The long-awaited Bergman sibling's book 6 was absolute sunshine in a bottle! I'd like to thank NetGalley and Chloe Liese for an advanced copy of Ziggy's book, If Only You. Ziggy is the youngest Bergman sibling who has lived her life in the shadows of her elder siblings by (mostly) her choice. As someone on the autism spectrum who was diagnosed in her teens, she's had to adjust to her sensory needs and while her family has fully worked to accommodate her, they also subconsciously put her in a box with all things delicate.

Now, as an adult, Ziggy is struggling between the person she was in the past and the person she is now. In an effort to give herself an edge, she decides to fake a friendship with Sebastian Gauthier, current hockey bad-boy and Ren's resistant best friend. As their (fake) friendship begins to develop, they come to realize the true benefits and similarities they have and their acts of kindness really drill the point home (even if our main characters seem unaware to the love that is blooming). I know this is the wrong sport, but this book was a total home run for me. What a beautiful story, so well deserved for Ziggy, whom we have seen struggle and grow up in this series. Sebastian was the perfect match for her. Tough and sensitive and as we'd been hinted to in Book 3, totally her type.

I also loved the side story and, perhaps, re-introduction to our last Bergman sibling, Viggo...oh my, I cannot wait to see him get his happily ever after.

Ok, back to Ziggy & Seb, this book was gush-worthy, I have read it twice so far, will keep it in my comfort read rotations and will buy the audiobook when it's out because it's just that good. Chloe Liese, you are a genius, thank you for sharing this beautiful gift you have with the rest of us.

It’s completely magical when a highly anticipated read far exceeds all your expectations. Short review - Loved it, boop, go read it!

If Only You is book 6 in the Bergman Brothers series. I reread the whole series leading up to book 6 and held off on starting this one because I knew I’d feel so sad when it was over. And I am! Countdown for 7 is on.

This series really captures what I love about a series - there’s so much familiar, but new perspectives to unwrap and new people meet. I love the Bergman world and jumping into a story I know will include beloved characters, Swedish food and endearments, thoughtful representation, hockey and soccer, a visit to the A-frame of dreams and a Bergman Brothers summit.

New to this story we have baby of the family, soccer star, Ziggy’s perspective. At 22, she’s done with being the baby, being protected and coddled by her six older siblings and parents. She hatches a 2.0 plan, gone with the good girl image and rough up her persona. What better way than a fake friends publicity stunt with the bad boy of hockey, Sebastian?

This good girl/bad boy, opposites attract, fake friendship, friends to more, brother’s best friend, sports romance is as full of representation as it is tropes. Bi/pan-sexual, neurodivergence, celiac, childhood traumas are all present in this story. The representation that I could relate to felt deeply authentic.

This book definitely got my 5-star hug at the end. I LOVED Ziggy’s growth, that she was trying to elevate her life, not change it. And Seb, gahhhhh, them together, wow 🥰

I also loved this Bergman Summit, it was so hilarious, Sondheim and Bernstein, “boop,” bookstores, the not-so-secret club, lots of time with Ren and Frankie, and Viggo, Viggo, Viggo…. His book is next and I was scavenging for clues about his story. Can’t wait!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you for letting me read this arc!

OBSESSBED. Ahhh I love Chloe. My heart is so full reading this. The yearning and angst it’s 🥵. Ziggy and Sebastian’s relationship development was so beautiful. I wanted to read slower, BEAUTIFUL.

I’ve been very much looking forward to Ziggy’s book for a long time. I was excited to see what “roughing up her image” truly meant. Sebastian had so much baggage to unpack and I don’t know that I would have expected Ziggy to be the one to help him do it. But like she’s working for in this book, she doesn’t want to be seen as the baby, fragile.
I enjoyed the second half of this book a lot more than the first half. I’m glad Seb got a therapist. I’m glad Ziggy worked through things openly and fearlessly. I do wish that some of the sexuality hadn’t been placed in there somewhat haphazardly but I still love Chloe’s prose and style. Just because my neurodivergence is different doesn’t mean I can’t relate or appreciate the work being done. I did enjoy, even if it wasn’t my most favorite Bergman book

Ugh Chloe did it again.

How is it possible that I love each new set of characters more than the last?

One of my favorite things about this book was that it’s not fake dating—it’s fake FRIENDSHIP. That’s such an incentive and fun twist on a beloved trope.

And Ziggy…my girl. Her sensory issues, her desire to break free from the Baby Bergman bubble but unsure where to start. She’s so relatable, even for someone who isn’t on the spectrum, and I appreciate how carefully Chloe handled her.

Same goes for Sebastian. WE LOVE A REFORMED PLAYBOY. My favorite thing here was…there’s a line from Ziggy at the beginning where she tells him no one is unsavable, and it’s a beautiful thing when he finally realizes that truth.

