[CW: mental illness, anxiety, social anxiety]

What happens when two strangers jointly inherit a large estate that is now completely broken down? Should they completely renovate the manor house to its former glory, or should they simply sell it and split the difference? Then there is their benefactress’ will controlling them from beyond the grave, and we have a perfect storm of conflict and resentment. Hogle has won me over with her back-to-back lovely stories. I would recommend both of her books, You Deserve Each Other and Twice Shy, and I can’t wait to read her next story.

Full review here: https://frolic.media/book-of-the-week-twice-shy-by-sarah-hogle/

I really enjoyed this one. Both protagonists were great examples of people dealing with anxiety and self-worth issues, and the slow buildup to them reaching their goals and becoming who they wanted to be was a delight to see. The ending, and the way the hero overcame his fear with the help of affirmation from the heroine, truly touched my heart.
The reason this isn’t a 5 star review is because at times, especially towards the beginning, the heroine’s naive attitude really got on my nerves. Also, the parts where she was in her “fantasy cafe” were very confusing. I didn’t know if she was disassociating or playing a Sims-like game. Other than that, I’ll happily recommend this to my patrons.

I loved this book! It was my first book by the author.

I really liked the writing style of this book, the slow burn romance, and the way anxiety was discussed and shown in a realistic way.
I can’t recall ever reading about a male character in a romance book that had severe anxiety, and it was something very relatable.
I loved that the characters had real conversation about life and family and not just shallow things.

Some of the book definitely way cheesy and unrealistic, but it didn’t bother me since the story hooked me so early on.

I would recommend this book! Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy of “Twice Shy!”

I already knew I loved Sarah Hogle’s books but I really love her books. You Deserve Each Other was one of my absolute favorite romances of 2020 and I have not stopped thinking about it since so I was quite excited for this book. This book follows Maybell and Wesley who both inherit a house called Falling Stars in the small town of Top of the World. They each thought they were the sole inheritor so they are very confused when they meet each other and Maybell is very confused for another reason too...

I just loved this book so much it was so fun and so unique. It incorporated so many different elements that worked so well together. I also loved the anxiety representation and thought it was done really well and was incorporated in ways that are not typically seen in novels being published.

Here are a few ideas of what is involved in the book without giving too much away: catfishing, treasure hunts, alternate universes, doughnuts, Loch Ness monster.

Quite simply, this was delightful. Fans of You Deserve Each Other will find a cast of very different characters here, but with all of the sharp wit Hogle is known for. Very few authors make me laugh out loud the way she does, and there are plenty of lols here. Admittedly, I saved Twice Shy on my Netgalley Shelf for a few weeks for when I could read it all in one go without feeling guilty for ignoring work or dishes or kids, and I'm so glad I did because Hogle's writing is the kind that I really like to immerse myself in. I am a sucker for a renovation romance, and even more the "they left me this in their will BUT WITH CONDITIONS" trope. Maybell & Wesley are too adorable. I adored this one.

I really enjoyed this fluffy romance from Hogle. It was an absolute escape from reality, something I desperately needed in my day to day life, but they don’t make a search button for ‘I need a daydream’. Luckily, Hogle seemed to sense this need and fulfilled that spot so sweetly with Maybell and Wesley.
Things I loved: the way their relationship unfolded as they became more comfortable with one another. I loved Maybell’s head in the clouds approach to things, and could even appreciate Wesley’s gruff exterior.

Why 4 and not 5 stars? Sometimes the transition from the real life to daydream within the book was a little rough. I found myself rereading in a few spots because I was a little lost between the worlds.

Overall though, a solid recommendation for a getaway without leaving.

Two complicated people fall in love in a fanciful setting... I adored Sarah Hogle's debut, but this one didn't quite click for me. The daydreaming took me a little too much out of the lovely enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine romance.

Thank you G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Looking for an adorable, fluffy escapist romance that will make your heart warm? This is it for you. I was so charmed by this story and it's the perfect balm for the scrapes of daily life. Let's get into it.

Maybelle is trudging through life like many of us do -- day-to-day, wondering what could be different if only we were a little different. She's constantly living in a fantasy world of her own, fulfilling her desires and wishes in her own head (relatable!). And then she gets word that her great aunt has died and she's inherited a manor. Easy, right? Think again! Turns out she has to share the dilapidated estate with groundskeeper Wesley, who is gruff and unapologetically cold. But obviously, that's not the whole story...

