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cbonner0711 's review for:
Twice Shy
by Sarah Hogle
I LOVED this book and it will definitely be in competition for one of my favorites of 2021. By the end I had over 30 highlights because there were so many touching or beautifully written moments between the hero and heroine. I’ll definitely be revisiting the highlights in between rereads of this book.
I will say it had a slow start. The hero was VERY grumpy in the beginning and barely talked to Maybell, but no worries, his taciturn behavior is soon explained and once it is, he becomes a very compelling and layered hero. I don’t think I’ve ever read a hero like him and it was really refreshing. His story about his childhood cow which is behind the reason for him being a vegetarian and why he wants to open an animal sanctuary called “the Farm Upstate” was so so touching. It was one of my favorite parts when he opens up to Maybell about it.
Further, all of my favorite romances have elements of whimsy to them and that’s another reason why I loved this book. The house Wesley and Maybell inherit was at one point an old hotel and it has a bunch of secret doors and passageways and a hidden elevator. I also loved the part about how she remembers the house being a light pink when she was a child, but discovers it was only ever grey in her lifetime, realizing she had internalized an old postcard that had a picture of the house from the early 1900s. The color is described as sunset and I love how Maybell tries to return it to the original. I love the descriptions of that part in the book, I could picture it perfectly.
Another thins I loved was Wesley’s date for Maybell. I swooned, seriously. I had no idea where he was going with it and when I figured it out, it was so good. Maybell’s reaction was wonderful because she finally truly felt like she was seen and understood by someone.
My favorite part though has to be the “I love you” declarations at the end. This type of scene can be pretty rote after reading so many romances, but in this book, it was incredible. The impact of that scene made me cry. I’m not going to spoil it, but it was one of the best “I love you” scenes I’ve ever read.
I’m so happy that Sarah Hogle’s second novel was even better than her first. I really loved You Deserve Each Other, so I had high expectations for this one. I always worry the follow-up to a debut won’t be as good, but this one was incredible in my opinion. Hogle has a unique voice and I can’t wait to read what she comes out with next! Highly highly recommend!
I will say it had a slow start. The hero was VERY grumpy in the beginning and barely talked to Maybell, but no worries, his taciturn behavior is soon explained and once it is, he becomes a very compelling and layered hero. I don’t think I’ve ever read a hero like him and it was really refreshing. His story about his childhood cow which is behind the reason for him being a vegetarian and why he wants to open an animal sanctuary called “the Farm Upstate” was so so touching. It was one of my favorite parts when he opens up to Maybell about it.
Further, all of my favorite romances have elements of whimsy to them and that’s another reason why I loved this book. The house Wesley and Maybell inherit was at one point an old hotel and it has a bunch of secret doors and passageways and a hidden elevator. I also loved the part about how she remembers the house being a light pink when she was a child, but discovers it was only ever grey in her lifetime, realizing she had internalized an old postcard that had a picture of the house from the early 1900s. The color is described as sunset and I love how Maybell tries to return it to the original. I love the descriptions of that part in the book, I could picture it perfectly.
Another thins I loved was Wesley’s date for Maybell. I swooned, seriously. I had no idea where he was going with it and when I figured it out, it was so good. Maybell’s reaction was wonderful because she finally truly felt like she was seen and understood by someone.
My favorite part though has to be the “I love you” declarations at the end. This type of scene can be pretty rote after reading so many romances, but in this book, it was incredible. The impact of that scene made me cry. I’m not going to spoil it, but it was one of the best “I love you” scenes I’ve ever read.
I’m so happy that Sarah Hogle’s second novel was even better than her first. I really loved You Deserve Each Other, so I had high expectations for this one. I always worry the follow-up to a debut won’t be as good, but this one was incredible in my opinion. Hogle has a unique voice and I can’t wait to read what she comes out with next! Highly highly recommend!