2 Frenemies.
1 Disastrous prank.
Ryder
Ever since she sat next to me in class and gave me death eyes, Willa Sutter’s been on my shit list. Why she hates me, I don’t know. What I do know is that Willa is the kind of chaos I don’t need in my tidy life.
She’s the next generation of women’s soccer.
Wild hair, wilder eyes.
Bee-stung lips that should be illegal.
And a temper that makes the devil … be illegal.
And a temper that makes the devil seem friendly.
She’s a thorn in my side, a menacing, cantankerous, pain-in-the-ass who’s turned our Business Mathematics course into a goddamn gladiator arena. I’ll leave this war zone unscathed, coming out on top…And if I have my way with that crazy-haired, ball-busting hellion, that will be in more than one sense of the word.
Willa
Rather than give me the lecture notes I missed like every other instructor I’ve had, my asshole professor tells me to get them from the silent, surly flannel-wearing mountain man sitting next to me in class. Well, I tried. And what did I get from Ryder Bergman? Ignored.
What a complete lumbersexual neanderthal.
Mangy beard and mangier hair.
Frayed ball cap that hides his eyes.
And a stubborn refusal to acknowledge my existence.
I’ve battled men before, but with Ryder, it’s war. I’ll get those notes and crack that Sasquatch nut if it’s the last thing I do, then I’ll have him at my mercy. Victory will have never tasted so sweet.
Only When It’s Us is a frenemies-to-lovers, new adult sports romance between a women’s soccer star and her surly lumbersexual classmate, complete with a matchmaking professor, juvenile pranks, and a smoking slow burn. This standalone is the first in a series of new novels about five Swedish brothers and their wild adventures, ending in a true happily ever after.
more
College soccer star Willa Sutter is juggling her career, school, and her sick mother. The last thing she needs is to get paired up with a rude, obnoxious, incredibly cute lumberjack in order to pass her business course.
Ryder Bergman is coping (barely) with his loss of hearing and a promising soccer career. All he wants is to be left alone. Unfortunately, his professor- and brother-in-law- is determined to draw him out of his shell. His latest plan? Assigning a fiesty, cantankerous firecracker of a woman as Ryder’s partner.
The war is on.
This is a funny, sentimental, heartwarming story with so many different elements. The relationship between Willa and her dying mother will bring tears to your eyes. Then there’s Ryder, who developed bacterial meningitis in high school and had his entire world turned upside down.
I love how the author brought humor together with these serious real-life problems and created an unforgettable story. I will definitely be watching for more from the Bergman brothers!
Hands down, one of the best NA / College Romance books I’ve ever read!
Let me start by saying I’m glad I didn’t know any spoilers before reading this book. Because the element of surprise was just that, a huge surprise, and that just intrigued me more.
The hate/dislike was real as well as the attraction. I loved the banter, the snarkiness, and the little pranks they played. If they went too far or pushed too much, they would own up to it and back off. They were the true definition of “frenemies”. Sarcastic to each other all the time, but if one of them were hurting or upset about something, the hate went out of the window and the friendship kicked in 100%.
This was written so well. The characters were very mature (yes there are childish pranks, but don’t we all pull them from time to time?), I didn’t feel myself inwardly rolling my eyes and saying “grow up” as I do with a lot of NA books.
I look forward to the next book in this series, but I won’t have any expectations that it will be as good or exceed this first one.
A real feel good romance you will indeed feel right down to your soul!
Willa Sutter is–and I quote, “tempestuous”. Short tempered, aggressive, real fiesty, and a bit gutsy. Underneath her bravado is a girl trying to balance her life as a D-1 student athlete, and in between, spend as much time as she can with her ‘mama’.
Ryder ‘Ry’ Bergman is not only Willa’s Business Mathematics classmate but he’s like this big, broody, grump of a man who hides behind his scruffiness. He is the “Keeper of Notes”, notes Willa needs in order to pass; and now he is her new project partner.
Where Willa is wild and surly, Ryder is the complete opposite–safe and calm. But something about Ryder and his aloofness handles Willa and her ornery personality very well. But sometimes these two are hot and cold, providing my heart with just the perfect clash of angst to balance a novel that is full on antics and repartee.
