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bookishlove85's review against another edition
4.5
4.5 stars. 9 times out of 10 a second chance marriage book always hits for me. This one started off a little rocky for me. I thought Freya was a bit frustrating at the beginning even tho I could see why she was being that way. But overall, I loved this story. Freya and Aiden had real problems to work through, past traumas that got in the way, and a journey to a beautiful take two. I do love the big family and how involved they are with each other even if the brothers can be a bit much lol. Can’t wait for the next book!
heartscontent's review against another edition
5.0
You can find this review of Ever After Always on my blog, Heart's Content!
Received an Advanced Reader’s Copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Every After Always is a book I’ve been postponing reviewing simply because it was such an emotional read and I’m not sure if I can express well enough in words what it meant to me.
When Chloe Liese spoke about her next release I was truly surprised it was Freya and Aiden. I mean… they’d always had a happy love-filled marriage.. so why? I mean, I see Axel and I see a possibility there and that’s what I thought was coming next so… what’s happening? Then I remembered that small moment of foreshadowing in the previous book…But it was only when I read the synopsis, that I knew this book was going to break me.
I was so right. The level of rightness was so high, I think I may be Nostredame reborn. This book was about anxiety, marriage, what love means… It was about something falling apart because it was trying to be fixed the wrong way.. it was.. God it was so relatable.
Aiden was a character that felt so real. Chloe has brought her hero to life so well, simply because she focused on the absolute little things that anxiety can create in someone’s personality. For example, being jumpy. I never used to startle until before I got anxiety. Now.. now I can startle sometimes like this *snaps a finger*. The adrenaline rush, that urge to just find out what it is that’s bothering us just so we can maybe fix it, that never ending focus to keep yourself stable every moment of every day and that undeniable exhaustion from the effort of it all. Aiden was just… this whole BOOK was just so well done for me.
I weeped through most of it. It was so close to home for me and perhaps for some people it may seem strange that Aiden startles so much, or that he’s always got a rush of adrenaline and fear spearing through him or how it can affect something linked to it. But it was all real. It exists. I’ve felt it, dealt with it and it’s no tale. It’s as real as these words.
Now Freya too, was incredibly relatable. She was that emotionally intelligent person that can sometimes metaphorically asphyxiate themselves to take care of another. I mean, who hasn’t done this for someone they love? She’s also the kind of person who’s so used to taking care of others, she’s forgotten how to ask for help. (Enter a very meddlesome family hahahahahah).
This book addressed several billion things that I was shook with the range of issues that Chloe managed to introduce without seeming to handle too many things or without it feeling like it wasn’t handled well or was removing the reader from the main plot. It was a reflection of reality. How we all face more than one struggle at a time. She spoke about the idea of body positivity in a way that was so refreshing, relatable and perhaps something people need to start being watchful of as well. She spoke about disability, marital issues, NORMALIZING MEN READING ROMANCE HELLOANDTHANKYOU, the mental and emotional experiences preluding the choice of wanting to have a child.
God, I’ve probably missed many many more, but Chloe hasn’t. She’s got them all there and she’s got them there well. Loved it loved it loved it. Five HUNDRED stars.
God I can’t wait for Axel. Chloe, you finished with Ax? ❤
Received an Advanced Reader’s Copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Every After Always is a book I’ve been postponing reviewing simply because it was such an emotional read and I’m not sure if I can express well enough in words what it meant to me.
When Chloe Liese spoke about her next release I was truly surprised it was Freya and Aiden. I mean… they’d always had a happy love-filled marriage.. so why? I mean, I see Axel and I see a possibility there and that’s what I thought was coming next so… what’s happening? Then I remembered that small moment of foreshadowing in the previous book…But it was only when I read the synopsis, that I knew this book was going to break me.
I was so right. The level of rightness was so high, I think I may be Nostredame reborn. This book was about anxiety, marriage, what love means… It was about something falling apart because it was trying to be fixed the wrong way.. it was.. God it was so relatable.
