The Bergman Brothers 4
Author: Chloe Liese
Kindle Edition
Axel is the grumpy, no-nonsense, artistic Bergman brother. He, as soon as he could, packed himself up and went back to the quiet of the Pacific Northwest, to live in the property where the family has their beloved cabin. There he lives in peace, painting and appreciating nature and the quiet.
Rooney is best friends with one of the brother’s girlfriend (Willa) and she has been “adopted” by the family too – she has been to every party, gathering, or event. She is going through a rough patch right now as she has ulcerative colitis. She hadn’t had a flair up in years and now it has come back with a vengeance, so she takes time off from law school because to heal and rest.
The Bergmans have seen Axel and Rooney dance around each other for a while now. They all know that there is something in the air between these two, and they do the Bergman thing: they meddle. It’s time for Axel’s stint in the cabin (the siblings take turns), so Willa (the best friend) offers the cabin for Rooney for her R&R.
What nobody knows is that the cabin is in pretty bad shape and needs renovations. Axel has been trying to do it behind their backs so that no one has to pitch in moneywise. The renovation is going to cost a fortune and Axel hasn’t sold a painting in a while because he hasn’t been able to paint anything that he deems “sellable”. There is one solution to this conundrum: Axel will get a huge inheritance form an uncle back in Sweden if he just gets married. So, he needs a wife.
Rooney’s there, she’s a friend, she loves the Bergmans and would love to help in any way she can, so she “volunteers as tribute”. She will marry Axel in a totally businesslike fashion. Yeah, right…
This book is perfection!!!! It gave me all the feels!
I’m going to get very personal here. Sorry for the TMI. I have autistic family members and some of us also have a chronic illness akin to Rooney’s, including me. I can totally accept Axel’s portrayal not only because of the author’s own perspective (Chloe Liese being autistic herself) but because I have dear people close to me to who also are like him. And from my own perspective, I totally get Rooney. I have caught myself stopping at a gas station right after I drove through the Holland tunnel in NYC and using the men‘s bathroom… that had two used condoms and drug paraphernalia on the floor. I. GET. HER. Since this is a family thing for me, I don’t get the shame factor as much, as we even have a nickname for our own condition: OurFamilyName-itis. All my close friends know that when I get that deer in the headlights look on my face it’s time to look for a restroom for me, but again I. GET. HER.
The romance …ooooh, swooooooon…. I love the way they communicate. How Axel does his best to try to convey what he feels and how Rooney tries to use her words and to respect his boundaries. It’s so beautiful how they respect and love each other!
Obviously, this is a novel, so there has to be a little conflict and all that, but everything is done in such a way that it is almost lyrical. Poetic.
I can’t get enough of The Bergmans. I am a card carrying, bona fide Chloe Liese Superfan!
Highly recommend and please, read all of them! You can thank me later.
