Oh this was SO delightful. I gobbled up every word. The author has such razor sharp wit, and her characters are all nuanced with incredible emotional arcs. So many swoony moments in this story, and I seriously can’t recommend it enough. Sarah, you can take all of my money.

I recently finished You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle, and I JUMPED at the opportunity to read this ARC. This book was so cute. I adored Wesley's gentle demeanor and it was so refreshing to see his character dealing with social anxiety. So many out there can relate! This was a FUN read, and I loved watching the slow burn friendship/relationship between Wesley and Maybell unfold. I did struggle a little bit with the AU parts, they weren't my favorite, but that did not take away from my overall experience with this book. Overall, this book was a light and fun read, and I will definitely recommend this to others!

i love it. periodt. i am a huge fan of Sarah Hogle’s writing style and especially so in this book.
whimsical, clever, original, heart-warming, fun, relatable — do you get the idea? the MC’s rambling thoughts made for an incredibly entertaining book, despite the fact that there’s only a handful of (white) characters that REALLY, REALLY need therapy and instead, find solace in each other for their healing (which isn’t necessarily good either). but the mental health/anxiety/trauma/disassociation rep is really strong in the book and i have to commend Sarah for tackling a hard-to-describe feeling and making it a focal point in a budding relationship between two characters. Maybell’s though spots were relatable and funny and often times i found myself saying, “This is absolutely something I would say.” you won’t find a lot of cliche personality traits or plot twists in this book but you WILL find plenty of dry jokes in the form of metaphors and similes.
all in all, i really do recommend this book. i really enjoyed it and i hope you do too.

Sarah Hogle's first novel, "You Deserve Each Other" was a surprise hit for me. I randomly stumbled upon the title and figured I'd give it a try...I wasn't expecting to love it as much as I did. But after reading and loving YDEO, I was anxiously awaiting the release of her second novel. And I am happy to say, "it was worth the wait!"

While "You Deserve Each Other" was punchy and in your face hilarious, "Twice Shy" was subtle and unexpectedly funny. I love the inner dialogue Hogle gives her female characters and I especially love their ability to laugh at themselves.

Maybell is struggling to find her voice - at least her outer voice. Her inner thoughts are a-plenty, but she can't quite transfer them from her brain to her mouth. She is the version of so many of us that stand back, blend in, and keep quiet in order to avoid making waves. When she meets Wesley, she begins to find her footing. As her confidence builds, she learns to accept herself and embrace her uniqueness. I love that Hogle doesn't frame her characters as needing to be "fixed" or as victims in need of rescuing. Although both Wesley and Maybell have facets of their lives and personality traits they're working on, they're never portrayed as weak or less-than because of them.

Twice Shy is an excellent sophomore novel for Sarah Hogle. While the storyline is completely different from her first book, the trademark humor and quick wit are still evident. The slow-burn romance is ON. POINT. Twice Shy is a must read and is definitely one of my top romance picks of 2021!

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and Netgalley for this ARC!

If I had one word to describe Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle, I would say: charming. Maybell is a charismatic, day-dreamer who receives an inheritance from her great-aunt, Violet. She decides to quit the job and turn her great-aunt’s mansion into a hotel. Little does she know, Violet, also left an inheritance to her grounds-keeper, Wesley. Wesley has other plans and is just as shocked as Maybell is to receive the news they have to share.

I loved this book. I am a day-dreamer, so relate to Maybell’s fantasies. I thought it was cute, with pieces of adventure scattered through the plot. Wesley’s character is standoffish, but he’s supposed to be. I liked the insecurities and anticipations. Some of the plot was not completely obvious that it still left a sense of wonder. A few things I felt were flat were Maybell’s relationships with her mother and Gemma. They were there at the beginning, but then everything became Wesley. I find it hard to believe that someone as charismatic and friendly as she is, not having more connections with people. I understand her wanting to distance herself from Gemma and her mom seems flaky, but there was no one else she remained contact with? Still loved the book, even with that puzzlement.

I would give the book 4.5 stars, but will round up to 5. Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and Netgalley for this ARC. I really enjoyed this novel!

Twice Shy is sweet, funny, and absolutely delightful. I couldn't put it down! The main characters are very relatable. The portrayal in the book of a couple who have a hard time in life (dealing with anxiety, shyness, and self-worth issues) is very real. This book was a lovely story! I enjoyed reading it.

I love Maybell. I love Wesley (although I kept thinking of the Princess Bride when I was reading!) I could so beautifully picture Falling Stars and I cringed with every arm-load Wesley discarded. Watching their relationship blossom was beautiful. Flawed characters are my favorites and it was nice to see beyond the standard perfection we've come to expect. I want to vacation with them!

This is already a contender for my favorite romance of the year! Maybell and Wesley were the sweetest, softest characters with unique backstories, and I loved watching their relationship grow. Maybell was super relatable as a heroine and I just wanted to pick up Wesley and hug him and put him in my pocket, in the least weird way possible. Hogle's writing is the perfect combination of witty and heartwarming. After lovingher debut, I had high hopes for her sophomore novel and it went above and beyond those hopes. She's definitely become an auto-buy author for me!

Another wonderful book by Sarah Hogle. This title follows Maybell who has co-inherited her Aunt's house with a man named Wesley. Wesley is hard to get along with and they continue to battle over the renovation of the house and property. As they get to know each other, Maybell finds out that Wesley is merely a shy and reserved man and she is the one that can bring him out of his shell. The friendship and eventually, romance, is wonderfully written and I couldn't stop reading this book once I started. I LOVED having a male character being vulnerable and shy, it was a wonderful change unlike other contemporary romances.