With a big family presence, Chloe Liese weaves a lighthearted novel that piques one’s interest in the rest of the Bergman crew. A slow burning yet fiery frenemies-to-lovers romance, Only When It’s Us is emotionally provoking, humorously fulfilling, and so very full of heart!
I was impressed by this newer author, the book kept my interest, with a strong H&h and an engaging plot, I wanted to keep reading. Personally, I love the fact each chapter was written from both the male & female & probably a large part of why I enjoyed this book & the authors writing so much. The only negative of the book for me personally was the fact the main characters seemed or were ‘spoke’ a bit ‘older’ than the plot seemed to indicate they were. Also, I can’t decide if the song linked to each chapter is a positive or not but it definitely doesn’t detract from the plot.
While I did receive a review copy of the book from NetGalley, I am voluntarily leaving my own opinion with this voluntary, unsolicited review.
Well, I was told to read this book, because it’s so damn freaking amazing. I was finally able to and I don’t regret one single second. I loved it a whole lot!
Chloe Liese is a new author for me, but I can easily put her on my list for more! The writing is is awesome. There are so many feelings in this book, it’s incredible. Love, swoony, sexy ness, grief, frustration, fun, everything.
It’s so much more than a ‘simple’ college romance. It’s perfect.
You’d never know unless you pick it up to read it!
What can I say about these frenemies to lovers, sport NA romance? Amazeballs!!!! An amazing, captivated story about two intense great developed characters. Both Will and Ryder are easy to fall in love and they both have some deep personal issues but together they can accomplish more than they can dream about. I loved both of them and they both developed in front of our eyes in amazing people. Their slow-burn love is teasing us trough the book until explodes. I hope that the next brother will too have an amazing story.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for NetGalley
Wow, I really enjoyed and loved this book! It was so different than I expected. Took me a while to finish due to circumstances but I read every moment I could grab.
Willa is a young athlete at uni. She plays soccer so she juggles a strict training and game schedule next to trying to keeping her grades up. When she meets Ryder (due to the scheming of their professor) it is hate at first sight (for Willa at least) but then she discovers Ryder is deaf and they develop a frenemy-relationship. Willa also has mother dying of cancer, which really got to me. There was a lot in this story tugging my heartstrings actually.
Overall this book has many factors and I loved how the relationship between Ryder and Willa (friendship but also a slow burn) developed. I highly recommend this book! It deserves a spot on my favorite-2020 shelf.
*** I received an ARC via Netgalley but this is my honest and voluntary review. Plus, I bought my own copy!***
You know that moment when you go blind into a book because you don’t know anything about the author or the story but from the first chapter you just can’t stop reading and want to turn page after page so fast ? That’s what happened to me with this story.
I loved it so much! The writing was great and the characters are so perfect together that at first glance you will always say “Nope, this wouldn’t work in a million years!” But it does and omg how much it does!
I can’t recommend it enough and I’m so looking forward to the next books in the series.
If you’re a fan of frenemies to lovers, the sloooow burn, snappy humor, and smokin’ hot chemistry, this book needs to be on your TBR list. I’d go so far as to say it needs to be at the TOP of that list!
Only When It’s Us is a story of two people, both coping with their own difficult situations, that learn to open themselves up to the possibility of more. Vulnerability doesn’t come easily for either of them, but they can’t seem to stop circling each other in a game of cat & mouse that has the potential for heartache. Their individual stories are both heartbreaking and life affirming. I laughed, cried, and swooned countless times. Their happily ever after was like receiving the perfect hug when you need it most. Sunshine & Lumberjack’s romance put me in the best mood and I’m looking forward to reading it all over again!
Thank you to @netgalley for the #advancedreadercopy & for the introduction to a “new to me” author that checked all my romance-lovin’ boxes! I’m excited to see what the author has planned for the rest of the series.
This is a perfect example of not judging a book by its cover. While the cover didn’t thrill me, I LOVED the story. Both Willa and Ryder were complex, relateable characters. And the chemistry between them just sizzled! Loved the banter as they moved from enemies to frenemies. This is a slow burn romance that will have you cheering for them as they navigate the scary situation of leaving yourself vulnerable to another person. I am so looking forward to reading the next in this series!
