Title:

If Only you

Author:

Chloe Liese

Release Date:

April 11 ,2023

Format:

E-Book

Genre:

Romance

Sub-Genre:

Sports, Contemporary

Rating:

Read-A-Likes:

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Summary:  Ziggy

I’m the youngest player on the National Soccer team, the baby of my family, and thoroughly sick of being underestimated, so I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands. Which is where my brother’s best friend and teammate, the infamous Sebastian Marchand, comes in. 

Seb needs to rehab his reputation. I want to give mine an edge. So I propose a fake friendship with real benefits: spending time in the public eye, my good-girl image and his bad-boy notoriety rubbing off on each other. He’s my devious, dark-haired fantasy come to life, but his destructive ways make it easy to keep him in the (fake) friend zone. Or so I thought, until I start to see the heart of gold he’s been hiding beneath that sinister surface…

Sebastian

Like any self-respecting reprobate, I’ve been spiraling downward, and finally I’ve hit rock bottom. My hockey career and sponsorships are in jeopardy, and while I’m not ready to actually reform my ways, I’m happy to pretend that I have, to secure the life I’m on the brink of losing. So when my best friend’s sister, Ziggy Bergman, proposes a public “friendship” to revamp our reputations, it’s an offer I can’t refuse. Up till now, I’ve stayed away from Ren’s sweet, shy little sister to avoid any risk of ruining my one good friendship. But I reassure myself there’s no risk in our scheme. I’ll fake a friendship with Ziggy, fix my reputation, and get back to hockey, the one and only thing I love. At least, it was, until what began as a transactional arrangement became the most loving relationship I’ve ever known.

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What I Liked: I ADORE the Bergman Brothers series. So much so that when a new book is released I’m concerned that it won’t live up to the previous ones.  I shouldn’t have worried. Liese has continually written unique and entertaining romance stories that make me laugh and make me want to be a part of the Bergman family.  This is the 6th book in the series so we’ve met Ziggy at this point several times but she was always a background character.  I’m so happy we finally got her story and that it was focused not just on her romance but on her growing independence. I loved the inclusion of the theme of evolving as a person, and the struggle to make your loved ones recognize and acknowledge who you are.  This theme worked so well with the romance between Ziggy and Sebastian, especially with Sebastian’s storyline about his own growth.  The reformed bad boy is a common trope in romances and Liese uses it very effectively. Sebastian is just bad enough to make him dangerous but nice enough that it’s not unbelievable for Ziggy to fall for him. As always, the supporting cast of Bergman siblings, parents, and inlaws were a welcome addition and every scene with them was great. 

What I Didn’t Like: I loved this book and there was nothing I didn’t like. 

Who Should Read It: Bergman Brothers fans will want to read this one. New readers to this series will have no issues understanding the story so it can be read on its own.  However, I highly recommend the entire series. 

Review Wrap Up: Chloe Liese has written another great addition to the Bergman Brothers series.  Ziggy and Sebastian make a great romantic couple and I loved the theme of discovering the person you are meant to be.

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