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annahamburger's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Alcoholism, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Alcohol, Car accident, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug use, Cursing, Vomit, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Abandonment, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Self harm, Pregnancy, Excrement, Grief, Medical content, Misogyny, Vomit, and Violence
Features autistic FMC, some autism related Trauma discussed throughout book by autistic character.whatmadsreads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Chronic illness, and Mental illness
Moderate: Abandonment, Cursing, and Alcohol
Minor: Pregnancy and Vomit
lennie_reads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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
4.75
Thank you to Chloe Liese and Netgalley for this ARC. I was given this arc as I identify as bisexual, the same as Ziggy.
As the youngest of 7 boisterous Bergmans, Ziggy is fed up of being treated like a baby. She is now 22, living independently and has a promising football (soccer) career ahead of her. To try and get her family and the media to take her more seriously, she devises a plan to ask her brother Ren's notorious hockey team mate, Sebastian, to pretend to be her friend. He needs some good press after a string of bad decisions and she wants to tarnish her golden reputation a little.
I want to say this is a slow burn but it also doesn't feel like it at all. I loved the twist on the fake dating trope; Chloe easily could've just had Ziggy & Seb fake date then fall in love (no shade, I love a fake dating trope) but it felt very refreshing to have a fake friendship situation instead. However don't be fooled, there is still a ridiculous amount of chemistry and sexual tension between them!
I absolutely loved Ziggy & Seb, they were such a fun and sweet couple and we need to protect them at all costs, especially Seb.
Seb is a precious babygirl who deserves all the hugs and love in the world. I also really enjoyed Ziggy having major soft domme energy and Seb absolutely eating it up.
I really enjoyed seeing their growth throughout the book, in both their personal and professional lives, and I was also very glad to see more of Ren & Frankie.
I also appreciated a, seemingly insignificant, part in the book where Ziggy's neice talks about being a witch and casting spells which she learnt from Frankie, but there was thankfully no mention of the transphobe or the franchise.
I related to Ziggy in a lot of ways, firstly being bisexual, but secondly because Ziggy is autistic and the more I read and learn about autism in women, the more I'm convinced I am also autistic. This is why representation in books and the media in general is so important.
I can't believe this series is nearly at an end?! Maybe Chloe will treat us to a book on how Elin & Dr B got together? đź‘€ We can hope!
Thanks again to Chloe for this ARC and I will definitely be reading this book again.
CW: abandonment, alcohol, drug use, sexual content, abusive parents
As the youngest of 7 boisterous Bergmans, Ziggy is fed up of being treated like a baby. She is now 22, living independently and has a promising football (soccer) career ahead of her. To try and get her family and the media to take her more seriously, she devises a plan to ask her brother Ren's notorious hockey team mate, Sebastian, to pretend to be her friend. He needs some good press after a string of bad decisions and she wants to tarnish her golden reputation a little.
I want to say this is a slow burn but it also doesn't feel like it at all. I loved the twist on the fake dating trope; Chloe easily could've just had Ziggy & Seb fake date then fall in love (no shade, I love a fake dating trope) but it felt very refreshing to have a fake friendship situation instead. However don't be fooled, there is still a ridiculous amount of chemistry and sexual tension between them!
I absolutely loved Ziggy & Seb, they were such a fun and sweet couple and we need to protect them at all costs, especially Seb.
Seb is a precious babygirl who deserves all the hugs and love in the world. I also really enjoyed Ziggy having major soft domme energy and Seb absolutely eating it up.
I really enjoyed seeing their growth throughout the book, in both their personal and professional lives, and I was also very glad to see more of Ren & Frankie.
I also appreciated a, seemingly insignificant, part in the book where Ziggy's neice talks about being a witch and casting spells which she learnt from Frankie, but there was thankfully no mention of the transphobe or the franchise.
