Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

If Only You by Chloe Liese

30 reviews

katsweirdbookshelf's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

First five star review of the year amd my favourite of the bergmans so far. I loved Ziggy and Sebastian so much and as always brilliant rep from Chloe. 

Now I count down the days until Viggo and Lula's story arrives and we leave the bergmans for the last time. (Chloe please write a spin off, prequel or have them cameo in the wilmot sisters series). 

Spoilers!

FRANKIE IS PREGGERS OH MY GOD. BERGMAN GRANDCHILD 3 IS COMING

Viggo bergman you are the love of my life.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, and Abandonment

Minor: Pregnancy and Bullying

megnut's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse

Minor: Alcohol and Drug use

soulwinds's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Alcohol, Grief, Alcoholism, Cursing, and Chronic illness

Minor: Car accident, Classism, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

katrinaward's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Chronic illness and Emotional abuse

hazelgirl21's review

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness and Sexual content

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Abandonment

Minor: Pregnancy

headinthepages's review

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Bullying, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Vomit, Child abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Violence

allingoodtime's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

If this is your first Bergman Brothers book, rest assured this can be read as a standalone. For those of you who have been reading this series all along, you know the Bergmans are incredibly supportive of one another; very morally upright, defenders of those that need defending, etc., etc. I respect authors who write big, wonderful families like this but still let the reader see that even the best families have their flaws. Especially when those flaws push the love interest into indignation protection mode. While nobody treats Ziggy poorly, her family still treats her like she’s a child who needs constant protection and vigilance. Being the “outsider”, Sebastian notices quite quickly how condescending they are to her without any of them realizing that’s what’s happening. I loved it!

Ziggy and Sebastian are a pairing nobody in their lives expected. Yet his best friend, Ziggys brother Ren, seems the most accepting and even glad they found each other. Of course, he was being told they were just friends. But Ren seemed to hope for more between the two, obviously realizing they would be good for each other. With Ziggy’s patience and the fact that she went into their “friendship” with no expectations, she’s able to handle Sebastian’s pushback with aplomb. This gives Sebastian room to breathe and get to know Ziggy without scaring her away. The two have fantastic chemistry, whether on a friend date or when they finally give in and kiss. I’d definitely classify this as a slow-burn type story, but the author kept the fires stoked throughout so I never got frustrated with the pacing. This story is a true friends to lovers because the majority of the book is spent with Seb and Ziggy developing a beautiful friendship. A friendship neither wanted to lose so they continued to hold off the other emotions so they could get their lives in order first.

This book also helped me to understand Viggo a bit better. He has been my least favorite character throughout the series because I often feel he crosses a line. He doesn’t seem to have boundaries and has made some pretty big blunders in the past. Although Sebastian and Viggo seem to have little in common, Seb seems to understand Viggo on a level his siblings do not. (The whole “family keeping you in one neat box” thing is at play again here.) Through Seb, I found sympathy for Viggo and just know the author will find a way to knock him off his feet when his story is told. After all, Viggo thinks he has all the romance answers with his love of the Romance genre.

As for the couple in this book, Ziggy and Sebastian get their HEA of course. It’s very satisfying. It’s everything Ziggy deserves and more. And it’s everything Sebastian didn’t know even existed. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Chronic illness, Mental illness, and Abandonment

Minor: Emotional abuse

btwnprintedpgs's review against another edition

emotional inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Vomit, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, and Alcohol

Moderate: Abandonment and Drug use

Minor: Pregnancy and Bullying

sydapel's review

emotional lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I think this is a strong addition to the Bergman Family series, and these series have a lot of focus on trauma and identity, which I like. However, while the beginning of this is strong, the last act sort is a little anticlimactic. While I'm not a huge fan of unnecessary third act breakups, I do think they lend some energy to the last few chapters of the book, and the lack of that plot device in this book makes the end kinda....boring? I also wanted a bit more character development from Sebastian than what we were offered on page. However, Ziggy is such a lovely character and I liked their dynamic together. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Sexual content

amberlfaris's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Car accident, Emotional abuse, Bullying, and Abandonment