I’ll be honest, I knew very little about this book when I requested it.  I saw the lovely cartoon cover featuring a hockey player (I like them, btw), read the blurb, crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.  Friends, the risk paid off.  I mostly enjoyed Always Only You, the second novel in the Bergman Brothers series, and I have every intention of backtracking and reading the first book in the series, too.  The author, recently diagnosed on the autism spectrum, has crafted an #ownvoices story that’s romantic, inspirational and educational.  The novel features an autistic heroine trying - and mostly succeeding - at the game of life, and a virgin cinnamon roll hero who hopes to one day earn her love.  Always Only You is a funny, sexy, low-angst romance focused almost entirely on the relationship between its two principal characters, and  I liked it very much.

Francesca - Frankie - Zeferino is the In-Game Social Media Coordinator for the Los Angeles Kings hockey franchise.  She’s great at her job, and despite her clubhouse nickname “Frank the Crank,” she's a softie who cares about the team, its players, and their reputations.  Being tough is part of her job, and it’s easier for her if the players assume she’s a hard ass all the time.  She dresses the part, too - unrelenting black and white clothing, black sneakers, and a silver walking cane she refers to as the Elder Wand (she needs it because her rheumatoid arthritis sometimes makes it difficult for her to get around).

The whole look is very Wednesday Adams, with a similar and intended repelling effect.  People leave me alone.  Which is how I like it.

But Frankie has a big secret.  She’s autistic and her clothing and attitude are part of the armor that helps her get through days that are physically and mentally challenging and exhausting.  Fortunately, one player makes her job easier, Søren - Ren - Bergman, the sunshine to her rain cloud.

Handsome, fit, kind, generous and good, Ren is a ginger haired dreamboat.  He prefers book club meetings to parties - as evidenced by his membership in an ultra-secret Shakespeare book club - he’s always willing to lend his time and smile to a good cause, and he never seems to have a bad day.  He’s also a terrific hockey player and his teammates love him.  Frankie knows he’s off limits, but can’t seem to stop noticing him whenever he’s around.  And he’s around a lot.  Unbeknownst to Frankie, Ren purposefully seeks her out so he can spend time with her.  Ren sees the softer, sweeter side that Frankie thinks she keeps hidden, and since the moment he met her three years earlier, he’s wanted her.  But therein lies the rub.  Because they work together, Frankie is forbidden.  For three years, Ren has waited, wanting Frankie and hoping for his chance - and when  Always Only You  gets underway, he finally gets it.   After someone breaks into her house, Frankie has to temporarily move out. Ren offers her a place to stay, and then discovers Frankie is making plans to leave the team.  An ‘accidental’ kiss convinces him it’s time to make his move, and he gets to work winning Frankie over.  Forced proximity, as everyone in Romancelandia already knows, wreaks havoc on ‘platonic’ friendships between people secretly in lust with each other.  Spoiler alert: moving in together changes everything.

Always Only You is a lovely ode to the opposites attract trope, and Ren and Frankie fall fast and hard for each other.  Frankie grew up feeling like a burden or a problem for her family to deal with, and she moved across the country to break free of their smothering love.  Fiercely independent, strong, and tough, Frankie doesn’t need or want someone to fight her battles for her, or to treat her with kid gloves.  She’s also avoided romantic entanglements after watching past boyfriends flee the moment she revealed any sort of weakness, and she doesn’t want Ren to break her heart, too.  She falls for him, but tries to keep him at a distance.  Ren wants to protect and support Frankie, and struggles to prove to her that she isn’t a burden or problem he’s trying to solve.  Raised in a big family and exposed to lots of different personalities and temperaments, very little throws Ren off his game - on the ice or off it.  When Frankie confesses she’s autistic, Ren is surprised  - but not for the reason Frankie imagines - he just can’t believe he didn’t guess it on his own.  His response:

“my little sister is on the spectrum.  So, while everyone’s unique, and I’m no expert, I love someone who’s autistic.  And I hope you know I’m a safe place for you to be you,”

 is yet another reason why Ren is nearly irresistible.

