I want to give props to this book for having an authentic “I’m surrounded by straight people” vibe. It was accidental, but strong work.

Here are my criticisms: I believe I managed to avoid all spoilers, but as with any ARC review, please use caution for your own enjoyment.

<b>There is a time jump over the first two years of their relationship</b>

We are told about the instant antagonism between Gavin and Oliver when they meet, coming from Gavin. We don’t get to see this, because there’s a four year time jump. For an enemies to lovers slow burn, this is a <i>critical</i> part of the developing relationship! Excising it like this means that there’s nothing to support this animosity outside of what characters tell the reader, rather than an organic build.

This leads into my main issues with the romance, where I felt there was a lack of actual, believable connection.


<b>The romance and lack of emotions</b>

This does not count as a slow burn in my opinion, due to the pace at which they got together.

Their relationship is never really developed. They go from “we hate each other” (mostly off page) to “hooking up is a bad idea” to “I love you deeply and curiously forever” without actually spending time with each other in between.

They read like cardboard cutouts to me, so the scenes that <i>could</i> have been tender and loving fell completely flat. Even the caretaking scenes, that should have been emotional, felt impersonal to the point that it could have been a caretaker doing it.

They’re being forced to work together as co-captains, why couldn’t there be slow-building reluctant admiration and feelings, instead of lust that turns on like a light switch? It would be both more believable and a more enjoyable read if we saw them building a reluctant emotional connection that was followed by attraction, rather than just random horniness.

This would have made the aggressive caveman protectiveness/possessiveness Gavin displays at random more believable too - as it was, it felt wildly out of character as I didn’t believe he had that depth of feeling for Oliver. Or he has a temper problem, I suppose.

At the end, the author attempts to retcon these multiple unseen years of animosity as unacknowledged love and attraction. This undoes the whole plot, removes all tension of them being enemies or even meanies to each other, and just makes it deflate with a sad balloon noise.


<b>Oliver and Gavin as characters</b>

<u>Oliver:</u>We’re supposed to see Oliver as sunshine, bringing joy and fun back to Grumpy Gavin, and singing musicals. Specifically Hamilton. Hamilton is mentioned a lot.

What I actually got was a rude person with no boundaries. He criticizes choices Gavin makes - home decor, eating habits, clothing choice, etc - in a way that’s supposed to be funny, but just ends up being rude. A larger issue for me was that he never seems to grow as a person - its always about him and himself and his feelings, and has to be shoved into vaguely considering how Gavin feels at the end.

<u>Gavin:</u> Gavin is kind of ignored in this book. Oliver spends so much time focusing on himself, and Gavin focuses on Oliver, to the point that Gavin feels like an outline of a person. His personality is mostly swearing, and being grumpy. He eventually assimilates the Musical Hamilton Personality Trait as well.


<b>Does this truly work as a standalone?</b>

Technically yes, in that I can read it without any background knowledge on the series.

I have also only read the first in this series, a couple years ago. I didn’t have any trouble following this. That being said, the cameos/presence of the rest of the family was done in a very blocky and confusing way. The entire family is introduced en masse, and that is a lot of people. Working them in when they fit, rather than just a roll call of old characters, would be a much better read in general, let alone for new readers.

However, it also does <i>not</i> work as a standalone, due the overwhelming presence of other couples and their stories. This ended up reading like a series of epilogues for the previous MF couples disguised as a gay romance. We have:

A FMC overcoming her commitment hesitations after three years and getting hitched.
A vow renewal for a couple who had a secret wedding.
A random beach wedding for idk who.
Magical Babies for a couple who struggled with babies (for whatever reason) in their book. Two magical babies.

It would be a much better use of page space to develop the relationship between the main characters instead of continuing four(!) separate couples stories.


<b>The sex scene</b>

I’m addressing this specifically because this is the authors first MM, and when it gets Gay, there tends to be issues.

I want to hedge this with the fact that I do not know if all of the sex scenes in this series are as vague and weird as this. As it is, I am suspicious that the author chickened out of writing an actual gay sex scene. It was an odd blend of specific sharp moments, followed by Vaseline Over the Camera style vagueness and purple prose.

