I instantly fell in love with the Bergman family. While I loved the first two books in the series, Ever After Always was my favorite of the three. This one felt the most *real* to me. Ever After Always really resonated with me as it was like taking a glimpse into my own life - the societal pressures of succeeding, the worries of being financially independent / stable, the sometimes crippling anxiety disorder, and the challenges of keeping the romance alive in a long-term marriage. Freya and her husband, Aiden, are close to me and my husband's age (late 30s), and my husband (like Aiden) is also one of five boys in his family.

I loved reading about the Bergmans' family dynamics, the hijinks they get into, and their unconditional love and unwavering support of one another. It's truly admirable and remarkable how close knit they are given that they are such a big family. The book is a bit of a slow burn, and while I don't usually prefer that, I actually enjoyed that aspect in this novel. Ever After Always primarily focuses on the intricacies of Freya and Aiden's marriage and was like taking a look at their marriage under a microscope. I loved seeing their marriage through their lens and seeing how much hard work they put into making the marriage work. You can actually feel all the emotions that they go through. The book is a marriage lesson on acceptance, patience, finding ways to support each other the best way possible (and not letting ego get in the way), and how communication is the key to a successful marriage. This is truly the second-chance marriage story that every married couple needs to read!

There is a bit of a Bromance Book Club vibe to this book, but it's not so much to the point where it's cringeworthy or that it seems like the author was trying to copy that series. I actually prefer the Bergman Brothers series over the Bromance series! The Bergman Brothers series is more realistic to me and I like the family dynamics aspect of it.

I can't wait to read the rest of the books in the series!

4.5 stars out of 5 (rounded up to 5).

Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Pub and Berkley Romance, for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Chloe Liese’s latest book Ever After Always is a wonderful combination of heartbreak and hilarity that will have readers devouring this book in one sitting. The Bergman Brothers Series follows the life of the seven children in the Bergman family as they navigate life, loss, and love. Ever After Always is a second chance romance for Aiden and Freya, who have been married for (almost) a decade. Readers were introduced to Aiden in Only When It’s Us where he (slightly) abused his power as an economics professor to play matchmaker for Willa and Ryder. While Aiden is great at spotting sparks flying between others, he failed to notice the embers slowly cooling between him and his wife. Is their love for each other and support from their family enough? Or will all of the small fractures and lies topple their marriage for good?
As always, Liese tackles difficult topics with sensitivity and grace making for a beautiful love story. The reader gets unique insight into a failing marriage and gets to watch them fall in love again. This book will for sure take you on a rollercoaster of emotions; one minute I was laughing at the Bergman brothers crazy antics and the next I was tearing up as I learned more about Freya and Aiden’s pasts and insecurities. What to expect: pranks gone awry, strong female protagonists, and beautiful music. If you have not read any of Liese’s novels yet, I would recommend starting with Only When It’s Us (another 5 star read for me!), but you can read Ever After Always as a standalone if you want. This book is perfect for fans of the Bromance Book Club and You Deserve Each Other.

This is part of quite a big series of wholesome romcom yet also heart wrenching and exciting books that involve a family of five brothers and two sisters.


I truly adore this and it is now on my list of comfort reads. Thank you.