Let me preface this by saying that I did not read the first two books of this series but I will definitely go back and read them now! Thankfully, I received this as an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley. First, an author that has a playlist to go with each chapter shows such creativity and inspiration. Second, an author that prefaces her story with a warning for potential triggers for her audience immediately endears me to them.

In Ever After Always by Chloe Liese, Freya and Aiden are a married couple that are hitting a rough patch in their marriage. With trying for a baby, Aiden feels they need to be financially secure and the result is more work to ensure that. In turn this causes issues within their relationship that takes them to the brink. What I appreciate about this book is all the true emotions and feelings throughout the story. As parents, who doesn’t feel this way when trying for a family? As a couple, who doesn’t experience issues like these that cause you to work through tough spots. I love that the author has this couple fight for each other and go through the motions of working on a relationship as opposed to the easily available divorce option of our current time. I can see how some people may feel this book took time to develop but that’s what I enjoyed about this book. Chloe didn’t skip or rush through any scenes and made sure the reader was able to develop those thoughts and feelings while reading. I really can’t say enough about this book!

I found this series by happenstance with the previous title and enjoyed it so much I knew I'd read the next one. Now after reading two books I can say I love this family and the author's writing. She has a great ability to make her characters complete flawed, yet hopefully people trying to find happiness together. Similar to the Bridgerton books currently on everyone's mind, this contemporary series follows a big family with seven kids as they each find, or in this case, reconnect with true love. In this book our main characters have been married nearly 10 years but are struggling with communication, anxiety, and doubts that have created a wedge between them. While this book wasn't always fun to read, the important tough conversations our characters had on their way to healing felt authentic and raw. I did enjoy watching them learn honesty and vulnerability with each other through marriage counseling and support from their extended family. This book dealt with a lot of tough topics (see trigger warnings at the beginning of the book) it was also witty, funny, and still had plenty of swoony moments. I look forward to going back and reading the first book in the series that I missed and then seeing what comes next for this family.

This series is one of my favourite romance series, hands down. I absolutely love all the Bergmans and all their romances. Chloe Liese writes characters that are so realistic and loveable that you just can’t get enough. Aiden and Freya’s story comes in in the middle of their romances but is just as intriguing as the first two stories in this series.

Second chance & marriage in crisis romances usually are not my favorite, but leave it to Chloe Liese to prove me wrong.

Ever After Always follows the eldest of the Bergman sisters, Freya, and her husband of (nearly) 10 years, Aiden, as they go through a rough patch after making the decision to start a family. Freya can sense that Aiden is closed off and hiding something from her and she is over it. The story of them coming back together is so realistic and vulnerable, I could not help but fly through this.

I absolutely loved this. Chloe has such a brilliant way of writing characters that you cannot help but fall for them and want to protect them forever.

I have never related more to a book character about my anxiety than I have with Aiden. Internalizing your fears to protect the ones you love is something that I deeply connect with on a personal level. I would seriously love to thank Chloe for creating characters that are relatable and showing that everyone deserves a love story.

I really enjoyed this read! Not knowing how to feel about it going into it, I was glad of the outcome. Aiden and Freya have been featured in past books and coming up to their 10 year marriage anniversary, things are tense between the couple.

A romance novel based on a married couple is rare, and for myself, it’s not one I gravitate towards, but this book had so many twists and peaks I could not put down this book once I started.

The relationship felt real and the couple had to put work into their relationship to build it back up again to how it once was. We got glimpses into their past and a family with so much love who take upon meddling into their own hands to help Aiden and Freya.

Reading Aiden and Freya’s story was so raw with emotions, you can’t help but feel for them. They struggle with the stresses of life and with their own inner struggles, and how they learn to rely on one another, reading this was so good.

Loved seeing all the characters, the whole Bergman family, and I cannot wait for the series to continue!

I laughed and I cried at the awesomeness of this book. The Bergman family is my favorite. The love and respect they have for each other is beautiful and then the pranks and jokes make you fall completely in love with them.

Aiden and Freya ripped my heart out and then put it back together again. The pain they both felt in trying to protect the other hurt. The anger and fear they had to get through to come together made me that much happier when they started to try to make things work and found that level of love and intimacy again.

