This was a delightful conclusion to Chloe Liese's Shakespeare inspired romance series. My heart went out to painfully awkward but big hearted Will who had been taught that his love wasn't worth fighting for. I still love the sister dynamics between Bee, Kate, and Juliet. They always have each other's back even when they don't know what they're supporting each other in. Highly recommend this book for folks looking for a quite romance that will warm your heart and make you smile.

Juliet and Will are beautifully matched. Each of them are sensitive to the others needs. They are a love story to warm hearts and souls.

This is now the third Chloe Liese book I've read and I'm slowly starting to realize that this author is just not for me.

I'm sure many people will enjoy this. I didn't like the characters as much as in Two Wrongs Make a Right and found them more annoying like in Better Hate than Never.

They're extra and too much and just not my cup of tea. Like, we'd never hang out in the real world. And the romance between these two was so sudden and insta... I really didn't buy the whole thing at all.

I just haven't gotten on with the last couple of books from the author - I find them boring, and the inner monologuing drags on forever. I just didn't understand why Will and Juliet couldn't just be adults and date, so the whole novel didn't really work for me.

It's this ick I get from the characters. They're supposed to be adults but they act so immature.

🎀Cinnamon Roll MMC
💗Disability Rep
🎀Neurodivergence/Anxiety/Chronic Illness Rep
💗FMC Gives Dating Lessons to MMC
🎀No Third-Act Breakup
💗Second Chance Romance
🎀Fake Dating

Anticipated Release Date - 01/14/25

A huge thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the advanced digital copy- all thoughts and opinions are my own. 💐

4 stars!
This book was so sweet and comforting. It truly made me feel so giddy and hopeful, a feeling that many romances never give me anymore! Chloe Liese does an excellent job of writing real characters that are diverse, strong, and wonderful. Her writing is so entertaining and easy to grasp, it makes me fly through her books!

I loved getting to know Juliet and I was looking forward to reading her book from day 1! Juliet has celiac disease and chronic pain associated with stiff joints while Will is autistic. These two have found themselves crossing paths twice and they decide that it truly must have been fate that brought them together. Juliet needs to practice embracing vulnerability and trust in others while Will needs a lifelong partner who will help bring himself out of his shell. Together, these two decide to fake date to help each other out with their issues. Of course, this leads to lines becoming blurred and feelings erupting between the two of them. This was fake dating at its finest and I enjoyed every minute of it!

Together, Will and Juliet were so sweet. They did a great job of communicating their feelings and being vulnerable with each other. This kind of communication is so important because it really makes you believe in their love story. It was so wholesome to see these two find comfort in one another, accepting and loving every part of each other. I LOVED how there was no third-act breakup!!! My only gripe was that there wasn't much of a plot and I found myself getting bored at some points throughout the book.

Overall, I loved this fake dating romance. It was sweet, slow-burn, and funny. If you're looking for a fluffy romance with little to no plot, this is for you! I really enjoyed this series and I think Chloe Liese did a great job of creating this little world with lovable characters.

4.5⭐️ Thank you so much to Berkley & NetGalley for the ARC!
Rep: autism, connective tissue disease, celiac disease
This was such a great conclusion to the Wilmot trilogy! I always love Chloe’s books so much for the beautiful love they show as well as the representation and this was exactly the same. The writing and romance was written absolutely beautifully, and this is the type of romance that is so sweet, tender, and wholesome. I loved both Juliet and Will as independent characters and together! Getting to see her sisters and the other characters again was also so fun. I’m sad this trilogy is over, but as usual I will read whatever Chloe writes, and can’t wait for whatever’s next!

I'm thankful to NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to review this ARC.

Chloe Liese is the romance author that really got me into romance. The Bergman Brothers was a series I turned to again and again during the end stages of my FIL's cancer journey and death. She is very nostalgic and comforting for me because of this. I share this because I wanted to LOVE this book.

