Only When It’s Us (Bergman Brothers #1) by Chloe Liese

Pages: 380
Publish date: April 1st 2020
Publisher: –
ASIN: B085B9LFG2
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

Only When It’s Us:

The second book in the series is the one that caught my eye first. But I wanted to read it in order. And I’m so glad that I did because Only When It’s Us by Chloe Liese was a fantastic read. As soon as I read the synopsis I knew that this book was for me. It’s a sports romance that also concludes disability! Hell yeah. 

CW: terminal illness, death of a parent. 

Only When It’s Us by Chloe Liese follows Willa and Ryder as they make their way through college and life. Ryder doesn’t like Willa Sutter. Ever since she sat next to him in class and left with death glares, Ryder has held a small grudge again Willa. He doesn’t need her in his tidy life. And then they get paired together for their Business Mathematics assessment. And things are about to get interesting. Willa anger towards Ryder steams from him ignoring her when she asked for help. But she isn’t one to be messed with. And then the truth comes out. 

Photo by Jonathan Petersson on Unsplash

Willa was such an interesting female protagonist. She isn’t someone that you can like instantly. But as the novel goes on the reader can understand her. She has been thought quite a bit and she uses her anger as a mask. And this slowly starts to slip and she and Ryder become closer. One of the rare moments that we see the true Willa is when she is with her mother. I like that Willa wasn’t particularly “nice.” She kept her guard up and sometimes that did make her hard, but that also made her interesting. I also loved that she was the athlete in the book. It just made me happy. 

Ryder is the grumpy lumberjack type and I loved it. He just made my day. I loved that on the outside he was this tough, sometimes mean looking male. But on the inside, he was a soft muffin. He tried to be mean and rude, and honestly, sometimes he was. However, the reader can tell that he doesn’t mean any of it. The last few years for Ryder have been tough and his life had to change dramatically. And that isn’t easy.

The romance in Only When It’s Us was excellent. It was a hate to love romacne that was a blast. Both Ryder and Willa have misconceptions of one another and when they are strategically thrown together for the assessment things heat up. I enjoyed the back and forth between the two, however, I do wish that they communicated more. It would have made for less unnecessary friction. In saying all this, Willa and Ryder were fantastic together. The banter between the two was fun to read and I loved seeing them both surprise each other and break down each other’s walls. 

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

Ryder’s disability is another major focus of Only When It’s Us. However, it doesn’t overshadower the novel. It explores Rydner’s deafness in a way that is honest. It explores the struggles and tribulations that he as had to go through. But also explores how it doesn’t affect the way that he wants to live his life. Ryder became deaf later in life after a case of meningitis. Not only was he left deaf, but there were other complications that affected the way that he lives his life. Ryder communicates through sign language, reading lips and through written communication. Ryder also chooses not to speak after losing his hearing, but as the novel goes on he learns to overcome his hesitation to speak. I think that the representation of disability throughout the book was fairly accurate. I, however, can’t talk about the representation of being deaf. 

Family is a massive theme throughout Only When It’s Us. The Bergman family are a delight. I loved how they interacted with one another. The reader can see from the start how much they love one another and would do anything for each member. I can’t wait to read more about each brother for sure. It’s going to be interesting. I also loved that they were all there for Willa when she needs them. 

Willa’s relationship with her mother was nicely written. And the reader could see how hard her mother’s health hit them both in different ways. I feel that a lot of Willa’s walls were built because of her mother’s health and how scared and hurt she is. Willa just didn’t want to feel more pain. 

Only When It’s Us is an emotional read. There are many ups and downs for both Willa and Ryder. I did cry several times, especially towards the end It’s not an easy read at times, but it’s also beautiful. It explores grief and loss. But also explored life. 

Photo by Green Chameleon on Unsplash

Overall I love reading Only When It’s Us by Chloe Liese. It’s emotional and heartbreaking at times, but it’s uplifting, funny and made me smile a whole lot. I love that we get to see the female lead as the athlete and disability is so present throughout the novel. Not only is this fantastic to see in general, but in romance. Willa and Ryder are fantastic together. They bicker and fight, but you can they love each as well. This is just a fantastic romance and I can’t wait to read more from Chloe Liese. 

Have you read Only When It’s Us by Chloe Liese yet? What did you think of it? Are you going to read it? Let’s Chat!