Always Only You doesn’t feature a secondary plot (although the author introduces a villainous character at the start and then largely forgets about him); the evolving romance between Ren and Frankie IS the story.  Mostly this works - when these two are figuring out how to love each other, the story shines.  The characterization of both principal characters is excellent, although frankly Ms. Liese, Ren is too good to be true.  Discovering that super hot and sexy Ren was an adorkable nerd in high school, is still a virgin, swears like a Shakespearean sailor, and perfectly intuits how to give a woman an orgasm despite a seeming lack of experience all feels a bit like gilding the lily.  Leading men can have flaws and still be great partners!  Frankie is similarly well-realized, and Ms. Liese does a terrific job showing readers the effects of autism on Frankie’s everyday life, although she occasionally grows pedantic on the subject.  It sometimes feels like the story is less about Frankie specifically, and more like a TED talk about autism.  Regardless, Frankie - despite the challenges she faces - is formidable and extremely likeable.  It’s easy to see why Ren falls for her.

While I mostly liked the book, the author has some peculiar idiosyncrasies.  Whenever Frankie is surprised by something Ren-related, her expressions are completely bizarre:  Mary Mother of Jesus Riding on a Donkey (after spotting Ren’s hair in the moonlight); Preschool Jesus with a Carpentry Awl (after Ren licks ketchup off his thumb); Jesus Tossing Tables in the Temple (when Ren appears wearing fitted joggers); or Jesus Skipping through the Resurrection Garden (when Ren scowls at a bad driver).  I don’t know if the author does this in real life or… honestly, I simply don’t know.  It’s just weird.  And while Ms. Liese is a self-described Harry Potter fan and makes Frankie one, too, the explicit references to Frankie’s wet or soaked Harry Potter themed panties are just plain yuck.  Why Ms. Liese?  Why?!  Finally, one last quibble.   Ren is a hockey player, but there isn’t a ton of hockey in this story, and a few of the game references (made the lamp glow red instead of ‘lit the lamp,’ and a chest pump in lieu of a group hug after a score) are just plain wrong.  These errors are distracting.

Always Only You is romantic and entertaining, and an excellent introduction to this promising new author.  I’m looking forward to future Bergman books.  Recommended.

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One of my reading highlights of this year has been discovering Chloe Liese, her book Only When It's Us, has become one of my favorite books of this year, so I have been anticipating to read Always Only You.

Always Only You is an #OwnVoices romance, in which the author exposed her heart and experience enlightening us about life on the autism spectrum, making this book not only a lovely ride but a knowledgeable one.

Frankie stole my heart, reading from her perspective, living with autism and disability was a total delight. But even though she was my favorite character, I can't forget about Ren, my sweet cinnamon roll of a man—he was not your typical hockey player, he was definitely something more with his panty-melting smile and his love for Shakespeare.

There's something addictive about Chloe's words, they hook you in and keep you there swooning until the very end. I'm loving meeting the Bergman family, and I can't wait to read more from them.

If you haven't met the Bergman Brothers, what are you waiting for, get ready to get lost in a story full of sweet and sexy banter, and a delicious slow burn romance that will have you turning the pages like crazy, just to realize that you don't want the story to end.

BOOK REVIEW: Always Only You by @chloe_liese

4.5 stars

After reading the first book in this series "Only When It's Us", I was almost nervous to start this book as I was worried it wouldn't live up to the first book. I was even more worried when I realised that the lead female Frankie has chronic pain and an invisible illness, as I too suffer from chronic illness and wanted it to be represented well. Turns out, I had zero reason to worry! Like in the first book which includes a deaf character, Chloe Liese tackles rheumatoid arthritis with compassion, knowledge and attention to detail. Also Frankie, like Chloe Liese is autistic and reading an own voices book with the inclusion of two characters with autism gave some deep emotions and meaning to the book.
The storyline was pretty simple but done really well. It is written in two points of view from the leads Frankie and Ren.
I really connected with Frankie and understood so many of her worries, as I have them too. She was a fantastic character and I loved seeing her develop. Like Frankie, I walk with a stick and so I was so happy to see her character was so comfortable using a walking aid and didn't care who saw her. Pretending to use her stick as a wand was also genius.
Ren is an absolute beaute of a lead male. Compassionate, understanding and loving, he is not like the stereotypical hockey player.
The writing was really good and I felt the scene lengths were much better than the first book.
The romance was lovely and quite steamy but I was missing a bit of the spark that the first book had. I also felt the ending was pretty rushed so that is why it doesn't get the full 5 stars.
I highly recommend this series for anyone that likes romance books with diverse characters and a bit of smut!

