November 15, 2021
Liese’s delightful fourth Bergman Brothers rom-com (after Always Only You) opens at the Bergman family’s Seattle vacation home, where family friend Rooney Sullivan has been invited to regroup after ulcerative colitis forces her to take a leave of absence from Stanford law school. She doesn’t expect the eldest Bergman brother, the quiet, grumpy, and autistic Axel, to be staying there as well. He’s hard at work trying to fix massive damage from a burst pipe without telling his family. It’s a hefty bill, but he can’t bear losing their cherished getaway. To come up with the money fast, Axel hopes to claim his inheritance from his uncle—but to do so he must get married. When Rooney finds out, she offers to marry him for a year, reasoning that “she’s not a romantic.” They agree it’s nothing but a business arrangement—except both of them have harbored secret crushes on the other for years. Now neither can speak up without ruining everything. With this sweet, perfectly twisty romance, Liese delivers all the feels and steam fans expect while making space for the unsexy realities of chronic illness and showcasing neurodivergent communication styles. The result is emotionally intelligent and also scrupulously careful with consent. Readers with chronic illness will feel especially seen and appreciated, but any romance fan will enjoy this adorable romp.