This came highly recommended from a couple of friends and I am so glad I took their recommendation. Only When It's Us was fun and steamy and just light enough for a brain break. It had enough depth with both Willa and Ryder's hardships and struggles that the story wasn't all fluff. It really allowed you to get to know them and why they responded to life and relationships the way they do. I can't wait for the next book!

3.5*

“Life doesn’t live itself for you, and nothing is promised to us.”

Only When It’s Us is my first Chloe Liese book, and it won’t be my last. Willa and Ryder aren’t your standard new adult romance leads. They both have their own goals and struggles in life, their own strengths and weaknesses, and they both grow in this book on their own and with each other. OWIU is slow burn, but the tension between the characters is there from the very start. They share a class together and are sort of forced into interacting. Which is difficult for each of them for different reasons. Willa hates confrontation and “difficult conversations” and Ryder is hard of hearing due to a past illness, and still dealing with the loss emotionally/physically.

What I love so much about this book is that these characters are still doing their own thing, but they are also falling in love. They fall for each other sort of because of their differences and not just in spite of them. OWIU is extremely well written and flows well even though slow burn isn’t my usual favorite. While this book is highly emotional and sweet, it has it’s steamy moments, and I will definitely read the rest of the series!

As many of you know, I love sports romances. I liked this one because this was a bit different than most. It was frenemies to lovers, new adult, and it featured a character with a disability. And it had girl power.

Ryder was actually a relatable character to me because of his disability. I don’t like talking about this here, but I am hearing impaired so I was able to relate to what he was going through. My hearing loss definitely isn’t the same as his, I can still hear. Just not everything. But his description of loud sounds being too loud and the quiet still being too quiet was just accurate. When I read that, I was thinking, FINALLY, somebody gets how overwhelming sound levels can be sometimes!! Even clicking pens can be torturous.

I liked how relatable the characters were and there was definitely character growth. I also liked that this book was about soccer. I loved soccer when I was growing up. The pacing of the book was good, though it did take me a few chapters to get into this book.

I’d definitely recommend this book to anybody who wants a new adult sports romance book. It was a four star read. Thank you Netgalley and publishers for allowing me the chance to read this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

This title was fine. The banter between the male and female protagonists was funny and sharp. I like that the book switched between the male and female leads. It added to the story to be able to know what Ryder was thinking, since he wasn't able to communicate as well due to his disability. There was a lot of melodrama and the twist of Dr. B was predictable. However, it was a decent read and patrons will enjoy it. I am undecided whether I'd read anymore in the projected series, though.

This book was the best kind of slow-burn romance I've read in a very long time and I absolutely can not wait to read the next Bergman Brother's story!

Their meet-cute was the epitome of not cute and it was fantastic. From the overly loving and pushy BIL/Professor pulling the strings behind their less than willing partnership for class to the slow-building friendship and subsequent attraction this novel did a spectacular job at character development and relationship building. This book shows that it truly is a small world after all, appearances aren't always what they seem, and keeping an open mind makes life a whole lot easier.

I particularly love that difficult issues were NOT glossed over, there was no quick and happy solution to major life problems. But that doesn't mean there can't be a happy ending, it just means that as human beings we have to work not only on our relationships but also on ourselves.

Heat Factor: They’re not virgins but it’s pretty first love type stuff
Character Chemistry: Solidly “I’m going to antagonize you because that’s how we demonstrate our affection instead of being vulnerable”
Plot: A pair of 21-year-olds with baggage try to figure out how to adult
Overall: Heart eyes

To borrow a term from Ingrid, these protagonists are seriously messy, which typically makes me angry and/or frustrated while reading, but I was able to embrace the personalities of these protagonists and really, really enjoy this book. My atypical forbearance is likely directly attributable to the fact that these protagonists have a ton of baggage and they’re also 21, so I knew I should really keep my expectations for responsible adult behavior … moderated.

We’ll begin with Willa because the book begins in her voice. Willa is a student athlete who is going to be a professional soccer player. It’s going to happen. As long as she doesn’t fail her Business Mathematics class. Oh, also, her mom is basically a permanent resident of the oncology ward at the hospital down the road.

