This was a very anticipated final entry for the Bergman series and it did not disappoint! As always Chloe Liese did a great job at including different disabilities in a humanizing and relatable way, and I personally saw a lot of myself in Viggo, also having ADHD. It was also good to see a character that was previously pretty comedic, and see more of his depth and flaws and insecurities. Tallulah provided a good contrast to his personality, with her own struggles both with her family and her diabetes. I always enjoy when books let women be the more cynical or jaded one, because many of us are going through things like that. I also just loved seeing a plus sized woman be loved and seen as desirable without any addendums, or any moralizing or connections to her diabetes.

The time jump between the very beginning and the main part of the book was a little surprising to me at first but everything was kept very clear so it was never confusing. Overall, I very much enjoyed meeting Tallulah and seeing Viggo finally get his own love story.

🅐🅡🅒 🅡🅔🅥🅘🅔🅦
🪻𝙊𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧🪻
𝖢𝗁𝗅𝗈𝖾 𝖫𝗂𝖾𝗌𝖾
𝘉𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 #7
#BerkleyPartner #Berkley

If you haven't joined the Bergman family at the A-Frame consider this your invitation. This is the seventh and final book in The Bergman Brother (and sisters) series and oh my heart. Viggo has been a presence in his other siblings love lives as a hopeless romance reading romantic. Now he gets his own story. Tallulah is a black cat type who definitely doesn't have the same feelings about love, but maybe it just takes the right ONE to help her see that it can exist. I love that Chloe Liese makes a point to represent all types of neurodivergence and health issues in her books. Lu is a type 1 diabetic and Viggo has ADHD. This books releases on April 2nd, add the entire series to your TBR!

Viggo Bergman, a hopeless romantic, juggles a chaotic life of running a romance bookstore, coaching soccer, and caring for a menagerie of pets. When he teams up with Tallulah Clarke, a chilly love cynic with writer's block, to swap skills and cohabitate, sparks fly. Despite their differences, they find an unexpected connection that challenges their beliefs about love and reveals that happily ever after might be closer than they think.

Thank you to @berkleyromance @netgalley for the eARC of this beautiful book!

Read if you enjoy
⛅️ Reverse Grumpy x Sunshine
💖 Romance Reading MMC
🐈‍⬛ Black Cat FMC
🚻 Roommance
📕 Book Stores
🪴 Naming Your Plants
🧲 Opposites Attract
🥰 Large Family

Grateful for this arc by @chloe_liese @penguinrandomhouse
5/5⭐️
Where do I start with this book—Only and Forever is the 7th book in the Bergman Series. I started this series out of order(starting with Ollie) and I became obsessed with Chloe’s writing style. Then I went down the rabbit hole of the whole series— This book follows Viggo and Tallulah.
As I was nervous reading this book as my expectations were very high—Chloe never fails my expectations were exceeded. It was a bittersweet experience reading this book, I did not want to finish this series and close the chapter to the Bergman siblings— seeing Viggo and Tallulah navigate their relationship and overcome the perception of love and the pressure they put on themselves(mainly Viggo with his love for romance books). The push and pull of the relationship is written so amazing, it’s hard not to fall in love with their relationship development.

Also all of the Bergman siblings being there and they are so extremely close is something I’ve always loved about each book—they are prefect for each other. I could recommend this for the rest of my life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing the ARC.

I have been such a sucker for this series, but wow, Chloe Liese has outdone herself with Viggo and Tallulah. Watching these navigate their own narrow-mindedness when it comes to love and relationships and subsequently falling for each other was an absolute treat. I loved the way that Liese portrayed her characters, because the absolute love she has for them shines through them and right off the pages. I just want to wrap Viggo and Tallulah in a warm blanket and bask in the love that these two have for each other.

Sad that the series is over, but so so happy with how everything turned out, especially for the biggest romantic in the bunch. This book brought me so much joy and happiness that I literally cannot stop gushing about how much I love it. What a commendable end to an amazing series.

3.4

First of all, although this is technically the end of the series, if Chloe Liese doesn’t take advantage of a prequel of Alex and Elin’s origin story, it’s a missed opportunity.

