A solid start to the beginning of the series! Ryder and Willa’s journey was fun to watch and I appreciated the inclusion she included in the novel.

I LOVEDDDDD this book so much! 4.5 stars. I’m already devouring the second book. I think the Bergmans are going to be my new favourite romance sibs. *Giggling and kicking my feet*

Willa and Ryder get off to a rocky start when she sits next to him in class and it seems he is blatantly ignoring her. She is a student-athlete and needs the notes the professor informed her he has, yet when she asks for them he doesn't respond. Ryder has no idea why the beautiful surly girl who sits near him in class hates his guts but he is happy to lean into the sentiment to keep his distance. This idea is short lived when they are forced to work together on the final project for the class. The two begin doing a series of pranks on one another and both are trying to come out on top. However, they both start to develop feelings and victory might just look a whole lot sweeter when they are on the same team.

Read if you like:
😭 Emotional Reads
🦻 Hearing Loss/Deaf Rep
⚽️ Soccer Players
😠 Enemies to friends to lovers
🔥 Slow-burn romances
🌶️ Spice

This was such a good read! I loved the complexities the author wrote in with each of the MC’s having HUGE life-altering things in their path that they are struggling with and how they take those struggles very differently, but how well the compliment each other.

I really love that Chloe writes in disability rep to her books and how it helps to normalize persons with disabilities as main characters, worthy of love, and just like anyone else. We need more diverse disability representation, in romances and so glad that Chloe is always giving us that.

Even though Willa & Ryder are college juniors for the duration of the book and they are a bit immature, it’s definitely something you can look past if you think about how you acted or anyone else at 20/21. My biggest hang up with the book is the pacing felt a bit slow in the middle but then really sped up in the end, but again, something that didn’t make me not enjoy the book.

Thank you so much to Berkley for my ARC of this lovely romance in exchange for my review!

Embracing the intricacies of life, this book beautifully weaves together characters with diverse backgrounds, drawing them closer in a tapestry of genuine connections.

The tender interactions unfold with an authenticity that mirrors the complexities of real life. While not every moment is tender, it captures the essence of life's varied emotions.

The serendipitous meeting of the two characters brings a heartwarming touch, and the Swedish connections add an enriching layer to the narrative. Falling in love with the characters becomes inevitable, especially as they navigate the ups and downs of life, creating a poignant and unforgettable story.

this a really great balance of instant attraction and slow burn. I will say I definitely stuck around for Ryder. His steadfast, unflappable nature was super soothing. My anxiety has been understandably, extreme lately, and even reading his calming demeanor was insanely addictive.

I also oddly love Rooney, in the snippets we got of her as a side character. I looked ahead and was thrilled to see she gets a book. I get the sense, this book is a gateway drug and I'm going to inhale the rest of the series.

I will say, I don't know if starting this after Dating Dr. Dil made it stand out more, but there were a LOT of genital euphemisms. I dont mind a few, but I'm also of the mind, if you're mature enough to have sex, you should be mature enough to call a dick, a dick. Blessedly, in the heat of the sexy moment, there were no nicknames.

Honestly, the one that stood out the most is choo-cha, because it felt super immature, as opposed to tongue in cheek like the others. Again, this is probably a "me" thing.

My only real ding against the book is the HP reference of Hermione, twice, even doubling down in the second reference with "calling me Hermione Granger is not an insult." JKR has been a shit human for a long time, and it's time to drop the references.

Only When It’s Us by Chloe Liese is the incredible start to the phenomenal Bergmans series, which is my favorite series of all time. Chloe Liese writes gorgeous romances that are chalked full of amazing disability representation that is matched with enough heart & family vibes to give anyone the feels.

Only When It’s Us is great for fans of…
⚽️ Sports Romance
⚽️ College/New Adult Romance
⚽️ Dual POV
⚽️ Disability Representation
⚽️ Forced Proximity

I always get so excited when I see women’s sports at the helm of a romance. They deserve to be celebrated. Something else that should absolutely be celebrated is the disability representation in this series. They realistically showcase life with disability but they also shine a light on disabled joy & love & I think we all need more of that.