It is so vague it reaches Fifty Shades of Grey levels, and I didn’t understand what was happening here:

<blockquote><i>We kiss, his hand wandering me, touching me *there,*</i><blockquote>

If you can’t say the word butthole, then you’re not old enough to write sex scenes.

I’d also like to note that <i>penetrative sex is not necessary for a romance</i>. This is pretty heteronormative assumption, and while it does prevail somewhat still in the MM romance world, but they didn’t have to have anal. If the author was uncomfortable writing it, it could have been skipped. Or even fade to black!


<b>The romance book meta commentary</b>

I <i>loathe</i> this.

As an example:

<blockquote><i>“I mean, romance novels, while focused on romantic relationships, also spend a lot of time excavating the main characters’ interiority—their past wounds, how those drive their present behavior and motivations, what fuels their dynamic with their love interest and the rest of the characters. I was simply going to use a certain trope to illustrate my point, but speaking plainly will do.</i></blockquote>

This is simply not how people talk, and it feels almost self-congratulatory about being a romance novel. It’s extremely cringy to read. Instead of <i>talking</i> about how deep romance books are, it would be better to actually build the emotional depth in <i>this</i> book.


<b>Anxiety and emotional comfort cheese</b>

One of the things this author seems to make as her personal brand is the disability/conditions rep. In this book we have anxiety and chronic pain.

<u>Anxiety:</u> I am familiar with anxiety, and I had problems with how it was handled here.

As someone with travel anxiety, I do not understand why Oliver, someone with self-admitted medication and therapy for said anxiety, does not have medication for travel. This is entirely reasonable thing to have! The fact that Oliver’s panic attack on the plane is solved by hand holding - when Gavin was one of the sources of his stress! - was uncomfortable to me.

Panic attacks don’t need a trigger, they can just happen. It is suggested otherwise in this book.

This book also insinuates, accidentally I suspect, that people with anxiety can’t be happy. This is categorically untrue. I suspect it’s a phrasing failure rather than what the author meant to say, but it would be best to …hmm not say that.

<u>Lactose intolerance and emotional support cheese:</u> This started off quirky, whatever, he eats cheese to feel better. However! We get a horribly incorrect usage of lactose intolerance later, with said cheese.

It was not necessary to give Oliver lactose intolerance, especially if you’re just going to get it wrong. He has a violent reaction to eating way too much brie, and this sets off an event in the book.

I have lactose intolerance. Cheese, even a soft cheese like Brie, does not have high lactose content. Additionally, he says he took a lactase pill - these work extremely well. It says <i>on the package</i>, that you can take multiple pills if you are going to eat lots of dairy. He does not. His amount of reaction is the level I’d expect if he ate like four gallons of milkshake. Not some cheese. In summary: not necessary, and wrong.

I won’t comment on the representation of chronic pain, as I am not familiar with it.


<b>Author soapboxing, aka people don’t talk like this</b>

There were many times in this book where characters would go off into unbelievable lectures disguised as conversations, on various topics like periods, toxic masculinity, believing in yourself, romance books, etc. None of it was realistic, and I found it to be overwrought and dramatic. It doesn’t read like anything approximating human speech.

There were a lot of attempts at poetry, which ended up being purple prose. Sometimes it went so purple that I didn’t know what it was trying to say. It loses its impact if everything is dramatically described, especially appearances.


<b>Soccer, and the rest of the team</b>

For a soccer book, I felt it was pretty light on the actual interactions and team dynamic. There were games, and a few practice scenes, yet it felt oddly left out. I think because the actual co-captaining was not relevant, there was less actual import for the sport to be present.

This was just weird enough I have to mention it. There’s like three or four other named characters on the team, and as far as I can tell, they’re there to show you who the author is agreeing with in a scene. Or crying over a pep talk. All of them react in concert, and it is always strange.


<b>Expositional conversations via secondary characters</b>

All of the emotional realizations and moments are had by massive and blocky expositional conversations, most often with side characters. The side characters who exist solely to tell the MCs how they feel, and expose insights into them we would never have gotten otherwise. They also serve to force a sudden change in course for the plot.

This happens because the characters do not seem able to realize these things for themselves, or about themselves, unless they’re told how to by some side character. Sometimes the characters know things that there’s no way they could have realistically known, like the emotional state of others without evidence the reader can see, or events that happened nowhere near them.