Juliet has sworn off love; Will is autistic and awkward and bad at making it past 3 dates. They meet in Scotland and have chemistry, but do nothing. Then they run into each other again in the USA because -- SURPRISE! -- her childhood best friend, almost brother who is dating her sister is BEST FRIENDS with Will! They decide to start practice dating because Juliet wants to open herself up to romance post-terrible break up and Will is looking for a wife to enter into a loveless marriage with because he wants a business partner to schmooze for his whisky business. (You can hire schmoozers for your businesses, you don't have to marry them and enter into a loveless marriage.)

They are insanely attracted to each other, but decide they cannot possibly act on this and actually try dating because... it would be bad for their relationship with their close mutual friend IF they broke up............. even though they've never crossed paths/overlapped in any social situation before now and live decently far enough away from each other they wouldn't run into each other.

STRENGTHS
- the sexual chemistry between the characters worked for me; their banter, their silliness was cute
- the loose references to Twelfth Knight and She's the Man were fun
- family relationships; I love that family and sibling relationships center in Liese's works

WEAKNESSES
- pretend practice dating is such a flimsy reason to put these characters in proximity with one another and the reason for not actually dating for so long was also really really dumb; it's not like Will was a regular at their friends game night, Juliet literally didn't believe he was friends with their mutual until she searched his phone for the contact detail while holding him at shovel point (he gave her a frighten in her greenhouse)
- the very purple prose of characters internal monologues started to get to me after a while; it's a Liese thing in all of her books for sure, but typically I've consumed Liese on audio -- this is one of the first times I've had to take in the flowery monologues with my eyes and it was A LOT
- Will wanting a wife to be a business partner and do the socializing parts of the whisky business that he finds difficult is absolutely ridiculous; just hire an extrovert; so many people working in alcohol sales hire people specifically for this role (I know several people who do this work, which is maybe why this idea of legally binding a woman into a loveless marriage so she can be your sales person drives me bananas?)

OPPORTUNITIES
- Juliet is another bisexual lady in Liese's oeuvre that ends up with a man; that doesn't make her any less bisexual obviously, but I'd love to see Liese write a sapphic love story in the future

Overall, not my fave from Liese. I think, in part, because I love her other works so much I had really high expectations going into this story. This novel feels comparatively weak. I'm glad I read it. I'd pick up the next thing Liese writes in a heartbeat! But this was definitely not the conclusion this is series I was hoping for. Alas!

The third and last Wilmot Sisters book is for the tender-hearted romantics. Juliet Wilmot has been burned by love in the past. After recovering from a bad break-up, she runs into Will Orsino, a whiskey distiller who is unlucky-in-love. In an effort to re-open themselves up to romance, Juliet and Will agree to practice date. Naturally, sparks fly as the two connect over their interests and grow more passionate in their “practice”. Chloe Liese is deeply compassionate towards her characters as she provides authentic descriptions of anxiety, chronic illness, and overall emotional maturity. Overall, Once Smitten, Twice Shy is a gorgeous love story about two gentle people learning to open their hearts one more time, with each other.

the most perfect ending to the most perfect series!! my heart feels so warm and melty after this book i adored this story! i adored juliet and will so so much! and i adored all their invisible strings more than anything!!
chloe’s books are full of so much heart and this story is no different! and hands down my favorite in the series. these two sweet sweet bruised babies were just so gentle with eachother and so supportive of each other and watching them grow through their struggles together made my heart grow a hundred sizes. love love love a two people who have sworn off love but are clearly meant to be date as practice and pretend they’ll be able to NOT fall desperately pathetically in love book.
these sisters have all my love too! and this entire little found family they’ve built out over the past 3 books! like omg SCOOCH OVER!! i’m joining the friend group!!
such a tender, precious story. couldn’t have dreamed up a better final book to this series if i tried.

Fabulous romance and heart felt love story about two people who find the person who understands them and loves them. Chloe Liese has written a series of wonderful love stories about neurodivergent people. I adore her for adding this facet to her characters so that it enhances the story by including them. The details are one part
of a beautiful story about loving and being afraid and taking a leap. This story retells Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night with enough modifications that you don’t have to know the play. I enjoyed the characters and the plot because you feel like the characters are people you know.