This book balances the fun prankster frenemies to more vibes with the heartbreakingly difficult moments of each of their very real struggles & it does it well. It hurts & it heals. This is a beautiful story of loss & love. I recommend being prepared to get your heartstrings pulled.

The bonus epilogue was so good. I love the fact that the bonus epilogue is such a hearty chapter. Chloe Liese put the us in bonus by giving the fans so much extra time with the Bergmans & for that, we send all the thanks & cheers.

If anyone is looking for the perfect combination of heart, humor & heat, I highly recommend checking out Only When It’s Us & the entire Bergmans series!

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Berkley Publishing for the gifted copy, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

Content Warnings: terminally ill parent, grief

I really enjoyed this. I ached for Willa and Ryder, and enjoyed how they gradually help each other be vulnerable and willing to take chances. Definitely a slow-burn, but the story is well paced so I didn't get frustrated with that. Recommend!

The author continues to write good quality, REALISTIC, romances. Thank you, Chloe Liese!

Only When it’s Us is about Ryder Berman and Willa Sutter. Both of them are university students who are taking Ryder’s brother in law’s course on business…math? Willa missed some classes because she’s on the university women’s soccer team and focused on making it to the pros. She failed to communicate with her professor, just expecting him to cater to her (he’s not wrong by not doing so) and now she’s running behind. The professor tells her to get the notes from Ryder, who gets his notes every class. Willa doesn’t know why, but Ryder has a hearing impairment.

Miscommunication/not being able to hear her creates some tension, which their professor notices and forces them into a group project together under the pretense that ‘you have to be able to work with everybody in the business world.’ So the two are forced to work together and the original hate tension starts to turn into another type of tension.

Willa is a little fireball, who is also, ironically, conflict adverse apparently. But she has little issue arguing with Ryder. At first, I was kind of on her side, but after her teacher explained why he wasn’t handing her things on a silver platter, I changed my mind. Willa is used to her teacher’s handing her things instead of taking the time to communicate with them and making sure that she has everything she needs when she’s missing classes. One teacher doesn’t give her special treatment and he’s the absolute worst. So she did come off as a bit entitled and I really believe if it wasn’t for Ryder she would have definitely flunked her course and it totally would have been her own fault.

What redeems her somewhat for me, is her mom. How often she goes to visit, even though she has school and soccer. How much she loves her. You can get why Willa is so stressed between school, soccer, her mother’s illness and everything else. Though it doesn’t excuse her man-hating attitude. Her reasoning? Well, her father left her mother pretty much after conception and therefore all men are trash because they will leave you. Painting with a broad brush, we are.

Ryder is a guy who is struggling with a late onset of impaired hearing. He can hear, with the aid of hearing aids, but it’s hard to pick out a voice from all the other noises. His left ear suffers from tinnitus, constant ringing/buzzing of the ear when no sound is actually present. For Ryder it’s super distracting and gets worse with the noise from his hearing aid, so he doesn’t like to wear it. Interesting, because in my experience, it’s the opposite. Loud noises can make it worse, yes, but playing music softly generally seems to help distract.

Other then his angst at losing his hearing, therefore refusing to talk as well, and his refusal, at first, to stick it out and work with his hearing specialist to help fix the issues he is experiencing with his hearing aids, Ryder is a pretty good guy. I did have to suspend my disbelief to his reaction of seeing Willa naked for the first time, and how he just fails to mention when he starts using said hearing aids again… but other than that Ryder is another near perfect man, Bergman style.

Willa and Ryder seem to have some serious chemistry. I, myself, cannot fathom arguing with someone until I want to make out with them. Not in my wheelhouse of turn-ons, but I can see, and believe, it working for these two. Ryder has the patience of a saint though, really. He approaches Willa with such patience and understanding, being there through her grief without pushing or expecting anything. Patiently waiting for her to work her way back to some semblance of normal…good guy.

