A review by proudtobeabookaholic
Always Only You by Chloe Liese

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring 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

5.0

Ren Bergman, hockey player for Los Angeles Kings, fell for Frankie Zeferino the moment they met. But as long as Frankie handles the team's social media he can't act, he has to wait. At the same time Frankie finds it hard to ignore the always smiling Ren, despite being the opposite herself. With her diagnosis she's learnt that most people view her as a problem, rather than a person, and she's not about to risk her heart again. 

Hockey/workplace romance, grumpy/sunshine and a female protagonist who doesn't let her diagnosis stop her - that's a hit forme! Frankie (whose name is really Francesca) is called "Frank the Crank", walks with a cane because of rheumatism and is autistic. She hides both her autism and her softer side at work. It's nice to read about a person who has a physical disability, as well as a neuroatypical condition; I don't think I've come across that in a book before. The author is apparently autistic herself and I think it shows. 

Ren (whose full name is Søren) is a true gentleman who likes to recite Shakespeare - no wonder Frankie falls head over heels! He also has an autistic sister, Ziggy. As a Swede it feels kind of special that the Bergman family is Swedish-American, but I fail to hear the Swedish expressions when I listen. Great to see Ryder and Willa from the first book, though!

Ren and Frankie feel like the perfect match, despite their differences. Liese has really done well with creating the right chemistry between them. They’re adorable together, with their cute nicknames. The narrators do an excellent job and I was quite disappointed when the book ended!
Expand filter menu Content Warnings