I love Chloe Liese. She writes such real and wonderful characters. I love how there are always neurodivergent reps as well as other reps in her books. Her writing is just so well rounded, and the characters are so lifelike and feel like you know them. I loved getting to know Juliet and Will over the course of this book. I think a few things could have been explored a little deeper, but it was still a wonderful story. Will is autistic, and Juliet has joint issues and is gluten free. Over the course of this book, I felt that I could relate to both of them in my own right. Will because he struggled with saying the right thing, and Juliet for her gluten free life. I love how together they just worked. Oh and the Highland fantasy was just fantastic. I loved that Will was such a cinnamon roll of a character. I also appreciated that there was no third-act breakup in this one. I really don’t like it when that happens, and this book still worked wonderfully without having it. Fake dating is also one of my favorite tropes and I really enjoyed how it all played out. I devoured this book over the course of an afternoon in one sitting, I just couldn’t put it down.

If you’re looking for a fun filled romance, then you need to check this one out.

Im going to be honest with you, I was a little apprehensive about this book as this author tends to be a little hit or miss for me. However, I'm happy to report this book was an absolute hit for me. I'm so glad I picked up Once Smitten Twice Shy and gave it a chance.

Once Smitten Twice Shy is a breath of fresh air. I love how this author isn't afraid to write Neurodivergent and vulnerable characters. She made Will and Juliet easy to connect with and relatable. I adored their meet-cute and got a kick out of how fate kept throwing them together.

Will and Juliet were adorable and awkward in the best possible way. Their story is oh, so sweet with the best slow burn. You can't help but root for Will and Juliet.

If you're looking for a refreshing friends to lovers romance with a delicious slow-burn that'll put a smile on your face and give you all the feels, you won't want to miss Once Smitten Twice Shy.

This book is the definition of cute & wholesome. The way the mcs communicate with each other was soo refreshing! They talked about their feelings regardless of the situation and they always tried to work it out. The friendship and family dynamics are amazing as well. Despite Will not being a big talker he had such a way with words, I adored their friendship and the development into a romantic relationship so much! Could’ve done without the singing bit towards the end but that might just be me.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher that I got to read this one!

4.5 stars!

Neither Juliet, freshly extricated from an abusive relationship and still coming to terms with an auto-immune disease diagnosis, or Will, on the spectrum and not always able to decipher people, is ready to start dating. When they bump into one another multiple times, they decide this coincidence means they should be friends, and maybe even safe for the other to practice dating, to prepare to dive back into the dating pool. These characters are so lovable, and Liese gets their voices and internal monologues just right. It was a fast, satisfying, and cozy read, with excellent representation of chronic illness and neurodivergent.

This third and last book in the Wilmot Sisters series lacks some of the drama and the third act break-up of the other two, which are based on Much Ado About Nothing (fake dating) and The Taming of the Shrew (childhood enemies). Once Smitten, Twice Shy is based on Twelfth Night. I didn’t have the background on this lesser known play to fully appreciate all the allusions and alignment with this classic about mistaken identities, gender swapping, and cross-class relationships. I suppose one could argue the initial mistaken identity (Juliet’s first name is revealed to be Viola), the deception about pretend dating, and their not realizing how connected they are through friends and family is the tie to the plot of Twelfth Night, alongside themes of familial love and sibling bonds, and the requisite wedding.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #OnceSmittenTwiceShy via #NetGalley courtesy of #Berkley. This review will post on HLBB 1/15/2025.

Chloe Liese is among my favorite romance authors for her thoughtful and deeply poignant stories. A few of the books in the Bergman Brothers series (especially Ziggy's book) and the first book in the Wilmot Sisters series are among my all-time favorites in this genre. This final installment is strong and a good addition to Chloe Liese's overall canon, but I would have liked a deeper characterization of Juliet. While we did get some new insight into Juliet following her recent diagnosis and the turbulent end to her previous relationship, certain elements of her character/personality felt like they were missing. Her love of romance is clear but her intention to write her own romance novel was somewhat abandoned from their mentions in the previous books. I had imagined that as she healed and forged a relationship with Will that desire to complete that dream would come back.