Aiden was a character that felt so real. Chloe has brought her hero to life so well, simply because she focused on the absolute little things that anxiety can create in someone’s personality. For example, being jumpy. I never used to startle until before I got anxiety. Now.. now I can startle sometimes like this *snaps a finger*. The adrenaline rush, that urge to just find out what it is that’s bothering us just so we can maybe fix it, that never ending focus to keep yourself stable every moment of every day and that undeniable exhaustion from the effort of it all. Aiden was just… this whole BOOK was just so well done for me.
I weeped through most of it. It was so close to home for me and perhaps for some people it may seem strange that Aiden startles so much, or that he’s always got a rush of adrenaline and fear spearing through him or how it can affect something linked to it. But it was all real. It exists. I’ve felt it, dealt with it and it’s no tale. It’s as real as these words.
Now Freya too, was incredibly relatable. She was that emotionally intelligent person that can sometimes metaphorically asphyxiate themselves to take care of another. I mean, who hasn’t done this for someone they love? She’s also the kind of person who’s so used to taking care of others, she’s forgotten how to ask for help. (Enter a very meddlesome family hahahahahah).
This book addressed several billion things that I was shook with the range of issues that Chloe managed to introduce without seeming to handle too many things or without it feeling like it wasn’t handled well or was removing the reader from the main plot. It was a reflection of reality. How we all face more than one struggle at a time. She spoke about the idea of body positivity in a way that was so refreshing, relatable and perhaps something people need to start being watchful of as well. She spoke about disability, marital issues, NORMALIZING MEN READING ROMANCE HELLOANDTHANKYOU, the mental and emotional experiences preluding the choice of wanting to have a child.
God, I’ve probably missed many many more, but Chloe hasn’t. She’s got them all there and she’s got them there well. Loved it loved it loved it. Five HUNDRED stars.
God I can’t wait for Axel. Chloe, you finished with Ax? ❤
busyreadingbooks's review against another edition
🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉
0 stars!
Chloe Liese, your plots and characters were always cringe, and you don't have talent in writing, now you're also a hypocritical cowardly person who pick and choose which humanitarian crisis made more sense to you? FUCK YOU!
Stupid-ugly-ass-fuck-of-a-white-privileged-Zionist-supporting author. You want to call out ableism but draw the line at calling Zionist ugly and stupid, while never speaking up about the genocide of Jewish, Muslims, Christians, Atheist, Theist Palestinians? FUCK YOU! White women are just always so fucking disappointing. #FreePalestine
For anybody who didn't know, look up Chloe Liese, Sierra Simone, and Zachary Webber issue on social media. Allegedly, Zachary Webber (an audiobook narrator) called out Zionists, and these two cowardly authors were cancelling him just because he called those ugly stupid ass Zionists what they are: stupid and motherfucking ugly. If that was me, i would've called them disgusting and more too.
CHLOE LIESE IF YOU'RE READING THIS DON'T EVEN FUCKING TURN THIS INTO A MISOGYNY ISSUE. THIS IS A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS ISSUE, DUMBASS. LEBANON WAS FUCKING BOMBED JUST A FEW DAYS AGO, DON'T EVEN MAKE THIS ABOUT YOU. CALLING AUTHORS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY! BOYCOTT HER!
#FreePalestine #FuckZionists.
And to think that this issue literally still happened after 12 months and DECADES of being shown the atrocious ethnic cleansing of Palestinians on social media, and the bombing of Lebanon just this September 2024? HOLD THIS MOTHERFUCKING AUTHOR RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SHIT THAT COMES OUT OF HER STUPID FUCKING MOUTH.
Fuck Chloe Liese. #Boycott #FreePalestine
🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉
0 stars!
Chloe Liese, your plots and characters were always cringe, and you don't have talent in writing, now you're also a hypocritical cowardly person who pick and choose which humanitarian crisis made more sense to you? FUCK YOU!
Stupid-ugly-ass-fuck-of-a-white-privileged-Zionist-supporting author. You want to call out ableism but draw the line at calling Zionist ugly and stupid, while never speaking up about the genocide of Jewish, Muslims, Christians, Atheist, Theist Palestinians? FUCK YOU! White women are just always so fucking disappointing. #FreePalestine
For anybody who didn't know, look up Chloe Liese, Sierra Simone, and Zachary Webber issue on social media. Allegedly, Zachary Webber (an audiobook narrator) called out Zionists, and these two cowardly authors were cancelling him just because he called those ugly stupid ass Zionists what they are: stupid and motherfucking ugly. If that was me, i would've called them disgusting and more too.