I loved this story for a few reasons: it's got people with anxiety (relatable), people coming into their own and realizing that the greatest expectations come from within and maybe it's better to set those aside (relatable), and a cute forced proximity plot in the mountains which turns into a hotel/animal sanctuary project (IDEAL). I thought the characterization of both Maybell and Wesley was really charming -- it was interesting to stay in Maybelle's head the whole time. We learn a lot about her background and the trauma she's got from it, but not as much as maybe I'd expected. I wasn't sure how I felt about the loose ends of her past but I think that I like it because while we as people are shaped by our experiences we don't have to be defined by them. I liked Wesley's growth in many ways and how adulthood can mean competency but we're never done evolving and learning how to be kind to ourselves. Also, he is SO CHARMING.

Overall, 4 stars for me! I tend to like my romances to have a few moments of high-stakes and so though I loved the easy fluff of this I do love some drama as well.

4.5 stars

Sarah Hogle has hit it out of the park with her sophomore novel, Twice Shy. I couldn't put this down and had to devour in a day.

Maybell Parish's head is stuck in the clouds, she's a hopeless romantic and often a pushover (in an endearing way). She finally has a chance to make some changes when she suddenly inherits an estate from a great aunt. But there are caveats to this house. Besides the house being in major disrepair - she has to share it with the former groundskeeper and aide to her aunt.

Wesley is abrupt and often looks angry. He, too, was led to believe this house was to be all his own. So imagine his surprise when a great niece finally shows up to claim part of the estate. They both have differing opinions on what it should be once they are done renovating it.

But Wesley is amazing, he just needs to get used to someone. This book had me equal parts laughing and swooning with a little bit of heartache along the way. Their interactions were precious and I looked forward to each and every one of them. In helping each other, they in turn helped themselves.

Here's to embracing those who are quirky and tend to overthink. I'd recommend this book to anyone - you should definitely check it out.

And many special thanks to Sarah's grandparents for being the inspiration and catalyst to this story.

This book was a super quick, adorable read. Wesley and Maybell are the cutest couple, and I love that the author used the opportunity to create a discussion about anxiety and shyness.
My only gripes about the novel would be the general redundancy at the beginning of their relationship and the perception of anxiety. Maybell tries to talk to Wesley, Wesley either completely ignores her or leaves - this happened at least 4 or 5 times before they started warming up to each other. I don't mind the tension (most good romances need it, obviously), but it could've been condensed a bit or switched up.
And while I appreciate the discussion about anxiety, I also feel like (as a person with social anxiety) Wesley was a bit of an extreme stereotype? It might've been more interesting to see a less extreme, more nuanced form of social anxiety. But, again, I thought that it put a unique and adorable spin on a typical romance story.
Besides those two gripes, I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline once their romance started blossoming. The notes... So cute!!!

DNF @ 46%

I tried really hard to love this book but I just couldn't get into it. The constant daydreaming, past memories, and then the actual current day just was getting too much for me. It could have been formatted or written better so not to confuse the reader.

Included as a top pick in bimonthly April New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached)

4.5 stars. This was such a fun and overwhelmingly sweet read. The main characters are some of my favorites that I've come across in a long time. And I'm always here for a good forced proximity trope.

I docked a half star because at first, Maybell comes across as a doormat and very not-like-other-girls. I wasn't sure if that was going to work for her but the author did a great job of showcasing her flaws, making them relatable, and having her grow from them over the course of the story. Wesley, too. I had a really fun time with this story. Laughed out loud several times and couldn't stop grinning over certain things. This was the first book that really gripped me in a long time so I would definitely recommend it.

**Many thanks to NetGalley, Penguin-Putnam, and Sarah Hogle for an ARC of this book!**

Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket...never let it fade away...

Maybell has always been a bit of a dreamer. Okay, she's a HUGE dreamer, who passes the days at her job at a resort in the scenic Smoky Mountains pretending she is actually the Event Coordinator her name badge states, rather than the overworked and underpaid housekeeper she actually is. And what takes her further out of this grim reality? A marvelous AU coffeeshop, complete with gorgeous Jack who finds endless ways to sweep Maybell off her feet. Jack isn't entirely fictional, but Maybell's version of him is: 'friend' Gemma pulled the ultimate Catfish move to keep Maybell away from another potential suitor. and eventually revealed herself as the 'perfect' boyfriend from Tinder that didn't actually exist. When Maybell finds out that her great-aunt Violet has passed away and her gorgeous estate is set to pass to Maybell, she arrives to find yet another surprise. "Jack." In the flesh. Of course, his name isn't Jack at all, but Wesley and he is great-aunt Violet's groundskeeper. And to make things even more interesting...HE is getting half of the estate. Wesley's gruff and abrupt demeanor is immediately off-putting to Maybell, and her dreams of turning the grounds into a huge hotel contrast sharply with Wesley's vision of an animal sanctuary and the two have little in common other than snipes. Once they begin a treasure hunt left behind by Aunt Violet, however, the tables quickly turn...can these two learn to reconcile their dreams and find a way to co-exist? And why exactly is Maybell no longer thinking about her perfect Jack?

