With You Forever (The Bergman Brothers)
C**S
The Bergmans just keep getting better
The book hangover with this family is so real. I’ve also been sitting on writing this review, because I can never quite put into words how much I love this series, and Chole’s books in general. There’s something special about her writing and ability to draw you into the story, and show you the characters, their love etc vs. just telling you about it.I love how the pace and style of each of the Bergman books really relates to the Bergman sibling who the story is about. It’s truly like Ax was sitting down over dinner to tell you the story himself. Given that we’re dealing with Axel and Rooney this book isn’t filled with the sunshine/rainbows/hijinks/banter present with Ren and Ryder, and I mean that in a good way. That would feel so out of place for Ax and Rooney. This book was quite the sneaky , sweet and heartwarming slow burn, with forced proximity and marriage of convenience at its finest.I think Chloe’s speciality is telling stories that are incredibly human, but also uplifting and heartwarming. The way Rooney’s health issues were woven into the story were so truly relatable and real, but didn’t sugarcoat how difficult a chronic illness can be. It reminded me, that sometimes our bodies can fail us, but it doesn't make us any less strong or resilient. I obviously love the Bergman family more and more with each book. Seeing Ax’s love for his family from his side will definitely hit you in all of the feels. It was an unexpected delight seeing him deal with an impromptu visit from the man cubs. I also obviously can’t wait for Ollie’s book.PS- there’s also a dog and kitten, along with an adorable friend’s kid who attempt to steal the whole show, and they are all the absolute perfect sidekicks in this story.
E**A
Swooooooony!
“You promised, if another kiss was necessary, you were going to make it terrible.”Air leaves him unsteadily, as he leans closer. “I’m not going to keep that promise.”Oh my goodness with the swooning. EPIC LEVELS OF SWOONING.This is the story of Axel and Rooney. It is sweet and emotional and chock full of all the feels. The first half of this story is a healthy dose of introspection and internal monologuing. We really get to know what is going on in everyone’s head, which makes the pace feel a little slower, but truly makes sense when you look at the protagonists. We’ve got a grumpy mountain man with autism and a people pleaser heroine who is battling chronic illness and a lot of indecision about her future.It takes them awhile to open up communication with one another, but when they finally brave stepping away from their fear, whoo, whoo boy. This is a romance for the ages. I can totally see snuggling up with this book again and again. I adored the way they learned to open up with one another- Rooney gives the quiet and space for Axel to speak and Axel gives Rooney the unconditional care that she so desperately seeks. They seek to really *know* one another and it is so terribly touching.It boggles my mind that these two ever thought a marriage of convenience wouldn’t lead to more. 😂 Struggling with questionable feelings from the get go, you almost want to clunk their heads together for how they skirt around their feelings with a lot of assumptions. But again- due to each persons internal battles- I just “got” it. I don’t have to love it for it to make complete sense for THEM. And, it did.I particularly loved the drop in of the Bergman man cubs and Viggo with the romance mic drops was one of those scenes that make the romance reader in me want to fist pump and shout from the rooftops!Chloe Liese always does such an amazing job writing with inclusivity, sensitivity, and honesty. I find my ebook coated in highlights because the way she words insights is utterly poetic. What a beautiful romance. When it ended- I felt like this story was really only the beginning. We spent so much time in their heads- there was a lot about their marriage/relationship we don’t get to- it is truly the very beginning of their relationship- I had questions, I feel like they need a follow up. I hope/suspect that their story continues to unfold in the next Bergman book. I continue to look forward to what comes next in this series!“I watch her watching the sunrise, knowing I could do this the rest of my life: witness sunlight painting Rooney better than I ever could, the day wrapping its arms around her, illuminating what’s inside her heart- warmth, hope, a depth of joy I never thought I’d know, let alone love, yet here I am.” 💙I received an advanced copy fromNetgalley but all opinions are my own.
D**D
5 Happy Accidents Stars!
"With You Forever" further cements my love of The Bergman Family and Chloe Liese's writing. This book like her others contains unique, complex, and lovingly familiar characters. The heartbeat of her writing showcases the beauty in humanity. Perceived flaws or weakness are simply that perceived, especially when in the presence of love. This quote is a favorite and tells you so much about the beautiful connection between Axel and Rooney:“Just because you experience your emotions differently from other people , Axel , doesn’t mean that experience isn’t valid, or that someone can’t love you for it. With the right person, love is possible for any of us who want it.”Now that I have gushed about the author's writing and character development, let's move on to all of the things you can look forward to in "With You Forever".🎨Sunshine & Grump🎨 A broody Bergman Brother and a dog🎨Forced Proximity🎨Chronic Illness representation🎨Neurodiverse representation (Autism by an Own Voices Author)🎨A Skunk Vigil🎨Marriage of Convenience🎨A cute, mischievous kitten🎨Found Family🎨The Bergmans (in all their glory)🎨Steamy, slow burnAxel and Rooney have a definite attraction, but both try their best to resist (futile, of course😉). As they spend time in each other's presence, they learn to read each other's body language. This leads to honest, vulnerable communication. That trust further fuels the flames of lust between them and ignites more than just their bodies. What builds between them is more than they ever expected...love.This book made me smile and laugh and get a bit misty-eyed. So many emotions were brought to the surface. The character arcs and internal turmoil added layers of emotional depth and compassion. And the "grand gesture" was EVERYTHING! Fear was no match for love.