Honestly I just love these two way more than I could ever say.

Chloe Liese just consistently HITS for me. The tension she builds is so fantastic and I will say this one includes one of my *fave* sexy time tropes that's very bookish. I mean, would I love for those steamy scenes to show up a little earlier in the book? Heck yes I would because she's awesome at writing them. Did I love it anyway? You know I did.

So, as an aspie myself I was really excited to read this book. I always get pumped when I se autism spectrum representation in books, especially in female characters. Combine that with bisexual rep, and this seemed like the ideal book for me.
Like every other book Chloe Liese has written, this book is... Well I feel like "wholesome" is the best way to describe it. Chloe is really good and giving underrepresented groups a voice, and her books are filled with diversity on the disability, neurodivergent and sexual spectrum.

This book follows Ziggy, the little sister we've seen in the background in many a book now, kind of awkward and a bit shy. Ziggy is ready to get out of her shell and revamp people's perception of her. Enter from stage left "bad boy" Seb. Her big brother's best friend and all around self hating wretch. Seb is definitely more than he appears,and both out main characters go through important personal journeys throughout this book. becoming the people they need to be so they can be together.
This is a tender and adorable friends to lovers story, as they first fake a friendship in public so she can be rid of her veneer of good girl naiveté, and his reputation can be somewhat redeemed. But throughout feelings develop, and these two grow closer. prepare for a lot of mutual pining! This relationship builds slowly, and is tender and loving, and somewhat heartwarming to see.

So, what where my thoughts?
Well this book was good, of course it was good... But I didn't really love it, The pining just left me so frustrated, I wished they would just get it on already.
I started getting annoyed with Seb because his care for Ziggy because she was special to him and his reticence to to anything with her because he could "never hurt her" etc, felt a bit like the infantilization everyone else was doing to Ziggy as well. Like she didn't know her own mind or what she wanted and he needed protect her innocent special self.
I did like that Seb took some time to work on himself etc, but by the time things got consummated at like 95% I was just frustrated.
Also, although Ziggy was a cool character, I didn't really connect much with her, preferring her when she was a side character in other people's stories over when I got to be in her POV. I've read two female characters this author has written who was on the spectrum that I loved; Frankie and Bea. But for some reason Ziggy didn't really work for me. That is just preference though.
All in all... I liked this book, and it was good, but don't think I'll do a reread of it.

As a lover of the Bergman Brothers Series and one of many readers who wish they could be adopted into that family I was so excited to receive a “ lived experience” ARC of “ If Only You” by Chloe Liese and it was everything I wanted and more. She gave us not only the fries and a milkshake but the whole dang diner. It was delicious and I wanted more in the best way. I never tire of this book series and I adored being in Ziggy & Sebastian’s heads and seeing their relationship unfold throughout each chapter. Ziggy absolutely comes into her own and takes charge of her life and future in this book and I was so here for it. I resonate so deeply with how she feels seen by family and friends in a way that isn’t truly her and as she gets older she wants to change that and be true to herself, inside and out in every social setting. Sebastian was going through similar things in changing his image and standing up and asking for the love and respect he deserves .I enjoyed seeing the Bergmans come alongside him and encourage him to take care of himself physically, emotionally and mentally in addition to his health with his newly diagnosed allergies. As someone who has food allergies it warmed my heart to see people look out for him and make sure he was safe to eat the things he likes . I’ve always loved Ren and I loved seeing more of his sibling relationship with Ziggy and his friendship with Seb. The Bergmans are the found family we all want and If Only You absolutely solidified the special place this series has in my heart.

Chloe Liese’s books are like a warm hug. They feel like curling up with a good book and cozy blanket in front of a warm fire. The Bergman Brothers series has been one of my favorites for years. This series is full of amazing representation, a sweet, chaotically lovable family, and romance. Truly, what else could you ask for?

This book is Ziggy Bergman’s book. Ziggy is the youngest of the Bergmans—she has 6 older siblings—and she’s tired of everyone treating her like she’s fragile or still a child. Desperately wanting the world to see her in a new light, she concocts a plan to show everyone she is an adult. She’ll befriend her brother’s bad boy best friend to show everyone she isn’t this delicate little flower. Enter Sebastian. Sebastian is the bad boy of the hockey world. He’s impulsive and acts out in self-sabotaging ways when he’s upset. His agent tells him to clean up his act if he wants to keep playing hockey. When Ziggy comes to him with her proposal, he agrees, hoping this will help revamp his image.

What neither expects is a true, deep friendship budding between them with the possibility of more.

I LOVED this book. It’s everything I expect with a Chloe Liese book. I had a constant smile the whole time I read it. Ziggy and Sebastian are precious together. They truly see each other for who they are. There’s no judgment between them, only acceptance and love. Liese developed their relationship perfectly. Everything felt natural.

