Freya and Aiden are married for the last ten years. Their relationship is facing new challenges while Aiden's work is keeping him very busy, Freya feels neglected which resulted in asking him to leave the house.

In order to save their marriage they must both make step to reconnected and prioritize each other. They visit a counselor in order to rebuild their trust and learn from their mistakes. In the middle of it and also have to attend a family vacation where they keep their problems from Freya's parents, but not from her siblings who are very willing to help them by meddling.

The book is very emotional. Aiden has an anxiety disorder that affects every moment of his life, while he is trying to be better and communicate about his feelings, his anxiety sometimes gets the better of him.

Freya is ready to add to their family, she wants a baby but she feels alone and left out, her relationship isn't as it was, but she wants to keep fighting for her marriage and her love.

I like how they both work together to come closer and reconnect once again by prioritizing their relationship even when things were difficult.

The Bergmans are such a fun group, it was so fun to see them all together helping them and showing their love the best way they know how.


*I received an ARC through Netgalley and this is my honest opinion.

The first Bergman sister story!
Freya and Aiden have been married almost 10 yrs and married life is getting in a rut...a bad one. And they aren’t sure if their marriage can survive. Freya is craving love and affection and trying to get pregnant is making her an emotional wreck. Aiden is under extreme anxiety at work, doesn’t want to dump any more emotion on Freya and is trying to keep it together with a thread.
When Freyas huge family announces a Hawaiian vacation to celebrate their parents anniversary- it couldn’t come at a worse time to fake their happiness.
Cue a potty mouth parrot, brother bonding time and extreme groveling to get this couple on track...but will it be enough?

3.5. Chloe Liese is a skilled writer, and I think the characterization is a little more balanced than the second book in the series, but there's something about the second-change/marriage trope that doesn't appeal to me. This is less fun than Always Only You, and it's heavier by virtue of its topic (generalized anxiety / its toll on the decade-long marriage of Aiden and Freya). It took a while for me to get through this one. If you're a fan of second-chance romance, this one's for you.

5/5 ⭐️

TW: anxiety and alcoholism

THIS BOOK IS AMAZING! Chloe did it again, wrote a book I couldn’t put down because the characters were that amazing and the story line is perfect! 👏🏻

This marriage in crisis book follows Freya (the oldest Bergman sibling) and her husband of almost 10 years, Aiden. Freya and Aiden are both going through things personally and they are not connecting in their marriage and this story explores what happens when they let others in and share their vulnerabilities. ❤️

This book has steam, intimacy and honesty and it made me cry and smile so big! I haven’t read many marriage in crisis books but this one put the bar high for me. 🔥😭🥰

I LOVED that Aiden suggested marriage counseling and it was so beautiful so see his courage! As a firm believer in counseling- this made me so happy!

What happens after the "happily ever after"?  Is there even such a thing?  The newest installment of Chloe Liese's Bergman Brothers series explores just that as we dive deeper into the story of Aidan and Freya.  The two have been married for nearly ten years and are suffering.  They have lost their way both individually and with one another.  This book is heart wrenching and hopeful at the same time.  Liese has such a way of writing about what can be very difficult and hurtful in such an approachable way.  The acceptance in this book is gorgeous.  The world that Liese has created in this series where it's okay to not be okay and where challenges of autism, anxiety, self-doubt and physical differences are not debilitating or "less than" but just part of the fabric of what makes people human.  This is a world where love and acceptance is not despite who one is but because of it.  
As someone who has been married for nearly 20 years (and without getting too personal) I found this book hit me super close to home.  Marriage is work and it's something that very few people talk openly about.  The romance and all that leads up to the wedding is fun and sexy and exciting.  But the real beauty of marriage is when those hard times hit and the changes come.  Love is a choice and Liese writes about this through Aidan and Freya that broke me at times and then built me back up along with the main characters.  In addition, as someone who deals with anxiety, I love how she wrote about Aidan and his struggles, feelings, and triumphs.  I love that there's never the idea that someone needs to be "fixed".
And while this deals with some heavy issues at times, it is still at its core a Bergman novel.  There is laughter and love and family and fun.  The chemistry is hot and we get to revisit the characters you fall in love with in the previous two books.  I both found it hard to put down and wanted to slow down and savor it.  I already know on January 6th, this is a top book of the year.  It's that good.
And as if the book wasn't fantastic enough already, I encourage you to read the entire acknowledgements section.  Liese writes one of the most beautiful notes to the reader I have ever read.  I have made no secret about the fact that I am a super-fan but every time she surprises me more with how stunning she is with words.
Pre-order this one.  You will not be sorry.