After a slam-dunk of a first novel from Hogle, my expectations were sky high with this book and I'm happy to say it delivers! Twice Shy and You Deserve Each Other are VASTLY different books, however. Whereas Hogle's first book is full of snark, witticisms, but is also heartbreaking, this one moves on a different plane entirely. It is dreamy, sugary, and full of what-ifs. Maybell and Wesley are both fabulous characters, and Hogle manages to work in some true-to-life struggles with mental health into the narrative without it feeling sad or slow. While this book progresses on a more linear track than her first and could be seen as more predictable, it is such a fantastic ball of fun, I absolutely loved every moment. The vision of the Falling Stars Hotel reminded me of the enchanting Dragon Fly Inn from the similarly named Stars Hollow in Gilmore Girls, and it goes without saying I am now dying to visit! From the delicious pastries to the gentle and cozy atmosphere, I can see why Maybell spends so much time in her alternate universe: I'd be PERFECTLY content living there!

While I didn't get the emotional power-punch found in You Deserve Each Other from this book, Twice Shy is everything it claims and purports to be, and Hogle's humor sparkles throughout this sweet, slow-burn romance. I definitely consider Sarah Hogle a must-read author when it comes to the modern rom-com and I'm already ready for her next book (and a return trip to the stunning and scenic Smokies!) 4 stars

After the goodness that is You Deserve Each Other, Sarah Hogle immediately joined the list of authors I'm-will-read-whatever-they-write-even-if-it's-just-their-grocery-list. And she didn't disappoint on this book. Twice Shy is top tier romance. And Maybell and Wesley made me feel so validated. It was a good feeling and I'm going to forever incorporate that particular feeling of comfort to this book.

The characters, Maybell and Wesley, were just so precious, I want to protect them, put them in a bubble where they can never be hurt by anyone ever again. I just, I love them. And I love the way they love.

With the perfect dose of tension, adventure, romance, and fate, Sarah Hogle was able to deliver one of the best happily ever afters.

If you're looking for a reason/s to pick up this book, here you go: cinnamon roll hero. 11/10 this book will give you comfort. NOT one of those trad pubbed books with illustrated cover marketed as romcom but not really.

Thank you so much to the publisher and author for a free copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Oh my goodness, this book was just the cutest thing I’ve ever read! I read the author’s debut novel and it’s one of my all time favorite romances, so I was ecstatic when this dropped in my inbox! Sarah Hogle has definitely proved herself to be an auto-buy author for me.

Twice Shy was a saccharine sweet romantic comedy set amongst the backdrop of the Appalachia and a dreamy fixer-upper manor. Maybell and Wesley have made the list as some of my favorite book characters! Maybell was such a sunny character and so much fun to read about. Even though I absolutely adored Maybell’s character, Wesley was the one I connected the most with. Wesley deals with extreme social anxiety, a disorder I struggle with as well, and I felt seen in his character. Sarah Hogle did such a good job conveying Wesley’s struggle with social anxiety while still being able to make his character relatable to readers who do not have it. Wesley was also just the complete epitome of a cinnamon roll character. He loved to draw, paint, garden, and take care of animals, *SWOON*! I really enjoyed the parts of the story when they were fixing up the house and I felt like it really added to the overall storyline and made their interactions that much sweeter!

This is a book that I am definitely going to recommend to everyone! From the sweet as sugar main characters to the dreamy Falling Stars Hotel and Animal Sanctuary, this book gets five tremendously deserving stars from me! I highly recommend checking this out if you want a romantic comedy with some heart in it!

Synopsis: Maybell Parish is a dreamer, crafting an entire fantasy of her life in her head and living there as much as the real world. When a great aunt passes away and leaves her her estate, Maybell gets the opportunity to see if real life can live up to what is in her head.

Review: I put a lot of thought into this rating. I HATE giving something less than 3 stars. But this book just couldn’t get past 2 for me due to loose ends, not super original characters, and humor that wasn’t funny.
Things I liked: the premise of fixing up an old estate, the focus on anxiety and mental health
Things I didn’t like: there was hardly any focus on any part of the plot, but instead a smattering of events that were thin and underdeveloped. There was even an overseas flight in the last 5% of the book that had almost nothing to do with the plot. I didn’t even love the characters. Their banter made me wish I could leave them to be annoying in private. But alas- it’s a book.
I might be a little tough on romance novels, but they are so plentiful that one has to really be unique for it not to feel like the one thousandth republishing of the same story. And this one fell way short.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book!