<b>Miscellaneous details</b>

<u>Ted Lasso as inspiration</u>: It’s noted by the author that this was inspired by Ted Lasso. I have never seen this show, and know nothing about it. As far as I can tell, it doesn’t matter at all as far as required knowledge. Maybe it’s relying on some characterization developed in the show - a common downfall of converting fic - and I don’t see it because I don’t watch the show. If that’s the case, then…well, don’t do that.

<u>The three year old:</u> This is the magical happening baby. I do not understand why it was necessary to read about the three year old mimicking the sex noises of her parents. This contributed nothing but a deep wish for me to unread it. The toddler also had Woke Baby moments, like telling an MC that she “respects his boundaries”. Three year olds do not understand boundaries!

<u>General flow of scenes:</u> There’s times where the characters went into long meandering thoughts in the middle of an action scene, and it was confusing. Oliver mused on the relationship and Gavin mid soccer game. It doesn’t belong here. Maybe a single quick thought, but these went on too long, and ended up making the scene very choppy.


There’s just some downright odd stuff, like continuity errors, and people having too many hands for the activities they’re doing, and 24yo soccer players having endless hankies like a clown magician.


<b>Overall,</b> I suspect if you liked the other books and don’t know about anxiety or lactose intolerance, then you’ll like this too based on reviews. It’s a choice to put a MM book mid MF series, that’s for sure. As a prolific MM romance reader, I was intrigued to read this authors first MM romance. Plus, I do love a good enemies-to-lovers sports romance. Suffice to say, I do not recommend it for MM readers.

While there’s no wedding in this book, and very little actual relationship, rest assured, dear readers, I'm sure you’ll get their wedding in like book 7.


Please excuse the goodreads formatting, as I type my reviews with that in mind.

Oliver and Gavin were truly enemies and lovers. The first part of the book was full of animosity between them, even if Oliver was the biggest sunshine ever. The chemistry was so good. There is nothing that can top a well-done enemies to lovers for me, and if you add grumpy or sunshine to the mix, my soul is going to leave my body.

The more I got to know Gavin, the harder I fell for his character. My heart ached for him for a large part of the book. Feeling like you’re only worthy if you’re the best, if you work the hardest... that’s awful. Showing someone who feels this that they can be loved no matter what, if they’re trying or not, if they’re being the best or if they’re simply existing, is hard. This book feels like a warm hug, and it will remind everyone that you can simply breathe, and that will be enough for someone else to love you.

I loved reading about Oliver as a main character! The man cubs were always a big highlight of this series for me! I love Oliver so much, and I love his character development. He’s so considerate and always thinks of ways to make people’s lives better, forgetting about his own in the process. Thankfully, the brothers had some words of wisdom for him in this regard. Also, Ollie is the absolute best uncle. These tiny Bergmans are the cutest things ever!

Oliver and Gavin are perfect together, and their romance is absolutely top-tier for me. I wouldn’t change a single thing.

I can’t believe we’re only down to two siblings... My heart is going to be shattered when this series is over! No matter who comes next, I am absolutely ready to devour and love it just as much as this one and the rest of the series. Also, I wouldn’t complain if we ever got a tiny glimpse of Papa and Mama Bergman’s love story...

DRC provided directly by the author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Representation: bisexual white protagonist of Swedish descent, gay white protagonist with chronic pain, queer Latine tertiary character, queer Asian tertiary character, Black tertiary characters, non-binary tertiary character of colour, Latine tertiary character, autistic white tertiary characters of Swedish descent, Swedish tertiary character, amputee tertiary character.

Content Warning: alcohol, vomit, violence, anxiety, panic attacks, homophobic incident, intrusive thoughts, past trauma.

Everything for You by Chloe Liese is a contemporary romance novel, fifth in the Bergman Brothers series, centring sunshine footballer extraordinaire Oliver Bergman and his grumpy teammate Gavin Hayes, veteran and legend of the sport; the Ted Lasso (if he could actually play football) x Roy Kent love-story I did not expect, which I did not know I wanted, but that captured my heart completely.