3 1/2 STARS

I hate writing this review because I love Chloe Liese to the point of mild infatuation. But this book was hard for me for two reasons. I want to start by saying loud and clear that my personal preference and person experience colors these issues. That's the thing about book reviews. They are highly subjective.

Here are the AMAZING parts of this book:
- Chloe Liese is a truly great writer. This book, just like each book in this series, is extremely well-written.
- These characters are likable. Even as you see them making mistake after mistake you just adore them.
- The family relationships snd the therapist relationship feel true and genuine.
- A curvy heroine with a nose piercing? YES PLEASE.

Here is what I personally struggled with:
- I already shy away from "fixing the broken marriage" books. I need a romance to have good conflict, but this trope has too much conflict for me. Yes, they get the HEA in the end, but the journey there is painful. Couples hurt and hurling insults and jabs at each other is unpleasant for me to read. This book felt particularly heavy in this way. Fighting and tears and screaming and sobbing and slamming doors and insults. It was A LOT. It overwhelmed this book.

- The male lead has Generalized Anxiety Disorder. It is the main storyline in this book. I have 14+ years of experience with GAD. My daughter was officially diagnosed at age 7, but started showing signs around age 2. She is now 16.

Yes, there are widely varying degrees of anxiety disorder, but I saw almost nothing of our experience with GAD in Aiden. Just like people on the Autism spectrum have a very wide range of symptoms, there are a lot of universals. I saw none of those universal GAD symptoms in Aiden. Besides Aiden TALKING about his Anxiety we rarely ever SAW his anxiety.

There is a scene where he mentions his anxiety about a forthcoming plane ride, but when he gets ON the plane the only thing mentioned is his re-hashing the safety rules a few times. That sounds like someone who is a "nervous flyer". I have sat next to my daughter on a flight in which she spent every single second clutching the arm rests, jumping at every tiny noise the plane made, hyperventilating when anyone stood from their seat, and had full blown panic attacks on take off and landing. THAT is what Generalized Anxiety Disorder looks like on an airplane unless you are highly medicated. And if you know anyone with GAD you know that air travel is one of the "Big 3". Being the 3 UNIVERSAL hotspots for GAD: air travel, animals, and crowd entertainment (movie theaters, concerts, fireworks, etc).

Having read every word of this book I would say that, at most, Aiden's character is "situationally anxious" and/or prone to over-worrying. But I saw nothing that seemed even close to the non-stop, daily struggle that comes with true GAD. It is all day, every day, and all night long. It is "generalized" because it is life-interrupting anxiety about literally EVERYTHING. In my daughter's years of treatment we have seen all ages and all levels of GAD, even mild cases. Aiden's character just wasn't even close to the reality of this disorder.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for giving the opportunity to read this beautiful story.

Is there a way I can rate this book 10 stars? I wish I could; Chloe, please forgive me. It took me a month to read this book because of life events, but once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. The Bergman family is everything, those brothers, I am not so sure if I want to kill them or if I love them, lol. They are hilarious, especially Viggo. God, Viggo, Oliver, I called them Dumb and Dumber because that pair is something else. I love how they kidnapped Aiden and make him read romance and "book boners" lol.

At some point, Aiden annoyed me with his insecurities, same with Freya, but less than Aiden for sure. I understand where he comes from and his culture. However, his stubbornes made him fail more instead of doing something to save his marriage. He did it, but it took him time... and a marriage counselor. His brothers really tried to help him, but he just didn't listen. I loved sooo much how Mr and Mrs Bergman advised Freya and Aiden separately and the relationship they have with Aiden. Aiden is another son for them, a brother for the others and this family made me fall in love with them, with their values and morals. Aiden's mom is such a wise and caring woman, I just love everything about this book. I love the heroine, Freya, she is a great role model, I don't care if she's fictional, you can look up to her. This book really shows and teaches what and how love should be and what we all deserve... someone who loves you unconditionally, even knowing your flaws and ghosts. Someones who supports you on every step in your life, bad or good one, doesn't matter. Someone who chooses you ever after always.