This book and these characters are sweetness overload in the best way. Their route to their HEA is just so pure. While it could be boring, their personal backstories and trauma that they carry gives it enough weight to keep it from being total fluff.
Single POV can be difficult to pull off but the author gives you just enough clues to Wesley's feelings without making them so obvious you think Maybell is an idiot for not seeing it. Both the descriptions of his *SPOILER* anxiety and her fantasy AU daydreams *END SPOILER* felt real enough even if I haven't had those experiences.
I think my one gripe was some of the leaps on the fix up of the house after 20 years of neglect. I've done too many remodels to believe the timeline or that so many of the items in the house (including clothing) weren't all trashed. It didn't totally take me out of the story, but I was side-eyeing some of it.

3.5/5 stars

This was a sweet slow burn romance that was about two strangers, Maybell and Wesley who each inherited half of a dilapidated house and are forced to work together to fix it up.

The story started out a bit slow for me. We don’t really get any full on conversations between the MC’s until about 30% in.

Once Wesley starts to open up to Maybell their interactions become really sweet and funny. However since the story is told from Maybell’s POV and Wesley wasn’t really much of a talker as it is, I felt like I still wanted to know more about him.

I don’t usually love the slow burn trope but I don’t mind it too much as long as it doesn’t end up being closed door. However...Twice Shy is both a slow burn and a closed door romance and while there are some really sweet moments, I wanted a little more to the story before it ended.

It was still an enjoyable read and I encourage you to give it a try when it releases on April 6th.

I received an ARC of this book from Putnam Books and NetGalley.

Ok. Everyone knows that I REALLY loved You Deserve Each Other. And everyone also knows the worry that comes with loving an author’s debut so much: will they be able to keep up that momentum? Will they end up being a one hit wonder? How can they possibly do it twice? Well. Sarah did it. Sarah wrote another hilarious, heartwarming, happy, swoony, super romantic, feel-good book that tackles deeper situations. Another amazing couple has jumped from her mind to my heart. I can’t pick which of her books I love more. I’m a fangirl. Take my money, Sarah. Just take it all. Give me all the books. I have put off writing this review as long as I possibly could because I have too many feelings! My head is in the clouds! What even is a book review? What are words? How do I do this again? As always, my main points are bolded.

1. Maybell is precious and anxious and visits a special cafe that exists only in her mind because it’s where she feels safe in stressful times. She’s so pure and sweet, and she has the biggest dreams. I loved her quirky personality so much. Her desire to take on the world made me smile so much.

2. Wesley is the grumpiest teddy bear and I want to cuddle up with him on the couch and watch a movie together. And it’s not even necessarily for romantic reasons (although. I’d love a romance with Wes, thank you), it’s because I see so much in him that reminds me of myself. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I won’t elaborate on this but Wesley’s character will make so many people feel seen and understood in this world. Oh my goodness, he’s just. I can’t even explain him. He’s a sweet little cinnamon roll with so many layers and a story and is so sweet I can’t even handle it. He is definitely one of my favorite characters ever.

3. I loved the setting: a charming, fixer-upper mansion that Wesley and Maybell both inherited. There’s bickering on who gets their way on what becomes of this house, which is so fun. I love bickering. But the house and the surrounding grounds are perfect and so whimsical sounding. And magical.

4. There is mental health representation in this story and it is done SO WELL.

5. SO. Many. Feelings. I have so many and I don’t know what to do.

6. Sarah’s sense of humor is my sense of humor’s soulmate. And her writing is a balm for the soul.

7. Maybell and Wesley are so good for each other. The romance just made my heart soar. The way they see each other and speak to one another and help accommodate each other’s needs was perfect. I love them so much together that I don’t want to steal Wesley for myself. And that’s saying something. We can just be friends, Wesley. Best friends.

8. Loch Ness. Nessie. One of my favorite subjects ever. Sarah clearly wrote me my own book. Thank you, Sarah. I guess we can let others read it as well.

So… this review proves that I can clearly come up with words when I don’t have any. But… what do all these words mean? I know I’m being vague about so much, but it’s because you need to read it to fully appreciate anything else I could possibly say! Bottom line, read this. This is just the book we need right now while the world is on fire. Allow yourself to escape to the Smoky Mountains and float around in the pure sweetness of this story and the lives of these two characters. I’ll just be over here basking in the sunlight of it all and eagerly waiting for Sarah’s next book.