What you can expect:
✨Brother’s best friend trope
✨ fake friends to real friends to lovers
✨slow burn romance
✨sports romance
✨autism & celiac rep
✨ bi and pan rep

I'm a huge fan of Chloe Liese and her Bergmann brothers series. Ziggy's entry is an interesting one, as it's an incredibly slow burn romance with very little spice. I'm already looking forward to the next book from her. Can't get here soon enough!

I love this book so much. Just like Chloe Liese her other books this is a book you can hardly put down. These main characters were amazing just like their banter. They really helped each other grow. As always it is amazing to get to see more of the other Bergmans. I also love Linnie so much. I can't wait to see more of them all in Viggo's book, but we will have to be patient since it's going to another year.

Ziggy Bergman has had enough of the people in her world not taking her seriously and still treating her like a child. Sebastian Marchand, her brother’s best friend, is in an angry, self-destructive spiral and can’t seem to care enough to pull himself out of it. So Ziggy proposes a fake friendship—he’ll look better by being seen with someone as innocent and stable as Ziggy and she’ll finally be able to scuff up her reputation a bit. While helping each other help themselves (I feel like we all need to give angry yoga a try), they realize that they’ve accidentally become real friends and maybe would like even more.

This is the slowest of slow burns leading to possibly the most earned when they finally get together I’ve ever read. Through the series we’ve seen Ziggy as an uncomfortable teen reeling from her Autism diagnosis to now a strong, powerful woman who knows who she is and just needs everyone else to catch up. Sebastian is wounded and bitter, for very good reason. I also loved that Ziggy recognized and understood the mourning for his old life Seb would have once he realized he had Celiac. It’s two people who come into each other’s lives at exactly the right moment leading them to want to be the best versions of themselves for each other. I seriously love this series so much—like I won’t shut up about it to my poor friends. You can jump in with any book but I’d highly recommend all of them. Available 4/11/2023.

Chloe Liese scores again with her newest release, If Only You, which is a 5 out of 5 stars phenomenal brother’s best friend sports romance novel. This is #6 in the Bergmans series, but it can easily be read as a standalone. However, once you meet one Bergman, you will want to meet them all! Chloe Liese continues to deliver incredible love stories with fantastic disability representation while also giving you the best kinds of feels.

This book. This book!!! I don’t think I have enough words to properly explain how much I love this book. These characters & their story completely captivated me. This book revolves around the youngest sister & professional soccer player, Ziggy as well as Sebastian, who is her brother’s best friend & a professional hockey player. They are both looking to revamp their public images & decide to use each other’s company to hopefully achieve said goals. The events that follows include family dinners, angry yoga, books, games & so many adventures.

It was such a delicious slow burn of a story with the tension & chemistry between these two constantly simmering & moments of their sparking attraction close to boiling over. My heart was fully immersed into this story. I adored both of the leads.

As someone with chronic stomach issues, I was excited to see that represented & the agony that it creates depicted. I am also neurodivergent, so I am always grateful for more representation there with Ziggy being autistic. It was heartwarming & joyous watching both of these characters grow into their best selves after going through such difficult times.

Sebastian as a hero was just incredibly swoon-worthy. I have one word, bookstore! This is the type of story that makes you just giddy to read it & I honestly didn’t want it to end. The love I have for this fantastic fictional family of the Bergmans is unreal. I am not ready for this series to end, but thankfully I cannot wait to read the next one.

I highly recommend this book & the entire Bergman series to anyone in the mood for wonderful romances with the best kind of family & filled with so much heart, humor, heat & amazing disability representation!

The author also makes playlists for their books that you can listen as you read if you are wanting & able. They are an excellent & eclectic group of songs I always enjoy & find new songs to add to own playlists, which is rad.

It’s an honor that I’ve received an arc of this, which I don’t take lightly. I am just continuously so thankful for this opportunity as well as so grateful for Chloe Liese for her continued representation of the disabled community. It’s a joy to read & witness & gives me so much hope. Thank you times a million.

Content Warnings: This is an open door romance with consensual sexual intimacy. There is also a character on the autism spectrum as well as a character with celiac disease. It includes the topics of self-medicating with alcohol & substances as well as past with a verbally abusive step-parent & abandonment of a parent. This was included at the beginning of the story, which I always think is super neat.

I will add this to social media, Amazon, StoryGraoh & Barnes & Noble on release day & add links once I do!

I truly enjoyed the growth these characters had with each other and in themselves. It wasn't until chapter 26 that I was falling in love with this book. The time skip (six months) kind of threw me in loop since you don't get a true aspect on what happened in those months (you do get some tidbits from Sebastian) but I just wanted to see them fall more in love with each other in the slow burn that was happening instead the insta-love moments we had in the last few chapters.

