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kelly_e's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Title: Ever After Always
Author: Chloe Liese
Series: Bergman Brothers #3
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: January 12, 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Refreshing • Inspired • Believable
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Freya Bergman has spent a dozen years loving Aiden and never thought they’d find their marriage on the rocks. He’s her partner and best friend, the person she knows she can count on most. Until one day Freya realizes the man she married is nowhere to be found. Now Aiden is quiet and withdrawn, and as the months wear on, the growing distance between them becomes too much to bear.
Aiden would spend a dozen lifetimes making his wife happy. But the one thing that will make her happiest is the one thing he’s not sure he can give her: a baby. With the pressure of providing and planning for a family, his anxiety is at an all-time high. They’re drifting apart and he doesn’t know how to change the tide.
As if weathering marriage counseling wasn’t enough, Freya and Aiden are thrown together for a Bergman family island getaway. Will this trip help them finally work through their trouble in paradise, or be the final wave that tows them under?
💭 T H O U G H T S
One of my reading intentions for 2024 is to make progress in some of the series I've already started, and the Bergman Brothers series is my priority. I really enjoyed books 1 and 2, and was looking forward to getting Feyra's story. Ever After Always was a delightful addition to this romance series.
This romance joins Feyra and Aidan 10 years into their relationship and now facing a marriage-in-crisis. It is messy. It is refreshing. And it is entirely believable. The pacing is on the slower side, yet it is what works for everything to get unpacked. We get to witness both MCs as they work through their issues alone and together.
The anxiety representation is incredibly well done. As someone with anxiety, I related to Aidan in a lot of ways. I appreciated how the author showcases the role of mental health in a partnership and it was inspiring to see Aidan work through stuff on the page. It's quite possible many people may not be aware of the impact mental health can have, not only on an individual but on their romantic relationships.
While the story focuses on Freya and Aidan, the rest of the Bergman family is along for the ride and it was great to be back with their family. I am here for all of their meddling and antics. The vacation portion was fun and entertaining, adding a little bit more to the story than just focusing on the relationship.
While I wasn't as invested in Ever After Always as I was in the first two books, it does show the work and communication needed to maintain a healthy relationship. Chloe Liese is an author I will continually recommend to anyone looking for diverse romance. Each of the books can be read as a standalone, however, for optimal enjoyment I would suggest starting at the beginning. I look forward to continuing the Bergman sibling series this year.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• marriage in crisis
• anxiety representation
• romance series
⚠️ CW: mental illness, panic attacks/disorders, anxiety, addiction, alcoholism, alcohol, grief, sexual content, abandonment, infertility, pregnancy, body shaming, injury/injury detail, cursing, vomit
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"I'm saying happily ever after doesn't exist. Not because life long love is impossible, but because, as we've learned, no couple can live happily, ever after. People whose love lasts, whose love grows and endures choose each other in the unhappily ever after, the dark moments, not just the dazzling ones."
Author: Chloe Liese
Series: Bergman Brothers #3
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: January 12, 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Refreshing • Inspired • Believable
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Freya Bergman has spent a dozen years loving Aiden and never thought they’d find their marriage on the rocks. He’s her partner and best friend, the person she knows she can count on most. Until one day Freya realizes the man she married is nowhere to be found. Now Aiden is quiet and withdrawn, and as the months wear on, the growing distance between them becomes too much to bear.
Aiden would spend a dozen lifetimes making his wife happy. But the one thing that will make her happiest is the one thing he’s not sure he can give her: a baby. With the pressure of providing and planning for a family, his anxiety is at an all-time high. They’re drifting apart and he doesn’t know how to change the tide.
As if weathering marriage counseling wasn’t enough, Freya and Aiden are thrown together for a Bergman family island getaway. Will this trip help them finally work through their trouble in paradise, or be the final wave that tows them under?
💭 T H O U G H T S
One of my reading intentions for 2024 is to make progress in some of the series I've already started, and the Bergman Brothers series is my priority. I really enjoyed books 1 and 2, and was looking forward to getting Feyra's story. Ever After Always was a delightful addition to this romance series.