Please note that I was #gifted this book in exchange for an honest review.

#chloeliese #thebergmanbrothers #alwaysonlyyou #onlywhenitsus #bergmanbrothers #diversebooks #diversereads #diversecharacters #chronicillness #chronicpain #rheumatoidarthritis #chronicpainrepresentation #chronicillnessrepresentation #invisibleillness #invisibleillnessrepresentation #autistic #romancebooks #autism #autismcommunity #ownvoices #romance

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. Always Only You by Chloe Liese is the second book in her Bergman Brothers Series. It can be read as a stand-alone, but the first book has just moved to the top of my TBR pile because I enjoyed this one so much. Sometimes the universe hands you exactly the book you need to read at just the right time and this book fits that bill perfectly for me. I’ve always had a soft spot for the combination of grumpy heroine and sunshine hero especially when it's a friends to lovers trope because it’s nice to see the heroine be all grumpy and still be loved for exactly who she is.
Francesca (Frankie) Zeferino is the In-Game Social Media Coordinator for the Los Angeles Kings Hockey Team, she’s found that cultivating a gruff exterior makes her job easier because people jump when she says how high, what that cranky exterior hides is a root-beer swilling, hamburger loving, secretly kind person who because of being frequently misunderstood has created a persona that allows her to do her job without a lot of the sexism that is rampant in professional sports. Frankie is on the autism spectrum so sometimes she misses social cues and she has rheumatoid arthritis which means she is frequently in pain and being a crank allows her to function with out being an object of pity. Hockey player Søren Bergman (Ren) knew that Frankie was the one for him from the first moment they met but fraternization between the media staff and players is not allowed so he’s been playing a long game waiting for the time to be right to make his move. I’m calling dibs on Ren as my new book boyfriend he’s tall, a cinnamon roll type hero, a redhead, a secret Shakespeare geek and the kind of guy who cries when he reads books to the children in hospital. Watching the relationship between these two grow from friendship to something more was a delight and I highly recommend this book. Also, the soundtrack that Chloe has created with a song for each chapter definitely adds to the pleasure of reading this book.
Medium Steam. Publishing Date: August 4, 2020. #AlwaysOnlyYou #ChloeLiese #HockeyRomance #ContemporaryRomance #NetGalley #bookstagram #LoveThisBook

Ren and Frankie work on the same hockey team, this means they can't date, no matter how much they both want it, but neither had said anything.

Frankie is working for the hockey team social media department, she always keeps a serious, grumpy face at work and doesn't let people see the real her. She has a small social circle of close friends and she is content like that, 

Ren has six siblings, he is used in being the center of attention. His open and trusting personality along with his big easy smile is what makes him so likable.

Frankie is very strong, she has been through some very challenging times. Ren is such a patient, sweet character, who you can't help but love. I loved how their personalities even though are different, they work so good together. Their relationship is based on honesty and trust. The romance is a slow burn with a great build up.

The story has a lot of insight in to the world of autism, it was very helpful to see that in order to understand the characters better.

*I received an arc through Netgalley.

If you're looking for a fun beach read/summer romance, I would skip Bergman Brothers #1 and go straight to this book. Centered around LA's hockey team, Frankie is the social media manager while trying to maintain a normal life despite how autism and rheumatoid arthritis impact her life. And in the unrequited and forbidden love category, Ren is a hockey player who has pined after Frankie for years even though players can't date staff. This book did an excellent job portraying a person dealing with how autism and an autoimmune disorder can impact a person's life without disrupting it and providing a lot of commentary on how to support people managing their challenges with therapy, sensory items, etc. It also had a lot of commentary on how a person is worthy of love, regardless of the obstacles they see in their own problems. While there were still some plot points that did not quite flow and commentary that was a little bit much for me, the plot was less contrived than the first Bergman Brothers and dealt with the characters' challenges well. And with enough hints toward the upcoming third book about another Bergman sibling and her husband, I'll definitely keep my eye out for more Chloe Liese since I'm definitely invested in this family!