Speaking of grief, I would just like to give the author credit for writing about an experience of grief from a very realistic and understanding point of view. A lot of author’s kind of gloss over grief, but Chloe Liese takes the time to illustrate just how crippling grief can be and what people can do to help themselves and others. It’s very well done.

Conclusion

Not my favorite Chloe Liese Bergman novel, but I honestly think it’s the enemies to lover trope that is getting me here. Though it’s realistically done, I don’t quite understand it as a person. Personal thing. Her depiction of grief was wonderful. Her representation of an unseen disability was pretty good. The romance, overall, was believable and well written. I really don’t have any real complaints. Another solid read from Chloe Liese!

A heart warming romance dealing with greif and finding yourself again after loss.

Willa and Ryder have a very unique relationship because of the way Ryder communicates. This opened up challenges for them that they continually had to work through whether it was not understanding each other or becoming frustrated with the challenges that life had given to them.
I really enjoyed this book. I thought the romance was sweet as well as deep and strong. I liked how flawed the characters were and that they were experiencing very real struggles.
I do however wish we got to see more of Ryder’s process of talking again. It’s such a major part of the story and I would have liked to see more of it.

I rated this book 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5 Stars

A slow burn, new adult romance with plenty of emotional and romantic heat.

This book started a bit slow, which encapsulates the entire playout of the romance. Both Ryder and Willa have a long way to go in this journey. We have soccer player Willa who’s dealing with a mom dying of cancer and trying to ensure she passes a college math class. Cue Ryder’s entry, as the course professor forces Willa to work with Ryder for studying and notes. It’s complicated further as Ryder has severe hearing loss.

These two are like oil and water, clashing every which way as Willa misinterprets Ryder’s standoffish nature as purposeful instead of accidental. When Ryder finally realizes what’s happening, he’s smitten by Willa. She’s beautiful, fierce, and an absolute beast on the pitch. She embodies so many traits that Ryder admires. There are other wrinkles, but these two connect over shared study sessions, a partnership assignment, and plenty of dinners.

This book has those real-life moments of vulnerability mixed with a little bit of K-drama slice-of-life connections that I found endearing. The storytelling weaves together and I could easily picture this book as a six-part television show. While Willa is a bit annoying at first, she’s got a hard shell earned by a life of struggle and fear of abandonment. I loved her toughness and could relate to her inner and external conflicts. Ryder is a romance boyfriend dream. A furious Viking who has a beard and wants to run away to live in a cabin. Sign me up.

Overall, this is a great series opener. I’m looking forward to the other books in this series. Leise starts off strong weaving us into the Bergman family and I for one am going to enjoy getting lost in this one.

~ Landra

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the advance copy.

I adore the Bergman Brothers series and this rerelease of the series is the perfect reason to dive into this incredible series again (and can we talk about how pumped I am for all of these bonus epilogues!!!)

Only When Its Us is the first book in the series and follows Ryder and Willa who are such a great couple. Their genuine care for each other was beautiful, that snarky banter was hilarious, and their chemistry was on fire. This sunshine and lumberjack pairing was everything. Not only are they a great couple, they are incredible characters individually. The character development throughout this story was outstanding and made me feel all the feels. Willa’s journey through her grief had me crying. And Ryder’s experiences of being deaf and getting a cochlear implant and his own growth through that process was inspiring. The side characters are also so much fun and I might enjoy the family even more now that I’ve had the opportunity to read most of their stories. Even as a reread, this book made me feel all the things and was just a beautiful slow burn romance.
If you aren’t already familiar with Chloe Liese’s incredible characters and beautiful writing, you NEED to give this series a read. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Chloe Liese's Bergman Brothers series has been on my TBR forever so when I heard Berkley Romance was re-releasing revised, expanded versions, I knew it was time to finally dive in.

I'm so glad I did too because this book was everything! Ryder & Willa had my whole heart from their first scene together. Their story is the perfect blend of fun, sexy rom com antics and banter, coupled with more sensitive and emotionally vulnerable moments as they get to know each other better and start to let down their guard.

I devoured the e-book in a day, purchased a copy for my collection because I loved it so much, then immediately dove into the second book, which if you know me, you know that NEVER happens.

