There is a reason why Chloe Liese is an author on my "always read" list. The Bergman Brothers series in particular is an amazing collection of all romance's favorite tropes with brilliant disability representation.

Ziggy's story features a perfectly paced "slow burn" that sizzles through the "fake relationship" trope in a book that I read in one sitting. What I love most about this series is the world-building that Liese has done with the Bergman family. The loving, supportive and often hilarious family creates the perfect foil for the hot-mess that is Seb's life. The supporting characters, with many a cameo from previous books, are a fantastic framework for the narrative and as a reader, you are 100% in for Ziggy and Seb from the start. While the disability representation is handled with matter-of-fact compassion, I adore the way that Liese handles the sexuality of the main characters as if it is just life and not another factor to be dissected by the plot. As it should be.

This book (and the entire series, go for a binge read, you wont regret it) should be on your Spring Break Reading List.

In If Only You, there’s a fake friends to friends to lovers situation, where Sebastian is a “bad boy” hockey player who needs a better reputation and Ziggy is a professional soccer player who’s sick of being seen as the good girl and the baby of her family. They make a deal to pretend to be friends so his bad rep will change her “baby” status and her good rep will improve is image and consequently, his career. Of course, seeing as Seb is best friends with one of Ziggy’s older brothers, there’s a lot of sexual tension involved.

As it usually is with Chloe’s books, the development of the romance is impeccable. Although their friendship starts fake, Seb and Ziggy become real friends and that friendship naturally turns into romantic love. Both characters grow throughout the story and become better people by the end of it, because of their friendship.

I loved the moments where the rest of the family made an appearance, specially a few conversations between Seb and Ren. There is also a scene with Viggo and Sebastian that’s particularly moving, and sets the tone for the next (and last 😔) book. Linnie, Freya’s daughter we met in the previous book, shines and continues to be the cutest little girl. I hope she has a few scenes in Viggo’s book as well.

This is another cute, sweet and beautiful romance by Chloe. To me, her books always feel like warm hugs, and this felt like the sweetest of them all. Highly recommend it.

Here I am, clutching my kindle, a complete puddle, heart total mush after finishing this one. You are all probably sick of me saying this by now but … I’m so beyond in love with this series, this family, and every single one of these characters, ESPECIALLY THESE TWO.

This story was beyond beautiful. Two individuals fighting their own personal battles, but fighting them together. There were so many (countless) times throughout where I wanted to jump through my kindle, hug them, and tell them how worthy of love and acceptance they are. I absolutely loved seeing Ziggy grow into who she was as a person; her confidence becoming more and more predominant as the story progressed made me so happy. And I truly think Chloe Liese is a mind ninja because Seb is my perfect book boyfriend: hockey player, morally gray, tall, dark, handsome, tattoos, brooding. I mean COME ON. SWOON. And as usual, the representation in each and every one of Chloe’s books is done so beautifully. I am really in my feelings about this one and will be thinking about this duo for a long time. It was perfection. 5 ⭐️s

A HUGE, HUGE thank you to Netgalley & Chloe Liese for this gifted e-arc. Check out If Only You on its pub date 4/11!

Thank you to netgalley and Chloe for the ARC - I’m super grateful!

3.5

I am finding this one so difficult to review after Everything For You, which is in my view the peak Bergman book. I want to compare all books to Everything For You - a very high bar!

First, the things I loved:

- As always, Chloe addresses health issues and neurodivergence with respect - a true leader in representation in romance releases
- The broader Bergman family presence, they are so entertaining!
- Ziggy’s determination to stand up for herself and shape her own identity. Very empowering!
- All the glimpses into chaotic Viggo, who is going to get the most epic finale book - I can feel it

Things I didn’t like as much:
- Sometimes I really struggled to buy into the big long chunks of dialogue between the characters. I don’t know that people talk like that in real life? I know romance is part escapism, but there were times where the dialogue read more like narration than speech
- There were physical touches between the leads that felt over-narrated. It took a long time to move to the next section of dialogue, and I don’t know if each movement needed to be described in that much detail? Some yes, but I think there were a few too many intensely narrated light touches
- I understand Seb wanting to work on himself to be worthy of Ziggy, but I also wanted to hear more messaging about him being worthy exactly as he is

In short: this was a delightful read. I think a little tightening of descriptive language might improve pacing and the reader experience. A fun return to the Bergman world, and a fitting love for Ziggy!

