe is the queen of writing the hard parts of life and she rocks it with this one! I'm single so I can't say much about the marriage part but it felt so real, human, messy and full of also family drama. But the chemistry is still so there even after ten years of marriage. drama. There is therapy - and super raw steam and relearning communication.

Like all these books we get the amazing Bergman family and in this one its important side characters - even if you want to punch the man twins. I can't wait for each of them to get their HEA! Also, we get more of Freya's parents and get more of them! Can't wait for the next one to get Axel and Rooney's story and more of the brothers.

5 star
4 steam

Thanks so much to the author for this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ever After Always
Book 3 in the Bergman Brothers Series
Rating: 3 stars
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.

***Spoilers Ahead***

Ever After Always tells the story of Freya and Aiden who have been married for some years but their relationship has hit a stagnant point. This follows the second chance at romance (for them marriage) trope. We get a brief look into their marriage in the second book of the series, it is in this one were we learn what each are feeling and going through in their marriage.
This book was not really a very happy book to read. They mostly spend the book upset or frustrated with each other. We see also see Aiden try to deal with his anxiety. The author did a good job in talking about how he deals with his and how even as an adult he is still finding the way to make it better.
What really broke my heart was that as a reader you know that they really love each other, but their relationship is in trouble. It is not until they finally admit to getting help and talking about what's going on between them that it began to get a little better.
Her family though trying to be helpful, I sometimes felt that they took it a little too far and made Aiden a little uncomfortable.
One thing that I did not agree on was that Aiden was the one who mostly carried the blame for what was going on in their marriage. I believe Freya needed to be held accountable for it too.

This is an emotional story of a marriage in crisis and the work put into it to make the marriage last. It was refreshing to read a romance where the couple had already fallen in love.

Chloe returns with the 3rd in the Bergman Brothers series with big sister Freya and her husband Aiden. This series just keeps getting better and better with each book. There is a playlist included to set the mood for each chapter and a sensitivity note at the beginning which is much appreciated.

Ever After Always is not a light and fluffy romance. It was deep and powerful and rewarding. More than once my heart raced from Aiden’s anxiety and constant worrying. I cried for Aiden. I cried for Freya. I cried for them both. So many tears. I wanted to yell at them both for not talking to each other. I laughed from the brothers’ hijinks and meddling because they provided the necessary comedic relief while a certain parrot resulted in soda coming out my nose from snort laughing.

This was such a real and tender look at what a marriage can be like after the exchange of “I do”. Marriage is HARD. Days later I still feel emotionally raw from this beautiful book.

I think I can speak for most when romance feels like a safe space in the sense of never tempering the expectations of a promised happy ending. When the yearning and angst blossoms into a tale that doesn’t necessitate the harbingers of ill fates and unrequited love.

So much is misaligned with our world already that sometimes conclusions that are neatly tied in a bow always feels rewarding and non extraneous in robbing the best part of our selves to feel contentment in the joy it offers.

But Ever After Always does that and more, it realistically deals with the post marriage ordeals of compromising, communicating and reassessing the intimacies of an evolving language. It bears the trials of working as a team and speaking the challenges of love as a continuous battle to sink our teeth into.

I love Aiden and Freya, their juxtaposing personalities that blends in the most complimentary of ways, and the second chance renewal of their spirits to fight for their marriage and more.

Chloe Liese does it time and time again, her writing is lush and highlight worthy, and always an eager lookout for anything written by her.

CW: generalized anxiety disorder, childhood poverty, parental alcoholism & abandonment

Chloe’s writing is beautiful and emotional and her stories will make you laugh out loud one minute and squeeze your heart the next. Freya and Aiden’s marriage-in-crisis story had my HEART.

I think marriage-in-crisis can be very difficult to do well, but Chloe nailed it. Written in dual POV with deep character development, I felt for both Aiden and Freya and could see parts of myself in both of them. It wasn’t all big emotions though; there are plenty of laugh out loud moments with the Bergman Brothers. I love getting to see more of the family with each book!

Chloe’s stories are more than your average romance. She writes love stories about underrepresented experiences and I’m thankful that this one hit me the way it did.

Chloe sure does know how to write unputdownable books! I loved this marriage-in-crisis story about Freya & Aiden. Full of heart and steam and real issues couples may face. I especially appreciated the care Chloe took with Aiden’s anxiety. As someone with generalized anxiety disorder, I could definitely relate. Ever After Always can be read as a stand-alone but I have loved every story in the Bergman brothers series so I recommend starting at the beginning. Make sure you read the Acknowledgments at the end. Can’t wait for Axel’s story. 😍

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Second chance romance is one of my favorite tropes when done well, and second chance within a marriage always catches my eye. There's so much more that happens after the HEA, and Chloe Liese absolutely nailed that with this story.

I was instantly charmed by Aiden and Freya in the first Bergman Brothers book, and was shocked to see they'd get their own book. What happened to that happy couple?