I was so excited to get an ARC of this book! An #ownvoices book with hockey?!?!

Frankie has autism and some of the lines from her perspective hit me hard. My nephew has autism and many of my students do too - I highlighted so many things!!! And I stopped to just think and reflect multiple times.

I also stopped to laugh hysterically at the insults and one liners! Liese has some comedic gold going on in this book and I’m hoping for opportunities to use Shakespearean insults in daily life.

This book had amazing moments and was a joy to read overall. Ren is the sweetest and sexiest cinnamon roll man ever!! I adore him and want to take him home. Frankie is a bad ass - I love a woman that knows herself and her needs.

I rarely five star books - but this one gets all the stars. I loved the characters (Ren’s siblings are amazing❤️) The relationship and conversation and connection between Ren and Frankie had me laughing at times, tugged my heartstrings and then cheering when he offered to buy period supplies. Can’t wait to read more!

I loved this book so very, very much. Before reading it, it helps to know that this is an #OwnVoices book - the author is also autistic, which adds authenticity to Frankie's character. I was so impressed with Frankie, her competence at her job, her independence, ambitions, and courage at leaving home and striking out on her own. Yes, I am a fan of both Frankie and Ren, two remarkable characters who seem like they could walk off the page.

Ren is a gorgeous, well mannered professional hockey player from a large Swedish-American family. He is careful to hide his nerdy side except for the occasional muttered Shakespearean oath. I was so impressed with how *nice* he was - gorgeous, strong, gentle and protective. I was expecting some egotistical or selfish behavior at least once from this handsome, gifted, high profile athlete, but there was nothing. Ren has admired Frankie from afar for a long time. He knows, however, that as long as they both work for the team, he can't pursue her.

Frankie's apartment is broken into, she ends up staying with Ren for a while, and both begin to open up. This is an enjoyable book and I recommend it for any lover of romance. This is book 2 of the Bergman Brothers series.

I appreciate Netgalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for allowing me to read an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. These are my honest opinons of the book.

A Ginger Viking Hockey God? Check!
A No Nonsense ‘Badass’ Social Media Coordinator? Check!
A Friends to Lovers Steaming Romance? Double Check!

You will definitely fall in love with Ren and Frankie’s story that is full of ups and downs, cute nicknames, adorable awkwardness and Shakespeare. I very much enjoyed learning about the lone hockey player in a soccer family and what exactly makes him tick. Getting more moments with other Bergmans was a great added bonus. Also, having a song to go along with every chapter adds a whole other level of being immersed In their relationship. I definitely recommend that everyone read this series and enjoy the greatness that is the Bergman family.

This book-- All the feels! It's just wonderful/amazing/grand/superior on so many levels and will be one of the favorites of the year! This is a single setting reading book as you will not want it to end and thank goodness there is a whole giant Bergman family to continue this series. The story of your life wasn't to be like this but you work and love with your heart and keep going.

Ren we meet in book one as the hot hockey playing brother and this Nordic god of a man is even better somehow with quoting Shakespeare and being in a club about it. The nerdy big man is amazing aka book boyfriend material- he is sweet, kind, helpful, swoon worthy, drives a minivan and has fallen in love with Frankie. Frankie is the teams social media manager and tries to get the men into line- she is smart, witty, dorky, sassy, resting bitch face but really big smile lady. She has autism and rheumatoid arthritis which make this story even more real- (oh, hello medical marijuana!!!). We learn of Frankie's pain and how easy it is to get sick, following how Ren takes care of her. The slow burn of their friendship moving into more after they open up and share some feelings. Finally also with some steam!

Thank you Chloe for this #ownvoice story with autism and chronic pain! She not only gives insights and personal experiences from herself and/or friends to these to tell a beautiful story that will let others understand - just even a little bit better. She also doesn't back down from hate- with her love of Harry but taking out JKR in one quote.

Overall, 5 stars and 4 steam.