This is now my favourite Bergman book, which I do not say lightly because I loved With You Forever, but this just hit all the spots; funny, lovely, character growth and the sexual tension was perfect.
I loved the slow development of Ziggy and Seb’s relationship, from fake to real friends then to lovers, the care they take with each other and the patience that Ziggy has with Sebastian. The character development we get from them both as Ziggy becomes bolder and unapologetically herself and Sebastian realises he is deserving of love in all its forms, its just wonderful.
We are also, yet again, treated to some fantastic Bergman moments but the ones between Viggo and his siblings and Sebastian are truly highlights. I also loved Ren and the love he has for both Ziggy and Sebastian throughout this books, a refreshing take on the brother’s best friend that I would be more than happy to see more of.
I have so many other scenes I want to scream about but I don’t want to give too much away but this was a joy from beginning to end and one I will wholeheartedly recommend forever.

4.5⭐
R for some 🥵 but only at the end because this burn is slow!!!

Wow I cannot believe there's only one book left in this series. The way I love Chloe Liese, I don't know if I can count the ways. Ziggy deserved a special book that allowed her to break out of her baby sister shell and Chloe gave her just that.

As always, Chloe delivers a slow burn that will have readers chanting "kiss already" with this amazing neurodiverse MC and queer representation that is just lovely. I will say I didn't love Seb right off the bat where he just was convinced he was a bad boy that could never be good but I loved how he grew and worked on himself.

Watching these two fall in love was truly a treat. I also loved how much we saw of Ren, Frankie and the rest of the Bergman crew as they became Seb's found family. These books are truly written from the heart and will make you feel all of the feelings. Chloe has created such a special cast of characters and I cannot wait to see Viggo fall in love.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and Ziggy and Sebastion’s story was everything I hoped for and MORE. The queer and neurodivergent rep was *chefs kiss*, I am just endlessly thankful to Chloe Liese for writing these important love stories.

Ziggy my beloved autistic bisexual professional soccer player who I fell in love and connected with the moment she was first introduced in the series. It was such a joy to see her overcome so much and just SHINE like the badass she is. And Sebastian, my heart ached for him and I related hard with the strained family relationship.

Both of these characters supporting each other and loving themselves and wanting to be better. I loved it so, so much.

Chloe Liese is a national treasure and should be protected at all costs. Her writing, is such a JOY to consume and the world she’s created with these darn Bergman’s is one I routinely wish was 100% and that I could just hop right into. I was all caps THRILLED to have been able to read Ziggy’s upcoming romance early and I’m here ready to share all the things I just loved about it.

I’d like to thank NetGalley, and Chloe for the advance copy thoughts below are my own, enjoy!

So I made it to the dedication, and instantly burst into tears (which is a very me thing). I mean c’mon:

For the hard hearts that bravely learn to soften, and the brave soft hearts that love them as they do.

That set up alone, I knew Liese was going to give me an extreme amount of feels, and you know what it was a DELIGHT of a read, and might bump RenFrankie out of my current top spot of Bergman couple rankings. I’ve been such a fan of this whole series but especially of Ziggy. When we get a glimpse into her world and what she’s experiencing in Ren & Frankie’s book.

It’s gonna sound sappy but its so special to experience all these characters continued growth and love stories. And seeing them all in the background just makes my heart so full. Okay focus. Ziggy and Sebastian’s meet cute was such a perfect set up to this ENTIRE romance.

I loved the premise of fake-friendship rather than the traditional fake dating. I think it’s this focus on friendship (which is such a core tenet of each of the bergman books) made it so easy to fall in love with Sigrid and Sebastian.

They are soul-mates for real. They are gentle with each other, and a consistent home base of comfort and safety. Seeing Ziggy step into full power into the woman she wants to become and Sebastian’s DEVOTION to (Ziggy, and to) being better just SLAYED me. Man’s is such a cinnamon roll, he’s going to melt so many hearts for real.

There’s sweet, tender moments. Moments that will make you laugh, and maybe dreamily sigh. And ones that made me go “ABSOLUTELY FUCKING RIGHT!”. I always appreciate the way Chloe writes about Neurodiversity, and Chronic Illness. Having Celiac disease myself, it was really validating to read and connect with what Sebastian was experiencing. And goddamn those Bergman’s for tugging at my heart-strings for always making space for their loved ones, loved ones.

There was so much softness. So much joy and vulnerability. Protectiveness and care. It’s a romance that will wrap its arms around you and let you settle into a hug that starts on page one, and never really lets up until the last line of the last scene.

If you haven’t already fallen head over heels in love with these Bergman’s, you can clear your plans and read books 1-5 now. You should absolutely pre-order this one, and get ready to love Sigrid and Sebastian an extreme amount when their romance hits retailers April 11, 2023.

Chloe Liese is an auto-read for me. Her romances feature complicated but deeply good characters, and the sprawling Bergman family has been a joy to revisit in each new book. This latest installment follows youngest sister Ziggy, professional soccer player with a squeaky clean image she'd like to age up a little. Her solution: Sebastian, older brother's best friend and bad boy hockey star. Seb has a reputation to clean up, and Ziggy proposes a fake friendship--not even fake dating--to help them both out. But they quickly discover there's very real chemistry just below the surface of their new friendship.

