Thank you to Berkley, Net Galley and Chloe Liese for sending me this ARC as apart of the “Lived In Experience” reviewer opportunity. #Neurospicy

Chloe Liese has done it again!!! 4.5 ⭐️

First and foremost, if Chloe writes it - I’M GONNA READ IT! 🤣

Juliet and Will’s story of friends to lovers had me swooning and kicking my feet giggling throughout the whole thing. There were several moments where I not only laughed out loud but actually CACKLED! Especially with their “thinking thoughts, not talking thoughts” aka word vomit. Oh, and anytime a MMC says “ f*** it” and crushes the FMC with a kiss I’m immediately sold. Will doesn’t have to be Matthew McConaughey to get us hot and bothered! Alright, alright, alright! IYKYK 😉

Can’t wait to add the physical copy to my bookshelf! 🥰

In the third book of the Wilmot sister series, Juliet is working on healing from her devastating breakup as well as her chronic illness. She meets Will serendipitously twice and finds out that he’s friends with Christopher (Kate’s love interest from book 2 and her next door neighbor). Will wants a life partner but tells Juliet that he is too awkward and struggles with social cues and dating in general. They decide to help each other as friends by dating secretly and training one another.

It must be said that I am so sad to see this series end. I love Chloe Liese’s writing. The way she has reimagined Shakespeare tales along with thoughtful representation of neurodivergence and chronic conditions is absolute perfection. Her characters are raw, real, flawed, and charismatic as well as relatable. I want to live in her romance books because she has created the most cozy scenes and healthy, loving relationships that truly seem like they’d last a lifetime. I’m so grateful for this beautiful series and the representation it has brought for various groups of people (including myself)! It’s so nice to feel seen in books, and it’s not always common.

Thank you to Chloe Liese and Berkley Romance for the arc and opportunity to be an early reader and reviewer.

This book swept me away with its heartfelt romance and tender moments. Although I’m sad the series is ending, I’m thrilled to have experienced such a touching and swoon-worthy story. It might not have been the most dramatic, but its simplicity and emotional depth made it unforgettable. The plot follows two friends who decide to help each other with their dating lives, only to find their own feelings deepening into a passionate romance.

Will, the Highlander with autism, was a captivating character. His unique qualities and sincere emotions made him incredibly endearing. I was especially enchanted by their first meeting in Scotland, when Will confidently asked Julia to dance. That moment was electric with unspoken desire and longing. The way he looked at her, and the shared warmth of that dance, created a palpable connection that set the stage for their deepening romance.

Julia, the main female character, was equally compelling. Her journey from past heartbreak to finding new love with Will was beautifully portrayed. Their relationship, filled with both tender moments and intense passion, led to some truly swoon-worthy scenes. Each interaction between them felt charged with emotion and longing, making their eventual romance all the more satisfying.

This book may not have been the most intense or surprising, but its simplicity was its strength. It was a beautifully heartfelt read that I’m so grateful to have experienced. The characters and their moments will stay with me for a long time, and I’ll treasure this story always.

WILL FREAKING ORSINO!!!!! This book felt like a warm hug. I connected to this book and Will and Juliet on such a visceral level. Thank you Chloe for your disability representation and showing what romance and love can be like for those that have these struggles. This book is so much more than 5 stars.

Super cute and easy to read, but it wasn't a book that really connected with me or that I felt strongly about at all. I was curious to find out more about Juliet and Will's story, and to be honest, I wasn't let down—they make a wonderful couple, and they had all the romance I could have wanted. The fact that there was no third act breakup was an added bonus!

Chloe Liese writes the softest, sweetest, most earnest love stories. I love when the MCs don’t try to change each other or “fix” their flaws. Humans are messy and layered and imperfect and Chloe handles this reality so beautifully. However, some readers may be disappointed with the conflict in this book (it's very, very minimal). Overall, this is such a fun series and the third book didn’t disappoint!

