This book stole my heart. Out of the hundreds of books I've read, there are very few book boyfriends in the same tier as Soren Bergman. A perfect man and a perfect book. This is one of my favorites books in one of my favorite series of all time.

I really enjoy the family dynamics in this series. It’s fun to get to know the family. I really, really loved the female main character in this book. I loved being in her point of view. The miscommunication part was annoying but I get why Frankie felt that way.

I feel like author Chloe Elise needs more recognition, after reading the first book in this series I was pretty much hooked on this author and this series because the Bergman family is a big, loveable mess of a family. This #OwnVoices story features an autistic heroine (the author is on the spectrum) who also has rheumatoid arthritis and a professional hockey playing hero who has secretly wanted her for 3 years but given they both work for the same team they are as forbidden as Romeo and Juliet (and to understand that reference, you must read this book). She’s his team’s social media manager, but he was willing to wait however long it took for them to be together. Blending the perfect amount of sweet, sexiness, and emotion, author Chloe Elise’s Always Only You is a perfect romance.

I adored both of these characters from the start; the seemingly grumpy, aloof, but highly capable Francesca (Frankie) and the nerdy, perpetually always smiling Ren. They seemed like polar opposites, but that doesn’t stop the attraction between them or the fact that they can’t act on it, so they form a strange friendship that has them growing closer every day.

Frankie’s autism and rheumatoid arthritis doesn’t define her character, but it does present challenges for her every day. She has worked hard to find what helps her in her daily life and she sticks to it, she is determined to live her best life and not let her inflictions dictate her life. She has close friends who understand her, she has a dog that she adores, and while she lives across the country from her family she also knows that despite their hovering they love her. She has a quick wit and despite her hard exterior, she’s got a soft underbelly she only lets very few people see.

Ren….<sigh> …he’s a good guy hero and they are seriously my crack. He’s so even keel about everything. He’s got a nerdy side despite being a well respected and talented athlete. He’s a good listener, a good leader, and always tries to do the right thing. I freaking ADORED him and the way he was bound and determined to love Frankie.

I loved watching these two together with Ren breaking down Frankie’s walls, Frankie convincing Ren that she enjoyed all of his geeky parts, and them both realizing they were safe in the company of one another. While they had a few bumps in the road, it was all for the greater good.

I was so happy we once again got to spend time with the Bergman family and how easily they accepted Frankie into their fold and more importantly how she let them. It was great to see her be a mentor for Ren’s little sister, Ziggy and while I was a bit thrown off by what happened between Freya and Aiden (Freya being Ren’s older sister and Aiden her husband who had a pretty large supporting role in the first book), I trust Ms. Elise to attack their story with the upmost care she gives all her characters.

Always Only You held me captive from start to finish, the writing was crisp, the characters likeable, the romance intense and I am so happy to have found another family series to enjoy.

Loooove the Bergman Brothers! Ren is a delightful cinnamon roll professional hockey play, and Frankie is a grumpy heroine with rheumatoid arthritis. I LOVE THE REP! Chloe includes so many different chronic illnesses and different abilities in her books, and it makes them so real.

Ren and Frankie 5eva! Seriously loved this dynamic as I'm a sucker for a grumpy sunshine trope and throw in Frankie's strong streak of independence and I was sold. Ren and Frankie have worked together for years meaning anything between them is not allowed. This doesn't prevent Ren from pining for Frankie and as situations change and they end up pushed together in their personal lives feeling start to develop. But as obstacles are thrown their way and Frankie's self sabotage streak kicks in, it'll be a bumpy ride to happy ever after.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

As a chronic ill neurodivergent woman, this book wrecked me. It’s perfect.i don’t have the words to tell you how much I love this and what it meant to see this representation.

4.5 rounded up. I was so excited for the second book in the Bergman series and it did not disappoint! I absolutely loved both Ren and Frankie and their relationship. I also continue to appreciate the representation in this series and in Chloe Liese’s books. I have yet to read other books that portray neurodivergent characters as well as characters with chronic illnesses and autoimmune diseases/disorders in this way. I will continue to be a fan of Chloe’s books and can’t wait to continue this series

THE BEST Bergman book (at least so far)!

Grumpy sunshine, laugh out loud, and own voices autistic representation! The story is adorable and sweet but still charming spicy and full of chemistry.

Chloe Liese really sets the bar for romance and especially representation in romance -seriously no one is doing it like her! The stories are so earnest and honest and clearly from the heart which makes it so easy to connect to and leave a lasting impact.