Willa, Willa, Willa. She has seriously--seriously--unhealthy methods of coping with situations that stress her out. Which is, like, every situation. In life, she can’t deal with confrontation, so she does a poor job of communicating with her professor when she needs special assistance in his class as a result of being a student athlete. She also completely and totally bombs her first interaction with Ryder because she communicates poorly and then jumps to conclusions. When Willa and Ryder are thrown together and become “frenemies,” she refuses to let them be truly friends or anything more because she fears nothing more than being vulnerable and needing anyone. Willa’s pretty fierce, which is awesome, but it’s primarily because she has such an unhealthy way of interacting with the world, which is unfortunate.

For his part, Ryder is not, as Willa first assumes, an asshole. He’s deaf. And he doesn’t speak because he can’t hear himself anymore. Overall, Ryder’s baggage and struggle is just as real as Willa’s, but it’s much better managed. Ryder has a big, supportive family and friend group--even if his surly attitude has alienated many of them--so his support network is more robust than Willa’s. He had planned to be a professional soccer player, too, but when he got bacterial meningitis right before his first year of college, he lost his hearing and his balance, and therefore his dream. Because his interactions with people are necessarily limited due to his hearing loss (and he didn’t know sign language before he lost his hearing, so his ability to sign is still not robust), he struggles with how his life changed dramatically almost overnight, so he copes by effectively hiding in plain sight.

To try to boil down what made my heart happy while reading this book, I’ll make a list:

1. Professor as asshole matchmaker. I don’t even care if he shouldn’t have done what he ultimately did. It was perfect.

2. Willa and Ryder’s dynamic was on point for a pair of young lovers who don’t want to get vulnerable with each other but totally want to jump each other’s bones. They’re so angsty and confused. Ah, to be 21 again…

3. Ryder’s struggle with his hearing loss filled my heart. He doesn’t like wearing his hearing aids because they make some aspects of his hearing loss worse, but he hears Willa’s voice with his better ear and wants to hear more and - OH! Be still my heart. The moment when he hears her voice. Totally got me.

4. Willa struggles super hard. With reason. Her mother has been her only support system and constant for her whole life, and she has to come to terms with the idea that her mother’s cancer treatment is not working and she will die. She is really bad--so bad--at healthy functioning under stress. But she does seek professional help. GOOD. She should.

5 The writing is evocative and constructed to feel like the voice of feisty, angsty new adults. I don’t know of another book I’ve read recently with so many poignant or funny one-liners. And there are a number of reminders that we might be making ableist assumptions in our daily lives.

6. It comes with a playlist. This absolutely worked for me, because I believe in mood music, and also I enjoyed the content of the playlist. It’s really easy to access the playlist in Spotify if you don’t want to try to construct it yourself, but if you don’t want to engage with it at all you also have the option simply to...not.

Toward the end, I felt that Ryder was achieving unicorn-level patience and understanding, but I understood the point that he was trying to make to Willa, and she needed the support, so that’s how that goes.

The more I think about this book, the more I love it. What a satisfying read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

I'm so excited I picked up this book on NetGalley and had a chance to read it before the publication date! Thank you to author Chloe Liese for making it available!

Told from alternating points of view, frenemies Willa and Ryder are forced to work together in a college class and what starts as a loathing for each other, quickly transitions to something more. This book is definitely a slow burn with a steamy payoff.

Only When It's Us is a friends to lovers romance trope that also incorporates the sport of a soccer star (Willa) - while not an overly used trope in this book, it's another element that really makes Only When It's Us an enjoyable romance book.

I am so glad to see the use of traditionally unrepresented characters in a romance book. It is refreshing and much needed in a world that puts pressure on people to fit a certain mold.

Chloe has done a great job developing the characters not only in a relationship sense but on a personal level. I felt really invested in both Willa and Ryder's life stories.

Oh, and if you like guys in plaid - get ready for some wild outdoorsy fun in this first book of a stand-alone series. I personally can't wait to read the next Bergman Brother book to see what happens next.

4.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley for a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to my friend Addie for recommending this book to me!

Fans of The Simple Wild - this one is for you!! Willa Sutter is a hot headed up and coming soccer star who has a hard time talking about her feelings. Ryder Bergman is a lumbersexual neanderthal who is trying to hide his disability and insecurity behind his bushy beard. So when a misunderstanding in their math class got them started on the wrong foot, nothing bad can happen right?

