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A review by theespressoedition
Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I was very up and down while I read this story! Come with me on that journey...
When I first started the book, I thought it was cute that the protagonist had this daydream she escaped to in order to "deal with" her pretty crappy job and the very toxic work friendships she had. By the time I reached the middle of the book, I found her daydreams to be a little strange rather than endearing.
The relationship starts out as one of the most bizarre enemies-to-lovers tropes I've ever read. I was instantly irritated that Maybell didn't like Wesley just because he was shy. Her insanely extroverted personality was so forceful and intense and I can understand right away why he would react the way he did. She also had him on this weird pedestal because of the fact that he was the face of the guy from her daydreams. Basically, the entirety of their relationship at the start was because of miscommunication, which is my least favorite thing to have in a romance novel.
However, towards the middle of the book, I really enjoyed their chemistry as they finally got to know one another. They were flirty and cute and it was clear that Wesley fell first, which was beyond adorable. Their whole relationship was reworked into something very sweet - and he works really hard to show his affection in a natural way while still battling through social anxiety and extreme shyness.
Then came the ending, which threw me for another loop. The first half and the second half felt like two different books to me and I almost wish they'd been split up. Watching as Wesley tried to work through his anxiety could have been all the more meaningful, but instead, it felt like it was all wrapped up into a nice and neat little bow too quickly and easily. If I'd had it my way, I would've never had him "conquer" his fear and get on the plane to meet her in Scotland. It made anxiety seem way more manageable than it actually is and a more realistic version would've been that he never made it there and Maybell still adored him at the end, challenges and all. But that's just my two cents.
However, it was a cute book overall and I enjoyed a decent amount of it, so I'm at least glad that I gave it a read.
When I first started the book, I thought it was cute that the protagonist had this daydream she escaped to in order to "deal with" her pretty crappy job and the very toxic work friendships she had. By the time I reached the middle of the book, I found her daydreams to be a little strange rather than endearing.
The relationship starts out as one of the most bizarre enemies-to-lovers tropes I've ever read. I was instantly irritated that Maybell didn't like Wesley just because he was shy. Her insanely extroverted personality was so forceful and intense and I can understand right away why he would react the way he did. She also had him on this weird pedestal because of the fact that he was the face of the guy from her daydreams. Basically, the entirety of their relationship at the start was because of miscommunication, which is my least favorite thing to have in a romance novel.
However, towards the middle of the book, I really enjoyed their chemistry as they finally got to know one another. They were flirty and cute and it was clear that Wesley fell first, which was beyond adorable. Their whole relationship was reworked into something very sweet - and he works really hard to show his affection in a natural way while still battling through social anxiety and extreme shyness.
Then came the ending, which threw me for another loop. The first half and the second half felt like two different books to me and I almost wish they'd been split up. Watching as Wesley tried to work through his anxiety could have been all the more meaningful, but instead, it felt like it was all wrapped up into a nice and neat little bow too quickly and easily. If I'd had it my way, I would've
However, it was a cute book overall and I enjoyed a decent amount of it, so I'm at least glad that I gave it a read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Sexism, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Sexual content