A review by jaklyn_heath_reads
Only When It's Us by Chloe Liese

emotional funny hopeful 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? No

5.0

I did not anticipate loving this one. It took me completely by surprise! 

Things I loved: 
-Willa. Sunshine.
-Ryder. Lumberjack.
-Grumpy meets sunshine trope
-"Enemies" to friends to lovers
-Supportive family and friends
-Realistic
-No third act break up!
-Steamy scenes
-Pacific Northwest love
-Loss and grief handled in realistic and responsible ways
-Harry Potter references

Things I didn't love: 
-I'm not a big soccer fan, so the soccer aspect of Willa's life was not as engaging for me but I appreciated that there weren't a ton of soccer scenes. Very minor complaint honestly.

Things I'm not sure how to feel about: 
-The disability (deaf and hard of hearing) representation. I am not deaf or hard of hearing so I don't know how someone from that community may feel about how Ryder's disability was portrayed. I felt like it was done with intention and handled gently and respectfully (it didn't feel like it was just to check off a diversity list, in my opinion). Someone from the deaf and hard of hearing community may feel differently given their own experiences. I'm interested to see if anyone has written a review about this aspect. 

This was a wonderful romance. I really loved it and can't wait to read more in this series. 
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