P.S. I promise you, Chloe that I will read Lisa Kleypas.

This was so great and I hope this streak of loving everything I read in 2021 continues.

I loved Freya and Aiden's relationship. They are going through a very tough time, and communication is a big issue for them, but seeing them put in the effort, work together and grow was a joy. They have great chemistry and such a profound sense of caring and trust between them, that I was happy to see them get back. Aiden has pretty severe anxiety tied to his childhood poverty so if that's something that could be triggering to you, I'd proceed with caution.

And Freya's big and rambunctious family was also a highlight. All of her brothers were charming and goofy, but I do wish that I got to know her sisters a bit better. I also think a few scenes were rushed, or skipped over some stuff that would have been great to see, but I'm happy with what we got. And this definitely made me want to pick up the other books in this series that follow the different Bergman siblings.

This book was good for my soul. (And, honestly, good for my marriage as well.) If I could give it more than five stars, I absolutely would.

These characters and their struggles really struck a chord with me. Author Chloe Liese nails the dynamics of a committed relationship where one of the characters lives with anxiety. This story is absolutely heartbreaking at times, but it’s also incredibly hopeful.

The Bergman brothers provide much needed comedic relief to this story full of heavy themes. Their antics help lighten the mood significantly in what is otherwise a serious look at a relationship in crisis.

Ever After Always is a poignant story that is full of sage advice. I highlighted more passages in this novel than I have in any of the other 400+ books I’ve read in recent years. Aiden and Freya’s story was also a good reminder to consider perspectives other than one’s own. And above all, communicate.

“There’s a lie we’ve been told in our culture that our romantic partner’s attunement to our emotions and thoughts should be nearly psychic, and that is the barometer of our intimacy. If we feel like they aren’t ‘getting’ us, we reason that we’ve stopped having that magical intimate connection. But that’s not the case.”

I’d encourage readers to stick around fir the author’s note at the end of the story.

With each new book, Chloe Liese reminds me why she has quickly become one of my favorite romance authors. In the latest Bergman Brothers installment we focus on one of the two Bergman sisters, Freya, and her husband, Aiden. Marriage in crisis is definitely a hard trope to pull off, but Liese did so and then some, in my opinion. While obviously this was a very emotional and heavy story, like always, Liese managed to weave happiness and humor in effortlessly, resulting in an all around fantastic book. She's among the best at making me go from crying one minute to laughing the next.

I could see bits of myself in both Freya and Aiden and I enjoyed (maybe not the best word? since it was hard at times) seeing them talk about what they each needed in the relationship, with plenty of missteps along the way. Chloe always does an excellent job at shining the light on experiences we don't often see represented in books, especially romance. In this case, one of the main parts of the story has to do with Aiden's General Anxiety Disorder, and Chloe did an excellent job at portraying it well and with tenderness (in my opinion). It's hard to put into words just how much I loved reading Freya and Aiden's story.

Each book in this series I fall more in love with the Bergman family, and with this one we got to see them all together for longer periods of time than in the previous two. It's been so fun getting to know all of the sibling more with each new installment and it gets me more and more excited to read their books (hi Axel!).

5/5 stars

Thanks to the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I’m so invested in this series! Each book keeps on getting better and I adore the Bergman family so much! (I want Viggo and Oliver’s books too)

Freya and Aiden are absolutely adorable and I loved how Chloe Liese portrayed such a realistic relationship while showing all their ups and downs. The rep of anxiety and body image in this was excellent and I’m glad it was explored in the context of the main characters. This book made me feel so many things from laughter to sadness because once I get sucked into a Bergman book, I don’t ever want to leave! I love this entire family and their antics and, after that ending, I’m SO excited for the next book about Axel and Rooney! I can always count on Chloe Liese to write my favorite tropes in such a refreshing style.

"These men," Frankie mutters around her straw. "Making us fall in love with them. Ruining our grand plans for spinsterhood. Troublemakers."