Oh boy this one was a slow burn but once the flame ignited, was it steamy! ::fans self:: This was an awesome (fr)enemies to lover story that reminded me a lot of The Simple Wild. Ryder is referred to as the Sasquatch and he's tall with broad shoulders and a soccer player body (totally Jonah 2.0). The pranks they played on each other made me giggle. But besides the fun stuff that comes with an enemies to lovers trope, Chloe Liese also dives into harder topics - the tough life of student athletes in D1 sports, disabilities, and death of a loved one. She did a fantastic job developing Willa and Ryder's characters as well as their relationship. The Bergman family is awesome and I can't wait for the next book featuring Ren!

PS - similar to the Happy Ever After Playlist, the chapters all come with a song to set the mood and there's a playlist if you want to check it out on Spotify!

Wow, I really enjoyed and loved this book! It was so different than I expected. Took me a while to finish due to circumstances but I read every moment I could grab.

Willa is a young athlete at uni. She plays soccer so she juggles a strict training and game schedule next to trying to keeping her grades up. When she meets Ryder (due to the scheming of their professor) it is hate at first sight (for Willa at least) but then she discovers Ryder is deaf and they develop a frenemy-relationship. Willa also has mother dying of cancer, which really got to me. There was a lot in this story tugging my heartstrings actually.

Overall this book has many factors and I loved how the relationship between Ryder and Willa (friendship but also a slow burn) developed. I highly recommend this book! It deserves a spot on my favorite-2020 shelf.

I got about 60% through this book before I gave up. Enemies to lovers is my catnip but the plot of this book is pretty ridiculous. The characters actions make no sense and are far-fetched in my opinion. The characters and story were annoying me so I had to stop reading. Would not recommend.

This book was PERFECT and I loved every second of it!! It was funny, emotional and very angsty. Only When It’s Us was the first book I read by this author, so I didn’t really know what to expect from it. What attracted me was the cover and the blurb and now that I’ve read the book, I’m not disappointed at all!

I think what I loved the most in this book was the relationship between Ryder and Willa. As frenemies, they loved to banter and tease each other a lot, but you were also able to witness how they slowly started to fall for each other and it was beautiful. Both characters had secrets and fears from their past preventing them from understanding and acting on these new feelings, but they were still there to support and help each other. Nonetheless, Ryder and Willa were strong as individuals and it was impossible not to get attached to them!

What I also liked: Willa’s mother and the whole Bergman family, but also the last few chapters, they were the cutest!!!!!!!

This first installment of this new series was amazing so you should definitely check it out when it comes out in April if you love friends/enemies to lovers and slow burn romance with a lot of angst and banter. As for myself, I can’t wait to meet the rest of the Bergman family and get to know more about them.

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

I didn't have any expectations for Only When It's Us because it was a book I randomly requested on NetGalley but I was very pleasantly surprised! This is a new adult sports romance between two college students (yes, more of these please) with disability rep.

Willa is a fabulous soccer player and she's juggling school, sport, and visiting her terminally ill mother in the hospital. Ryder used to play soccer, too, but he got sick and now he's deaf. After the initial miscommunication, they quickly become frenemies when they are forced to work together on a team project for a class.

I loved how wholesome this book was. Although it dealt with some heavy topics, it was such a fun read. There was a song listed at the beginning of each chapter (and the whole playlist is available on Spotify), which was such a nice touch.

We got a lot of banter between Willa and Ryder and their chemistry was through the roof from the very beginning. They were complex characters, who really grew on me, and I was rooting for their relationship. While the first part stayed more in the playful zone, the second part got very steamy.

I appreciated the disability rep (although I can't speak for how accurate it was) and it was interesting to see how the characters worked with it but it didn't become a defining characteristic for Ryder or his romance with Willa. I also appreciated that the characters had a life outside of their attraction and they both had some serious personal battles to overcome, so they really had to work on themselves to be able to give their relationship a chance.

Also, the food descriptions! They were cooking for each other and those scenes were truly delicious, haha. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about the soccer thing because I really don't care for it (but maybe it would be different if I watched women playing) but it didn't get that much page-time and I have to admit it added a flavor to the story. And the hikes and the retreat in a cabin in Washington - I enjoyed seeing that a lot.

I have only a couple of minor complaints. It became a little bit annoying to hear how horny they are every time they were in a room together, and the descriptions of how every Ryder's body part is so hot and "lumberjack-y" got pretty repetitive. In terms of the overall romance, the writing bordered on cheesy and over the top a couple of times.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I would highly recommend it if you're in the mood for some new adult romance goodness, and I'm looking forward to the next volumes in the series!