This one is perfect for fans of:

⚽️ Sports Romances
⚽️ Frenemies-to-Lovers
⚽️ Forced Proximity
⚽️ Cinnamon Roll Hero (who looks like a sexy, broody lumberjack)
⚽️ Disability Rep that is done well
⚽️ Family Vibes (The Bergmans are a large Swedish family full of sexy brothers who will steal your heart)

4 1/2 STARS

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing the ARC.

First off, I want to say how much I love the new covers! I feel like they capture the essence of the book much better than the original ones.

Second of all, as the first book in this series, I loved going back and seeing the story that started it all. I love Ryder and Willa, and I love how they learn to be open and vulnerable with each other through their frenemy situation. These two are warm, soft, and just so wonderful together that it makes the book hard to put down.

I now have a renewed interest in re-reading this series!

This is my first book by this author and I’m looking forward to reading more by her. I will say that I didn’t care for the FMC, Willa. I don’t know why she got on my nerves but she did…she seemed whiny and rude at times. But Ryder, I freaking loved that man! Maybe it was his broody, grumpy personality or maybe his charm or back story but he had me swooning! I really enjoyed the slow burn build up and tension between these two. It led to some great spice. I loved the storyline and feelings Ryder and Willa’s story gave me while reading it and can’t wait to continue this series.

One of my favorite books from easily one of my favorite authors with a BEAUTIFUL new cover and new content!

NO ONE and I mean NO ONE writes such heartfelt, real and raw romance like Chloe. It's perfection.

I've read this book 4 times and I have no plans to stop. That should tell you everything you need to know. And the WHOLE SERIES is this good!

“I love her so much there’s not enough room inside me for it.”

Ryder and Willa are partnered up in class for a project, and begin their frenemies to lovers romance. Ryder wears hearing aids and Willa is convinced he's ignoring her during their first interaction when she asks him for his notes. As they begin to spend more time together and get to know each other, they start to realize their feelings.

Ryder is such an incredible, beautifully written character that I just fell in love with him. His character development is so well done and it’s so easy to empathize with what he’s going through. There were so many moments where I just felt his emotions and I think that speaks to the power of the writing. The disability representation with Ryder is also fantastic. It’s written with the utmost care for the topic in a way that pulls the reader into the story. It's written as just a part of who he is, not something that's wrong with him or something he's suffering through, which makes it feel so real. Stories with characters like this are so important and reading about them makes us more aware as readers and humans,

I also adored Willa, who has no shortage of her own issues. She has a beautiful character arc and she’s the kind of character I would want to be friends with. She’s witty and smart, but also very sweet, especially when it comes to Ryder. Their relationship is such a lovely, organic journey and not one moment feels forced. Her relationship with her mom is as beautiful as it is heartbreaking, and it's such a compelling piece of the story. It doesn't take away from the main romance, it just adds to the depth of it. At no point does the story drag. Everything that happens serves a purpose for the entirety of the book.

Additionally, the bonus epilogue is absolute perfection, especially having been with these characters through six books. There is something so joyous about Ryder and Willa’s love, and that just continues to shine through.

This is actually my second time reading Only When It’s Us—the first time was a little over two years ago. I really enjoyed it then, but I <i>loved</i> it this time around.
Willa is so spunky and fun to read about. Ryder is stoic and swoony. The chemistry between the two of them is sizzling and their banter had me kicking my feet.
I had forgotten how deeply this book dives into grief and the experiences of losing a parent. Chloe Liese’s books always have emotional depth, but this one is on a different level. The exploration and discussions of grief were beautiful, and I cried my way through several chapters. Liese is such a skilled writer who seamlessly captures and portrays emotions in a way that is impossible for you to remain unaffected by them.
Only When It’s Us, like every book Chloe Liese writes, has simply fantastic disability representation. Ryder has relatively recently become deaf, and throughout the book we see him begin to process and come to terms with that. Though not in the same way, I think his storyline is a bit of a parallel exploration of grief as well. Willa is grieving the thought of a future without her mother and Ryder is grieving the thought of a future without full hearing. They are different, of course, but there are parallels there.
As I am not deaf, I can’t comment of the accuracy of those aspects of representation. However I am disabled, and I found a lot of truth in the representation of dealing with a sudden disability. The specifics of Ryder’s experiences may differ from mine, but there are many aspects of the disabled experience that are more universally true, and Liese captures those flawlessly.
It was also interesting to reread this book, her debut, and compare it to Better Hate Than Never, her most recent release. As incredible as this book is, I was aware of the aspects of prose and character in which Chloe Liese has improved in the 3 years and 8 books since this one was first written. It leaves me excited to read what more she comes out with in the future and how she improves from here.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for giving me a digital review copy of “Only When It’s Us” by Chloe Liese in exchange for an honest review.