CHLOE LIESE IF YOU'RE READING THIS DON'T EVEN FUCKING TURN THIS INTO A MISOGYNY ISSUE. THIS IS A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS ISSUE, DUMBASS. LEBANON WAS FUCKING BOMBED JUST A FEW DAYS AGO, DON'T EVEN MAKE THIS ABOUT YOU. CALLING AUTHORS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY! BOYCOTT HER!
#FreePalestine #FuckZionists.
And to think that this issue literally still happened after 12 months and DECADES of being shown the atrocious ethnic cleansing of Palestinians on social media, and the bombing of Lebanon just this September 2024? HOLD THIS MOTHERFUCKING AUTHOR RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SHIT THAT COMES OUT OF HER STUPID FUCKING MOUTH.
Fuck Chloe Liese. #Boycott #FreePalestine
🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉
scarhatesjeffybezos's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
i should have started a counter of how many times i said “he’s trying” or “he’s a good boy” because he WAS trying and he IS a good boy! genuinely never been rooting for a couple more in actually shocked by how invested i was in this
sarahfrances52's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
2.25
I love the premise of this book—a husband and wife face challenges in their marriage and come out of it stronger. I feel like that’s a spin on the traditional romance storyline that ends with marriage and I found it refreshing. However, I really really really had a problem with how the author framed the fundamental issue of miscommunication in Aiden and Freya’s marriage. Clearly, the author was attempting to generate a discussion about gender roles and emotional intimacy. The book starts with Freya being frustrated with Aiden’s lack of physical and emotional attention and she feels like their marriage is practically over. Throughout the book Freya, her brothers, their marriage counselor, and nearly everyone else seem to be placing the blame for this collapsing relationship solely at Aiden’s feet. Because of the dual POV, we as the readers know that Aiden is struggled with crippling anxiety and panic attacks that he’s trying to “protect” his wife from. He certainly shouldn’t be doing that and certainly should shoulder some of the blame for their crumbling relationship, but the lack of empathy from Freya for 60-70% of the book was just infuriating to me. Freya of course had every right to be angry with him, she had every right to be cautious about letting him in again, BUT it took her 70% of the book to admit that she also wasn’t communicating with Aiden about her needs and instead was quietly stewing until she finally snapped and they found themselves in a rough patch. Throughout the book, Aiden struggles with emotional intimacy and often notes that society’s expectations of masculinity are not helping him grow. I don’t mind this commentary on masculinity, but what I found frustrating is that Freya’s struggle with emotional intimacy falls flat. She has one or two brief moments where she realizes that she was not meeting Aiden’s emotional needs, but we never see her grapple with that like Aiden did. All’s that to say, I found this story to be incredibly uneven. However, Liese has me hooked on the Bergman family and I will likely read the other five books in this series. I’m not sure what it is about this series that keeps me coming back for more, but I do!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Alcoholism
marianaribeiro's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness
lauralovesowls's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
alreadsbooks's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
4.5
let me be so clear when i say i wanted to hate this book simply because of my hate for aiden going into it.
only chloe liese could make me change that opinion i fear.
while i found a LOT of frustrating communications (or lack there of) throughout this book, i also think it was done quite well especially from an anxiety standpoint! i was rooting for them way quicker than i expected and for that i am pleasantly surprised!
the bergman family lives in my soul and i am terrified of the day i finish this series. because then what? what do i do then?
only chloe liese could make me change that opinion i fear.
while i found a LOT of frustrating communications (or lack there of) throughout this book, i also think it was done quite well especially from an anxiety standpoint! i was rooting for them way quicker than i expected and for that i am pleasantly surprised!
the bergman family lives in my soul and i am terrified of the day i finish this series. because then what? what do i do then?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Classism
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Injury/Injury detail
rebeck2012's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5