This romance joins Feyra and Aidan 10 years into their relationship and now facing a marriage-in-crisis. It is messy. It is refreshing. And it is entirely believable. The pacing is on the slower side, yet it is what works for everything to get unpacked. We get to witness both MCs as they work through their issues alone and together.
The anxiety representation is incredibly well done. As someone with anxiety, I related to Aidan in a lot of ways. I appreciated how the author showcases the role of mental health in a partnership and it was inspiring to see Aidan work through stuff on the page. It's quite possible many people may not be aware of the impact mental health can have, not only on an individual but on their romantic relationships.
While the story focuses on Freya and Aidan, the rest of the Bergman family is along for the ride and it was great to be back with their family. I am here for all of their meddling and antics. The vacation portion was fun and entertaining, adding a little bit more to the story than just focusing on the relationship.
While I wasn't as invested in Ever After Always as I was in the first two books, it does show the work and communication needed to maintain a healthy relationship. Chloe Liese is an author I will continually recommend to anyone looking for diverse romance. Each of the books can be read as a standalone, however, for optimal enjoyment I would suggest starting at the beginning. I look forward to continuing the Bergman sibling series this year.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• marriage in crisis
• anxiety representation
• romance series
⚠️ CW: mental illness, panic attacks/disorders, anxiety, addiction, alcoholism, alcohol, grief, sexual content, abandonment, infertility, pregnancy, body shaming, injury/injury detail, cursing, vomit
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"I'm saying happily ever after doesn't exist. Not because life long love is impossible, but because, as we've learned, no couple can live happily, ever after. People whose love lasts, whose love grows and endures choose each other in the unhappily ever after, the dark moments, not just the dazzling ones."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Addiction, Grief, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
Minor: Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Cursing, Abandonment, and Infertility
mylynn's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
thanks to Berkley Romance for this ARC!
(review CW: infertility)
Let me just start by saying this is my favorite Chloe Liese book so far! Granted, I've only read 3 but this one was just so good. I wasn't sure about it because I've never read a "marriage in crisis" book and also because how can a book about an already married couple have tension/banter BUT it delivers SO MUCH TENSION. This book had me on the verge of tears for the majority of the book (in a good way) and I really enjoyed reading it.
Another reason why I enjoyed it so much was how relatable it was to me. As someone with an anxiety disorder and who also dealt with watching everyone around you get pregnant while it's not happening for you this book hit very close to home, and I really felt for Freya and Aiden and all the things they were going through. Their growth throughout this book was so refreshing to read, and I loved their relationship.
ALSO, this book was just re-published by Berkley with a bonus chapter so even if you've read this book you might want to look again 👀!
(review CW: infertility)
Let me just start by saying this is my favorite Chloe Liese book so far! Granted, I've only read 3 but this one was just so good. I wasn't sure about it because I've never read a "marriage in crisis" book and also because how can a book about an already married couple have tension/banter BUT it delivers SO MUCH TENSION. This book had me on the verge of tears for the majority of the book (in a good way) and I really enjoyed reading it.
Another reason why I enjoyed it so much was how relatable it was to me. As someone with an anxiety disorder and who also dealt with watching everyone around you get pregnant while it's not happening for you this book hit very close to home, and I really felt for Freya and Aiden and all the things they were going through. Their growth throughout this book was so refreshing to read, and I loved their relationship.
ALSO, this book was just re-published by Berkley with a bonus chapter so even if you've read this book you might want to look again 👀!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Body shaming, Abandonment, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Pregnancy
amris's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
- 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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Mental illness
Moderate: Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, and Alcoholism
dianaschmidty's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Abandonment, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Fatphobia, Body shaming, and Vomit
Minor: Infertility
hazelgirl21's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Infertility and Abandonment
Minor: Dementia
apolen's review against another edition
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Mental illness
Moderate: Abandonment, Pregnancy, and Infertility
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Body shaming
kshertz'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
If you’re looking for a romance that is a marriage that’s gone cold and needs to be jumpstarted again, this one’s for you. I haven’t read this type of romance before and as someone married for about 10 years, a lot of it was relatable. It was very realistic and sweet. Not my fav in the whole series (#2 so far) but it was good!