Chloe Liese is an amazing author, each book in this series becomes my favorite.

Freya and Aidan have been married for a decade, but recently Freya has felt Aidan pulling away. Tired of going through the motions, Freya packs Aidan's bags and asks for some space.

I really felt for these characters and their emotional pain that they both are keeping close to the vest. The communication breakdown in the marriage is the hurdle that both Aidan and Freya must learn to overcome.

Aidan suggests marriage counseling after not being able to open up to Freya about his out of control anxiety. Chloe Liese beautifully illustrates Aidan's struggles and how anxiety is a constant battle that can become unmanageable even after taking the necessary steps to cope on a daily basis. My heart broke for Aidan trying to juggle so many things while fighting his worry over the future because of his past.

Freya is hurt that Aidan has become so closed off. She doesn't know the reason for his sudden need to work all the time and why their intimacy has come to an abrupt halt. In order to protect herself from further emotional harm, she tells Aidan that enough is enough and she's not willing to live this way.

I understood her frustration with Aidan and how closed off he became, but I wanted her to extend a little olive branch once she understood the reason behind Aidan's odd behavior. Headstrong heroines are Chloe Liese's go-to types of characters, but I needed to feel like Freya was willing to make the marriage work while still letting Aidan know that it wasn't an instant fix, and one session of counseling does not a healthy marriage make.

During a family vacation, the Bergmans are aware of the strain of Aidan and Freya's marriage and want to help. There were some beautiful moments of advice from Freya's parents and an insightful observation from Freya's younger sister, but the overall family interference was a little too much.

I wanted to see how Aidan and Freya would move forward, but the family felt like they needed to arrange things for them to speed things up. I would have loved to see less of Freya and Aidan talking to each Bergman individually, and more of Aidan and Freya slowly rebuilding the trust and openness in their marriage. Alone (with counseling of course). I had a similar problem with one of my favorite families in romance (The Winstons) being a little too heavy-handed with matchmaking that retracted from the actual chemistry of the couple.

Overall I really enjoyed the way that CL handled Aidan's backstory and the realistic way that marriage was portrayed - not sunshine and roses all of the time. I'm excited for the next couple which was teased at the end.

I was SO excited to read Ever After Always as the second book in the Bergman Brothers series, Always Only You was one of my favourite romance reads of 2020. This one focuses on Freya (a Bergman sister) and her husband, Aiden. Approaching their 10-year wedding anniversary, this is a marriage-in-crisis romance, featuring a Hawaii vacation, family hijinks and a steamy slow burn.

Liese is an expert at writing about complex, flawed characters that you will immediately fall in love with and cheer for as they find their way to their ever after (always 😉). I also adore her writing style - it's raw, it's witty, it's descriptive... it's perfection. In this book, I particularly loved the honest dialogue surrounding counselling and anxiety, as well as the Bergman family appearances. Seriously, couple and family goals right there. I also have to give a final shout-out to the accompanying Spotify playlist.

If you're looking for a romance novel with incredible character depth, honest conversations and a side of steam, I highly recommend Ever After Always (and this series in general, let's be real). As you can imagine, I can't wait for book four.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Chloe Liese for the ARC - all opinions are my own.

Loved this!
I really enjoyed the first 2 books in the Bergman Brothers Series. This series really is about the whole family
In book 3, Ever After Always, the heroine, Freya is one of two sisters in the family. She's the eldest sibling.
She's been married to Aiden for 10 years.
Aiden is a college professor- who was also in book 1. He has a very different role in this book.. Their marriage is in trouble. Aiden is desperate to save their marriage.
Freya is about to leave Aiden and file for divorce.
Aiden is devastated. He and Freya go to marriage counseling. The counseling sessions dealt with big issues, but it was funny and cute at times. I loved the marriage counselor. I felt bad for Aiden. He's not a bad guy. He did feel like he was failing- big time. Aiden also has an ongoing issue dealing with a dad who abandoned his family. There are other issues that Aiden needs to work through.
Aiden comes off very lovable and I really saw how hard he was trying. I wanted Freya to be patient and not condemn Aiden so easily. There are circumstances that I could sympathize with.
They held back a lot from each other. This seemed very natural. Aiden had been dealing with a lot without confiding in Freya..
Freya's brothers try to get in Aiden's face. They really like Aiden, and want him and Freya to be happy.
I should also mention Freya's parents: Drs Bergman. They are so special-I want them to adopt me.
They can take one more can't they?
I grabbed the ARC copy from Netgalley, but I want to get the audio when this comes out.
I love this trope and want this couple to make it.
5 ever after stars