Oliver Bergman was badly burnt by his last relationship, so he decides to avoid love and never to mix it with his career as a footballer. Gavin Hayes’ body can no longer sustain his life as a legendary football player, but he pushes it to its limit in spite of the pain because he is afraid of what the future will bring him. Neither man expected, after two years of playing for the same team, that the coach would offer Oliver the chance to co-captain and all this choice would entail.

I always want to be as honest as I can be so I must say that I did not anticipate to like this story as much as I did, mostly because I had never read anything by Chloe Liese before, so I could not predict if her writing style would be to my liking. That said, this enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn romance between a cheerful and colourful twenty-something and a peppery thirty-something, full of emotions, humour, pranks, drama and just the right amounts of spice enthralled me from start to finish.

While I obviously liked the similarities with Ted Lasso (I am still waiting for the Jamie x Roy romance of my dreams), what I enjoyed most was how the protagonists slowly but steadily overcome their insecurities and their traumas, sharing the latter with each other; build their relationship starting from solid foundations, respecting each other’s boundaries, and understanding and accepting their own individual imperfections, personally and reciprocally.

The only aspect I got somewhat irked by was the italicisation of the Spanish when it was not meant to be emphasised. The Swedish words were not italicised, so I did not get why the Spanish was. It really was a minor factor that my finicky brain could not get past though, so I am sure other readers will easily ignore it.

[During the whole reading experience I kept saying to myself that if Chloe decided to write Mitch’s death or any of the other members of the elderly brigade, I would immediately stop reading and one-star the book so hard because it is a “trope” I cannot tolerate (I am looking at you, Moana’s writers. As beautiful as the movie was, I am still holding a grudge towards them for Gramma Tala’ passing), so kudos to Chloe for that as well.]

Everything for You is definitely a read I recommend and if it is proof of Chloe Liese’s writing abilities as I think it is, I reckon the whole series is worth reading (even though I am not sure about the queer representation in it, beside Oliver’s side presence). I am undoubtedly looking forward to reading her backlist and Viggo’s and Ziggy’s future stories.

I LOVE the Bergmans. My friends and family is sick and tired of hearing me talk about this series but I will not stop until they’ve all read them.
This book was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022 (if not THE most anticipated) so when I saw that ARCs were available I all but RAN to NetGalley. I may or may not have squealed when I was approved👀

Now onto the review. Chloe has done it again. Is anyone surprised though? I swear this series keep getting better with every new book. This book was so good. I LOVED it. I loved all the tropes and the characters and getting to see the rest of the Bergman siblings and know what they’re up was an amazing little extra.

Gavin and Oliver were amazing characters and felt incredibly human and real. That’s one of the best thing about Chloe’s books- all her characters are exceptionally well built, have good qualities and flaws like all of us and their journeys to happiness aren’t always straightforward. They have set backs and work on themselves to improve whatever it is they feel needs go be better. The truth is, you’ll see little bits of yourself in every one of these characters and who knows, maybe you’ll even understand yourself a bit better.

The banter between the main characters was amazing and they had so much chemistry! I just loved seeing them together and following their journey to the HAE, which wasn’t always easy but was 100% worth it in the end.

This book is everything. It made me smile (hadn’t even finished the first page and I already had a huge smile on my face) and laugh, made me squeal with joy, but because it also deals with some heavier topics (such as anxiety and chronic pain) it also made me stop to think and I’ll admit I shed a few tears here and there.

This was a very anticipated read and I’m happy to say it did not disappoint. If you haven’t read this series yet, you have no idea what you’re missing! Genuinely some of the best books out there right now. Couldn’t recommend them more.

4 stars! what another perfect chloe liese bergman brother novel!

Definitely for you if you enjoy
- Grump/sunshine
- Age gap
- Unresolved feelings of past and present

Oliver Bergman hoped his time with the LA Galaxy soccer team would be everything but with Gavin Hayes, the resident grump and their captain, it’s hard. Although he’d usually resort to pranks and shenanigans, he’s chosen to be better while in the public eye and kill Gavin with kindness.

Gavin deals with chronic pain having played soccer for so long and seeing Oliver, the perfect picture of health, talent and fake kindness, he feels rather resentful. When Gavin is demoted from captain to co-captain with Oliver of all people, he’s forced to make it work.