This book starts six months into their marriage troubles and Freya has hit her breaking point. Something needs to change because she just can't continue to live like this. Meanwhile, Aiden's been trying to cope with his anxiety without burdening Freya, but his silence is part of what's driving her away. A family trip celebrating Freya's parents couldn't have come at a worse time, but this time together may be just what Aiden and Freya need to get their marriage back on track.

This book was honest, emotional, and so real. You can tell that Chloe Liese poured her heart into this story, and it shines on every page. Though it had me in tears too many times to count, there were still plenty of moments that had me smiling, especially where Freya's brothers were involved. I loved how despite their current struggles, you knew that Freya and Aiden still loved each other. Yet after nearly 10 years of marriage, they needed to work on their relationship now more than ever. Neither of them were perfect and they definitely made mistakes along the way. But they fought for each other and that just made the ever after always that much sweeter.

You absolutely need to add this book to your TBR!

Thank you Chloe Liese for allowing me to read your beautiful story early!

DNF 15%

When I signed up to read an advanced copy of this book I did not realize this was the 3rd book in a series. The storyline seemed promising so I was interested. Once I received the book though I realized my mistake. I tried anyway. But there were too many characters and it was obvious that I was suppose to have some sort of connection to these characters that I didn't have. I tried a second time but it only got worse.

I'm not going to rate it on Goodreads but I'm forced to rate it on Netgalley. It very well may be a great book. But I need to start at the beginning and read the first 2 books in order before I crack open this one.

***Advanced copy obtained by Victory Editing Netgalley Co-op***

Ever After Always is the third book in the Bergman Brothers series. This book however focuses on older sister Freya. Freya and her husband Aiden have been together for a decade but are experiencing some difficult times. The book is a well told and honest story of the troubles people face after years of marriage. In this case Aiden battles anxiety as well as internal pressures caused from having grown up poor. Freya is frustrated and lonely as she feels Aiden getting more and more distant.

What I loved about this story was that it centers around two people who love each other deeply and want to put in the work it takes to make their marriage survive. The story thoughtfully addresses Aiden's battle with anxiety and how that affects their relationship. I also loved the book's emphasis on counseling and getting the two to communicate.

The book definitely has a Bromance Book Club feel as the Bergman brothers try their hardest to help the couple along. I just love the Bergman family and friends. Oh and a good part of the book takes place in Hawaii so for anyone wanting to venture into a tropical paradise, here you go.

On the steam rating I'd rank this about a medium. Definitely not closed door but easy enough to skip if that isn't your thing.

While part of a series I really do think any of these books stand alone, although they are all excellent so if you haven't read them I recommend starting at book one and binging!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review

TW: anxiety

Ever After Always was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and it exceeded my expectations.

This is a story about second chances, forgiveness, and growth. This story follows Aiden and Freya, who have been together for over a decade and they’re having issues in their relationship. Aiden has drifted away from Freya and she is at her wit’s end. Freya makes a decision that changes their relationship and is a wake up call for Aiden. They have to fight to save their marriage and find their way back to each other.

This is my first five star read of the year and it’s hard to put into words how much I love this book. I recommend taking your time with this book and truly appreciate this story. A lot of times, we rush to finish a book and we miss the important parts. You don’t want to miss anything because everything in this story is important. I learned so many life lessons that I will apply to my relationships in the future.

Freya and Aiden are the most relatable characters I’ve read about in a very long time. Freya is so full of life, she loves her family and the people in her life ferociously. She loves her job and is a person who feels all her feelings. Aiden is a hard working man, kind hearted, and his love for his wife is unwavering. Aiden struggles with anxiety and I loved how open and honest he is about his struggles. He goes through so much pain and anguish in this story , but the character development is phenomenal. Freya and Aiden, have changed as everyone does in life and in relationships. They have to learn to grow together and appreciate the past but embrace the change in their future.

I became lost in Chloe Liese writing, as she took me on an heartbreaking, yet beautiful journey. I love how Chloe Liese writes about characters going through painful times in their lives, while infusing humor and lighthearted moments throughout the story.

This is such a special story that I highly recommend everyone read. There’s so much to love as the characters are relatable, the writing is captivating, and the story is inspirational.

“It’s a choice, a belief. I choose you, my ever after, believing our love will sustain us, always. Ever after always."

Liese seems to be able to break my heart with each book and this one is no exception. I love seeing Freya and Aiden's relationship because in previous books it seems like everything is fin but what we see on the surface is often misleading. I 100% recommend this book to anyone who loved the previous books

Chloe Liese does it again! I'm not always the biggest fan of marriage-in-crisis romance novels, but this one was amazing. Freya and Aiden are the sweetest couple, but their problems and their pain are so real and relatable, and you are rooting for them the whole way through. Also, the Bergman family shenanigans are present throughout and are, as always, some of the most fun of the book. Highly highly recommend this book!

This is the third book in the series and I can confidently say I love Chloe Liese's writing. It has humor, angst and so many beautiful moments. I still cringe a little when I read about guys commenting on toxic masculinity, but that is totally on me!
Characters 9
Atmosphere 9
Writing style 9
Plot 9
Intrigue 9
Logic 9
Enjoyment 10