Every year, I discover new-to-me authors that I can add to my favorite authors list. While I discovered plenty of wonderful storytellers in 2020, it's Chloe Liese who is the most memorable for me. With just two books, she's managed to turn me into a fan who will read anything and everything she pens. As a fan of the Bergman Brothers series, I was obviously anticipating Ever After Always as I do every installment of the series. However, the promise of a marriage-in-crisis love story meant that my expectations were sky-high. I had complete faith in the author and she delivered with an emotional and beautifully-written story that I will be recommending for the rest of eternity.

I think the reason that I am so drawn to marriage-in-crisis as a trope is because it's an excellent way to get a good dose of realistic angst from a romance novel. Chloe Liese writes the trope with a lot of layers and nuance. She tugs at your heartstrings with her words but also manages to present the story without veering into manufactured drama. At the heart of Ever After Always are Freya, a Bergman sister, and her husband Aiden. These two loved each other deeply but issues had emerged in their relationship creating a mile-wide rift between them. In an attempt to protect each other, they've inadvertently hurt each other. Both Freya and Aiden are hurting and they know that they have to work on their marriage to save it. Most of their troubles were rooted in their inability to openly express themselves while trying to have a baby. Aiden's anxiety, aggravated by growing up in poverty, plays a significant role in Ever After Always. He has a stable job and as does Freya, but he knows that a new family member means another mouth to feed. Given his upbringing, his concerns made sense for the character. I thought the author wrote his anxiety truthfully and thoughtfully. You feel so much for Aiden and his sadness, but you also feel immense pride in him as he begins to take the first steps to work on his marriage.

Enter marriage counseling. I think this is the first relationship-in-trouble book I have personally read that shows the potential importance that counseling can play. Aiden and Freya knew that communication was something they struggled with and their decision to seek professional help was refreshing. It doesn't magically solve all their problems, but it provides them with the necessary tools they need. I was glad that Freya to was open to Aiden's idea. I think it also gave her room to think about how she could have made things better in their relationship too. Neither of these two characters is perfect, but what they are is real and endearing. They just want to be better for each other and damn it if I wasn't all about that. It just makes their journey towards fixing their marriage one that is wholeheartedly satisfying.

As always, I also loved the role that the Bergman family plays. They've fully embraced Aiden as one of their own and don't hesitate to tease him, but also teach him how to grovel for Freya's affections. We see them a lot in this book because they are all on a vacation celebrating their parents' anniversary. I loved all their scenes (I mean I loved ALL the scenes in this book), and especially loved the insight into the next couple - I can't wait!

I aggressively loved Ever After Always and it's probably ruined me for relationship-in-trouble books. I'm not quite sure how Chloe Liese keeps doing it, but every book of hers I read seems to be better than the previous one. Now, can I just have the next book already???

4.5 stars! This is definitely my favorite of the series. I love my romances with back stories and this did not disappoint. I could see myself in both Aiden and Freya, and as someone with anxiety seeing that represented here was so validating. I was rooting for them to work out their troubles and to communicate, and it wasn’t too easy on them like it sometimes feels in marriage on the rocks romances. Can’t wait to see Rooney’s story next!

*3.5 stars
Most of the reasons I didn't like this book are completely personal preference. I knew going in that the premise of this book isn't something I would typically pick up, but because I love the other Bergman books, I wanted to give this a go. Maybe because the tropes in this book aren't my cup of tea, I wasn't ever really invested in Freya and Aiden's relationship. The characters are well developed and compelling on their own and they certainly have chemistry, but I never really cared about their relationship. Because I was already distanced from the story, I was completely turned off when <spoiler>Aiden blew up at Freya.<spoiler> I understand why it happened and it made sense narratively, but that is something I am very sensitive too and I checked out after that. However, the only real critique I can give this book is that the ending conflict was resolved way too quickly. I think this book will work really well for it's audience, but it's just not for me.
Looking forward to the next book in the series, though!

[Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advanced reading copy, scheduled for release on 01/12/2021].

The third novel in the Bergman Brothers series, "Ever After Always" is a romance about what happens after 'I do.' Together for a dozen years, married for nearly ten, Freya and Aiden always thought that a happily ever after was nothing less than guarantee for them, not something they had to worry themselves about. Somewhere along the way, they went from #couplegoals to #marriagecounseling. With a distance between them as wide as the Grand Canyon, is there any way they could find themselves back to their former love?

I am all in on marriage-in-crisis tropes but this was not my favorite in the series. There was a potential discrepancy early in the novel and for a few chapters, it was all I could think about it. I thought there was a lag in the middle chapters, and I found myself skimming some of it. That said, the author does a wonderful job of tackling real-life issues that both characters struggled with (anxiety! body issues! therapy!) and delving into the minutia of re-building a marriage. The vulnerability was wonderful.

I still enjoyed this one and look forward to reading more in the series.

When I started reading Only When It's Us (Bergman Brothers #1), I didn't expect to finish all three of the books in the series in the following two weeks. But that's what happened! Ever After Always was my favorite of the three without question. Liese is very good at the typical rom com, but I loved her slight departure here for the "what happens after" story. Freya and Aiden have been married for almost 10 years, but in recent months have drifted apart for many reasons and have stopped placing priority on each other and their relationship. I loved seeing them work through their problems with each other while simultaneously discovering more about themselves. I also loved seeing this wonderful family meddle incessantly in the lives of two people they care so much about. I think the story of a marriage in crisis is harder to tell than the story of two people just starting out - there is so much backstory and deeper feelings involved. Liese did a wonderful job.

Thank you to Netgalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I devoured this book in just a few hours, completely swept up in Freya and Aiden's story! This is a romance with a twist: we meet Freya and Aiden not as their romance is beginning, but at a time in their lives when it is on the brink of ending, which to me made it so much more meaningful! Watching them in pain, trying desperately to win back the love they felt for each other, by opening themselves up to truth and honesty and openness and vulnerability took my breath away!! What a fantastic couple they are, and what a passionate and deeply emotional book this is! I haven't read the first two books in this series, but enjoyed this book wholeheartedly without knowing the entire back story. However I now want to go back and read the first two books, and can't wait to read more of these fantastic stories to follow!

I was a little nervous, to be honest, about reading a story about a couple trying to fix their marriage. - sometimes those stories hit nerves and are really hard to read. So much of romance is focused on the newest part of romance. Meeting and finding the one - they fade out long before the couple faces money trouble or post-partum depression or personal loss. This book takes a deep dive into what happens after that "honeymoon" period is over. Freya and Aiden have been happily married for 10 years - they decided to become parents and that triggered Aiden in a very big way. He has generalized anxiety disorder and a very strong drive to be financially secure after a childhood spent in poverty. So Aiden has dived deeply into work and launching a new app - while trying to shield Freya from his massive anxiety. Freya feels abandoned by Aiden and worries that he is being unfaithful. And neither of them communicates well about what is going on. So when Freya asks Aiden to leave - he feels blindsided and she feels betrayed at his shock.

Chloe Liese handles their relationship in such a beautiful way. She doesn't shy away from showing how freaking hard things are or how much work they have to put in to sharing with each other and being vulnerable. Even after 10 years. At one point Freya tells their counselor that she thought intimacy was just a natural part of their relationship - not something that needed work - and the counselor laughs and talks them through it. You hear it said that sometimes love isn't enough - and stories like this show that it totally isn't. Because Freya and Aiden clearly love each other very deeply - but even with all that love - still can't be totally vulnerable with each other.