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a fun sports romance! Frankie and Ren have amazing chemistry and the author strikes the perfect balance between tantalizing slow burn and allowing the reader to live in their relationship as it develops. This story also features unique representation not often discussed in romance, including own voices autism rep. Our main character Frankie has rheumatoid arthritis and uses a cane. While her chronic pain is frequently discussed, she remains fiercely independent throughout the novel. My only complaint would be some info dumpy sections early on, where I would have preferred the backstory to be more organically woven into the story.

I also really appreciate the author taking the time to disagree with J.K. Rowling's Twitter disasters, especially since most of them occurred so close to publication.

This was my first read by Chloe Liese, and I loved Always Only You! Her characters were so great, and well-rounded. I loved that it's an own voices novel, too. Loved this book!

This is book two in can be read as a standalone series about siblings In Swedish/American family...it is also..

* smart romance
* own voices romance
* grumpy/sunshine
* sport romance
* cute


Grumpy/sunshine romance as I never read it before.
And I mean, I never read before a grumpy heroine and sunshine hero mix.

I AM HERE FOR this author's intentions with this series. Because we - the reading community & whole romanclandia - need more purposes with plotline & characters.
10 out of 10 for representation & diversity!!
I am so happy for all the readers that will find themselves in these characters.

Frankie our heroine is autistic and also has rheumatoid arthritis. She works for the hockey team that our hero is playing. Soren or Ren is also a beautiful character. He loves to read, and he loves hockey. While his all family is into football (soccer). Ren silently is pining for Frankie for years.

I can't wait to read the next one..

Thanks to the NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

I will share this review on Goodreads and Twitter now and when releases on Amazon and B&N.

It was impossible not to root for Frankie. Between autism and RA her strength really shined, with Liese showing that just because you have some physical limitations (RA) it doesn’t mean your helpless. Frankie got a lot of that when she was younger and Ren was a breath of fresh air for her. Her frankness about autism was done well.

The story lost me at times, and I wasn't a fan of the all too perfect Ren, which is why it’s a 3 not a 4, but the representation was perfection.

Before reading this book I grabbed it’s predecessor from KU and was delighted and surprised! It was okay in the beginning but I was into it by 50%. I laughed. I cried. I adored Willa and Ryder. And I’m not sure they did Ren and Frankie any favors.
I adore what the author is doing with representational characters. Ryder and his hearing loss. Frankie has arthritis and is on the spectrum. It is amazing to read about characters that are largely ignored and discounted by romance authors.
I think this was probably a four star read. But I liked Ryder and Willa so much that Frankie and Ren suffered via unintentional comparison. Ren was a little too sweet. Frankie a little too surly. For me - though - not as a rule. And there were reasons for their behavior that made good sense.
I think this series ranks among the best books I’ve read for bringing focus to heroes and heroines with different needs, abilities and issues. Highly recommended.

*As always - thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to offer my unbiased opinion.”

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⭐️ [5/5 Stars] ⭐️

You know what’s so annoying? When talented authors don’t get enough credit and noticeability. Chloe Liese is fan-fucking-tastic and a goddamn delight. I’m so glad I found her books and especially this series.

This was everything I was expecting and more. I don’t see enough light shed on autism in romance novels at all. I think this might be the second or third novel I’ve read EVER with an autistic main character and knowing it’s #ownvoices makes it even better. I don’t know much about the spectrum besides from what I’ve read and researched over the years and that’s why it’s so damn important for it to be normalised more. Fiction is a fantastic way to educate people in subtle ways. A lot of people are too stubborn or inconsiderate to educate themselves for other people’s purposes and thus we come back to how fiction is important for this reason.

For example if someone read Frankie’s story and didn’t know a single thing about autism prior to reading, they’d walk away with a tonne of knowledge that could be beneficial to someone else who happens to be on the spectrum. I wanted to make a note of that before I jumped into the review because I truly loved Frankie as a character and I adore the author even more for writing her and putting so much of herself into her. Okay, let’s get into the review.