C**J
Grumpy Vs Sunshine #OwnVoices
“He’s serious. And quite possibly very shy. Not everyone is as social as you and me.”“Why not? I don’t get it.”Glancing over my shoulder, I watch Axel adjusting his cuffs, clearing his throat. He looks nervous. “I don’t either. But that doesn’t mean we can’t try.”You know that feeling of drinking the perfect cup of coffee? The first sip hits your tongue and you almost shudder at the pleasure. The entire cups feels like pure contentment and the last drop tastes like more? That’s how it felt sinking into Chloe Liese latest novel.With You Forever tells the story of the grumpy, eldest Bergman brother, Axel and the brainy, beautiful, ray of sunshine, Rooney. We’ve glimpsed these two before and now we get to see the sparks fly in this contemporary romance marriage of convenience.Chloe’s characters are unmatched in their authenticity. They are human, flawed and all the lovelier for it. I keep thinking I could bump into any one of them on the street {fingers crossed for Ren!} Rooney & Axel’s story in particular is based on honesty and overflows with attentiveness and devotion. I wasn’t sure how the arranged marriage trope would fair in modern times but Chloe’s writing of it was note perfect.Thank you to NetGalley & Chloe Liese for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.“It’s exactly what I want. You’re everything I want, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make life together possible. I love you more than I’ll ever be able to say, Rooney, but it’s no less true.”
T**E
Good quality - print - packaging
The book was delivered in good condition. The print was decent. Found some empty pages at the end, not sure what for. Overall, no complains.
A**S
An (almost) perfect marriage of convenience swoon-fest.
⚠️cw: Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD:UC), Autism⚠️Axel, the oldest brother in the Bergman clan, is known as the blunt, grumpy one and is avoidant of physical touch. Rooney Sullivan, Willa's best friend and now an honorary Bergman, has been dealing with health issues and needs a time-out from life. When they end up at the family's second home in the PNW in a marriage of convenience, neither can keep their attraction for the other secret any longer.I LOVE fake dating and MOCs, but I'm not overly fond of marriage clause tropes usually. Still, there's a chapter towards the end that made the clause make sense, and, even though I honestly didn't understand the financial secrecy, it finally got Axel and Rooney together so I was happy, especially as I've been desperate for their story since the second they started interacting in previous books. I loved Rooney's caring nature and humour. It was a surprise to discover she had IBD, like myself. I loved that this was represented, and, while I don't think it showed a completely accurate sense of everyday life with IBD, especially post-flare*, what it did show was sensitively handled. I particularly loved how the intimacy was navigated, and Axel's reaction was beautifully observed.As I've come to expect in this series, Axel's Autism was well-written and felt authentic. He was another secret cinnamon roll, and I really loved their slow-burning romance, even though it was torturous at times. But that only heightened the anticipation. Their chemistry, vulnerability, and candidness were all beautifully written, and I really appreciated their honesty. I also loved that there was little miscommunication. The supporting characters were perfectly placed, added humour, and the Bergman cameos felt like catching up with old friends. As for that ending? Just gorgeous!An (almost) perfect marriage of convenience swoon-fest.Overall Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️.5Heat Rating: 🔥🔥Emotional Rating: 💓😂😬🙈💓😂🙄🥰😉💓🥰🙈🙄💓😢😍😂💓🙈🥰😍💓😢😢😂😍🥰* I realise everyone's experience is different, but having had Crohn's disease (another IBD) for over ten years AND been misdiagnosed with UC for some time before that, I feel suitably experienced to talk about this disease.In C12: Rooney says she has 'chemo drugs to deal with the price my body’s paid for all the stress.' While I know what Rooney was trying to say, I personally felt the difference between disease origin and the cause could have been clearer. Particularly as people who have 'nervous tummies' like those with Irritable Bowel Syndrome might be stress related, whereas IBD is a much more serious, sometimes life-threatening autoimmune disease, NOT caused by stress. Yes, flare-ups can be exacerbated by stress, but the disease can happen to anyone, healthy or otherwise, and regardless of how stressful their life is.And while yes, in c.20, Axel addresses stress being a factor in flare-ups, Rooney only properly talks about other factors, particularly dietary on one occasion. Yes, she's gluten-free. But she doesn't even hesitate about eating dairy, or vegetables, even though high-fibre is her 'nemesis'. While I know everyone's trigger foods are different, diet plays such a significant factor, and anyone who is actively trying to recover from an acute flare-up knows this and is extra cautious of what they ingest. While the representation of what spices and high-fibre beans can do to someone with IBD was all too accurate, I don't know anyone with IBD who would knowingly, willingly put themselves through what could end up being another potential flare-up, even not wanting to offend someone. And Rooney is supposed to still be recuperating after an acute flare-up. The after-effects and recovery from eating the wrong thing are also usually more extreme, more FREQUENT, and not just urgent for a while. I know this sounds like I'm nitpicking, but these seemingly little things tugged me out of the story at times. Still, I want the author to know that I TRULY appreciate someone trying to include what is honestly a deeply unsexy disease (and acknowledging how many of us feel, which is embarrassed about it, a lot of the time) in a romance story. Thank you.
S**.
Fabulous
I loved this book! Really. Until today my favorite book was „the wall of Winipeg and me“. But thisone stole the first rank. Highly recommanded!
L**S
Heartwarming read
Chloe Liese does a great job here to create a love story that’s steamy and real and that incorporates a strong message of how being diverse - in any sense - doesn’t stop us from finding love and connection. Ax is awkward, Rooney is full of angst but they find each other. And, there’s plenty of those gorgeous Bergmans to keep it all moving along. Best of all, there’s no meanness, and so much respect. Fabulous!
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