Review: Always Only You by Chloe Liese
SYNOPSIS:
Get ready for an emotional ride filled with laughter, longing, and a sweet slow-burn in this sports romance about love’s power not in spite of difference, but because of it.
Ren
The moment I met her, I knew Frankie Zeferino was someone worth waiting for. Deadpan delivery, secret heart of gold, and a rare one-dimpled smile that makes my knees weak, Frankie has been forbidden since the day she and I became coworkers, meaning waiting has been the name of my game—besides, hockey, that is.
I’m a player on the team, she’s on staff, and as long as we work together, dating is off-limits. But patience has always been my virtue. Frankie won’t be here forever—she’s headed for bigger, better things. I just hope that when she leaves the team and I tell her how I feel, she won’t want to leave me behind, too.
Frankie
I’ve had a problem at work since the day Ren Bergman joined the team: a six foot three hunk of happy with a sunshine smile. I’m a grumbly grump and his ridiculously good nature drives me nuts, but even I can’t entirely ignore that hot tamale of a ginger with icy eyes, the perfect playoff beard, and a body built for sin that he’s annoyingly modest about.
Before I got wise, I would have tripped over myself to get a guy like Ren, but with my diagnosis, I’ve learned what I am to most people in my life—a problem, not a person. Now, opening my heart to anyone, no matter how sweet, is the last thing I’m prepared to do.
Review:
WELL DAMN Y'ALL. Chloe freaking does it again. But really, no surprise there, she is a romance mastermind!
So where do I start? Let's begin with Ren, who is truly a gem. A Shakespearean nerd, a happy, and is secretly in love with his hockey team's social media manager, Frankie. Ren plays it safe, he bides his time. Ren is a true romantic. He has a heart of gold and sunshine demeanor. As Ren and Frankie grow closer, you see Ren just being the most for her without overstepping bounds that would make Frankie feel like a burden. He was so swoon-worthy, with softness and heartfelt loving nature that I loved.
Next, Frankie. Y'all, Frankie gets me. Frankie is highly independent but also has a vulnerability that I think we all do. She is autistic and has rheumatoid arthritis, for which she uses a cane (& thank you for normalizing differently-abled folks!). I loved reading these parts of Frankie. I got a small look into life as an autistic person and how they manage and cope and live. This is why having realistic accounts and #ownvoice authors are so so important! You get a true to the experience account that leaves you with empathy for the characters and perhaps other people you meet in your life.
Ok, back to my love for Frankie. Frankie is grumpy. She is guarded, her cards are held to her chest, her heart is on lockdown. Towards the beginning of the book, something happens that leaves Frankie in a vulnerable place. "Have you ever started crying for one thing and found yourself crying for so much more by the time you really get going?" I felt this so hard. Frankie is no-nonsense and a straight shooter but this vulnerability had me feeling so much for her. Later in the book, she talks about how she has built her life independently from others to keep her "burden" from being someone else's problem. She thinks, "What if the life I've built, the one that was supposed to set me free, has turned into a prison after all?" Cue the tears!!! I loved everything about Frankie. I loved seeing her interact with her friends, with Ren, with Ren's sister, Ziggy.
So, after all that, here's what's up: this book will show you that everyone is lovable. Everyone deserves to be loved and cherished and cared for in the ways that they need. AND I FREAKING LOVED IT.
Keywords: own voices for ASD, workplace romance, sunshine/grump, opposites attract, chronic illness representation
I'll leave you with this thought from Ren, "We love, entranced by the breathtaking view, and we fall, not knowing where we'll land."