I'm dead. This book has slayed me. After loving You Deserve Each Other, I eagerly requested an ARC of Hogle's sophomore novel and OMG: See above.

Phrases to describe this book including, "slow burn," "fantastic banter," "offbeat and complex characters," "hottie cinnamon role hero," "upmarket writing style," "original," "whimsical."

I am highly confident this will be one of my top 5 romances for 2021.

This book is very sweet. I love the fact that there was not a ton of angst or conflict, and the MCs actually talk to each other about their thoughts and feelings. It reads both realistic and written in the stars fateful. It's funny, deals with anxiety well, sweetly sexy, and downright wonderful. Sarah Hogle is quickly becoming an insta-buy for me.

I just realized that my favorite types of romance books are those that make me feel like I'm floating on a soft, fluffy cloud over a meadow in full bloom with the sunlight gently streaming down. This is what Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle made me feel. What an excellent start to February ❤️

Thanks to the author for providing this ARC via Netgalley; I won a copy of the book via the Romancing the Runoff auction. All opinions provided are my own.


Q: what’s the oldest house you’ve lived in before? Do you have a desire to renovate an old house?

I don’t re-read books often anymore. But as soon as I finished Sarah Hogle’s Twice Shy I knew I wanted to re-read it because there was so much I missed due to my own DAMNED GREEDINESS. This book is fantastic: it had me wondering & sighing & feeling like it is a marvelous thing to find the person who just wants to love you where you are & where you’re going.

Maybell Parrish is a stymied events coordinator at a Pigeon Forge attraction who’s been recently catfished by a so-called friend & who feels plateaued at her job. She’s aware that she “doesn’t make waves.”

Then she receives word that she’s inherited Falling Stars, a late 1800s home & its grounds, from her great aunt Violet whom she lived with for one glorious, secure summer of her childhood.

But when she arrives at Falling Stars, Maybell learns that she’ll actually share it all with Wesley Koehler, a grumpy, rude groundskeeper who isn’t charmed by her or her interests or concerns.

There are moments in this book that feel quietly heartbreaking to me & moments that feel joyous. Both characters unfurl on the page & we see them slowly decide that they’re safe with the other. Quirks are celebrated & loved & so are the things that might make each person feel like they’ve failed/are failing.

This book shimmers & shines & so does the love between Maybell & Wesley.

Thank you to Sarah Hogle for setting this story in a place I know, for writing standout characters who grow but aren’t magically cured/or changed (& they don’t need to be, as Hogle writes, they’re loved as they are! 🥰🥰), for being so funny, & for writing a love story that’s achingly beautiful & that I love so much.


​
CW:

the hero has anxiety.

5 ⭐️. Twice Shy is available on 04/06/21.

Suppose you were making a romance novel smoothie. You would need some sort of liquid base, right? Something solid? Well, grumpy one and sunshine one is a fairly reliable trope.

Then you need the main flavor, the fruit. Forced proximity due to a meddling older woman/mentor figure? Sign me up!

Now, sometimes you need to add some spinach or an avocado - something healthy to make you feel better about indulging. In this case, the absolutely lovely portrayal of social anxiety in both Wesley and Maybell was absolutely heart wrenching and beautiful.

But! At the end of the day, this is TREAT. We want something SWEET. So throw in those chocolate chips, that extra scoop of ice cream, whatever - because at the end of the day, Twice Shy is unapologetically romantic. It's soft and sweet and calls out the fact that it IS a romance novel. It is self-aware in the best ways. It includes slang and pop culture references and it's as natural as agave nectar.

And then - because this is a smoothie - you gotta blend it. So throw in some chaotic energy (something Sarah Hogle seems to love in her writing) and you get... this book. This lovely, chaotic, romantic book that made me SO HAPPY.

Please read this book. It'll make you happy. And that's all I can ask of a book.

It took me a few chapters to get into this book, but once I was in I was SO in. I loved how the relationship developed and there were so many amazing romcom moments (the camping trip, the cafe, Scotland etc) that made this one of those books I find myself thinking about even a week after I finished.

***Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
Twice Shy starts out as an enemies-to-lovers kind of book, but soon you realize there is much more going on. I like how the author reversed the typical roles for the male and female. The man showing weakness was very refreshing and also empowering for the main character.

I had very high expectations for TWICE SHY, since YOU DESERVE EACH OTHER was one of my favorite reads of 2020, so let me say this: Sarah Hogle did not disappoint. In fact, TWICE SHY surpassed my expectations so much that I am trying my hardest to not immediately reread.

TWICE SHY is funny, sweet, and absolutely delightful. Maybell and Wesley’s romance is a *slow* slowburn, full of yearning, a bit of pining, and plenty of banter. Also, the book treats mental health issues with care and realism, without minimizing them nor letting them drag down the comedic tone of the book.

Maybell deals with social anxiety and panic attacks, which are described in such realistic detail that it made my cry—not from being triggered, but rather from being seen. I have dealt with social anxiety for my entire life, and I’ve read very few books that perfectly encapsulates what it feels. However, her social anxiety doesn’t define her: she’s caring, imaginative, and ambitious.

I cannot wait for this book to come out so everyone can delight in this wonderful rom-com!

A fun, fast-paced romance of the enemies to lovers variety. I'm hooked on all the HGTV fixer upper type shows, so I really enjoyed that aspect of it too.

The follow-up to YOU DESERVE EACH OTHER does not disappoint! Hogle’s charming characters and fix-it-up mansion plot are a winning combination.

A sweet enemies-to-lovers romance. I appreciated the emphasis on a relationship not being able to cure anxiety, as well as the emphasis on self-acceptance. I wish more of Wesley's backstory was fleshed out, but otherwise it was enjoyable!