SLOOOOOOW BURN. The slowest burn of any of the Bergman books, I think. I loved getting to know Ziggy more, and I also super loved Sebastian, the tortured soul and one of Ren's best friends and hockey teammates. Sebastian and Ziggy make a pact to help each other with their respective reputations-- Ziggy desperately wants to be seen as the adult that she is, and Sebastian needs a little taming before he irrevocably self-destructs. They start off as pals and then catch feels. It warmed my heart to see Sebastian thawing enough to let someone in, and if anyone could wiggle her way in, it would be Ziggy and her crazy family. Bergman shenanigans are still present, a highlight as always. I honestly thought that the burn was a little too slow-- it could have used some additional sexy times, and it wouldn't have impacted the point that Sebastian was making with his personal goals; considering the time jumps, it just seemed a little too long. But I'm also not a patient person. Props, as always, to the neurodivergent, mental health, and LGBTQ+ representation!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my thoughts.

Chloe Liese did it again like she always does!!
Bergmans always bring such a joy to me.
I've loved ziggy from the book 1 because I see so much of myself in her.
Ziggy is a youngest of the family and also on the soccer team. Sebastian is ice hockey player and also Ren's best friend.

I absolutely adored the Ziggy and Seb's best friends to more than that journey.
This book is written so tenderly.

My Ren-Frankie heart!!
I cannot wait for Viggo's book!!

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the arc in exchange of an honest review.

FRIENDS-TO-LOVERS IS THE ELITE TROPE, I DON’T CARE WHAT ANYBODY ELSE SAYS‼️ It’s the pureness of it that gets me every time 🥹

THE BOOKSTORE & HALLOWEEN SCENES…. Guys, you are not ready for what you’re going to read!! Chloe Liese really made a reader’s greatest dreams come true with this book 😍

♡ Friends-to-lovers (aka the BEST trope 🥹)
♡ Sports romance (hockey 🏒& soccer ⚽️)
♡ Brother’s best friend
♡ Bad boy x good girl

Ziggy and Seb are everything I could have ever expected / wanted from them and more. Seb is our poor broken soul and Ziggy’s just someone that wants to be seen for who she is rather than the version of herself she once was. Their chemistry FLEW off the page from literally the first chapter🔥🔥 The way that they grew to be more whole and healthy people together as the book progressed was truly the most pure experience that I’ve ever got to witness.

Seb describes Ziggy at one point as a ”delicious contradiction of shy quiet and sheet courage, tender feeling and tenacious fire” and I loved that about her character. Chloe Liese will never under-deliver and give us anything less than complex, three-dimensional MMCs and FMCs & I love that about her books ❤️ Her writing style has you falling for both characters hard and rooting for them the whole way through the book.

Where can I submit my request to get a Ziggy x Seb hug? 🥹

Now, please excuse me while I cry over the fact that we only have ONE more book left in this absolutely fantastic, world-altering Bergman Brothers series 😭 I didn’t realize how much I missed this series until I started reading this book. I swear, I was only a chapter into it and it felt like coming home ❤️

If you haven’t started this series yet, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Chloe has done it once again, another beautiful, emotional love story featuring the beloved Bergman siblings. I was so excited for Ziggy's story after all of her appearances in the other books and this one truly did her character justice. Seeing her grow throughout the story was amazing and made me want to be a little braver too. Seb is now one of my favorite love interests in the series because who doesn't love a reformed bad boy!?! The slow burn of this story was totally worth it and I loved every moment of the build up. I will once again be waiting very impatiently for the next installment in the series to see all of the characters again and see Viggo finally get his happily ever after!

“I’ve never been this close to something this unspeakably good. I have never wanted more to be worthy of it.”

This is the first book I’ve picked up in weeks. And I read it in one afternoon not moving off my couch. If Only You was everything I’ve come to love by Chloe Liese. It is nonstop sweetness and romance, but not shying away from the work that comes with doing hard things.
This book is a true journey from pretend friends to real friends to more, and it was done so organically. It feels very true to life.

I loved the MC’s. I loved their care for one another from the get go. Their friendship was something to aspire to. And watching their feelings bloom left a nonstop smile on my face. I feel like it could have gone a lot of directions, but it was absolute low angst perfection.
The honesty of living with neurodivergence and celiac disease is heartfelt and inclusive. The authors note at the end had me wiping away tears.

This was just a really swoony and lovely romance and I am so excited and yet know I will be so saddened when the series ends next year. Thankfully- I LOVE a good re-read.

Ziggy is great at soccer, but struggles with being taken seriously. Her brother's best friend Seb can rub people the wrong way and needs to change his image. When Ziggy proposes that they start a mutually beneficial arrangement, they start to really get to know each other as more than just casual friends. Just as cute as the rest of the Bergman Brothers series. I love that there is a sports element to the story, but there's also real depth and emotion between the H and the h.