These books are the ones I keep going back to and keep reading over and over again.

I LOVEDDD this book! Chloe Liese's books are always so swoony and and the representation is always amazing. Frankie and Ren were everythingggg from the first page, and I can't wait to read the rest of the books in this series!

REVIEW: Always Only You ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 (4.5)

“Books help me feel a bit more connected to a world that often is hard to make sense of. Books are patient with me. They don’t laugh at me instead of with me. They don’t ask why I’m “always” frowning or why I can’t sit still. Books welcome me—weirdness and all—and take me exactly as I am.”― Chloe Liese, Always Only You

Why I didn’t start this series sooner is beyond me! Always Only You is the second book in the Bergman Brothers series and didn’t disappoint. Chloe Liese builds her characters well, and I love the family she is building throughout the series.

Frankie and Ren balance each other well, which helps their chemistry. The playful banter was always cute and brought a smile to my face. I especially love that our heroine is on the spectrum. Many misconceptions exist about those on the spectrum, especially about emotions and love. Chloe did a fantastic job showing Frankie's challenges and that she is fully capable of a relationship. Representing a female on the spectrum is especially important because the media generally only shows males.

Overall, I really enjoyed Always Only You. It gave me all the feelings and spice I wanted in a romance while also giving me unique perspectives. The story drew me in quickly. I liked that Always Only You had the same feel as the first book but still had a different and unique story. I cannot wait to continue in the Bergman Brothers series!
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Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for a free advanced copy for my honest review!

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Continued series of Bergman universe, good characters, good foundations continued stories throughout

Frankie Zeferino is the social media coordinator for the hockey team Ren Bergman plays for, therefore he’s off limits. Not that she’s attracted to his perpetual sunniness or anything, lol. She totally is!

Frankie has the reputation of being a no-nonsense, take-no-crap kind of girl, and she completely encourages that perception. First of all, as a woman in the hockey world she wants to be taken seriously and second, she has trouble deciphering social cues sometimes so it’s easier to be thought of as grumpy in her reactions than clueless. Plus, she is kind of grumpy at times since on top of being autistic she’s deals with chronic pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis.

Ren is the sunshine to Frankie’s grump, and he’s been secretly pining for her for the last three years. Knowing their job dynamics make it impossible for them to date, he’s been biding his time. Fortunately for Ren the wait is just about over.

It was refreshing to have a heroine dealing with real life struggles. It made Frankie easy to relate to and I admired how she made an effort to not them steal her joy. She found ways to help and manage her conditions. Ren was an absolute cinnamon roll sweetheart! With his position and fame, he could’ve been a conceited jerk, but he was the exact opposite. I loved how caring and considerate he was with Frankie, while at the same time not being a push over. These two were sweet and extra spicy together!

The Bergman family was a big, loud, boisterous bunch and I’m looking forward to getting to know a few more of them! This is my second time through Always Only You, and I enjoyed it just as much as the first. I love the new covers Berkley has designed for the series! Frankie and Ren are illustrated perfectly!

Read if you like:
🏒 Hockey Romances
📸 Workplace Romances
🧠 Autism Rep
🫥 Invisible/Physical Disability Rep
💋 He Falls First
🔥 Slow-Burn
2️⃣ Dual POV

This is the second book in the Bergman Brothers series and I am absolutely hooked and will be reading the rest of this series probably back to back because I can’t get enough!

I love that Chloe writes real characters with disabilities, issues in their life, vulnerabilities, weaknesses, and challenges they are struggling to overcome all wrapped around finding love.

I absolutely loved the Ren was a mushy hot virgin pro hockey player with only eyes for Frankie and had been pining after her for several years and finally got the chance to shoot his shot.

I loved the way the Bergman clan was weaved into this story after meeting them in book 1 of the series and truly just love the family so much I’m excited to read all of the siblings stories and get to see a bit more of Frankie and Ren in their stories.

I loved the nicknames and banter between these two and loved that their story came together slowly in a way that really worked with Frankie being afraid to let someone in but willing to rush things physically and Ren being willing to let her in his heart quickly but slow to the physical as this was a perfect yin and yang for their personalities and their love story.

If you are looking for a romance series to sink into, I highly recommend this one as I jumped straight into book 3 already! Thank you Berkley for my ARC in exchange for my review!