Once Smitten, Twice Shy by Chloe Liese is the swoony farewell to the Wilmot sister series that stole our hearts.

In this last book, we get the happy ending of Juliet. After a bad breakup she has sworn off love until she meets Will, another love skeptic that doesn't think it's in the cards for him, focused on his family business. Together they share a moment, commiserate and decide that the best way to help each other is by practicing until the other is ready to find love again. However, fake dating will always leave to real feelings. I truly love the way Chloe Liese writes her characters. There is always so much depth and realness. Will is neurodivergent like myself and reading that gave me such comfort seeing someone like myself be understood, loved and cared about. Like Will, I get easily overstimulated with sound that and I thought Chloe wrote that with care. Likewise to seeing chronic illness rep with Juliet that their stories are worthy of being told and deserve to have love stories. Juliet and Will had me melting like ice cream on a summer day. They were the cutest, softest and most adorable pair together and the mutual pining, longing and swooning? Their dynamic was perfect. I absolutely loved this friends to lovers slow burn romance! I loved the found family around the series and the comfort that surrounds it. Seeing the sisters with their partners, being loved and family all together. It makes you want to join them and be part of it. This Shakespeare inspired romance was so perfectly written. Oh to be loved by someone like Will. He is one of my favorite MMCS and I am sad that this concludes this series, I am excited for what Chloe Liese has to come.

I got to be honest. I really didn't like this one as much. I am not saying that I hate it; it was just meh to me. The only thing that I didn't get is the characters connection and chemistry. I just don't understand how they instantly fell in love with each other after meeting one night. Like, how? How is that possible, especially when the main character, Juliet, was getting over a breakup and finding herself? It doesn't make sense, especially since they meet again after a few months with no contact, and they still like each other. They never had a full conversation with each other, so how can they bond or form a deeper connection? This is the reason why I don't like to read insta love tropes at all. It just wasn't for me. If you enjoy insta love stories, then give it a chance. Personally, the book wasn't for me.

CHLOE LIESE COULD DO NO WRONG I ABSOLUTELY ADORE HER AND THIS BOOK IT WAS LITERALLY SO AMAZING AGHHHHHHH

3.25 ⭐️ Super cute and easy to read but it wasn't a book that left a mark on my heart and also lost me a bit at some points, I was eager to learn more about Juliet & Will's story and honestly I wasn't disappointed, they’re a great couple and in terms of romance they delivered everything I wanted. An extra point was that there was no 3rd act breakup!!

I love anything and everything Chloe writes, so I'm incredibly biased, but this was such an amazing end to the Wilmot sisters journey. If you haven't read anything by Chloe, know that you will feel represented no matter what you're dealing with in your everyday life and you deserve to be loved, in spite of everything. Her characters are so well rounded and flawed, which makes them and their relationships relatable and comforting. Whether you see yourself in the connective tissue disorder that plagues the FMC or the sensory issues that come along with the MMC, you realize that these things are just a tiny piece of what makes each of them so incredibly real and warm. I will always root for Chloe, no matter what.

This book started out great, but just gradually became meh for me. The entire story just fell flat and turned from romantic into saccharine to the point where by the end I was just skimming the last few chapters. It's a well-written book with cute characters, but again, it's just too sweet for me. Also, while I'm not overly familiar with Twelfth Night, I did read a summary because I was curious to see how this compares to the story it's based on and aside from some character names, I couldn't see how this book was related to Twelfth Night at all. It seemed unnecessary to make any of these books Shakespeare retellings, but I'm also not a fan of retellings in general.