As Gavin and Oliver set aside their differences to captain the team, they realize they’re a much better fit than they realized. With how their pasts have shaped them and their careers and futures in mind, they have to decide what’s the right call to make.

📚

this was an anticipated read for me and it didn’t disappoint! i absolutely just flew through it which was expected. i love the whole series and this swedish family and i’m so happy i got to experience a time jump with this family… that’s my FAMILY.

oliver was such a sweet character to read and i loved seeing him grow from past books. he was just so understanding, open and optimistic without seeming ditzy like some authors choose to make their more optimistic characters. gavin was also a wonderful grump. gavin and oliver truly balanced each other in a way that i wasn’t bored with.

i wish we got more background on gavin earlier in the book but glad we got his story regardless! oliver’s background and family was thoroughly covered and being able to see past couples move forward with their relationships without overshadowing oliver and gavin’s story was perfect!

returning to a series like this one is just one of the greatest feelings and each book has been a hit for me. i enjoy liese’s novels, writing style and paces and i’m so glad i stumbled upon them. i, ironically enough, was denied a book of the series on netgalley and now i’m able to read this ARC through netgalley. i feel like i’m having a full circle moment right now. can’t believe i have to wait a whole year for the next one and not even ready for it to end but also i will wait forever and will be so happy to continue following chloe liese’s career!

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for sending this ARC in return for an honest review.

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮 ⚽️
➖𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: May 10th
➖𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 5/5 ⭐️’s
➖𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥: 3/5 🌶’s

This series continues to be a balm to my soul! With each book and each couple, I fall more and more in love with the Bergman clan, and of course this book is no exception!

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮 is the perfect mixture of grumpy + sunshine and enemies to lovers, but the way that Oliver & Gavin’s story slowly develops into something so much more tender and vulnerable as the book progresses is what really sealed this as a 5 star read for me.

What you’ll find in this trope-tastic book:
➖enemies to lovers
➖grumpy + sunshine ☀️
➖m/m sports romance ⚽️💗
➖10 year age gap (or 9 years, 7 months, and 6 days if you ask Ollie 🤪)
➖forced proximity
➖anxiety & chronic pain rep!!
➖the one bed trope (ft. a broken thermostat 🥵)

Chloe is fantastic at creating such authentic, multifaceted characters who you can’t help but love and root for. In this case especially, I think Oliver & Gavin’s story arcs (both separately and as a couple) were SO special. They both share kind of similar sentiments of feeling like they’re not worthy of love, but they handle it in such contrasting ways. Oliver is the bright and shiny people pleaser, while Gavin is the grump who keeps everyone at arm’s length. These two were genuinely such a great complement to one another and seeing them start to lower their walls and slowly unravel each other was incredibly satisfying!

All in all, if you’re looking for an authentic romance read that will truly make your heart sing, then I fully recommend pre-ordering 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮! (Also the Bergman family updates in this book are just ✨spectacular✨)

Thank you to @chloe_liese & @netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Let's just pretend I never said I would post the review on Thursday ok

Tropes: enemies to lovers, age gap, grumpy sunshine, one bed, sports romance, hurt/care.

This is the second Bergman Brothers book I have read, and it has solidified that Chloe Liese is an auto buy author for me. A tropey, slow burn mlm romance with incredible disability representation (chronic pain and anxiety). The representation was definitely accurate as someone who lives with chronic pain, and was done in such a way that it added to the romance whilst being realistic. I love the family aspect, especially the brother dynamics. It is fun, but so sweet and heart warming.

If you want a brilliant romance series, I really recommend picking these up. You don't have to read them in order, but there are nice easter eggs about the past couples as you read on.

Thank you to Net Galley and Chloe Leise for the arc in exchange for an honest review. Publication day is May 10th, and I will be moving the rest of the series to the top of my TBR!

Chloe Liese can do no wrong. Bold statement- but true!

This romance explores the classic enemies-to-lovers and grumpy meets sunshine tropes. Oliver seems to be the sweetest of the Bergman bunch, and it only seems fitting to pair him with the ultimate grouch. Gavin, an aging soccer superstar, doesn't want to get involved with Oliver at all, especially since Oliver seems to embody everything he used to be: young, healthy, fit.

