If Only You PDF - Chloe Liese

If Only You by Chloe Liese is a heartfelt contemporary romance and the sixth book in The Bergman Brothers series, blending sports romance, brother’s-best-friend tension, fake friendship, found confidence, family warmth, and a deeply emotional slow burn. Centered on Ziggy Bergman, a talented soccer player tired of being underestimated, and Sebastian Gauthier, a hockey player whose public reputation is threatening his career, the novel offers the kind of tender, funny, character-driven romance that has made Chloe Liese a favorite among readers of inclusive, emotionally rich love stories. The book is published by Berkley/Penguin Random House, with the paperback edition listed at 384 pages and published on February 20, 2024.

A Fresh Take on the Brother’s Best Friend Romance

At the heart of If Only You is a familiar romance setup handled with warmth and emotional care: the brother’s best friend romance. Ziggy Bergman may be the youngest in her large, loving family, but she is no longer willing to be treated like a child. As the youngest player on the National Soccer team, she has earned her place through skill and discipline, yet the people around her still see the “good girl,” the protected little sister, the quiet one who needs sheltering. Ziggy wants to be recognized as an adult with her own ambitions, desires, and strength.

Sebastian Gauthier appears to be her opposite. He is a hockey player with a bad-boy image, career trouble, and sponsorship pressure closing in around him. Where Ziggy wants to complicate her overly innocent reputation, Sebastian needs to repair his damaged one. Their solution begins as a calculated arrangement: a public friendship that might help them both change how the world sees them. What starts as reputation management becomes something far more intimate, as their staged connection opens the door to real friendship, trust, attraction, and vulnerability. The official publisher description presents the novel as a swoony, slow-burn sports romance built around Ziggy’s desire to be taken seriously and Sebastian’s need to protect his career.

Sports Romance with Emotional Depth

Readers searching for a sports romance book with both chemistry and substance will find a strong match in If Only You. Chloe Liese uses the athletic worlds of soccer and hockey not simply as background decoration, but as part of how her characters understand discipline, pressure, identity, and public expectation. Ziggy’s life as a soccer player is tied to focus and determination, while Sebastian’s hockey career reflects the cost of public mistakes, self-sabotage, and the fear of losing the one thing that has defined him for years.

The romance develops through proximity, honesty, and the gradual dismantling of assumptions. Ziggy is not merely the sweet youngest sibling, and Sebastian is not merely trouble in skates. Their connection becomes compelling because each sees something in the other that the rest of the world tends to miss. Ziggy recognizes the wounded, guarded person beneath Sebastian’s reputation, while Sebastian respects Ziggy’s agency and treats her as someone capable of choosing her own path. This emotional reciprocity gives the book its most satisfying power: it is not just about falling in love, but about being understood without being reduced to a label.

A Slow Burn Built on Friendship, Trust, and Wanting More

One of the strongest appeals of If Only You is its slow-burn romance structure. Rather than rushing attraction into instant resolution, Chloe Liese lets Ziggy and Sebastian’s relationship grow through banter, public appearances, private conversations, and the gradual realization that their fake arrangement is becoming emotionally real. The “fake friendship” premise adds a playful twist to the more familiar fake dating trope, giving the characters room to build something that feels grounded before it becomes openly romantic.

This makes the novel especially appealing for readers who enjoy friends-to-lovers romance, forbidden romance, and stories where desire is complicated by loyalty, reputation, and family ties. Sebastian is not just any man; he is connected to Ziggy’s brother, which gives the romance a natural tension. Ziggy is not simply looking for rebellion; she wants to step into a fuller version of herself. The result is a romance that balances humor and longing, showing how intimacy can begin with being listened to, believed, and taken seriously.

The Bergman Brothers World and Standalone Appeal

Although If Only You is book six in The Bergman Brothers series, the series is known for interconnected contemporary romances following the Bergman family, a Swedish-American family with multiple siblings and their individual love stories. Goodreads describes the Bergman Brothers novels as standalone contemporary romances centered on a Swedish-American family, combining heat, humor, and heartfelt emotion.

This makes If Only You a welcoming choice for both returning fans and new readers. Longtime readers will enjoy seeing the familiar Bergman family dynamic, with its closeness, teasing, protectiveness, and emotional history. New readers can still enter the story through Ziggy and Sebastian’s relationship without needing to know every detail from earlier books. The family atmosphere adds texture, but the central emotional arc belongs to this couple: two people trying to change the stories others have written about them, only to discover that love may offer a more honest reflection than reputation ever could.

Inclusive Contemporary Romance from Chloe Liese

Chloe Liese is known for writing romantic fiction with inclusive, emotionally aware characters and a strong belief that everyone deserves a love story. Penguin’s author information describes her as a USA Today bestselling author who writes romantic fiction shaped by that belief. In If Only You, that authorial signature comes through in the care given to identity, family, vulnerability, and the need to be loved as one’s whole self rather than as a simplified image.

Ziggy’s characterization is particularly meaningful for readers who appreciate romance novels with thoughtful neurodivergent representation. Reviews and reader discussions frequently note Ziggy as an autistic heroine, and the story’s emotional focus includes the frustration of being underestimated, managed, or seen through other people’s assumptions. Rather than making difference a problem to be solved, the book places emphasis on respect, communication, and the dignity of being known accurately. This aligns with Chloe Liese’s broader appeal among readers looking for contemporary romance that is both swoony and affirming.

Themes of Reputation, Identity, and Second Chances

Beneath its romantic tension and sports-world energy, If Only You is a story about reputation versus reality. Ziggy’s reputation is too soft, too safe, too innocent; Sebastian’s is too reckless, too damaged, too far gone. Both are trapped by public narratives that fail to capture who they really are. Their agreement begins as an attempt to use those narratives strategically, but the deeper movement of the novel is about stepping beyond them.

The book asks what it means to be seen in the present rather than permanently defined by the past. Sebastian’s arc brings in themes of regret, self-protection, and the hard work of becoming someone worthy of trust. Ziggy’s arc explores confidence, independence, and the painful but necessary process of asking loved ones to see her as she is now, not as the youngest child they are used to protecting. Together, these themes create a romance that feels emotionally layered without losing the warmth and escapism readers expect from a satisfying contemporary love story.

Why Readers of Contemporary Romance Will Enjoy If Only You

If Only You is a strong choice for readers who enjoy BookTok romance, Bergman Brothers books, slow-burn sports romance, and emotionally intelligent love stories with humor, tenderness, and character growth. Penguin Australia identifies the novel as book six in the Bergman Brothers series and a BookTok favorite, positioning it clearly for readers who follow popular contemporary romance trends while still wanting depth and heart.

The novel’s appeal lies in its combination of beloved romance tropes and sincere emotional stakes. It has the pull of a forbidden crush, the fun of a public arrangement, the intimacy of friendship turning into something more, and the comfort of a close family series. It also offers two protagonists who are trying to become more honest versions of themselves. For readers who want romance with laughter, longing, sports settings, inclusive representation, and a couple worth rooting for, If Only You by Chloe Liese delivers a warm and memorable reading experience.