My biggest issue with this book that brought it down to 3 stars from 4 stars, was how saccharine it turned into. The first 40-50% of the book was good and I was feeling this as a 4 star read, but the second half became so ridiculously sweet that it lost any semblance of being remotely realistic for me. All the characters, not just the MCs, are so nice and sweet and everyone is so great that they lose a touch of humanity and become ideals of what people should be like in a lovely fantasy world where everyone and everything is kind and perfect. The first book in this series was great since it still had an element of reality to it with showing characters that were not that great. I can't speak to book 2 since I couldn't get through that one, but this one felt like it was written with rose-colored glasses on. While I don't particularly care for or want dark romance, I want my books to feel like the characters are real people and Juliet and Will along with everyone else didn't feel real. If you liked the other books in this series, you'll likely enjoy this one, but it wasn't for me. The fact that it was well-written and that I enjoyed the first half, is what gave it 3 stars.

Let me start by saying Chloe is my favorite contemporary romance author and she can do no wrong in my opinion. However this one was my least favorite book of hers so far. I felt the internal monologues were long and found myself growing bored of these characters. I still enjoyed it.

This had one of the best endings in any romance book I've ever read 🥹

~Two random meetings and a mutual friend keep bringing Jules and Will together. She used to be a hopeless romantic but has no idea how to get back into the dating world. He's not looking for the conventional relationship but has no idea how to start, or even flirt. They seem to be the perfect pair to practice romance.. they just never intended on falling for each other. ~

Strangers to friends to lovers is a trope I didn't know I loved! 😍 These two were so perfect for each other. I loved the simplicity between them. Their romance was so natural and powerful. 🔥

fake dating x (strangers to) friends to lovers x autism rep

*I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review with my honest opinion.*

he final Wilmot sister book!! I’ve been waiting ever since Bea and Kate’s books for Juliet’s happily ever after. The Twelfth Night Shakespeare reimagining is very similar vibes to She’s The Man movie (also a TN retelling). I think the retelling got in the way of the story having a strong plot as OSTS was very heavily character driven. Even the fake dating aspect of the plot was weak because both Juliet and Will are immediately attracted to each other but have their own personal grown to get through before confessing their feelings. It didn’t quite have the same impact as the other two books. Kate/Christopher’s story is still my favorite.

All in all, worth reading if you’re looking for great disability representation (as Chloe always has) and the conclusion of this trilogy. And no, there aren’t any Bergman brothers cameos even though I kept hoping for them 😂I look forward to seeing what Chloe writes next!

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an early copy.

I absolutely adored this conclusion to the Wilmont sister books. Chloe Liese did an excellent job depicting Juliet after the first book's events and showcasing her character development. Will was an excellent love interest and I admired his character.

As always, Liese does an outstanding job depicting people with different abilities as humans, where Juliet has chronic pain and Will is autistic. While these are attributes to their characters, Will and Juliet are written with many layers.

4.5 ⭐s

God, can Chloe write a Soft Boy. What a sweet, sweet ending to the series.

What I adore most about reading a Chloe Liese book is that the world always feels a little less lonely after. They always leave my heart full, and my soul hopeful.

Will and Juliet were just so GOOD for and to each other. They are each other’s safe space, and I loved the journey they took to get there. I always appreciate on-page growth from characters because it helps me be more invested in them, in the story.

Chloe has delivered another sweet, tender, vulnerable romance, and I’m so happy I get to keep reading her stories.

Thank you so much for the ARC, Berkley!!!

Oh, I really enjoyed this! Despite fake dating being a trope that I don’t really like, the characters were very enjoyable; I really LOVED the disability representation and “baby” is my favourite nickname. The story was just so soft and made me swoon, so I would definitely recommend this book. If you’ve loved Chloe Liese in the past and even if you’ve never read one of her books before, pick it up on Jan 14th 2025 and give it a go! Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

AHHH i loved it so much. will was an absolute sweetheart and i think she writes male characters with autism so well!! i am obsessed!!!! i wish there was more!!

Once Smitten, Twice Shy by Chloe Liese is a heartwarming, slow-burn romance with all the feels! The characters are beautifully developed, and their chemistry leaps off the page. It's a story about second chances, personal growth, and the power of vulnerability in love. Chloe Liese masterfully blends humor, emotion, and swoon-worthy moments, making this a perfect read for anyone who loves tender, character-driven romances. Highly recommend!