REVIEW: Once Smitten, Twice Shy by Chloe Liese

In Once Smitten, Twice Shy by Chloe Liese, Juliet “Jules” Wilmot has been mending her broken heart for some time since ending a toxic relationship that has her questioning true love. And that’s a shame, considering her long-time love of romance novels. So, when Jules runs into a quiet redheaded mountain of a hunk for the second time who also has an aversion to romance but who needs to find a wife, she comes up with a solution. Will agrees to become her ‘romance workout buddy’. They will go on practice dates, send practice flirty texts, and give each other feedback and encouragement knowing there are no messy emotions tied up in their interactions. But Jules didn’t consider how attracted she already is to Will. Or where that would lead with each moment they spend together.

On a huff I plop down on his lap. “I feel like a kid in her dad’s lap at story time.”
“I mean, I think it’s a *little* soon for you to be calling me *Daddy*, but…”
I gape in shock and glance over my shoulder.
Will’s got a hand over his mouth, and his cheeks have turned bright red. He drops his hand just long enough to whisper hoarsely, “Thinking thought. Shouldn’t have been a talking thought.”

Will Orsino knows it’s in his best interest to find a wife, a partner who will not only be a part of his personal life but also in his family’s business. He’s all but given up hope on finding a romantic match. So, when the opportunity to get a smart, beautiful woman’s help to hone his social skills presents itself, Will takes Juliet up on her offer. He wants to keep things platonic. He truly does. But each time he and Jules go on a practice date, he can feel his connection with her deepen. Knowing she’s also been hurt in the past, Will doesn’t want to set them up for more heartbreak–that defeats the purpose of their experiment. But he also knows that they promised to be honest with each other. And that leaves him with a choice: tell Jules about his true feelings for her, or end things before it gets even more complicated.

“I want to get comfortable with romance again. You want to get better at romance. What if we helped each other?”
My heart’s pounding, my mind racing, as I process what she’s saying. “You think we could be each other’s…training wheels?”

The finale of a series I hate to see end, ONCE SMITTEN, TWICE SHY, was the perfect sendoff for Chloe Liese’s Wilmot Sisters trilogy. Sweet. Passionate. A terrific cast of characters. This novel had all of the heart and laughs I could have dreamed of.

“You love me,” I whisper.
He nods. “Endlessly.”

CW: View Spoiler »Neurodivergent & chronic health issues (detailed), toxic relationship (historical, not detailed). « Hide Spoiler

Chloe Liese saved the best, most emotional story for last in The Wilmot Sisters series in my humble opinion with ONCE SMITTEN, TWICE SHY. While this can be read as a standalone, if you’ve read either of the previous two books (Two Wrongs Make a Right and Better Hate Than Never) then you’ve likely been waiting for Juliet’s time to shine. Lover of historical romances and rom-coms, survivor of a toxic relationship that nearly crippled her, and newly diagnosed with a chronic health issue, Jules was one strong woman with a soft, squishy heart. And I adored her. Okay, so I loved *all* of the Wilmot family and their close friends. But she was something special right from the first time she walked onto the page. And thankfully, Will thought so too.

Will was no slouch himself. Described by Jules as a ‘gentle giant’, he was the type of hero who can make a reader swoon with just one small smile or a kind word to a loved one. He–like Jules–had been hurt emotionally before by a romantic partner and when paired up with his neurodivergent challenges, Will didn’t see romance in the cards for himself. Even though you could tell when he and Jules formed a friendship to help each other get over their past that they were perfect together, it took them some time to give in. But that slow burn helped them become braver in their personal lives, to take more chances and really go for their dreams.

A modern reimagining of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night–with some references to Romeo & Juliet thrown in here and there–the serendipity of Will and Jules finding themselves crossing paths and sharing a common goal was as entertaining as it was heartwarming. I think readers will easily fall for them, whether or not you’re familiar with the play this was loosely based around.

QOTD: Will straddled the line between alpha and beta hero. Do you prefer one over the other? Or a perfect mix like Will was?

Book Info:

Publication: Published: January 14th, 2025 | Berkley | The Wilmot Sisters #3

Star-crossed lovers learn that practicing romance leads to the perfect happy ending in this steamy reimagining of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.

Since heartbreak entered the scene, Juliet Wilmot, once a hopeless romantic, 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.

Quiet, shy Will Orsino knows happily-ever-after isn’t on his horizon. Problem is, for the sake of the 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.