A review by katietotallybooked
Always Only You by Chloe Liese

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I read the first book in this series at the end of 2022, and I rated it 4.5 stars. Unfortunately that’s all I know because I didn’t write a review for it. 😝 Regardless, I was really looking forward to continuing the series. They are centered around siblings and sports, which are both themes I like. Always Only You is a hockey-focused office-type romance about Frankie and Bergman brother Ren. I liked these characters a lot. They had great banter together. Chloe Liese does well with representation and inclusivity by having characters that experience an autoimmune disease and arthritis.(Which I’d never read about in a young women). Plus, Frankie is autistic. I love this author for her inclusivity. So, the characters were great.

However, I found this book a bit underwelming. That might be because it was “friends to lovers” and I am more of an “enemies to lovers” girl? Or, it could be because I had high expectations going into it. Who knows for sure? I also felt the timeline was a bit jumpy and parts didn’t flow well into one another. The ending felt abrupt and when I put the book down, it was like “oh that’s it?”. So it was the writing and the romance trope that influenced my rating. 

Anyways, I do plan to continue reading on in the series. They are great romances if you are into sports, sibling relationships, and #ownvoices diversity and representation. You don’t have to read them in order, but if you can, why wouldn’t you, you know?