I related to Ziggy in a lot of ways, firstly being bisexual, but secondly because Ziggy is autistic and the more I read and learn about autism in women, the more I'm convinced I am also autistic. This is why representation in books and the media in general is so important.
I can't believe this series is nearly at an end?! Maybe Chloe will treat us to a book on how Elin & Dr B got together? đź‘€ We can hope!
Thanks again to Chloe for this ARC and I will definitely be reading this book again.
CW: abandonment, alcohol, drug use, sexual content, abusive parents
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Drug use, Abandonment, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, and Alcohol
chronicallybookish's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
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
4.5
Quick Stats
Age Rating: 18+
Spice Level: 2.5-3/5
Over All: 4.5 stars
Plot: 4.5/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Special thanks to Chloe Liese and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.
Chloe Liese is, and will always be, one of my favorite authors, and the Bergman Brother’s series remains the best romance series I’ve ever read. Every installment further solidifies it’s position, and Ziggy’s was no exception.
If Only You isn’t my favorite of the bunch, but that doesn’t mean it’s not an amazing book. I honestly don’t think Chloe Liese is capable of writing a bad book. I’m so in love with the wit and humor (and steam!) that wafted from the pages of this book.
This book is promoted as fake friends, real benefits which is an attention-grabbing tagline to be sure. Who wouldn’t want to read that? However I feel like it’s a very inaccurate description of the book. This book is fake friends, to real friends, to lovers. The friendship starts out as a publicity stunt between Ziggy and Sebastien, but they explicitly say that it’s a real friendship at around 30%, before even a kiss occurs. There are no benefits until passed 70%, and the first full sex scene is a while after that, after they confess their feelings and become a couple. So, its not fake friends with real benefits. It’s not even regular friends with benefits.
The pacing of the plot and the emotional relationships were great. Not to mention the absolutely immaculate tension and mutual pining. Oh my gosh, the tension in this book was palpable. However the pacing of the actual spicy scenes was… a bit off in my opinion. For most of the book there’s just tension, and like, one not-quite-sex scene. It was very tame for a Chloe Liese novel—until the very end. It’s like she tried to pack in as much sex as she could into the last three chapters to make up for the lack of it throughout. And for me, it was just too much. It was almost jarring, having it all shoved in right at the very end, compared to the spice levels throughout the book.
Ziggy is one of my favorite romance leads to date. The autism rep was amazing—as Chloe Liese’s autism rep always is. You can tell, reading this book, that Ziggy’s experiences come from Chloe’s own. There’s a depth to the portrayal that can only exist in own voices narration. I truly loved how the plot focused on Ziggy’s desire to be seen as a whole, grown human. The infantilization of autistic people—especially women—is a prevalent and important issue, and If Only You tackled it well, without it ever feeling heavy handed. Seeing Ziggy come into her own, stand up for herself, and be able to tell and show her family that she is a grown, badass woman was so powerful and meaningful.
Seb is also disabled. He has Celiac disease, which is diagnosed about halfway through the novel. I was a bit confused at first, because I didn’t realize he doesn’t start the novel with a diagnosis, but I figured it out pretty quick. I also have a lot of GI issues, and though I don’t have celiac, I am gluten free. I loved the portrayal of Sebastien coming to terms with his new diet and finding all the delicious alternatives. I’m jealous—I want Rooney’s list of the best gluten free alternatives! There were so many things Seb said that felt like verbalizations of my own thoughts and emotions when I first received my own diagnoses.
I cannot express how well done every aspect of the disability rep in this book is—how well done the rep in all of Chloe Liese’s books are.
I truly cannot recommend this book more, and I can’t wait for Viggo’s, even though I know I’m going to cry when the series ends.
Age Rating: 18+
Spice Level: 2.5-3/5
Over All: 4.5 stars
Plot: 4.5/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Special thanks to Chloe Liese and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.
Chloe Liese is, and will always be, one of my favorite authors, and the Bergman Brother’s series remains the best romance series I’ve ever read. Every installment further solidifies it’s position, and Ziggy’s was no exception.