I’ll preface my review by saying that I’ve never read a book about an autistic character and I found it really enlightening. Frankie suffers from rheumatoid arthritis as well, and since I suffer from chronic pain myself, I did completely relate on that front. But aside from those facts, the romance in the book wasn’t anything out of the ordinary and I felt very meh on the whole book. Part of me kept reading for the spice and the rest of me was like, the slow burn is bumming me out.

Like some of the other reviews mention - there’s some Harry Potter references that are the epitome of cringey. Hedwig got a raw deal (IYKYK). I appreciate the author’s note at the beginning that she doesn’t include JKR references anymore - but my god there was no reason to include what she did. The only okay one was Frankie calling her cane “the Elder Wand.” No issues with that but I take issues with the rest.

The writing is mostly good and I am still curious for the other Bergman siblings’ stories. But I definitely wouldn’t read this book again. Honestly, I want to read Viggo’s book next but of course it’s the final book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Always Only You is sweet and cute. This book is a great addition to this series by Chloe Liese. Frankie and Ren are likable and unique characters with a charming love story. A pleasant surprise!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the ARC.

I really enjoy a hockey romance especially when the main character is as sweet as Ren. He has known from the moment they met that Frankie was a woman worth waiting for. The only thing standing in his way is the fact that she is the social media manger for his team and romance between players and staff are not permitted. Frankie is very blunt and admits to being a grump. She might have gone for a guy like Ren in the past but she has had too many past relationships where her diagnosis turns into a burden and she is not prepared to risk her heart again. When it is revealed that Frankie will be leaving the team to start a new career, Ren thinks he finally has a chance. He is going to have to work hard to prove that he is deserving of a shot at winning her heart.

Virgin hockey Viking hero, sign me up!

This is book two in the Bergman Brothers series, and I’ll admit I loved the tropes here. The forbidden office romance, the hero with unrequited love. The list goes on and on.

I thoroughly enjoyed Ren and Frankie’s story. Could not put this one down. The only thing that kept it from a five star for me is that the conflict was resolved rather quickly from the romance perspective.

Let’s talk about what works. Frankie works, her inconvenient attraction to Ren, the sunshine hockey god on the team she works with. Frankie is into social media, for the team, and a future in sports marketing. She’s got a lot of health issues and channels her energy into being as grumpy and unavailable as possible. When her house is broken into leaving her unsafe, Ren is there to offer her a safe place to stay.

Ren is just… well, everything. The fact he loves Frankie, so much so that he is waiting for the right time to tell her. As the two grow closer and the situation presents an opportunity, Ren finds himself unable to hold back the part of himself that wants to get closer to Frankie. This wild ride from unrequited attraction to budding relationship is so much fun. The grumpy/sunshine trope adds a special element as well, especially since the trope is flipped and the heroine is grumpy versus the hero.

Overall, this is just a sweet story to dive into with plenty of heartfelt and laugh out loud moments to enjoy. The Bergman series keeps delivering and I’m looking forward to the next book.

~ Landra

This is truly the book that had me falling in love with the Bergman clan. While Willa and Ryder (Only When It's Us) are captivating, Ren and Frankie are next level.
Ren Bergman is the star nice guy Hockey Player on his team and he's had a crush on Frankie Zeferino since the first time he saw her. But this cinnamon-roll, Shakespeare-quoting, nerdy pro athlete is a bit of a shy gentleman when it comes to love. Frankie on the other hand is a straight-talking, ball-buster who is too tough to let people see her inner gooey self. But after waiting for years for the right time, Ren learns that Frankie is planning on leaving the team and he decides to shoot his shot. With his easy acceptance of her neurodiversity (autism) and physical limitations (Rheumatoid Arthritis) even the self-proclaimed grumpy-grump Frankie can't resist his charms.

Big Bonuses:
- Autism Rep (#OwnVoice)
- Rheumatoid Arthritis & Cane Rep
- A Big Fluffy dog.

Stars 5/5
Spice: 3/5

DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

Think some of the biggest issues readers are having is that publishers keep trying to make these covers a thing... Yes the one for this book is adorable, but could of been so much better.

Always Only You was really cute, but some of the verbiage used was not it!
Velvet wrapped steel sounds unhinged lol. Talking about Harry Potter panties also can cause some ick like feelings.

There was actually in my opinion too many HP remarks. I am a sucker for hockey romance so that did make up for a few things.

Thank you for sending me this to review. Settling somewhere between a 2.5 and a 3.