Review by beckyyreadss - Once Smitten, Twice Shy

beckyyreadss 's review for:

Once Smitten, Twice Shy by Chloe Liese

5.0

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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

This was one of my many anticipated reads for 2025 and I was so excited for this book but also didn’t want to say goodbye to these sisters. I just adored this couple, and I didn’t want the book to end or the series to end.

This book has two points of view. The first is Juliet Wilmot and since heartbreak has entered the scene, she is no longer a hopeless romantic and has sworn off love. But when she’s presented with the chance to revisit romance-purely for practice with the gorgeous, off-limits guy she keeps serendipitously running into, it feels like a sign from the universe. The second point of view is quiet and shy Will Orsino, and he knows happily-ever-after isn’t on his horizon. Problem is, for the sake of his family business, marriage is. Resigned to the inevitable, but with no confidence he can woo a wife, he can hardly say no when fate hands him the alluring, unattainable woman he keeps crossing paths with, offering to help him learn the ropes of romance. Neither of them looking for love, Jules and Will agree they’re the perfect pair to practice romance. Except that practicing to perfection leads to an irresistible attraction. Their once smitten hearts, though still twice shy, might have happily-ever-after written in the stars for them, after all.

I adore this book; I love Jules, and I love Will. I wanted to hug both of them so hard and so much during this book. They were both going through so much stuff and were still only concerned about the other persons feelings. I love their dynamic and I love the storyline. I still adore the layers that are in this book and how they have things going on, like Jules having chronic pain and Will having autism and still showing that they can find love and be loved. Will is a fine ass and respectful man and I want him. He might have just knocked Jamie off the best boyfriend in the series. He was so sweet he was giving me tooth ache but then I loved that he was trying to be respectful but was also struggling a bit with being respectful. It had all tropes I love – friends to lovers, faking dating, talking about mental health and have LGBT representation. I found it so important, and it felt so relatable. I loved the friendship group that has come together during this series and how easily they accepted Will and how they knew what was going with Jules and Will even if they didn’t want to admit it to the group.

In Two Wrongs Make a Right, I ended the review saying I want Jules to get her HEA because she deserves it so much and I’m so glad she ended the series with Jules getting her HEA. I would like another 500 pages from these sisters because I'm not ready to say goodbye to them.

Content Warnings