I have read the entire series so far, including one twice, since a new cover design made it appear as a new release and I offered to review it for an advanced copy. Fortunately, it was a good one. So far, they’ve all been good. A bit smutty sometimes for comfort, but it’s an interesting world she has written in the Bergmans.

Only in LA, could someone open a romance bookstore expect success. Well, only in a romcom and LA and with a family full of famous athletes and their friends. It was always going to be different with Viggo. He’s the one that taught all of his siblings about romance and how to make the big gestures.

There are a couple things that have thrown me for a loop and maybe muddied my otherwise very fond reading experience. One, is at the end. The other is his ADHD. As someone with it as well, I’m always very interested to read what ADHD characters, as though that’s their defining feature, are like. It’s a bit tricky. In this book, Tallulah is a type one diabetic and you can’t miss this fact for more than a few paragraphs. I’m sure that’s how it feels to be a diabetic too. She has a pod that is always attached to her somewhere, has to commonly do a lot of math and think about whatever she eats or drinks. She does openly admit that she’s well off and can even pay for treatments that aren’t even covered by her expensive insurance. That makes things nice and easy…ish.

While I don’t want ADHD to be someone’s defining characteristic and it’s different for different people, it kind of felt like Viggo’s ADHD was only brought up as a convenience factor when he wanted to relate to her diabetes or to pose a sudden plot issue. It’s nuanced throughout in the way that he hasn’t kept one interest for long and has lots of things going on, though he seems to finish a lot more things than I would imagine. Of course, all of those disasters of jobs, none of them seeming to be very lucrative, have somehow allowed him to buy a building in LA and create a bookstore. By the way, I can’t exactly get my head around the building and the house in the back half. I love Romeo and Juliet, though the five kittens was a bit selfish. I love Linnie too. Why are four-year-olds in romcom always so intelligent and adorable?

Now for what got under my skin…most.

START SPOILER
<spoiler>
Viggo does mention at the beginning that he wants to open his romance bookstore in both LA and near the A-frame, so it’s not technically a spoiler. However, and I did mention that bookstores always work in books, but who would ever believe that a romance bookstore would succeed in a town that has, thus far, not even had a name? If I lived there, I would be mad that the only grocery store was not only going to close, but a romance bookstore was taking its place. Talk about a missed business opportunity! Well, you might say, it is kind of near Seattle, so maybe people visit and like quirky shops? To that, I can only say that the Kindle comes from Seattle. Obviously, they have lots of money to waste, but it was just irksome enough that it’s all I thought about as I tried to go to sleep. I guess it really was a spoiler!

End SPOILER
</spoiler>

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review

4.5 ⭐️ What an ending to a magnificent series.

The friendship and love that Viggo & Tallulah had for each other is nothing short of magical. The true measure of a great book is one you don't want to put down but have to so you can truly savor it.

Thank you for this opportunity and no thank you for making me cry in the epilogue.

This series and author are my end-all be-all all-time favorites so it's difficult to right a review when my thoughts boil down to: I them so much, and why is this the last book. Told with warmth and depth, Liese writes books that give so much more than a story. The characters and plot are layered, nuanced, and reflect people not typically seen as MCs, but have universal appeal. This book is no different and I fell in love with Viggo and Tallulah as much as the other Bergman couples. Liese does a great job of expanding his character and story so this feels like an extension of shaping Viggo's story which is like getting to know a close friend even better since we've seen him quite a bit in his siblings' books so it felt like I already knew him.

A great series that I recommend to anyone who might even be slightly interested, I hope somehow that there will be more of the Bergmans in the future, but I will settle for more and more books from Chloe Liese.

The Bergman family is one of my favorite fictional families. This book is bittersweet. I was equally thrilled to get a new book and sad that these stories were coming to an end. It ended on such a high note, not only for Viggo and Tallulah, but the entire Bergman family!

