Chloe Liese always does an amazing job writing neurodiverse characters and Juliet and Will in Once Smitten, Twice Shy were great additions to the series. With Juliet just out of a long term relationship and Will feeling pressure to settle down to help his role in the family business, they agree to practice dating each other to get comfortable putting themselves out there.

This was such a feel good story as Juliet and Will got to know each other. I loved how empathetic they were to each other, Will taking care of Juliet when her joints stiffen up on her and Juliet putting Will at ease with his sensory issues. With no third act break up and two characters who wanted love and just didn’t know if it was in the cards for them, it was really easy to love these characters and root for them to get their happy ending ending.

A satisfying conclusion to the Wilmot sisters trilogy! To see Juliet's love story interwoven so thoughtfully with her sisters was really rewarding, and the larger message of acceptance and worthiness of love hit this reader at the exact right time.

Juliet is the oldest Wilmot sister and is trying to get her groove back post break up, chronic disease diagnosis, and quitting her job - all in 9 months. Will is a neurodivergent, gentle giant who is ready to settle for a business partner/ wife to help him run the family business. Through a series of chance meetings or perhaps serendipity, they become “romance work out buddies,” so that Juliet can practice romance and Will can learn how to do things like compliment a girl and send flirty texts.

This story was swoony and sweet and felt closer to real life than most romance novels do. It could also be that it was closer to my real life with a neurodivergent partner. There was an unexpected moment between the two friends that even made me cry.

🤝 friends to lovers
💔 learning to love again
💕 instant love + love at first sight
💖 fake dating
➕ neurodivergent MMC
➕ chronic illness representation

The third installment in Chloe Liese’s Wilmot Sisters series x Shakespear retelling - was perhaps my favorite. While there are interconnected characters, this book can be read as a standalone. Chloe Liese has become a must read author for me and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Berkley Publishing.

4/5 stars

Quick Summary: This is the third installment in the Wilmot sisters and it picks up with Juliet and Will helping each other to practice dating and flirting.

If you are looking for a cute book, this is the one. I just adored both Will and Juliet. Juliet is trying to pick her life up together and get used to her new normal as Will is trying to learn about how to put himself out there. Both of them are sweet and INTO each other. Will and Juliet have wonderful communication and they go on all of these cute dates. By the end of the book, I was so sad to see that it was over.

Chloe is my queen when it comes to writing about representation of how people struggle with disability and neurodivergence. This book helps to show the struggles both characters go through and how they use their friends and each other as support. It's such a beautiful read and such a great representation. On a side, note I just love the character development between Juliet and Will.

I highly recommend this book if you like reading a good representation of disability and neurodivergence, Strangers to lovers, fake dating, healthy communication, and cute dates, look no further. Thank you to Netgalley, Berkley Publishing group and Chloe Liese for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A really cute way to close out this little series. I appreciated the play on the "fake dating" trope, seeing as it was all done in secret, and it was supposed to be more of a "teach you romance" kind of thing instead of "teach you sex" kind of thing. Once again Liese is great with her rep, this time autism and connective tissue disorder. Like she says at the start of every one of her books, she likes to show that people who are not "typical" can find love, and that they should wait for the love that loves them because of those quirks, not in spite of them. I think I would have liked to see things a little more fleshed out in the end, but overall I think this was a good book and that it did what it was supposed to do well. Now that this series has been closed out I'll be curious to see where Liese goes next. I'll certainly not hesitate to hand-sell this to people looking for a cute romance with great rep, and I'm definitely going to play with the idea of writing a shelf-talker for the entire series.

This was SO fun! I loved the “practice romancing” even if I knew how it was going to go. The characters were very vulnerable and I loved how fated they were. The twelfth night theme is definitely very “loosely” based… but I also didn’t mind! I thought they were very sweet to each other and had a lot of healing. ❤️‍🩹

Once Smitten, Twice Shy is one of my least favorite Chloe Liese books so far… I was not vibing with the story at all or feeling the chemistry between the characters. Still a big fan but this one was a miss for me.

While I loved the representation in this book, I did feel that this was too long and dragged quite a bit. A lot of the inner monologues just felt like therapy sessions on self healing and growth rather than something more realistic. While I’m not knocking on the growth and healing, it felt too rote and frankly ripped off of those motivational posters and cross stitches.

The romance itself was sweet but seriously lacked in tension and chemistry. Though each lead definitely expressed attraction to the other and there’s mention of dirty thoughts and dreams, I didn’t ever feel like it was real or raw, I just didnt feel the pent up passion and tension. I think it’s because they spend SO much time communicating in a way that felt like therapy sessions and over explanations that I never got that out of breath need emotion.

Finally when at ~71% we finally get some physical intimacy, I just didn’t find it satisfying or even like it’s the emotional milestone it should have been. I’m not sure what it was but I just couldn’t get on board with this romance or find it enticing.

This was fine but just didn’t do it for me and felt they honestly made better friends than lovers.