Any book where one main character takes the other to a bookstore after hours is automatically a win for me. I didn't like this quite as well as some of the others in the series, but it was still a great book.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

This one didn’t disappoint! Ziggy and Sebastian’s story is amazing, full of tender, sexy and painfully honest moments.

If Only You follows takes the classic bad boy/good girl trope (as well as the “brothers best friend” trope) and adds autistic, celiac and bi/pan representation. It also gives us fake friends to real friends to lovers, as bad boy hockey player Sebastian tries to better himself and clean up his reputation while the “good girl” and baby of her family, Ziggy, tries to prove to her family that she’s all grown up and doesn’t need to be treated like glass anymore.

The writing was amazing, the transition from fake friends to real friends to lovers was realistic and sweet and the delicate issues (parental abuse and neglect) were handled with care. I can’t wait for y’all to read this one in April! It will leave you feeling deeply satisfied and warm inside.

BRB researching angry yoga sessions in my area...

This is the youngest Bergman sibling Ziggy's story. When Ziggy wants to start being seen as the capable woman she is and not a child she enlists the help of Ren's best friend and fellow King's player (in more ways than one) Sebastian to help dirty up her image a bit and clean his up through a "fake friendship"

Ziggy and Sebastian's story was chock full of raw emotion, and the growth of characters to find the good in themselves and find the will to stand up for themselves.

- Fake Friends to Lovers
- Autism Rep
- Celiac Rep
- Own voices
- BI FMC / PAN MMC

I have absolutely loved every page in this series but this book as a whole I think is my new favorite. Every Bergman book makes me want an A-Frame more and more.

Until next time Bergmans...Viggo wth is going on in Escondido!?!

Thank you so much to the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 stars!

Thanks to Netgalley and the author for my ARC. Here is my honest review of If Only You.

I make no secret about how much I love the Bergman Siblings series and I literally squealed when I found out I qualified for an ARC for Ziggy's story. I then squealed again when I found out If Only You features two bisexual MCs. Way to make my own bi-disaster heart happy!

While their sexualities didn't feature heavily in the book they were discussed and I was pleased this was done with positivity and a matter-of-fact approach rather than making it an unnecessary big deal. There are books and stories where being bisexual is a big deal, and that's important but sometimes we just need books like this where two people who happen to be bisexual and who happen to be comfortable with their sexuality fall in love. Full stop. This is absolutely one of these books.

That's not to say there aren't hard-hitting issues or depth in If Only You. Social anxiety, self-sabotage, neurodivergence, chronic illness and parental neglect/abuse are just some of the issues our characters deal with and the author handles them all with grace and tact.

I also appreciated how well character growth was presented in this story, especially that of Sebastian. And overall, if you've read all the Bergman books you'll also recognise Ziggy has also grown and developed since the first time we met her and credit to the author for doing that over the previous books in the series as well as this one.

My only critique is I wanted more of them as a couple at the end as their coming together felt a little rushed and very, VERY close to the very end of the book. But maybe that's just because I wanted more of Ziggy and Sebastian, full stop, because I really did love their journey and their story, both as individuals and as a couple.

How does this series repeatedly get better and better? I'm in awe at chloe's abilities to write such touching and steamy reads.

I was soooo happy to be back with the Bergmans! I seriously love these books and this family! In fact, some of my favorite scenes in If Only You were those when the family gathered together. I have to say I LOVE Ziggy, I LOVE Seb and I LOVE them together! The meet cute between Ziggy and Seb was TOP NOTCH. As was their banter. Every time he called her Ziggy Dear my heart melted. The way their eyes locked across the field during their respective games. I thought that the bad boy x good girl and brother's best friends tropes were very well done! And I was soooo happy to get a glimpse and the worst-kept-secret Shakespeare club! Angry yoga? Angry yoga! The way he helped style her! Linnie calling Seb Trouble!! Ok, ok I could ramble on quite a bit about all the different details I loved in this book!

I really really enjoyed this installment, but a few things kept this from being a 5 ️ for me. Some of Ziggy’s dialogue took me out of the story. She’s in her early twenties and trying to assert herself more, yet the advice she regularly doled out to Seb seemed wise beyond her years. It felt like the type of advice and support a mother figure would give, not a peer. Also, I’m all for a slow burn but this book was overwhelmingly fake friends with some romance at the end. I would have loved to see them together more! Not trying to be critical because I seriously love, love, love Chloe’s books and this is my favorite romance series. I’m just trying to articulate why this book was “only” 4 ️ for me. I am so sad there is only one remaining book in the series, but I can’t wait to read it!

Thank you so much to Chloe Liese and NetGalley for the ARC. If Only Out will be out April 11!