Viggo Bergman is the brother who’s been invested in everyone else's HEA, but is yet to have one of his own. Then he sees her again. Tallulah Clarke. Tallulah and Viggo met in college, but Tallulah was stand-offish and even though Viggo tried to engage with her, it didn’t go anywhere. It seems not much has changed…

Viggo and Tallulah are very much opposites attract/grumpy-sunshine. Add in some forced proximity and these troupes were really giving it! I loved Viggo’s optimistic outlook, hopeless romantic heart, and all-around fun-loving personality. Once Tallulah came out of her shell she was wonderful too. She balanced out Viggo perfectly and I loved that she gave such a great romantic gesture towards the end.

As always, Chloe writes the best kind of inclusive and diverse books. This book was no exception. It made me smile, laugh, swoon, and even tear up once or twice. If you haven’t met the Bergman family I can’t recommend these books enough!

I loved the beginning of Liese's Bergman Brothers series, but these last two books have unfortunately fallen off a cliff for me. ONLY AND FOREVER lacks the chemistry and wit that is a staple of Liese's earlier works; the book slogs through mountains of inner monologuing to a weak finish.

Another masterpiece by Chloe Liese 🙌 I put off reading this because I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the Bergmans, but what a beautiful ending to a beautiful series that has meant so much to me. Chloe’s words are healing and I’ve found comfort in her characters that make me feel seen, Viggo and his ADHD especially in this book. Viggo and Tallulah had me sobbing, screaming, giggling, and kicking my feet, rooting for them and their love the entire time. I’ll forever scream my praises for this series because it is pure magic.

There's something so hard, yet satisfying when a series comes to an end. The Bergmans have been a part of my life for the past four years. I've laughed with them and cried with them. I feel like they are a part of my family.

I've been waiting for Viggo's book since the beginning. He's been that character that has piqued my interest and kept me guessing. Viggo's kept his secrets, and becasue of this, his book did not disappoint. This romance novel and baked goods lover finally found his happily ever after in Tallulah.

Tallulah is the grumpiest of grumps. She's used to keeping everyone at arm's lengths and doesn't believe in love. Not a talker, Tallulah shuts down immediately. When Viggo steps into her life, she's not used to someone caring for her. She’s always been the caretaker and making things better for everyone. Yet Viggo is just genuinely kind and caring and ever so patient with Tallulah, that her walls slowly break down, one by one.

Only and Forever felt like a warm hug. The way Viggo and Tallulah care for each other in their own ways was heartwarming. They showed up for each other using their own love languages, whether it was baking low sugar/low carb brownies or helping out with a youth soccer team. I loved that they spent the novel working on themselves and supporting each other along the journey. There was mutual respect between the pair coupled with palpable tension. Their chemistry is easy and comfortable, yet they are super horny for each other.

As is usual with Chloe Liese books, there's fantastic representation, including ADHD and Type 1 Diabetes. There's also a positive light shone on therapy, as well as strong communication with your partner. I loved that Only and Forever had a long passage of time, allowing the characters to not only fall in love, but also have strong character growth. The book also starts off strong with Jukebox the Ghost as the first song on the playlist, so I really couldn't complain.

Only and Forever is a grump + sunshine, slow burn, forced proximity romance between two roommates. It's out in the world April 2.

Thank you Berkley Romance for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. I’ve loved every book of this series and have been reading arcs of them since the beginning. I was so thrilled to receive a copy of Only and Forever! Lula and Viggo were everything!

You wouldn’t have known how Viggo struggled from his siblings’ perspectives but I enjoyed seeing his perspective. He and Tallulah were college classmates, but reunited because their sisters are best friends. They both need a little help and agree to an arrangement that will help them both. Tallulah will live with Viggo and help him run his new bookstore and she’s receives free rent and help with her manuscript. Tallulah starts off so closed off and Viggo is the epitome of sunshine. I loved seeing how they rubbed off on each other. This book was just so tender. From seeing Viggo struggle with his insecurities about the store to Tallulah’s struggles with her book and her family/relationship history: I loved watching them grow closer and grow deeper feelings for each other.