The book also does a great job of showing how this is not a one-sided thing. Aiden has pulled away and been very self-focused, but Freya hasn't done a great job of sharing herself with Aiden either. She didn't tell him about a promotion at work - Aiden found out by seeing that her paycheck was bigger than usual. She also immediately jumps to thinking there is no way to fix things and that counseling won't help - before she even talks to Aiden about what is wrong. She also keeps picking at Aiden and lashing out - when she keeps on about how much he is working in a kind of mean way - I just wanted her to stop and lay off. Aiden definitely struggles with his own vulnerabilities and pride - not being a breadwinner for his family, his anxiety consuming his every thought, and sexual dysfunction issues. He is also slow on the uptake about taking his own advice about business and accepting that Freya's family loves him.

Overall - even though I was nervous about this one - I really can't recommend it enough. I just adore everything Chloe Liese writes and the Bergman family is so special. This is an emotionally charged love story that you shouldn't miss. If for nothing else - for gems like this:

"I'm saying 'happily ever after' doesn't exist. Not because lifelong love is impossible, but because, as we've learned, no couple can live 'happily ever after.' People whose love lasts, whose love grows and endures, choose each other in unhappily ever after, the dark moments, not just the dazzling ones."

I was extremely luck to receive this as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own. I can't wait for Axel's story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5/5 stars
Publication Date: 1/12/21

I cannot express just how much I love this series and Ever After Always is my favorite one yet. This installment follows Freya and Aiden, who realize that their marriage is in crisis after months of communication problems and loss of trust. This being the third in the series, you have seen Freya and Aiden in previous books and they appeared to have the perfect marriage. Now they are trying to hide their marital troubles from Freya’s family, which gets complicated when they are forced to go on a family vacation to Hawaii.

I love a second chance romance novel when it is done well (see Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams and You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle) and this may be the best one I’ve read. I loved the nods to Persuasion by Jane Austen throughout the novel, as well as the Bergman brothers trying to get Aiden to read romance novels for tips. Aiden’s storyline about his anxiety was also highlight (even though it would sometimes cause me anxiety to read about his anxiety. A vicious cycle.).

Of course, the best part was the romance. I didn’t think Ren and Frankie could be topped, but Freya and Aiden beat them. I was so invested from the prologue and then dreaded the inevitable third act miscommunication because I just wanted them to be happy. As excited as I am to finally read Axel’s story, I hope we get plenty of Freya and Aiden in the next installment.

Overall, Ever After Always is an emotional, sweet, and swoon-worthy addition to an excellent romance series.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a great read and an awesome addition to the Bergman Brothers Series! This time, we get a Bergman sister story that follows Aiden and Freya in their marriage on the rocks redemption story.

I appreciate Chloe Liese not backing down or away from portraying marginalized groups in her novels. This one touches on anxiety, parental issues, body issues and fertility struggles. She tackles these tough topics with grace and respect. I will read EVERY future Bergman novel she comes out with because I'm just in love with the honesty and poignancy. Plus, they're darn entertaining and steamy to boot!

I was fortunate to get my hands on an ARC of Ever After Always, the third book in Chloe Liese’s Bergman Brothers series.

Ever After Always is Liese’s angstiest book yet. (This is good. I love the angst.) It’s also hilarious! (Viggo is my new favorite Bergman).

Ever After Always is about Freya, the oldest daughter in the Bergman family, and her husband, Aiden. At the start of the book, Aiden and Freya are keeping secret what a mess their marriage has become. Add five meddling brothers and one surprise extended-family trip to Hawaii, and you’ve got a story with a little bit of everything (including a foul-mouthed parrot).

What I loved most about this book was how it didn’t shy away from the hard work of marriage, the stress that deciding to expand your family can induce, and what “happily ever after” really looks like.

As always, Liese writes with care, heart, and skill. Thanks to Netgalley and Chloe for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

The last time I wrote a review for a book by Liese it was the first book of hers that I had read (the first of this series), and since then I have made sure to catch up on everything I had missed out on. Chloe's style of writing is so incredibly addictive. I don't think I've read a single book of hers without staying up stupidly late because I just can't stop reading.

Ever After Always was no different! I was hooked straight away and absolutely loved the story. Although this book can be read as a standalone novel, I would highly recommend reading the rest of the series too! Mainly because it's amazing and on the plus side you'll get to know some of the side characters in much more detail!

Can't wait for the next book in the series!