The Bergman Brothers #5
e-ARC, NetGalley
Author: Chloe Liese
We find Oliver Bergman at his brother Axel’s “wedding reception” – he’s sad and disenchanted, having just broken up with his cheating boyfriend. To make matters worse, said boyfriend is his teammate at the UCLA soccer team. So, to preserve his mental health, he accepts the offer to play professionally for Galaxy and drops out.
Jump to four years later and everything is going well for him, except for one little thing: for the past two years, he’s been playing with the man who was his idol, Gavin Hayes, and the man apparently can’t even stand the sight of him. Oliver decided to take the high road and kill him with kindness… but it’s so not working. It would be ok if the damn man weren’t sooooo attractive. To add insult to injury, their coach has just appointed them co-captains! And issued an ultimatum: get along or you’re both saying goodbye to the captaincy. They’re thrown together at every possible chance and did I tell you about the “one bed trope situation”? Can these two get along with all the tension between them, especially since now Oliver has decided to give Gavin “the Bergman treatment” – pranks…oy!
I absolutely adored this book! It has all the Bergman Brothers goodness and adds a poker-playing band of nosy senior citizens, a pregnant coach who may or may not be playing Cupid, and we get to meet the most adorable member of the Bergman clan! Her introduction to us is the CUTEST. THING. EVER.
I love that the book jumped a few years ahead, making Oliver a little older for this age gap romance. He’s an adult now, but still keeping his adorable boyish charm – colorful wardrobe and all.
I love that Chloe Liese doesn’t shy away from tackling touchy subjects. In this book, the hero suffers from severe anxiety and the representation is spot on. There’s also instances of homophobia and we have a hero who also has deep feelings of lack of self-worth and all are dealt with a soft and respectful hand.
We get to see all the Bergmans (we get to see Viggo more, as he’s closer to Axel) and they are always a joy to be around. There’s a “summit”, Viggo still reads historical romance, and we go back to the A-frame for two weddings!
I can’t recommend this enough!
Possible triggers and content warning provided by author *includes spoilers*:
This is an open door romance that portrays on-page consensual sexual intimacy. This story also includes a main character who lives with chronic pain and a main character who experiences anxiety, including two on-page panic attacks. Please be advised that in one scene a queer phobic slur is directed at one of the main characters, but it is not named on page, and it is vehemently condemned by me and in the narrative. With the guidance of my own experience as well as authenticity and beta readers, I hope I have given these subjects the care and respect they deserve.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you Chloe Liese and NetGalley for the ARC.