As I expected there were moments that made me laugh and cry. Liese’s writing is just so good. I’m so sad to see the end of this amazing series, but I also can’t wait to see what we’ll get to read next from Chloe Liese!

loved this story! it wraps up the Bergman Brothers series beautifully and shows that there’s a happily ever after ending for each of us.

This felt like a hug - warm, soft, tender, and everything I could want from the conclusion to this beloved series. I loved the roommates to lovers situation, which allowed our couple to slowly deepen their emotional connection and let down the walls around their hearts. They could not be more different in their views on love, so I adored that they were able to find some common ground without compromising themselves. Viggo is this hopeless romantic who has been holding out for butterflies, and I'm so glad he finally found them in Lula. It's a definite black cat/golden retriever situation, and the softest, quietest love story ever. Sure, they have plenty of chemistry (and a few smokin' hot scenes!), but it's such an understated romance. I wasn't itching to get back to the story when I set it down for the day, but I was wrapped up in it whenever I was turning the pages. I'm sad to see the series go, but this was just what I wanted from the finale.

The story follows Tallulah, a writer who can't seem to get the relationship dynamic in her latest book right. She has never experienced true love or intimacy, so she's having trouble putting it on the page. When Tallulah runs into Viggo, a guy she knew in college, it brings back some feelings she buried long ago. Viggo is a sunshine sweetheart of a man who unapologetically loves romance novels, and the two are poplar opposites in every way. But when they realize that they're both struggling, they strike up a deal - Viggo will help Lula with her book, and she'll help him get his new bookstore ready to open. Suddenly, they're roommates and working together every day. It's impossible to deny the spark of attraction that flickers between them, but there's no way two people with such different views of love could ever find their way together... right?

I've been a longtime fan of Liese, but this is my favorite book of hers since Ever After Always and Always Only You. The series as a whole has been a little uneven, but each book excels in immersing the reader in these quiet, tender vibes. What I loved about this one is that the characters were both complex, but their health conditions were not their whole personality. Viggo has ADHD and Lula has diabetes, but that didn't define them. The story is much more personality-based, and I loved that. Tallulah is the kind of heroine whose walls are up sky high, and it would take a guy who is as lovable as Viggo to even have a chance of scaling them. He is the ultimate cinnamon roll sweetheart, just this adorable man. They had some fantastic chemistry, and I loved the slow burn to sizzle situation. But they really did connect on an emotional, intimate level, which was exactly what they needed. As I was reading, I was thinking that I wouldn't mind if the tension was dialed up another notch, but then it would risk losing its understated, gentle feel. All in all, this wrapped up the series in a bow and delivered a very solid love story, which is exactly what I wanted.

We've been waiting for our Viggo's Story and it did not disappoint.

I've always suspected that our Viggo was the most emotional, purest heart, insecure one of the whole Bergman family and I was delighted by his story with is Tullahlu!!!

Viggo has so many Ideas about what romance is supposed to be and its a wonderful story to watch him figure out that there is more to love than what is written in books. And Tallulah's journey to figure out love is just as heart wrenching.

They were perfect for each other. Just..perfect.
This was the perfect ending to one of my favorite series and while Im happy to see everyone's happy ending, Im sad it's over!

Highly recommend and if you have not read the entire series, PLEASE just start from the beginning!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own

Chloe Liese does it again! In this sweet, lovely ending to the Bergman series, she writes two more beautiful humans finding their way to each other. I really find the way Chloe writes about neurodivergence and disability so affecting. You can tell she takes great care and I hope people feel seen like I have in her writing. There were times I found Viggo maybe a bit too earnest, too wrapped up in his romance ideals (the fact that he’d never let himself have a real relationship because he had such high standards as it related to sweeping romance was tough to believe), but at the end of the day, I think I just gave in to the earnestness and sweetness and let myself read something lovely. I’m going to miss this series but glad I have them all to reread!

I feel so sad to bid farewell to this series and the Bergman family! I don't want to at all because I cherish this family and the cast of amazing and flawed yet so lovely and beautiful characters with all my heart. At the same time, I can't wait for Chloe Liese to take me to a new world and journey with her upcoming books and I just can't wait too see what she has for us in store in the future!

