A review by kaitrates
Only When It's Us by Chloe Liese

slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Let's start with what I liked about this book.

First, the chemistry between Willa and Ryder. I loved watching these two circle closer and closer until they finally came together (literally and figuratively). I also adore a prickly (err...tempestuous) heroine like Willa who's a total firecracker with a big heart. I also mostly enjoyed the sex scenes and their creative use of the shower and the mirror. Bonus points for some light spanking and actually talking about it before doing it! Lastly, I appreciated the late deafened rep - we don't often see this in romance and I'm always here for more disabled main characters!

Oh! I also adored the roomies and every time they were on the page I was smiling.

Now, onto my issues with it.

First and foremost, there were three HP references and apparently these were not removed in the Berkley edition. They violently tore me out of the story, especially knowing Liese already pulled this book to improve the late deafened rep. Like show your trans readers the same care please and thank you.

Some of my other gripes are more objective. For example, there was a lot of inconsistency from characterisations to plot points. Time is spent telling us tha tWilla and her mom read anatomy textbooks but then she uses euphemisms for genitals? Ryder is all "it was the men, not you!" but then trashes romance novels? Money is tight but Willa has an apartment with her friend?

Similarly, there was enough telling that it got to me. Truly, this isn't something I usually notice but DAMN it was rough here! With these info dumps, there often was extraneous info that never came back up or was contradicted (see above).

I also hated that we didn't get to see Willa's growth through her grief. We get maybe a page where we're told she's really struggling
after her mom dies
but then Rooney puts her foot down and then Willa is fine-ish and back with Ryder and saying ILU? We get one reference to her work with a therapist through her inner monologue around the ILU but again: its just being info dumped to us. 

Now, there were also a bunch of things that I disliked that are more subjective. Let's just make a list, shall we? 

  1. Choo cha and log(jam). 🤢
  2. He's SO BIG and she's so wee compact. Like, is she a sedan?
  3. Magic voice/hands/peen. 🤬 I hate it SO much.
  4. Miscommunication upon miscommunication upon miscommunication. Thankfully, not because of Ryder's hearing loss though.
  5. Adrian.
  6. The Bergman parents meet cute aka the embodiment of "well if a boy teases you its because they like you" patriarchal BS.
  7. 7 kids in this economy?! NVM the impact on sustainability...👀
  8. Adrian was forgiven WAY too easily.
  9. The ILU was absolutely not earned (and he realises when he sees her naked WHAT?! THEN CRIES THE SECOND TIME?!)
  10. His voice just comes back and he's able to use it consistently...?

I think what Liese is doing is really important AND I promised my friend I would try another Bergman book if I didn't love this one since apparently her craft improves throughout the series. So I will give her work another chance and hope there aren't nearly as many things pulling me out of the story and diminishing my enjoyment of it. 

Original Review
…what? 

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