Yeeeeeees I know Frankie isn't at the heart of this one, but I love every word that comes out of her mouth, so I had to share her relevant wisdom. In the latest Bergman novel, it's Freya and Aiden at center stage. And I have to say that my previous introduction to Aiden did not endear me to him, so of course this book had to turn me upside down and teach me the error of my ways.

In a tone shift from its two predecessors, this isn't the story of new love in all its ups and downs but a marriage decidedly in the "down" category as the story opens. They're hoping to start a family, Aiden's anxiety's on high, and Freya's feeling lonely and shut out. They'll have to navigate thorny, emotional topics as individuals and as a couple if they want to move forward.

And you know that if a Bergman is struggling, the rest of the clan will involve themselves. On a big family vacation to Hawaii, there will be Bergman brother meddling, grand romantic gestures, and a parrot harassing Aiden with Lil Wayne lyrics. Essentially, it's anyone's dream vacation.

As always, I appreciate the messy emotionality of this series, the difficult journeys the characters must travel, and the ultimately uplifting love story that doesn't cloister itself away from real life. It's not about riding off into the sunset, it's just about taking the next step, facing the next day, taking on the next problem together. Plus, you know I'll always show up for more Bergmans.

*Thank you to NetGalley for a review copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.*

This book is so hard to review. But I will tell you, its 5 stars for me. I can say that with no doubt in my mind. This is also the first book in the series that I read. I kept meaning to read about the other 2 Bergmans before I jumped into this one, but I ran out of time and I just jumped straight into Ever After Always. I could tell who the couples were and I actually enjoyed seeing them quite a bit and I look forward to reading their book.

This is so hard to review because I felt like I was living this couples life with them. It felt so heartbreaking to see the troubles these two were going through. I could tell how much they longed for each other and how much they wanted it all to be better, but they just couldn't get out of their own way.

Aiden grew up very poor and he feels so honored and proud to have this fierce warrior woman as his wife. He is literally killing himself to prepare them financially and be a success for their future family. He is drowning under the weight of his own expectations and it has gotten in the way of their intimacy as a couple, in a few ways, and slowly starving them of oxygen.

Freya loves her husband, but she feels like Aiden isn't the same as he was even a year ago. She feels rejected in favor of his work, starved for intimacy and it has led her to kick him out. She doesn't want to give up on him, but he won't even speak to her for them to figure it out.

This leads them to try couples counselling for their issues and to see if they can connect again. They still desire each other and love one another, but if they can't share their feelings and vulnerabilities… they are not going to make it.

This being the first introduction to the Bergmans for me, I didn't see if they have shown the deterioration of this relationship in the previous books, but I bet it was so painful to see here. To feel the space between them and know they both want to breech it but don't know how.

I absolutely love second chance romances or marriages in trouble. Because I love when a relationship is shown to change and grow so that they can come back together. The situations shown in this book, including the anxiety Aiden feels and the insecurities that Freya has felt so real! It just hurts so much.

I loved seeing a man's anxiety and need to provide shown in a very realistic way. He has a past that is going to effect him and his future family if he doesn’t address this. I liked that it showed how it would effect his sex drive and overwhelm him.

I also liked that Freya was a confident woman, she is curvy and loves herself but that doesn't mean she is on top of it 100% of the time. And I liked that the author acknowledges you still need to be reminded that you are desirable from your significant other.

My one detractor to the marriage counselling is that they had 1 session (eye roll), then went on vacation and came back "fixed". Now it was very emotional and they did talk a LOT on this trip, but I still want to say that I wish they showed a few more therapy sessions along the way.

Anyway. This was charming and painful, and sexy and sweet. If you have read the other 2 I'm sure this will be a home run for you too. Because it was for me without any other context than just this book.

Ever After Always is the third book in the Bergman Brothers standalone series. Rather, it's the story of the Bergman sister Freya and her marriage to Aiden, which is falling apart.

Freya always felt that her and Aiden were the couple that would always have a spark and always be happy in their marriage. But these past six months have been rocky and their marriage is in crisis. Freya and Aiden need to find their way back to each other and choose each other before it's too late.