Additionally, it seemed like the reasons keeping Juliet and Will apart were a bit contrived compared to the other books in the series. Jamie and Bea were initially fake dating as a ploy to enact revenge against meddling loved ones and Christopher and Kate had a childhood rivalry so the tension that finally broke when the characters began dating for real felt earned and satisfying. The mutual attraction and affection between Will and Juliet is established within the first few chapters, so the story loses a little bit of steam in the middle. Some additional conflict could add some tension as the story leans a bit saccharine toward the end (though I appreciate the choice to omit mentions of Juliet's past abusive relationship and am glad that wasn't an on-page source of conflict).

I received a free eARC from NetGalley.

I love Chloe Liese. Her characters are real people with real problems and it’s really nice to see how they reflect real life. I enjoyed reading this one and Juliet’s relationship with Will was so cute! My biggest pet peeve with this one, and why I knocked off a star, is that they basically get engaged at her sister’s wedding!! Big party foul. I really enjoyed how thoughtful Will was and how patient Juliet was with him when he needed time to get his thoughts in order. Plus, the steamy scenes were good too. I’ve read everything Chloe Liese has put out so far, so I came into this one with high expectations and she didn’t disappoint! A worthy and quick, fun read.

🌶️🌶️ Spice Rating.

This book was cute. I was struggling a bit with how much internal dialogue was happening in this book. I found myself putting this book down a lot. I did like Juliet, and liked getting a glimpse of Bea and Jamie again.

Thank you @berkleypub and @netgalley for the opportunity to ARC read this e-book! (My first Berkley ARC 🥹)

This book was so cute! I loved Juliet and Will's love story. Juliet is our extroverted heroine with celiac and joint issues, who has come from a toxic relationship, afraid to repeat past mistakes.

BUT WILL, Will stole the show. He is our awkward, autistic, sensory-sensitive CINNAMON ROLL of a hunky man! I think he has become my favorite cinnamon roll character I've read. I could relate to him so much. That highlander fantasy though, @chloe_liese ... thank you! I didn't realize I needed that mental image until then.

The banter was there, and the chemistry was wonderful. This slow burn, sweet romance, absolutely stole my heart. I was dying of laughter when Will and Juliet met each other for the second time, and Will was just snoozing in the most ridiculous spot.

Tropes:
✔️ Cinnamon Roll MMC
✔️ Disability Rep
✔️ No third-act breakup
✔️ Second chance romance
✔️ Fake dating

I first discovered Chloe Liese through her Bergman Brothers series. I loved the large family dynamic. I loved that each character set had a unique situation, not just personally but also physically. I enjoyed the way she drew together the characters and created a relatively realistic path to love. I decided to try out the Wilmot Sisters series after completely Bergman. But this one just fell flat. I read the first and the second and they just didn't quite have the same pizazz. The 2nd was the best one, in my opinion. It won't stop me from recommending Liese to readers, but I'll encourage my library to purchase the Bergman brothers series also.

Omg I ate this book up! I loved it so much! This author always does such an amazing job with her stories and her characters. Thank you for letting me read this book!!

I absolutely cannot be objective about this book because the female main character has the exact same (very rare) autoimmune disease that I do, and representation matters! So I was pretty much destined to at least like this one, and I definitely did. It's not the strongest Chloe Liese plot, in my opinion - the setup for the sort of secret fake dating ("dating practice") that main characters Juliet and Will decide to engage in is a bit shaky to me, and I wish that this had been a more straightforward friends to lovers romance. Will is also just maybe like, too perfect of a male main character? Like he's so thoughtful and generous and seems to have very few flaws, when I prefer all of my main characters in romance to be a bit more flawed so that they're more relatable. But again, I can't help but give this a high rating because I doubt I'll ever see my own autoimmune disease reflected in mainstream fiction - thanks Chloe Liese for the amazing chronic illness and neurodiversity rep in your books!