How do you put into words that a book makes you feel...seen?

Because that's what If Only You did. I feel seen. And understood.

A lot like Ziggy with her family, I find myself having to fight to be taken seriously. A lot like Sebastian with his family, and his complex diagnosis I find myself wrestling with unknowns.

But Ziggy and Sebastian -- through their harebrained fake friendship scheme -- learn to love, and be loved. They find understanding in each other. They are seen by each other.

Chloe, once again, has spun a gorgeous romance, based on what should have been an incredibly unlikely friendship.

With updates on the Bergmans that we've come to know and love, If Only You is a spectacular installment in a series that feels like coming home to family.

Since starting her Bergman Brother's series, I have become a major Chloe Leise fan. Not only does she write great love stories in each of her books, but in this series each book is the love story for a different sibling. While all of these books can be read as a standalone, there is extra joy in getting glimpses of the different family members in each book. This book was the much anticipated Bergman sister story, starring the one sister in the family, Ziggy. From previous books, readers would know that Ziggy is Autistic and babied by the family as a result. Ziggy loves that her family cares so much but at 22, she wants to be considered an adult. To finally prove this, she decides to create a fake friendship with one of her brother's friends and teammate, Sebastian. Sebastian is a bad boy who needs to clean up his image and Ziggy needs the opposite, its a perfect match. But of course, as with all fake relationships, it does't stay fake for long. The journey toward a Happily Ever After was so well handled. The fake friendship is definitely filled with some instant attraction, but they don't move straight from fake friendship to love. In addition, we do get to see some hijinks between the characters, as they try to show off their fake friendship. Though I think I would have liked a bit more. It definitely was a more character centric story. Low in angst and with an assured Happily Ever After. I will definitely be recommending this book and the series to Romance readers. Also to those who want to see Chronic Illness and Autistic representation, topics the author handles extremely well.

I’ve made no secret of my undying affection for @chloe_liese 𝘉𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 series. But if you're new here, the moment the free review copy of 𝐈𝐅 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐘𝐎𝐔 (Berman Brothers #6) was approved (@netgalley) I threw all other responsibilities (and books) aside to read it. I have zero chill.

What I love about this series is Chloe's belief that everyone deserves to be understood and loved. And her continued commitment to include underrepresented, sensitive matters with care and respect. I have never met Chloe, but this book felt even more personal than some of her others and that shines through in the writing.

BEST:
* Writing is top notch and compulsively readable
* Characters that just leap off the page and into your heart. I absolutely adored having a ringside seat to Ziggy and Sebastian's vulnerable, yet confidence laden evolution.
* Steam- Liese writes a slow burn like no one else.
* Bergman family & their people: This large extended family warms my heart with their love and makes me giggle with their meddling hijinx.

PLUS:
- She's a soccer player. He's a hockey player and is best friends with her brother.
- Fake friends to more
- Mutual pining for days!
- Ziggy- bisexual female. Sebastian- pan male.
- Representation- own voices autism & celiac
- Can be read as a stand alone, but I encourage you to read all the books.
The banter- it's witty and wry!
⁣* Spotify Playlists: Each chapter starts with a song that is linked to each chapter. All 6 are part of my regular rotation⁣

Viggo's book, the last in the series, publishes in 2024. I am eager yet also preemptively preparing for a Bergman family withdrawal.

I am so happy that I got this as an ARC. Ziggy is my favorite Bergman and reading her book made me so happy. This is the sixth book in the Bergman Brothers series, which is my favorite romance series and that is partly because of all the autism representation that is in these books. Ziggy is the third character with autism and though out the books we have seen her struggle and grow and to now see the life she has built for herself is so amazing and inspiring and it makes it feel possible for me to have a good life too.

Seb’s and Ziggy’s relationship is something that grows over time. It starts off with them being fake friends for publicity but it quickly grows into something more and real. They get to know each other in a way that nobody else has before, and the support they show is so important. But don’t get me wrong the tension between these two was off the charts and I was just waiting for them to finally get together.

4.5 stars rounded up.

I absolutely adored this book! The torturous slow burn was so worth it in the end. However, I do wish we got to see more of Ziggy and Seb coupled up. They don’t get together together until the very end of the book.

The fake friends with minor bennies to actual friends who have feelings for each other but aren’t ready for a relationship to FINALLY lovers was a lot, but of course Chloe made it work for them.

Seeing more of the entire Bergman family in this book was such a delight, especially Ren and Frankie.

Thank you Chloe and Netgalley for the early copy!
I am so so so ready for Viggo’s book.

I’ve been highly anticipating Ziggy’s story, and I love that we’re finally seeing her as a young adult, flirting the young girl her family still considers her to be. It was a great addition to the Berg,man love stories and I cannot wait for Viggos!!