It should come as no surprise that when the two are partnered as co-captains, sparks fly until they can no longer deny their attraction. What ensues is a sweet, sexy romance that continues to build up until the very last page.

As always, Chloe LIese handles sensitive subjects with the care they deserve; chronic pain and homophobia are the two specific subjects that were broached, and they were addressed realistically and thoughtfully.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

The Bergman Brothers continue to be excellent company! This time, we get to spend a little more time with soccer playing Oliver, who has a crush on his teammate, the ten year older Gavin. It's a slow, slow burn, but the chemistry is sizzling, and the bed sheet entanglement scene is to die for!

There are so many wonderful moments in this book! Babies, brotherly support, anxiety rep, the A-frame, charged moments and the most swoon worthy grand gesture to make sure Oliver gets a happy ever after. I love how Gavin comes to term with his career ending while Oliver's is on the rise; some truly beautiful writing in those scenes. Also, one bed trope!

The book is out May 10th so go preorder it now, and in the meantime you can read books 1-4, starting with Only When It's Us, which is still my favourite of the lot ❤️

This might make the top book from the Bergman series by Chloe Liese. I was in knots from the very first page from all the feelings. I loved seeing old character pop up, the family dynamics, the banter and tension between Gavin and Oliver, and Chloe’s signature emotional build in tandem with sexual tension. Beautifully done and I wept a LOT.

Chloe Liese has done it again! This is another incredible love story that will make you laugh, cry and feel all the things. I have loved Oliver in the previous books, so I was really excited to read his story and I was not disappointed! As always, Chloe did an amazing job of weaving in important and relevant issues like dealing with anxiety, injuries, pain and family issues alongside the romance. Oliver and Gavin's story was beautiful and this book may have become my favorite of the series so far! These books continue to get better and better and I cannot wait to read the next one.

THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD! I AM CRY! The chemistry between Gavin and Oliver had me sweating! The banter! God, the banter!!!! I trust Chloe Liese with my whole entire heart. When she writes, I know it will be emotionally intelligent, sensitive, heartfelt, funny, charming, full of depth, and just so dang good. I love the Bergmans and I am so thankful for the opportunity to read Everything for You early. Thank you thank you thank you!!!

This is one of my favorite book series and this one may be my favorite book in the Bergman brothers series!! It was so amazing, I barely have words. It had all of my favorite tropes such as grumpy/ sunshine, one bed, and it was a sports romance! Not often do I find books labeled grumpy/ sunshine where the two main characters are exactly that but this one did not disappoint! It had the grumpiest of grumps and the sunniest of sunshines! I also loved the way Chloe seamlessly introduced a brother that was part of the LGBTQ+ community without trying to capitalize on something that is very normal. She is amazing and writes amazing books! Will definitely recommend and will be posting a TikTok video soon! Thank you NetGalley for this arc!

“I had to watch you have everything that I'd lost and know I could do it, to prove to us both that while I loved soccer, I love you better, best, beyond."

What You'll Find:
✔️M/M Sports Romance
✔️Enemies to Lovers
✔️Sunshine/Grump
✔️Close Proximity
✔️Slow Burn
✔️Dual POV

Oliver and Gavin have been teammates for 2 years. And they couldn't appear any more different. Oliver is the rising star, full of sunshine. Gavin is the veteran grump. Avoidance has worked for them, up until now. Oliver has been named team co-captain and the coach has made it clear they are to get along. What starts as two enemies pulling pranks, leads to walls falling and tension simmering. Soon they learn there's so much more beneath the surface, including attraction.

This story started a tiny bit slow for me. But I was so happy to get a bit more from the last book. It answered my lingering questions, and I should have had no doubts that was the author's plan all along. Once Oliver and Gavin first truly interact in this story, I was hooked. Oliver is pure sunshine. On the surface. But he battles anxiety. And I thought this was portrayed well. Gavin, oh this cinnamon roll of a grump, I adored him. Living with chronic pain, I could sympathize with him. His tough exterior hides his past hurts and future fears. I would have loved to learn more of Gavin's past though. Including relationships. It felt a little rushed over.