So this book follows the youngest child in the family, Viggo, and his love interest Tallulah. Their love story was so tender I swear to God! Circumstances pull their fate together and they end up being each other's roommates and from there, they embark on a journey together, one that is so full of raw tenderness, challenges, witty and funny banter, hot chemistry, a deep connection and so much more!

Elements like a bookstore opening, rescue dogs, and cowriting a book set the stage for their budding romance. The book contains more exposition to catch up new readers, and past characters add depth to the story. Lu's character challenges genre stereotypes, making her journey towards love relatable. The representation of neurodivergent and disabled characters is handled with care. The book celebrates love, diversity, and the power of representation in romance literature. I couldn't recommend it more!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an arc!

ONLY AND FOREVER – Chloe Liese
The Bergman Brothers, Book 7
Berkley
ISBN: 978-0593642474
April 2, 2024
Contemporary Romance

Los Angeles – Present Day

Viggo Bergman and Tallulah Clarke are as different as night and day, yet they are somewhat friends. Her sister is currently engaged to his brother, so this means they often come into contact with each other. Viggo is romantic at heart and reads romance books that end with a happily ever after, while Tallulah is a newly published thriller author whose books don’t end with a HEA. But now they are about to help each other out and it may forever change their lives in ONLY AND FOREVER.

Viggo is getting ready to open a romance bookstore in Los Angeles and feels a bit overwhelmed. He encounters Tallulah and learns that she is struggling a little in writing her second novel and needs a place to stay. He offers her a room in his home. In exchange for free rent, she can help him prepare the bookstore for its opening and work there for a few weeks until he has everything under control. What starts as a friendly exchange of help soon turns into more as they become sexually aware of each other. Is it too close for comfort? Or is our couple about to find their own happily ever after…together?

Their relationship starts out distant but friendly in ONLY AND FOREVER. Viggo is a nice guy even though he seems to have his head in the clouds a lot. Or is that due to the audiobooks he likes to listen to? Tallulah doesn’t have much experience when it comes to love, especially since her parents were always bickering when she was a child. Viggo on the other hand, comes from a large family who are always getting together to celebrate one milestone after another. Living in close quarters as roommates soon turns into a battle of wills—of pretending that they aren’t attracted to the other. If they give in to the lust they’re feeling, will it destroy their friendship? Tallulah seems to think so. Can Viggo change her mind?

Much of ONLY AND FOREVER has Viggo and Tallulah waffling a lot about their romantic feelings for each other. With their bad road records in that department, one can understand why they are hesitant to embark on a trip down the romantic relationship path. Meanwhile, she helps him get ready for the bookstore opening, even as he keeps putting off the opening day. He has his doubts about its success. Will Tallulah give Viggo the push he needs? Will he convince her to add a HEA to her newest thriller? In fact, will she finish it as she has promised her publisher? So many questions and one that readers will want the answers to. Find out by grabbing a copy of ONLY AND FOREVER. Will it be a happy ending for Tallulah and Viggo?

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

This was ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTFUL. I loved the reverse grumpy sunshine trope, the representation with both characters, the romance and the vulnerability shared between them. My marshmallow heart ate this up and loved every moment. Also I’m totally manifesting myself a guy like Viggo ❤️.

4.5/5⭐️

The first thing that grabbed my attention in this book is how super sweet Viggo is depicted. He is the epitome of the best romantic guy you could ever meet or develop for a book. I mean, who in their right mind could not fall for him?

To balance that off is a stand-offish Tallulah who comes off like an ice queen. I really did not think I would enjoy her character much, but Liese won me over with her. Together these two had this spark and energy that bounced off the pages.

Only and Forever brings in many levels of anxiety between the two of them that sometimes came off to me as a lack of self-confidence. Needing others to validate you all the time is tiring, but at least it was balanced between the two of them as they both struggled with believing in themselves.

This story is one where you need to focus on the development of their romance, even though it was screamingly slow. Only and Forever is a delightful, swoony romance that makes your heart sing by the time they capitulate to the reality of what was meant to be.