4.5 stars
Holy slow burn and sexual tension, batman! *phew* I'm a big fan of slow burn romances especially when they're done right and this one does not disappoint! I loved that this gave me so much more depth than I expected from a romcom! There was so much to both characters and oh mans, Ryder the lumbersexual is absolute PER-FEC-TION! I know I'm gushing but he made my heart all melty and my feelings all gooey and yep, I'm crushing hard on him and if you read this book, you'll definitely get why!

Liese brings representation to her romance by introducing Ryder, a character who lost his hearing after contracting bacterial meningitis as a college freshman. I've already mentioned how much I loved his character but really, his arc was so well done. He's a bear of a man but with the softest and sweetest heart just looking to find his way back to "normal" after losing his hearing. In a way his hearing loss does define a big part of his life, but it's not just who he is and the author did a wonderful job of showing his many sides. And as if I wasn't already fully in love with him 30% through the book, the author had to have him reading JANE AUSTEN and that's me 100% gone!

I was on the fence about how I felt for Willa. She's physically strong as an athlete, she's incredibly hardworking, and her love for her mother was so heartwarming. But Willa does literally everything to avoid opening up and being honest about her life with people she's afraid to get close to. Her fear of confronting serious issues, while understandable, also became a bit too much for me at a certain point. I want to say that Ryder deserved better and for a good chunk of the story I did think that. In reality though they were perfect for each other because his patience, understanding and ability to be vulnerable with her was exactly what she needed to balance out and do the same. And as much as he balanced her, Willa's acceptance of him as he is with no hesitation, disability or no, was exactly what he needed to feel normal. There were some pretty emotionally raw scenes that had me tearing up! Also, if it isn't obvious by now, the chemistry between these two was absolute FIRE. It's a (really) slow burn, but the way the connection builds between Ryder and Willa is SO good and it's SO worth the wait! I'd put this at a 4/5 on the steamy scale.

One of the best things about this, and what I've come to realise is a big bonus when it comes to romance books, is the family relationships. I loved the Bergman family and how they ribbed each other but how they were so openly affectionate and caring with each other. They're a beautiful family and I can't wait to follow the stories of the other Bergman brothers as the series continues!

Overall, this was a surprisingly deep romcom that had me laughing, squealing, swooning and cheering for both characters are they fought for a wonderful heartwarming love. I can't wait to continue with this series and I'm looking forward to checking out the other books the author has written. Would highly recommend!

I. Loved. This! I honestly pick this up as a little book just to read throughout the week but I flew through it! The dialogue and plot were fantastic and well executed; I really appreciated the representation! The romance was adorable. Would recommend

This book is getting 4 very well deserved Sunshine and Lumberjack stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"I just know I'd rather be afraid with you than fearless with anyone else."

This is an incredible, fun, heart warming enemies/frenemies to lovers story. Willa - a witty, beautiful, reserved Soccer star - and Ryder - a smart, big hearted Lumberjack - bring to life a thoroughly enjoyable love story and a slow burn romance. This book has it all: love/hate relationship, pranks, misunderstanding, terrible first impressions, vulnerability, sexual tension.

Willa and Ryder are classmates, and Willa finds herself having to rely on Ryder in order to pass the class. Their professor is dead set on having them work together to revise and study and work on their final project. From that moment on, everything about this story will envelop you and keep your nose stuck in the book all day along until it finishes and you are left with the stupidest biggest smile on your face.

I have to be honest, I am an absolute sucker for enemies to lovers stories but I can't remember the last time that I rooted so much for two people to end up together as I did with Willa and Ryder.

However, this isn't at all a superficial love story. There is SO much depth to this story and to these characters, it just made me love everything about the book even more. Dealing with anger management issues, deafness, heartbreak, death, family, friendships, this book does a great job of being entertaining but also making the reader think. Think about what it feels like to be in these character shoes, to have their lives and their pasts and all their worries and concerns.

It was refreshing to read about a female lead Soccer star who everyone admires because she is indeed the best. And no one ever questions it and no one ever dares assume that she won't be this incredibly big Soccer star in the future. It was also incredible to read about a deaf character, and have all the other characters acknowledge it and be empathetic with it without making the disability the sole important fact about the character.