But there is so much mutual pining here that will draw you in. It is a slow burn though, which the author does so well. There are so many tiny tender moments. Along with some lust filled chemistry. That one bed tangle in the sheets though... this book proves you don't need the deed for it to be hot. The had such a great connection. Underneath it all, they had more in common then meets the eye. They had a little help along the way getting, but I cheered them on.

Everything For You has truly Everything. For. You. A sports romance with heart and heat. Humor and feels (that had me both smiling and tearing up). Great rep, handled with much thought and care. And a family dynamic that just gets better and better. I adore these Bergman's and loved Gavin's hilariously sweet little crew too. I truly look forward to each Bergman read and that unforgettable A-Frame. I dread the thought of there only being two books left. But I also can't wait either! Another excellent addition to this series!

NOTE: I would recommend reading this series in order, prior to this book especially, as there is an time jump with minor spoilers for previous couples books.

CW: Anxiety, Panic Attacks (on page), Chronic Pain, Homophobic Slurs (not stated on page).

*I received an ARC from the author via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own and given freely.

I had never heard of Chloe Liese before, and after doing a quick search, finding her profile on GoodReads and seeing her other books on Amazon, I realized that I may have not chosen the best book of hers to start with. Everything for You is part of a series of family stories and I hadn't read any of them prior to this one. However, my fears were unfounded, because even if you haven't read any of her Bergman Brothers books, you'll get acquainted with the family in no time. She does an amazing job of giving just enough exposition so you feel like you've done a cursory meet-up with the Bergman fam, and this is important, since family is such a major part of Oliver's life.

Oliver Bergman is a rising star for the L.A. Galaxy soccer club, dropping out of UCLA after his sophomore year and a terrible break-up. Openly bisexual, Oliver doesn't shy away from his sexuality, but he doesn't exactly make it an open part of his public persona, either. When he's made co-captain for the Galaxy with his childhood idol, veteran soccer star Gavin Hayes, he can't believe his luck—too bad Hayes, also openly gay, hates his guts and has since the second he laid eyes on Hayes in the locker room.

But as they grow into their co-captaincy, something else starts to grow between them, too. The tension that Liese builds between these two is, well—intense. There's a fine line between love and hate, and you can feel it in every interaction Oliver and Gavin have with one another. But maybe, just maybe, the rookie and the accomplished player can teach each other a thing or two and make their team—and themselves—all the better in the process.

This book had major Ted Lasso vibes, and Liese says as much in her author's note that they were wholly intentional. If you're a fan of the show and queer romances, you will absolutely adore this book (and you won't get Roy Kent's growly gruff on the outside-marshmallow puff on the inside personality out of your mind either when you read Gavin).

Everything for You is another hit by Chloe Liese. Chloe’s books are the romances we all need - her characters always feel like real people. Everything for You was full of everything that I love and filled the Ted Lasso-shaped hole in my heart. Do yourself the favor of reading this, Oliver and Gavin’s love will fill you with so much hope and joy!!
Thank you to Netgalley and Chloe Liese for this ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Chloe Liese has my heart and speaks to everything in my soul with her books. This fifth installment in the Bergman Brother series continued this trajectory. I always want to read her books so quickly but also make them last forever because they are just so good.

I don't know if there are words to express how grateful I am for Chloe's books and the way she writes. She has the ability to make all types of people feel seen with her stories. With a focus on inclusion of chronic illness and disability representation, Chloe shows readers through her love stories that no matter what they are enough just as they are. Proof is in her dedication for this book, "For anyone who's been scared or hurt, who's loved and lost. You're brave. You're enough. I believe in you."

This book focuses on Oliver Bergman, the sixth child in the Bergman clan, and his love story. This is a beautiful M/M love story sports romance with a huge grumpy/sunshine trope along with enemies to lovers, age gap, only one bed, and forced proximity. If you are a fan of the show Ted Lasso, you will absolutely adore this book. The characters Oliver and his love interest Gavin mimic the characters of Ted Lasso and Roy Kent if they were both soccer players and fell in love.

This story fast forwards us in the Bergman world four years when Oliver is now playing professional soccer. He is forced to become co-captains with Gavin, who has only shown animosity towards him the entire past two years they have been teammates. They start out on opposite sides with Oliver's sunshine personality constantly antagonized by the grumpy cynical Gavin. As they battle one another as enemies, the underlying issues each one experiences starts to come to light.

