It now feels necessary to note that the Bergman Brothers are as integral in the world of contemporary romance novels as happy endings are, carving a safe space and always saving a seat for those who feel alone, unseen, or underrepresented. Only and Forever by Chloe Liese concludes the Bergman Brothers series with a love letter to romance novels through Viggo and Tallulah’s beautifully memorable story, highlighting complexities and passions with the type of gorgeous nuance Liese is known for.
It’s hard to describe the Bergman Brothers series because there’s really nothing quite like it in the literary world. They’re earnest, deeply vulnerable, brimming with immense hope on every page and inspiring through the kind of stories that sculpt a safe space for those underrepresented in the literary world and TV/film. Liese tells stories about characters with disabilities, visible or not, carefully allowing people to see themselves in a space where it’s abundantly clear that they deserve brilliant love stories, too.
In Only and Forever by Chloe Liese, Viggo is neurodivergent (ADHD) and Tallulah has type 1 diabetes. Throughout the story, Liese not only explores and honors how the characters live with their chronic conditions but also, through beautifully warm prose, ensures that readers going through the same things feel seen as well. At the same time, as we all expected getting to know Viggo through his siblings, the story would be the most romantic one yet. But what’s so riveting about it is the detail that it’s still so profoundly relatable and realistic. It doesn’t feel like a story crafted for the sake of being heavy-handed on romance; the execution is organic in every way possible, making the story easily admirable.
Liese doesn’t sugarcoat or overdramatize scenarios, but instead, she frames a story around two people who need each other in unselfish ways. She tells a story about the art of bravery through characters who want better for themselves but aren’t quite sure how to reach for it without the other’s help. As much as historical romance is a significant and shining presence in the story (hello, Viggo’s Bridgerton theme ringtone and many graphic tees), the love story we are meant to follow is entirely unexpected and raw.
How the two come together in Only and Forever by Chloe Liese makes the story profoundly rewarding. The quiet friendship builds and fortifies through silly banter (a myriad of adorable nicknames readers won’t get enough of) and beats of vulnerability that allow both characters to understand that they’re safe with each other. It’s also commendable how the start of the novel showcases Viggo’s deep loneliness, touching on this idea that the most positive people, often looking out for others, are the ones who need their person, too—their soul’s twin flame they could turn to in a crowded room and find ease with. Because of this inclusion, it makes the story that much more hopeful and transparent. It’s the ultimate exhibition of the detail that love is worth waiting for, even when it doesn’t come swooping in with the type of big emotions we read about.
Love is sometimes quiet and tender—it’s two people taking it slow and unraveling to each other in a field of blue lupines where their vulnerability puts the sunlight’s glow to shame. You’d think a book like this would be full of bold declarations (and it’s bursting with some beautiful prose), but it’s the simplest moments that gleam and stay with you. Love is sitting around with a group of people and understanding with complete conviction that home isn’t a place—it’s people.
And this very testament is why it’s so impossible to put Only and Forever by Chloe Liese into words because it thoughtfully honors romance novels while giving captivating characters moments to be their most authentic selves. It emphasizes strength through endurance, and it carefully takes us by the hand and leads us into a family’s home where the love feels so real that it’s healing. At some point, the Bergman family stops feeling fictional, and they each start to feel like real people, leaving their mark on us in a way that alters something. We each have our favorite (hello, Axel, my forever number one), but it’s what they represent collectively that’s so wholesome—healing, laughter, the best kind of chaos, hope, solitude, serenity, and love. The stories aren’t just about romance, but they’re about platonic relationships that stay—the restorative power of love in all its honest forms.
Only and Forever by Chloe Liese is available wherever books are sold on April 2.
First Featured Image | Cover Credit: ©Chloe Liese | Berkley