Willa Sutter is a massively talented college soccer player; she’s good enough that she reasonably expects to be drafted to a professional team after she finishes college. Unfortunately, as excellent as her career aspirations are, her personal life is more challenging. She’s never had a father in her life and her mother is sick with cancer. She has neither the time, the interest, nor the emotional availability for a romantic relationship.

Ryder has been somewhat socially isolated since illness destroyed his hearing. His close-knit family and roommates haven’t given up on him, but he doesn’t pursue relationships either. He gave up his own soccer playing and focuses solely on his classes now.

When his brother-in-law college professor assigns Willa as Ryder’s partner, things get off to a rocky start. Mr. Professor doesn’t explain that Ryder is deaf so Willa assumes Ryder is ignoring her, and thus is a complete jackass. Unwilling to be intimidated, she pushes back and thus begins a prank war. EVENTUALLY they arrive at understanding but it’s pretty cringe until then.

Of course, they grow closer and closer until they are teetering on the edge of an actual relationship. But Willa is emotionally closed off and unwilling to explore ANY feelings, let alone romantic ones. Things get more complicated when it’s revealed that her mother’s oncologist (and long time friend) is Ryder’s dad (because… of course he is….). This folds Willa and her mother into the big, extended Bergman family.

Unfortunately, this particular story is unevenly paced and Willa’s angst over commitment gets a little tedious. It’s understandable, for the most part, but also tedious. The series of coincidences gets to be a bit much too (Ryder’s professor is his brother-in-law, Ryder’s father is Willa’s mother’s doctor AND old army buddy).

In general, Willa’s spitfire attitude on the playing field is fabulous; fierce female characters are awesome. Ryder’s patience with Willa’s commitment issues is heartwarming too. And as always, Liese’s commitment to bringing different ability levels to the page is admirable. Overall, it’s an okay story. It’s just that it’s unevenly plotted and emotional and angsty.

Recommended for folks who enjoy bold female characters, emotional complexity, and a good cry. (No specific spoilers, but yeah, you may need some tissues.)

Willa is a Division 1 soccer star at her college with big goals regarding her professional career. While taking a business mathematics class, Willa finds herself struggling with the material and the hard-ass professor refuses to make things easy for her. After missing class for a game and desperately needing the notes so her grades don’t slip further, she must ask a fellow class mate, Ryder, for assistance - but he completely ignores her. Ryder is grappling with the loss of his hearing and sport until he finds himself shoved into Willa’s path. As the two become frenemies and start spending more time together, they find themselves facing a truth both are terrified to acknowledge.

When It’s Only Us was adorable, yet emotional, in all the best ways. I found the portrayal of guilt, shame, and loss realistic, yet the romance didn’t lack when propped against these heavy themes. However, Willa could come across as immature and selfish at times, but as the story progresses, she does grow and change for the better. The disability rep in this was great! Although I haven’t experienced hearing loss, I have experienced the anger and shame that comes with an unforeseen diagnosis that makes you feel “other” and less worthy, so I thought the portrayal of Ryder’s emotional processing of his disability truthful to reality. I really enjoyed the entire story and the chemistry was unmatched (seriously, this book is super hot). I can’t wait to read the romances featuring the other brothers!

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley, and the author for providing an early copy, I’m leaving this review voluntarily.