I am a huge Chloe Liese fan. I love that she is writing romance books with underrepresented experiences and addressing ableism. Aiden struggles with debilitating anxiety and grew up in poverty, wondering where his next meal will come from. Freya struggles to do her best to support Aiden but worries that it isn't always enough. I love that Liese's stories are real, honest, and raw. I cried while Aiden struggled with his anxiety, it made me feel like I wasn't alone in my struggles with anxiety and depression. It also reminded me that family can be people that come into your life, ones that make you feel loved. I love that Liese shows the not always pretty side of these experiences but shows us the hope in these moments.

Freya and Aiden's story is intense. The book starts after Freya kicked Aiden out and I devoured this book hoping that they would get back together and resolve their problems. I loved the lessons, insights, and inspiration in this relationship.

I definitely recommend this steamy, heart wrenching, love story.

This book is so good! I love how true to life it feels. Marriage is hard, and this author writes about that difficulty with insight and grace. Now I'm excited to read the other books in this series!

This reads more like literary fiction than romance. Which isn't a problem except that I couldn't figure out what was going on or why. Both these characters are stunningly immature—Freya for kicking out her husband because he's a little withdrawn (???) and Aiden for thinking the best way to deal with his anxiety is to hide it from his wife. The last straw for me was when Freya's brothers kidnapped Aiden (all in good fun, of course—ha, ha, it's so hilarious to scare someone half to death like that). Clearly, other people love this book. It's just not for me. DNF.

My first five star read of 2021! I knew this book was likely to really work for me because (a) I love the way Liese writes her romances, (b) marriage in trouble appears to be my favorite trope still, and (c) Liese really does such a brilliant job with mental health and inclusively writing her romance to incorporate neuro diversity. This book was absolutely brilliantly done, in my opinion, from the anxiety rep to the marriage counseling to the overall emotionality of it. It also could not have come at a more serendipitous time given that some themes in this book echo Untamed by Glennon Doyle and Burnout by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski and the importance of protecting your joy and what makes you, you. Anyway, enough rambling about how much I loved this and let me actually attempt to review it for you.

Ever After Always is, as I said, a marriage in trouble romance between Freya and Aiden who have been married for nearly 10 years. When they decided to start trying to have a child, Aiden's anxiety related to money due to growing up in poverty really spiraled and he found himself withdrawing from Freya, even though that's not what he wanted. When Freya kicks him out, Aiden goes to Washington, but comes home only about a week later. The two agree to try marriage counseling, the Bergman brothers intervene, and they resolve to pretend to be happy on a family vacation to celebrate Freya's parents anniversary.

At no point in this book is there a magic solution presented, which I appreciate. There is no, if Freya just loves Aiden enough and in the right way, his anxiety will go away. There are steps forward and steps backward. It is remarkably well done, in my opinion, and never, ever devalues the work that it takes to have a successful marriage. I also think that it did such a good and respectful job of discussing how there is trauma from growing up with food insecurity and in poverty. And! This book discusses sexual difficulties in men! I feel like that's representation we so rarely see in general, but especially not in romance and I thought it was well done as well.

The Bergman Brothers are, as usual, such a delight to read about. They are, as always, entirely over the top, but in a way that I really appreciate. There is one scene that had me asking wtf is happening, but even with that scene, I think it still was absolutely remarkable. I really love the large family dynamics at play here and I'm thrilled we still have several Bergman siblings to go.

I love how the story begins with Aiden falling in love when he sees Freya while they are playing soccer and I laughed how she responded. The next thing we know is that they’ve been married, devoted and loving for almost ten years but things haven’t been right been right between them for several months.

This is an interesting story in that Aiden and Freya found their ‘happily ever after’ but we get to see married life after several years and how they handle, or don’t handle, issues. They choose not to share some of their thoughts so as not to burden the other, causing distance between them.

Aiden grew up without a father and his mother struggled to take care of him, with Aiden even starting work at a very young age to help. He focused on his education to find a profession that would provide stability in his life. Based on his childhood, savings and an income for his family and taking care of his mother was a high priority. He developed extreme anxiety and often had panic attacks and he learned ways to control some of the anxiety but, other times, it was so extreme that he had difficulty focusing on anything.