Gavin is dealing with extreme chronic pain from all his years on the field. He's ten years older than Oliver and on his way out of his career while Oliver is just beginning. Oliver uses his sunny personality to mask all the anxiety he feels. The two decide to support one another in the name of being co-captains and the team. As they do this, each one uncovers the real layers of the other beneath the surface of what is shown.

The chemistry is immediately off the charts between the two, but just as Chloe always does, she leads us on a true slow burn. The payoff though, is tremendous! The love scenes between them are gorgeous and fiery, and well worth the wait.

I loved seeing how Gavin tackled the next phase of his life. To be 34, and be staring down the end of his career was such a vulnerable place for him to find himself. The compassion that Oliver had for Gavin and that Gavin had for Oliver for each of their struggles was such an amazing thing to read.

This book really does explore the statement that we are enough just as we are. Throughout the story we also get numerous cameos and updates from the rest of the Bergman clan. I enjoyed reading about the other family members I've come to know and love. I also just really love this family and all their love for one another and of course their continued antics.

This book is amazing. Read it and let your heart feel full.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oliver Bergman and Gavin Hayes are professional soccer players om ghe same team. And they cannot stand each other. When they are forced to become Co-captains for their team, a spark between the two blossoms that develops into more. With the occasional prank in between.
This enemies-to-lovers, grumpy/sunshine, age gap romance features queer rep, anxiety rep, chronic pain rep and lots of musical theatre references. It is the perfect mix of emotional, steamy and had me laughing out loud more than once.
The characters are what really drives this book. Oliver and Gavin feel incredibly real with their respective struggles and ambitions. And even though this is the first Bergman Brothers book I have read, I did not feel overwhelmed by the many siblings. Instead I got the sense that I really got to know each of their characters in this short time, with Viggo quickly becoming my favourite. I already added the rest of the Bergman Brother Books to my list and cannot wait for Viggos and Ziggys stories.
In short: Everything for You is absolutely brilliant and I will definitely be reading more of Chloe Lieses books in the future.

Everything for you, is EVERYTHING. I am likely to read any Bergman book but, Oliver and Gavin's story was a missing part of me I didn't know existed. Grumpy/Sunshine meets chronic pain and anxiety rep and creates a steamy, lovely, amazing book. This may be Chloe Liese's steamiest Bergman book, and I could NOT walk away, I'll not lie I have reread it multiple times before writing this review.
Oliver and Gavin are forced to Co-captain their professional soccer team and the sparks, and the pranks are there. If you have read the previous books in this series, you've seen Oliver's mischief before, but not to this level. Oliver hides behind sunshine, and Gavin hides behind storm clouds, and they are the perfect match.

This book puts them in the position to have to realize themselves and they see the best way to do this? together. I just know, both men would do Everything For the other.
queer rep, anxiety rep, musical lovers, pranks, and Bergman family love.

Oliver Bergman is known for being a nice guy, both on and off the soccer pitch. His career has taken off, and after two years of paying his dues, Oliver is allowed to become co-captain. The only problem is he has to work with Gavin Hayes. Oliver has idolized Gavin ever since he was young, and was thrilled to get to play alongside him, until he realized that below the handsome exterior, Gavin is as prickly as a cactus. The pair butt heads at every turn, and if they can't be civil, they can kiss their captaincy goodbye. As they're forced to spend more time together, neither Oliver nor Gavin can deny the heat building between them. Both have been running from love for years, but what will happen if they finally give in?

Liese does it again! She has this way of writing romances that just suck you in. She always has the perfect mix of sweetness and steam. I don't usually love age gap tropes, but Oliver and Gavin worked so well together that I completely forgot about it. I thought the two of them were adorable together. Oliver is so sunshiney and positive, and Gavin is an irritable grump, which happens to be one of my favorite combinations. They both had different sides to their personalities they don't show to anyone else but felt comfortable enough to be vulnerable with one another, and it was so lovely. As in all her other books, the banter was top-notch and I found myself chuckling a bunch. I also love how inclusive her books are, and how they deal with a lot of topics not usually found in other romance books. There were a few times I felt the pacing was a little slow but other than that, I thought this was another solid addition to this series, and I'm excited to see where the next one goes.