Content Warnings
Minor: Abandonment, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Infertility, and Alcoholism
kb33's review against another edition
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Though the topic of a struggling marriage is heavy, the problems in this story seem so easily solved compared to many real life causes of problems in marriages. So this book was emotionally heavy, it wasn’t very heavy and it didn’t bring me down (much).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Pregnancy, Infertility, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, and Infidelity
casideea's review against another edition
emotional
fast-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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Alcoholism and Infertility
valeria_gzz's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
I think I want to give this 5 stars because of the way anxiety was a huge subject (even though it just made mine a tiny bit worse) and because even though it was sad a LOT it was SOOO SO funny and lovely and 🔥🔥hehe. This made me giggle so much because it was funny AND because of Aiden and Freya.
Also what a cool name “Freya” maybe it’s because I’m reading the Magnus chase books right now but I dig it.
Just the way Aiden talked and thought about Freya is the way people deserve to be thought and talked about!!! Even tiny seemingly insignificant things made me either aawww or go wide eyed because of how powerful they were. Their love for each other was just Ahsjdkskdhsjs so freaking adorable.Also…HE READ A MASS MARKET PAPERBACK HISTORICAL ROMANCE!!! AND ON TOP OF THAT HE READ PERSUASION TO HER!!! I WISH someone would read me my favorite Jane Austen novel *cough* specifically Captain Wentworth’s proposal and Mr Knightley’s too if they have time *cough*
I did not take sides in the problem because I saw both sides and understood both which is honestly a little new to me because a lot of the times I am very clearly misogynistic in blaming the heroine and not the hero for the problems in a book (I also blame certain authors for writing the story that way though it’s not all me). Anyway that just means I love Freya and want to be her when I grow up.
I didn’t love thedad storyline but also didn’t hate it I thought it was okay but liked Aiden’s reaction to it.
Not like I didn’t say it a million times while reading this but holy crap I CANNOT wait for Viggo’s book, it will be the death of me I just know it.
One last thing: I am LOVING the last chapters of these books because they are so much better than regular epilogues. AND OH MY GOSH HOW COULD I FORGET TO SAY THIS: THIS SERIES ACTUALLY SHOWS YOU HOW PREVIOUS CHARACTERS ARE DOING AND NOT JUST ONCE IN THE WHOLE BOOK BUT SPRINKLED THROUGHOUT!!! Okay im done
Also what a cool name “Freya” maybe it’s because I’m reading the Magnus chase books right now but I dig it.
Just the way Aiden talked and thought about Freya is the way people deserve to be thought and talked about!!! Even tiny seemingly insignificant things made me either aawww or go wide eyed because of how powerful they were. Their love for each other was just Ahsjdkskdhsjs so freaking adorable.
I did not take sides in the problem because I saw both sides and understood both which is honestly a little new to me because a lot of the times I am very clearly misogynistic in blaming the heroine and not the hero for the problems in a book (I also blame certain authors for writing the story that way though it’s not all me). Anyway that just means I love Freya and want to be her when I grow up.
I didn’t love the
Not like I didn’t say it a million times while reading this but holy crap I CANNOT wait for Viggo’s book, it will be the death of me I just know it.
One last thing: I am LOVING the last chapters of these books because they are so much better than regular epilogues. AND OH MY GOSH HOW COULD I FORGET TO SAY THIS: THIS SERIES ACTUALLY SHOWS YOU HOW PREVIOUS CHARACTERS ARE DOING AND NOT JUST ONCE IN THE WHOLE BOOK BUT SPRINKLED THROUGHOUT!!! Okay im done
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming and Fatphobia
Moderate: Abandonment, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Infertility, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Alcoholism
Minor: Addiction