This rivals the first in the series, Two Wrongs Make a Right, for me for favorite of this series. For the record, Better Hate than Never was a flop for me would not recommend. Okay this book: Juliet is on a journey to regain her lost romantic heart. After the implosion of her last relationship she feels heals from the breakup (ex is never a factor or actively on page in the book) but she doesn't know how to trust again and just let go. Will is her neighbor's quiet friend and through a little bit of a re-meet disaster she finds out he feels inexperienced, like he's the kind of guy that gets ghosted after 3 dates without anyone really being honest with him.

So they set out to "practice" on each other. And to be clear this isn't a spice lessons trope, it's actually super wholesome (don't worry there's actual spice later). They decide to go on dates and give each other feedback. It results in super open communication which was really nice to read. I also loved the autism rep with Will.

This was cozy but also still didn't feel slow or boring even though the stakes are relatively low.

Thank you to Berkley for the eARC!

This story was absolute perfection! I love this family, and these stories so much! Just swooning over here!

Thank you Berkley Romance and PRH Audio for my gifted copies. All opinions are my own.

This is one of my most anticipated 2025 releases and I’m happy to say Chloe Liese doesn’t miss!

Will and Juliet first meet when she’s in Scotland healing from heartbreak and then again even she finds out he’s a friend of their neighbor/close friend, Christopher. Will’s never had much luck with dating and Juliet is just getting back out there so they decide to be one another’s practice until it became anything but fake.

I just loved this! I alternated between the audiobook which was perfectly narrated and the ebook because I didn’t want to stop reading. One of my favorite part of Liese’s books is the representation. As someone with a chronic invisible illness, I always feel so seen by her books. As always the banter, chemistry and steam were perfect! Seeing Kate and Bea made me want to start a reread of the series from the beginning. I cannot wait to see what Chloe Liese will write next!

Thank you very much to PRH Audio, NetGalley and Berkley for the gifted ARC/ALC!

This book is totally adorable! OMG, I am in love!! Can it get any better than a neurodivergent romance (autism rep!)? I love how Chloe Liese writes books with characters who are "real" (dealing with real life circumstances such as being neurodivergent/autistic, and dealing with health issues). This book will give you ALL the feels...you will laugh...you will cry. Trust me keep the tissues nearby for this one!

As someone who is neurodivergent, I absolutely resonated with this book, and I would say it was a beautiful love story and an ode to the neurodivergent community. Chloe Liese is amazing and I can see this book flying off the shelves and will trend on social media. It really is a beautiful read and I only wish I could read it again for the very first time.

As far as the audiobook. Tim Paige and Charlotte North did an amazing job and I thought their voices were the perfect voices to bring Juliet and Will's love story to life. I hope they collab again in the future on another audiobook!

Can't recommend this book enough. I just wish I could rate it more than 5 stars...it's just that beautiful of a story!

Many thanks to Berkley, PRH Audio and NetGalley for the ARC and ALC

4.5 - “The most important people in our lives—because of how deeply they matter to us, how much of ourselves we entrust to them—it means they hold our heart in their clutches.”

I’m just never disappointed by Chloe Liese. I always fall in love with her characters so quickly and in many instances throughout her books I have felt seen. And this one was no different.

I love a fake dating trope, but I really loved that Juliet and Will are helping each other learn to date again. Their concerns are so real. Juliet has celiac disease and mixed connective tissue disease which makes her feel unworthy and that when she meets someone they won’t want to deal with her conditions. Will is autistic and struggles a bit socially, feeling awkward and anxious. Through their dates, they learn to be open and find that they have incredible chemistry.

What Chloe Liese always excels at is showing that everyone is deserving of love and a happy ending. Not only are Juliet and Will supportive of each other, but the rest of their friend group is so supportive as well. As a person who was diagnosed neurodivergent fairly recently, seeing characters like Will are so important. His sensory issues were so relatable and to have Juliet just understand and be cognizant of it was beautiful to read.

I also appreciated that there was no moment where they stop seeing each other because one decides the other can't feel the same. It was handled like two mature adults and it was so refreshing to read. They are able to be honest and vulnerable with each other in a way that is heartwarming to read.

I can't wait for whatever Chloe Liese does next.

✨ Fake Dating
✨ Friends to lovers
✨ Disability Rep
✨ Big Families
✨ "Brothers" best friend

This was SO DAMN CUTE! I read this one in just a few hours and when I say I devoured it, I consumed it in one bite. This is a standalone in a series, I haven't read the other two and didn't feel lost with the supporting characters. I adored the fake dating trope, with a little spin, and I think this played out perfectly. The tension, the openness, the slow burn, it was all just so good. Pulled me out of my reading slump for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley & Berkley Romance for letting me read this one early!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

"I don't often have the right words, let alone the perfect ones that you deserve. But I do have this--a heart for loving that's all yours, for always, if you'll have me."

4.25 stars

Finally the ending I have been searching for in this series!

This story was pretty adorable, and Will was such a cutie patootie. And NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP. There was some complicated, legitimate feelings happening toward the end but do you know how you get through those feelings? Communicating!!