I adored the first novel in this series and this one is no different. It’s a sweet little gem of a book that deserves so much praise because it really is fantastic. The characters were amazingly developed and thought through. I didn’t question their character voice even once. The chemistry was off the charts. The pacing was great. The slow burn was painfully delicious. And then there’s Ren. Let’s talk about him.

It’s hard not to love a softie cheerful book boyfriend who is good down to the bone. Normally though when I read a character like him, I still find some flaws, like for example I’d find them ultimately boring. That was not the case here. Ren is an absolute dreamboat and made me swoon so many times. The pining? Oh my god. It was unbearable in the best way. The way he adored Frankie in every single way made my heart damn near snap in half. He’s respectful. He’s gorgeous. He’s caring. He’s not overbearing. He likes Shakespeare and poetry and hockey and SLOW DANCING? I want him to myself. I want to take him and clone him and make him mine and tell every man ever why they suck and make Ren tell them how to be better people. I want to wrap him in a bow and put him under my Christmas tree. I love love love him.

I loved how Frankie and Ren were complete opposites. How he balanced her out in the best ways and made her open up and trust and lower her guard. I adored how strong and resilient Frankie was and how Ren didn’t treat her like glass. On top of all of this, I loved the representation for arthritis and autism. YES. More #ownvoices !!! Normalise making fictional characters have disabilities and illnesses!! Imagine if someone with chronic arthritis read this and how validated they’d feel. Ahh. It just makes me so happy when I read a book like this.

I really loved everything about this, if you couldn’t tell already. I loved that we got to see Willa and Ryder again and we got some good hockey action. I’m a sucker for hockey. I loved these characters together and Frankie’s character growth and her friends and Pazza. I can’t wait for the next book.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced readers copy of this novel. I can’t wait for release day so y’all can get your hands on it too.

I loved the first book in this series, but this one completely surpassed my expectations. I adored Ren and Frankie. They had amazing banter, they did not conform to gender stereotypes, their story was incredibly sweet, romantic, and still super sexy. I loved the slow-burn of it all. Frankie was fantastic. I loved her confidence, intelligence, and wit. Ren is definitely my new book boyfriend. I love how perfectly he fits with Frankie. I will be recommending this book to all of my friends and on my blog!

Always Only You
Series: Book 2 in the Bergam Brothers Series
Rating: 5 stars
Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC through NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.

Always Only You was such a sweet and loving read!! It is the second book in the Bergam Brothers series and this is the story of the adorkable, nerdy with body of a god, Ren. He's a hockey player who has had feelings for the past three years for their team's PR social media person, Frankie. This guy was just everything! He was so sweet and gentle with the self proclaimed grumpy Frankie. Ren was just perfect! Where can I find one like him? LOL Frankie was as such a wonderful character too! Frankie is on the spectrum and at times has difficulty reading peoples feelings. Therefore she didn't have a clue that Ren was attracted to her. She did enjoy watching him from afar but never knew he felt anything for her. I really liked how independent she was and having to make some difficult choices on her own made her admirable. I loved her bluntness and his shyness towards each other. Their personalities balanced each other very well.

I look forwards to reading more in this series. The Bergman's seem like a happy bunch!

Review to be posted on Goodreads, Amazon and BN.

Oh my flipping goodness. There wasn't a single damn thing I didn't absolutely LOVE about this story. And thank THE LORD that there are loads of Bergman brothers (and sisters) so I can keep getting my fix. Although this is book two in the series of standalones, this is the first one I've read. I will now proceed to go find book 1 and keep my eyes peeled for news of the rest of the series as and when.

This is such a brilliant way to learn about autism and to see life a little bit how someone with autism as an adult lives and functions and copes. I feel like I've learned so much whilst also getting a cracking story. Frankie is a spectacular character that is really really real. I love her "flaws" which are actually just fears. Ren, sweet sex-on-legs, Ren. He plays hockey so he's a winner for me already, but then he's also goodness incarnate. The patience of an absolute saint. There isn't a thing to not love about him. Their relationship is sweet and gentle whilst also steamy and sexy. I want their story to go on and on.

I would recommend this to anyone with a pulse.

I absolutely loved this book! It isn’t often you read books with some of the topics this one covered. It had been cheering Frankie and Ren on from the first page. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.