After being married to Freya for almost ten years the relationship is in tatters with him working all the time and not discussing it with her. He wanted to make sure his plan would work and that he could provide for her and a child that they both want. He didn’t want to burden Freya with the possibility of a failure, but it made her feel that he didn’t care, so the issues went round and round.

After seeing a counselor and going on a family trip with Freya’s large family, Aiden made an effort to focus on Freya and to show his love for her. Freya’s family – parents, brothers and sister – all provide some insights to both Freya and Aiden about relationships although the brothers have high level shenanigans that go wrong.

I found the writing of Aiden’s anxiety and panic attacks and his childhood so poignant. His pain and fears try to take over his life and yet he’s a well-educated and charming professor. No one really knows how bad his anxiety gets at times as he doesn’t want to burden anyone.

I haven’t read the previous two books but the Bergman family is one I think everyone would want to be a part of. The parents are devoted and loving along with numerous aggravating siblings but as the story advances you begin to learn the various issues and concerns for each person. Many times people’s lives look perfect, but there may be medical concerns, rough patches in relationships, poverty, bullying, body image issues, addictions, and so many more concerns.

In the latter part of the story, Aiden becomes more vulnerable to Freya, it just broke my heart feeling his pain. Aiden needed the love and support of Freya and her family and when the Bergman brothers told Aiden how they felt about him, I almost burst into tears it was so sweet.

There was another heartbreaking event in the story which brings on a panic attack for Aiden and Freya is there for him. It was just so painful to see him struggle and get overwhelmed.

This was an unusual story for me to see what happens after years of marriage, struggles and wanting to give up but loving each other so much but not knowing what to do. It wasn’t an easy fix and seemed realistic for a couple wanting to stay together as many would just give up and move on.

The author is talented at writing raw emotion, vulnerability and has amazing insight into relationships. While many people suffer some anxiety, Ms. Liese also gave in-depth details on some of the highest levels of anxiety and the effects. I highlighted numerous parts of the story and the title of the book becomes another sweet part of the story.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this new work.

This book is about love at its most raw and complicated. Freya and Aiden are each other’s HEA, but when we meet them, everything is really off. Aiden’s been working too much, Freya can’t find any emotional connection to him, and they’re facing a week in Hawaii with her whole family where they have to play happy families. What transpires is A RIDE.

I’m in a marriage with a lot of cultural differences and communcation is often challenging. I felt for both Aiden and Freya so, so much - but I’m not sure if folks who can’t quite identify with these characters in a way will trudge with them through this pain, but I hope they do. I think it’s worth it.

Only issue is that the first 30ish pages were super confusing - there are A LOT of characters that get introduced all at once and I ended up skimming a lot. I wish I could have settled into Freya and Aiden without having all the siblings thrown at me at once, but that’s possibly a me issue.

**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

I am so incredibly in love with this family. I think each book is my favorite and the. I get the next in my hands and I have to eat those words.
Writing a marriage in trouble story is really hard. I see more people that refuse to read that “trope” than most others. I admit to having DNF’d de real myself.
This book is spectacular. If you’ve read the other books, you’ve already met Frey’s and Aiden and you know that they’ve been together for some time. They’ve been married for close to a decade. All the siblings look up to their relationship.
Freya is fierce. She has mothered this unruly bunch of heathens her whole life. She’s the oldest one of the brood and was the only girl for 15 years. Now that cracks have developed in her relationship she is unsure what to do. After all, her parents marriage is perfect.
Aiden’s anxiety spins him into places that he has a hard time getting out of. He had a really insecure childhood with a mom who worked multiple jobs just to keep the lights on. He has deep fear of failure and abandonment. Trying to secure the finances for a baby has him shutting down and drowning.
I loved these two and how real their journey felt. Marriage is not the end. It is the beginning of a new journey. People do not grow the same way. You can never prepare for some of the things life throws at you. These two people love one another deeply but is that enough. When you stop talking it is hard to start again.
This was such a beautifully hard look at how you have to choose your partner over and over. Add to it the brothers who think they are helping and you have a lot to process.
I love how honest and accepting Freya’s parents are. Aiden is their son and they want them to be happy.
The book is also full of humor. It is not a constant serious look at struggle. This family is so full of light that it just bounces off the page.
I love this series so much and cannot wait for the next book because Rooney.