If Only You isn’t my favorite of the bunch, but that doesn’t mean it’s not an amazing book. I honestly don’t think Chloe Liese is capable of writing a bad book. I’m so in love with the wit and humor (and steam!) that wafted from the pages of this book.
This book is promoted as fake friends, real benefits which is an attention-grabbing tagline to be sure. Who wouldn’t want to read that? However I feel like it’s a very inaccurate description of the book. This book is fake friends, to real friends, to lovers. The friendship starts out as a publicity stunt between Ziggy and Sebastien, but they explicitly say that it’s a real friendship at around 30%, before even a kiss occurs. There are no benefits until passed 70%, and the first full sex scene is a while after that, after they confess their feelings and become a couple. So, its not fake friends with real benefits. It’s not even regular friends with benefits.
The pacing of the plot and the emotional relationships were great. Not to mention the absolutely immaculate tension and mutual pining. Oh my gosh, the tension in this book was palpable. However the pacing of the actual spicy scenes was… a bit off in my opinion. For most of the book there’s just tension, and like, one not-quite-sex scene. It was very tame for a Chloe Liese novel—until the very end. It’s like she tried to pack in as much sex as she could into the last three chapters to make up for the lack of it throughout. And for me, it was just too much. It was almost jarring, having it all shoved in right at the very end, compared to the spice levels throughout the book.
Ziggy is one of my favorite romance leads to date. The autism rep was amazing—as Chloe Liese’s autism rep always is. You can tell, reading this book, that Ziggy’s experiences come from Chloe’s own. There’s a depth to the portrayal that can only exist in own voices narration. I truly loved how the plot focused on Ziggy’s desire to be seen as a whole, grown human. The infantilization of autistic people—especially women—is a prevalent and important issue, and If Only You tackled it well, without it ever feeling heavy handed. Seeing Ziggy come into her own, stand up for herself, and be able to tell and show her family that she is a grown, badass woman was so powerful and meaningful.
Seb is also disabled. He has Celiac disease, which is diagnosed about halfway through the novel. I was a bit confused at first, because I didn’t realize he doesn’t start the novel with a diagnosis, but I figured it out pretty quick. I also have a lot of GI issues, and though I don’t have celiac, I am gluten free. I loved the portrayal of Sebastien coming to terms with his new diet and finding all the delicious alternatives. I’m jealous—I want Rooney’s list of the best gluten free alternatives! There were so many things Seb said that felt like verbalizations of my own thoughts and emotions when I first received my own diagnoses.
I cannot express how well done every aspect of the disability rep in this book is—how well done the rep in all of Chloe Liese’s books are.
I truly cannot recommend this book more, and I can’t wait for Viggo’s, even though I know I’m going to cry when the series ends.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcoholism, Ableism, Alcohol, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse
cremisi42's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
fast-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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Minor: Alcohol
sarahsbookstacks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-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
4.5
I absolutely adored this book! The torturous slow burn was so worth it in the end. However, I do wish we got to see more of Ziggy and Seb coupled up. They don’t get together together until the very end of the book.
The fake friends with minor bennies to actual friends who have feelings for each other but aren’t ready for a relationship to FINALLY lovers was a lot, but of course Chloe made it work for them.
Seeing more of the entire Bergman family in this book was such a delight, especially Ren and Frankie.
Thank you Chloe and Netgalley for the early copy!
The fake friends with minor bennies to actual friends who have feelings for each other but aren’t ready for a relationship to FINALLY lovers was a lot, but of course Chloe made it work for them.
Seeing more of the entire Bergman family in this book was such a delight, especially Ren and Frankie.
Thank you Chloe and Netgalley for the early copy!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness and Alcohol
Moderate: Car accident and Sexual content
Minor: Bullying
romie_chat's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-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
5.0
*me offering my heart to Chloe Liese* just take it, and let's be done with this.
more seriously, Ziggy is so very dear to my heart. I see so much of myself in her, with Axel she is probably the Bergamn sibling I relate to the most. I simply adore her. and Sebastian? I'm on the floor.