Only When It's Us brings to light inevitable life circumstances and inevitable human flaws and gives you the reassurance that it can all be worked out, and that you can still have your happily ever after.

I loved this book so incredibly much and can't wait for the next one in the series!

⭐️ [4.5/5 Stars] ⭐️

What a gorgeous little book! I adored this and these characters. I’ve never read anything by this author before but the cover was just so dang cute and the description sounded equally as enticing.

I fell in love with Ryder very, very quickly. He’s just a big ol’ sweetheart who wears his heart on his sleeve. Willa was a little frustrating at times since she was so closed off. It get like for every step forward, she took a step back and while that’s all well and good sometimes her reasons were a bit outdated and overdone. There’s only so many times you can use the same excuse, ya know? Anyway, the slow burn was defs worth the wait. The smut was sexy as hell and I enjoyed every second of it.

I definitely enjoyed the enemies to lovers part of this. Willa and Ryder’s relationship was so entertaining and the way they teased each other was just so fun. I appreciated the attention to detail when it came to soccer and also to Ryder’s condition. They’re both super important plot points and I think they were done exceptionally well. This author has gained a new reader. Woohoo! I can’t wait to read Ren’s story next.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This was a 5 star read for me. The plot was well developed and definitely a slow burn, but it was able to keep my interest. The main characters were what really made the story, as they were fairly consistent and had entertaining dialogue. Ryder is definitely a prince among men, and Willa, as brash as she is, was pretty humble considering her talents. The side characters were written well and I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series.
There's laughter, tears, angst, awkwardness and love in this story, I really didn't want it to end.

ONLY WHEN IT'S US is a truly sweet love story about misunderstandings, loss, friendship, and love! Every single character in this book is complex, lovable, flawed, and wonderfully written. I love a slow burn romance and this was perfectly paced.

And the love story between Willa and Ryder was realistic and beautiful. I was so sad when I reached the end of this book because I just adored these two and their story. Their banter was laugh-out-loud funny, but I was also almost in tears during the heartbreaking moments.

This is my first book by this author, but I will definitely be reading more! It seemed to lag a bit in the middle, but not so much that it was a problem.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

When does the next Bergman brothers book come out???
Meet Ryder ...quiet, hunky, flannel shirt wearing bearded masterpiece.

Willa. Soccer player, says what’s on her mind and fierce as ever.

When they are forced to collaborate
in a class they fear the worst since they cannot stand one another.

Once Willa finds out Ryder is so quiet because he has a hearing loss and Willa isn’t as rough on the inside as the outside...maybe they can actually work together. Can they find they work as Frenemies or see what everyone else sees?

Overall rating - ⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️

This is my second book by the author and I enjoyed every chapter of Ryder and Willa's awesome love story.

So thank you NetGalley and Chloe Liese for the opportunity to read and review it early.

Willa is a rising star of the women's soccer team of her college and had a bright future ahead of her. This story opens with Willa running late for her for her business math class and getting on the wrong foot of her professor. She further gets assigned with a boy named Ryder who doesn't bother listen to her request for notes and basically ignores her. So basically they also started on wrong foot with each other. But we get to know why grumpy lumberjack is a grumpy lumberjack and that Willa has just misjudged him. Well it was certainly not her fault. Blame the professor. He was such a notorious matchmaker.

Anyways, this book was equal part funny and romantic with a touch of emotion. Willa was my kind of girl. She was portrayed as this strong, temperamental albeit talented young woman but in reality she was just afraid of getting close to people after one to many rejection. But Ryder complimented her personality perfectly. The broody, grumpy lumberjack had his share of history and disappointments but he was actually perfect for Willa. Watching them connect with each other was completely magical. I actually thought there is something between Willa's mom and Dr. B but I really didn't see the twist coming. This story had a slight referral to P&P and Ryder was such a sweetie to Willa's mom. As far as college frenemies to lovers go, this one was my favourite. Everyone saw that they were made for each other but Willa and Ryder were Olympic gold medalists when it came to denial. But the slow build up didn't bore me but it had the opposite effect. I was totally invested in the story and could put it down. I literally finished it in one go. I can't wait for you all to meet Willa and The Keeper of Notes and fall in love with them as hard as I did. If you like enemies to friends to lovers story, then it is definitely your cup of tea. Happy reading!