I received a free copy from Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.
5 Flannel wearing Lumberjack Stars!!
It was a complete fluke that I decided to request this book. I was on Twitter and someone had tweeted about reading it and I just had to try to get a copy. I am so happy that I got to read this delightful book. I absolutely loved Willa and Ryder. They both have had some crappy stuff happen to them but they are both still trudging on. When they meet there’s a big misunderstanding but thanks to a meddling professor they are now partners.
These two start off as major enemies, then move on to frenemies and then lines are blurred and while Willa is determined to keep him in the friend zone Ryder is having nothing to do with it and is determined to win her over. This book will have you riding a gamut of emotions from laughing to crying to crying while you laugh.
This book is a definite must read and I cannot wait to get Soren’s book.
**Received an ARC through NetGalley. Voluntarily reviewed**
This author certainly knows how to write characters that touch your heart and soul in a big way. I absolutely adored her first series (The Tough Love Series) and I’ve been anxiously waiting for her next release and it far exceeded my expectations! Wow, if Ryder is any indication of what the rest of these Bergman Brothers are like, we’re in for a spectacular series from this author! Willa and Ryder are forced together in a very unique, very unusual set of circumstances that I don’t want to get into and spoil for anyone because every single thing about this book is incredible. It was heartbreaking, eye-opening, thought-provoking and everything I’ve come to love about this author’s distinct and exceptional writing. Not everything in life is as it appears and Only When It’s Us certainly exhibits that thought. I know I’m reading a winning book when I don’t want the book to end and I don’t want to say goodbye to the characters because they live in my heart. If you want to read incredible, extraordinary words that will stay with you for a lifetime, read this woman’s work — I absolutely loved it! 100+ stars!
3.5*
“Life doesn’t live itself for you, and nothing is promised to us.”
Only When It’s Us is my first Chloe Liese book, and it won’t be my last. Willa and Ryder aren’t your standard new adult romance leads. They both have their own goals and struggles in life, their own strengths and weaknesses, and they both grow in this book on their own and with each other. OWIU is slow burn, but the tension between the characters is there from the very start. They share a class together and are sort of forced into interacting. Which is difficult for each of them for different reasons. Willa hates confrontation and “difficult conversations” and Ryder is hard of hearing due to a past illness, and still dealing with the loss emotionally/physically.
What I love so much about this book is that these characters are still doing their own thing, but they are also falling in love. They fall for each other sort of because of their differences and not just in spite of them. OWIU is extremely well written and flows well even though slow burn isn’t my usual favorite. While this book is highly emotional and sweet, it has it’s steamy moments, and I will definitely read the rest of the series!!
Love Transcends!
Only When It’s Us is a beautiful love story that transcends both physical and mental barriers. The way only love can.
I was effortlessly drawn into Willa and Ryder’s world. The characters’ first interaction intrigued me and their subsequent moments were just as enticing. Their attraction and banter was flirtatious and fiery and fun.
This book gets slow burn passion right. A fuse is set between Willa and Ryder from the beginning and it continues to flare throughout the story, without ever getting snuffed out. The spirited “verbal” sparring keeps both the reader and characters on edge. There are layers of emotions to uncover and trust to be unlocked.
Ms. Liese did a wonderful job of building the world in which our characters struggle and also find advocacy. The supporting characters add depth and we get vivid glimpses into the foundation of these unique, endearing individuals.
Only When It’s Us will make you laugh and cry. It is a journey of emotions and hope. The kind of hope that only their trust in one another can inspire. It inspires friendship and ultimately love!
Absolutely wonderful in every way!
Delicious slow burn romance
Big, quirky, Swedish-American family
Lumberjack hero with some serious grump
Sassy and impulsive soccer star heroine with some grump is her own
Exploration of love and loss
Chloe Liese just joined my Mariana Zapata slow burn queen, I’ll read anything she writes list! Ryder and Willa were the perfect frenemies to lovers story that explored issues of abilities/ableism, parental illness, and navigating the breach between young adult and adult.