I think it's also so important to see queer people in f/m relationships. Ziggy is bisexual and Sebastian is pansexual, and their being in a relationship together doesn't make them any less queer. I'm just so glad I got to read about their story!
more seriously, Ziggy is so very dear to my heart. I see so much of myself in her, with Axel she is probably the Bergamn sibling I relate to the most. I simply adore her. and Sebastian? I'm on the floor.
I think it's also so important to see queer people in f/m relationships. Ziggy is bisexual and Sebastian is pansexual, and their being in a relationship together doesn't make them any less queer. I'm just so glad I got to read about their story!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness and Alcohol
kaykaysbookshelf's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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
5.0
What to expect: brother's best friend, bi FMC, pan MMC, own voices autism rep, celiac rep, sports romance (soccer/hockey), fake friends, slow burn, no third act breakup
Favorite songs from the playlist: bad guy, Love Myself, Outnumbered, Meadows, Fire and the Flood, Bad Things, Somewhere Only We Know, Save Me, Share Your Address
Thank you to Chloe for the eARC of the 6th installment in the Bergman Brothers Series!!
In true Chloe fashion, I loved it. I stayed up until almost 4 am to finish this book, and it was so worth it.
Chloe took two characters who were fighting their own inner battles against themselves, and gave them someone to stand beside them in the battle.
Ziggy and Seb were everything, and being able to have a front row seat to their journey was wonderful. I've never wanted to hug and hold two characters more and tell them that they deserve everything the world has to offer. I love that they started as fake friends and their banter was top notch. The little things they did for each other were so sweet.
I also really appreciated that while both main characters were queer, it was never a topic of discussion. It was just one line for each where their sexuality was stated, and no one was every questioned or had to explain themselves, and that was wonderful and so causal and it's how I hoped it always went (this also goes for all the queer rep throughout this entire book, and not just the main characters)
The Bergman family meddling was perfect, where it wasn't too much. I really enjoyed getting to see Ziggy as her own person, instead of just "the youngest Bergman." There is also such a good Viggo scene in this book, and it makes me really excited to read his story next.
Throughout this book I cheered, screamed, yelled, gasped, laughed, cried, and just smiled so wide. This book was everything I hoped it would be and I can't wait to reread it 100 times this year
Spice: 3
Favorite songs from the playlist: bad guy, Love Myself, Outnumbered, Meadows, Fire and the Flood, Bad Things, Somewhere Only We Know, Save Me, Share Your Address
Thank you to Chloe for the eARC of the 6th installment in the Bergman Brothers Series!!
In true Chloe fashion, I loved it. I stayed up until almost 4 am to finish this book, and it was so worth it.
Chloe took two characters who were fighting their own inner battles against themselves, and gave them someone to stand beside them in the battle.
Ziggy and Seb were everything, and being able to have a front row seat to their journey was wonderful. I've never wanted to hug and hold two characters more and tell them that they deserve everything the world has to offer. I love that they started as fake friends and their banter was top notch. The little things they did for each other were so sweet.
I also really appreciated that while both main characters were queer, it was never a topic of discussion. It was just one line for each where their sexuality was stated, and no one was every questioned or had to explain themselves, and that was wonderful and so causal and it's how I hoped it always went (this also goes for all the queer rep throughout this entire book, and not just the main characters)
The Bergman family meddling was perfect, where it wasn't too much. I really enjoyed getting to see Ziggy as her own person, instead of just "the youngest Bergman." There is also such a good Viggo scene in this book, and it makes me really excited to read his story next.
Throughout this book I cheered, screamed, yelled, gasped, laughed, cried, and just smiled so wide. This book was everything I hoped it would be and I can't wait to reread it 100 times this year
Spice: 3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol
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