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.

"Only When It’s Us" was an enjoyable read, but not my favourite Chloe Liese book (that honour goes to "Two Wrongs Make a Right").

Ryder and Willa were a very sweet couple and while I adored Ryder, Willa fell a little flat for me. She just had too much going on to give everything the attention it deserved. While Ryder’s journey with hearing loss was the main focus of his individual plot, Willa’s plot was split between her mom, her (absent) dad, soccer, and schoolwork. Her mom’s battle with cancer does get a fair amount of attention on-page, but her abandonment issues from her dad are just sort of thrown in multiple times without much explanation, and I had expected soccer to play a more prominent role in a book where the fmc wants to play pro soccer and the mmc wanted to go pro before losing his hearing. I just felt like I got told a lot of information about Willa, but not all of it was really earned.

There are some very serious moments in this book, but overall it was well balanced with Ryder and Willa’s fun, teasing dynamic. I can’t wait to see whose story book 2 will bring!

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Stars!

A fun enemies-to-lovers romance filled with great banter and a lot of heart. Only When It's Us kicks off this series with a great start. I look forward to checking out more of this author's work.

So freaking good! I love this story that is inclusive and wonderful, and the whole family is just what we all need to be reading!

What a great start to a series! Going into this book I know that it’s a commitment. There are 7 siblings that will each get a book. I think this book did such great job on introducing this whole family to us, while also focusing so much on Ryder and Willa. I loved Aiden playing match maker with these two. I loved that Willa never thought differently of Ryder and always embraced him for who he was, and Ryder did the same. I love the teasing! The bonus epilogue was just the sweetest.

Chloe Liese is one of my favorite romance authors..
This was a reread for me and I loved it even more this time. There is such great disability representation and the characters are real, flawed, and relatable. This book is the perfect introduction into the Bergman family and when I first read it, I was hooked. I love the new cover because I feel like it does the book more justice. I also loved the bonus material which made my heart happy.
I highly recommend this to all romance lovers who are looking for a well written, relatable, and steamy book!

Did not know I was signing up for a lifelong Chloe Liese obsession but I’m so not mad about it. I continually come back to this book and you all need to drop everything to go read this series ASAP

This is a new adult slow-burn frenemies to lovers romance between a fiery soccer player and her grumpy classmate. There’s disavbility rep and complex discussions on grief and it’s so good!!! Also did I mention the sexual tension is OFF THE ROOF OMGGGGGGGG

This book was first published on March 27, 2020, and this is a reread for me. Let me just say, I loved it even more this time around! Also, really liking the new cover. This is a great introduction to the whole wonderful Bergman family. I thought the representation of Ryder’s disability and his struggle with hearing aids to be spot on. 4⭐️from me.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley, Shelf Awareness and NetGalley for this complimentary ebook. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Man Chloe liese did it again!
I absolutely loved this story and I love Ryder and how entire family.
One thing Chloe liese does so well is disability rep. I loved Ryder and Willa’s journey, and all their issues seemed realistic. I also loved Ryder’s family, they all felt so fully formed and I cannot wait for their books!
5/5 stars for me!

Fun, sweet, with well-written characters that you root from beginning to end!

The inclusion and representation are thoughtful and caring.

I was lucky enough to win an eARC of ONLY WHEN IT'S US by Chloe Liese through a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thanks for the early look, and have a safe and happy holiday season!

I think my favorite thing about this book was the author’s note, in that it spelled out exactly what triggers might be contained in the book. And for an ARC to have that, specially an ARC for a trad pubbed book, is rare so I really do appreciate that. I’ve tried two other books from this author in a different series and they really weren’t my jam. However, I’ve heard enough people rave about this series so I decided to give it a try. I think this might just be a case of author/reader mismatch. On my end, the fault is entirely mine in that I didn’t realize this was technically a new adult romance until I opened up the book. I’m not super fond of N/A and I found the characters super young and immature and a lot of their behavior came off as juvenile. They spent so much time hiding things from each other and then punishing each other for hiding things, it was really frustrating. I loved the big family, the disability rep, all of that was great. And yes, this book has the FMCs mom dying of cancer on page which was specifically hard for me(but again, a warning was given). I have 2 more ARCs in this series which I will try to read but all in all, I don’t think this author is for me.

This story hits me at my very core. I always cry when reading it because of the way Willa becomes vulnerable as the story progresses - wow, it just gets me in the feels. Being able to re-read this one and have the bonus epilogue at the end was utter perfection.

"Only When It's Us" by Chloe Liese is an absolute gem and deserves a solid 5-star rating! This enemies-to-lovers new adult romance is a rollercoaster of emotions, humor, and heart, and I couldn't get enough of it.

From the very first page, I was hooked by the undeniable chemistry between Willa and Ryder. Willa Sutter is a force to be reckoned with - fierce, determined, and passionate about women's soccer. Ryder Bergman, on the other hand, is the epitome of enigmatic charm with his rugged appearance and quiet demeanor. Their love-hate dynamic is electric, and Chloe Liese skillfully portrays the tension and sparks that fly between them.

The banter between Willa and Ryder is witty and had me laughing out loud. Their interactions, filled with pranks and practical jokes, are a joy to read. The slow-burning romance that develops as they are forced to work together on a final project is both heartwarming and satisfying. The way their feelings evolve from hatred to something much deeper is beautifully written and incredibly relatable.

Chloe Liese excels in creating characters who feel real and multidimensional. Willa and Ryder are no exception - they have flaws, vulnerabilities, and dreams that make them incredibly relatable. As a reader, I found myself rooting for their love story from the very beginning.

What sets "Only When It's Us" apart is how it tackles the vulnerability of love. It delves into the complexities of relationships, showing that sometimes love can be messy, unexpected, and beautifully imperfect. The story is not just about romance but also about personal growth, self-discovery, and the importance of breaking down walls to let someone in.

In summary, "Only When It's Us" is a captivating and emotionally resonant romance that will make you laugh, swoon, and feel deeply. Chloe Liese's storytelling is masterful, and this book is a testament to her talent in creating authentic characters and heartfelt narratives. If you're a fan of enemies-to-lovers romance with humor, heart, and unforgettable characters, this book is an absolute must-read.

Only When It's Us has all of the charm and angst I've come to expect of a Chloe Liese book. I read a lot of contemporary romance books and her's continue to deliver the perfect mix of sweet and spicy. This is a quick read and the start of a series I'll happily devour.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher's for this Advanced Readers Copy of Only When It's Us by Chloe Liese!

Absolutely adored this one! Now I want to binge the rest of the Bergman series. Outside of the damsel in distress moment in the very beginning, Ryder Bergman was patient, sensitive, and amazing. The teasing, the seduction, and foreplay between these two had me screaming (internally) to hook up already! The sexual tension between these two was very obvious and I had no idea who would cave first. On the other hand, I was nearly in tears over her mom and the special connection between her and Ryder. The new epilogue gave a much needed nod to her. Loved it.

I’ve read Willa and Ryder’s story a few times and every time feels like the first. I love the way that Chloe writes love stories and develops her characters. The way she handled grief felt so raw and vulnerable in a way that isn’t easily captured. I love this start to the Bergman siblings!