I wasn't 100% sold on the premise of this one, I didn't really connect with it and was just kinda meh for me. But I love Chloe's writing and the ending was great.

Will always recommend this series to anyone who loves romance and loves to read about neurodiversity 🩷

[Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for a #gifted eARC in exchange for an honest review.]

Fresh out of a toxic relationship, Juliet Wilmot (the oldest of the three sisters) has sworn off love - though it's a struggle for this hopeless romantic. While healing, she prioritizes her health and discovers she has celiac disease and a connective tissue disorder.

Juliet has bumped into Will Orsino two times: once at a pub in Scotland and the second in her mother’s greenhouse. When they finally get to talking, Will shares that he’ll need to marry soon for the sake of his family’s business. But as every romantic endeavour has ended in disaster, he has little faith that love is in the cards for him. As her surrogate brother’s best friend, Will is totally off-limits. Neither expects to find love but they agree to practice romance together, hoping it will prepare them for future relationships.

Jules and Will are complex and empathetic. They don't diminish each other's struggles - instead they communicate, support, and respect each other's boundaries. Their love grows in such an authentic way and thanks to their ability to be vulnerable with each other, you can't help but root for them. You’ll find a way to relate to these characters, whether you're a hopeless romantic, someone navigating a chronic illness, or are neurodivergent.

This book absolutely stole my heart (and is easily my favorite of the series, and possibly of all of Liese’s stories). Though Jules and Will have given up on love in different ways, they are open and honest with each other. They begin as strangers but as they spend time together, they learn how fated their meeting was. That *they* are inevitable. It features the kind of love story where things are just easy. Not because love is easy but because when you find the right person, everything clicks into place.

I first was introduced to Chloe Liese via her Bergman Brothers / Siblings series. Some staples I came to appreciate and expect from her along the way are strong family relationships, representation (of mental, physical +/or chronic health conditions), and romance.

I really loved her first series, so I was very excited when her newest series The Wilmot Sisters was conceived. Another family oriented series, following three sisters as they navigate life and love with a Shakespearean twist. This newest offering being the final book in that series, following the final sister Juliet.

While I’ve enjoyed the Wilmot series, it has not had the same pull or hold on me that the Bergman’s stories did. The first book was a solid offering. While book 2 and now 3, have failed to connect with me in the same way.

I think the mains in this one, Juliet and Will, had some great potential. The story started off stronger, I liked the two and their dynamic together. I loved that we got some good representation of chronic / invisible illness and autism from the mains.

However, the story did start to drag a bit for me - the pretend / practice dating dynamic felt stale and repetitive after a bit. I didn’t feel any real reason existed for them not to date. Things got very monologue-ish and the book started to feel like it had some pacing issues, I found I started having to take breaks.

Overall, I finished it and I think any fan of the author will likely find it worth a read. Was not my perfect fit but I look forward to seeing what she writes next. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an early copy!

🪻Once Smitten, Twice Shy ARC Review🪻

Highlights:
🪻Learning to love again
🪻Recovering from a toxic, emotionally abusive relationship (referenced but off-page)
🪻Practice dating
🪻Twelfth Night reimagining
🪻Green flag boyfriend
🪻Neurodivergent rep (autism)
🪻Chronic illness rep (Celiacs, connective tissue disorder)
🪻Adapting to limitations and slower living
🪻Bisexual rep
🪻 Cane user
🪻 Overprotective family

Thanks to @berkleypub and @netgalley for the eARC. Once Smitten, Twice Shy is the third in the Wilmot Sisters series, and I relished getting to see Juliet front and center in her own love story after the pain she went through in Book One. I definitely recommend reading the preceding books, Two Wrongs Make a Right and Better Hate Than Never, first, as they’ll help center you in the Wilmont universe. As someone who has also had to adjust to slower living and making accommodations for a later-in-life diagnosis, I found Juliet relatable as she strives to find the balance between accepting and adapting to her diagnosis while also not wanting it to define her or having others treat her with kid gloves. I also adored Will. He was a walking green flag, and I appreciated his growth and self-confidence during his journey to finding love.

I love Chloe Liese, I love "practice romance", I love scottish highlanders, this book has it all. As always, I really appreciate the representation in Liese's books, this time with a MMC with autism and a FMC with chronic pain from a connective tissue disorder. Her characters are always so open, earnest, and sweet which sometimes can take me a bit to get used to when reading her books because it feels so unlike other books or even real life. If everyone communicated like Liese's characters, the world would be a better place.

In terms of plot, I did think the reason that they were "off limits" from each other was a bit weak, but other than that I had a really fun time reading this. I liked the appearances from the Wilmot sisters and the rest of their friend group, and I would overall rate this 4 stars!

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

Chloe Liese has done it again!!! Once Smitten, Twice Shy is the Twelfth Night retelling we need in our lives right now. Jules and Will are swoony and romantic together, and the returning cast of characters from the previous two in this series are sassy and fun and simply a delight to revisit!
This is some of Liese's best work and I cannot wait to see what she writes next!
Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for this eArc.