The big, quirky Swedish-American family made you want to be a part of their world…which lucky for us there’s at least five more siblings who are unmarried so we will get to visit again and again!
I received a complimentary review copy of this book but all opinions are my own.
Only When It’s Us is a sweet, angsty, slow burn with a lot of heart and humor. Willa and Ryder are prickly in their own ways both with plenty of reason to be so. When they’re forced to partner up in a class together, they both learn how to trust and love. This was not a typical NA/YA novel, yes both characters are in their last year of college, but both are dealing with some very big and unfortunate life issues. It has great banter and a lot of humor, it is most definitely not a fluffy book (but does have an hea). I loved watching Willa and Ryder both grow and help each other through tough times. I’m excited to see where the other stories in this series go. Thank you to the publisher and author for an arc.
Is it possible that Ryder just bypassed all of my book boyfriends ever? Why, yes. Yes it is. Gah! I can’t stop thinking about Ryder. His love, his patience, his strength, it’s all too much. This man is just all the things. When we first meet him we see him through Willa’s eyes. He is broody and a bit of a jerk, but quickly your perception will change once you know all of the things.
Willa was so guarded because of her past. She had a hard time trusting people and opening up, especially with men. She fights her feelings tooth and nail. Both Ryder and Willa have things they don’t open up about to each other, but when things come tumbling down for Willa, they will both realize how much the other means to them. Ryder wants more, Willa wants to keep everything on the surface because she doesn’t want anymore pain. This book is a beautifully written slow burn that really focuses on love and trust before all. Loved, loved, loved it.
I’ve had this in my Kindle for a while and am kicking myself for not reading it sooner! It was close to perfect and I read it in a little more than one day (darn taking care of those little humans – so distracting).
This book had everything – swoon, steam and flirty snark. I loved the dynamic between Willa and Ryder from the moment they met and the frenemy to lover relationship. I loved that they weren’t perfect – and that they weren’t blind to their faults and owned them. I sometimes get frustrated if characters are oblivious or too stubborn to acknowledge their flaws and this was the perfect blend of awareness of their issues and realistic resistance to fixing them. Much to my husband’s chagrin I am not a fan of bushy, lumberjack beards so that might have been Ryder’s one imperfection (maybe the man bun but I actually think it kind of worked for him). I loved how they pulled each other forward and grounded the other at the same time, especially how solid Ryder was for Willa. Solid as a rock.
I also love how Chloe adds songs for each chapter – y’all know how I love pairing up my books and songs.
Quote:
“I can be happy anywhere. As long as you’re there, and there’s earth and sky around me. But you don’t want it to be that simple. Because you’re scared of where it leads. I’m scared too, Sunshine. This is vulnerable shit. I just know I’d rather be afraid with you than fearless with anyone else.”
Song for Willa and Ryder:
Steal My Love by Dan and Shay, “I swear I’m staring at heaven, Holding you here tonight, Watching all the stars align, I wanna stay for forever. Yeah, the sky could be falling, The world could unravel, But you’ll still be safe in my arms.”
I’m so glad I chose this book and I’m so glad it’s the first in a series! This is my first Chloe Liese read, but it definitely won’t be my last. Ryder and Willa couldn’t be more compelling and compatible, even with their instant love/hate chemistry. I laughed many times as I listened to the audiobook and I melted over and over again as the two came to grips with their feelings and their challenges. Excellent romance read!
Audiobook Review
This is my first Chloe Liese book, I put it on my must read list because of the bookstagram and I am so happy I did! Even though I listened to this book it gave me all the feels. Liese’s writing style is so emotive and the duel narration of the audiobook was frigging fantastic.
Willa is so young and yet has been and is still going though so much and yet she is still very caring and compassionate, so strong and independent that she doesn’t know how to not take care of others or let them take care of her. Ryder is still grieving from his massive life change and doesn’t want to like this brash, head strong girl, but their chemistry is undeniable.
The burn is slow and sweet with this one. And when we finally get there it’s emotional and tender, while also being sexy and spicy.
I need a physical copy of this book so that I can read it again and mark it up. Liese you have a brand new fan I can’t wait to read/listen to the rest of the Bergman series and to reared this book.