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!

Chloe Liese wraps up her Wilmot sisters with the most hopeful and heartfelt of the three tales.

"Since heartbreak entered the scene, Juliet Wilmot, once a hopeless romantic, has sworn off love. But when she’s presented with the chance to revisit romance—purely for practice—with the gorgeous, off-limits guy she keeps serendipitously running into, it feels like a sign from the universe."

We met Juliet three books ago and followed her heartbreak in the periphery of her sisters' journeys. Now it's time for us to see her heal and find herself again.

In Will, we meet a man trapped in his less than ideal expectations for himself because of his neurodivergent diagnosis.

Together we see two people brave living life boldly and learning about themselves as they learn about each other.

I laughed, I cried and I swooned. I'm so sad to see our journey with the Wilmot sisters end-- but I love where they all ended up.

Once Smitten Twice Shy is the third and best book in the Wilmot Sisters series, though they were all a lot of fun! And you don’t need to read the first two to enjoy this one.

Juliet and Will meet in a Scottish pub and the chemistry is SO GOOD from the beginning! The writing in the opening scene (and throughout the book) really captures the emotions and pull of these characters! The instant chemistry strikes fear into Juliet, who’s been down a tough road. She recently escaped a massively toxic relationship and seriously questions her judgment in relationships. So she’s in no place to get close to a man.

Will is neurodivergent (autism) and has gotten accustomed to rejection from women in the sometimes sad world we live in. He’s given up on love and is willing to settle for a marriage of convenience with someone he likes and respects, but he can’t get past a third date.

So what a surprise when, months later, they run into each other again in the States and find out they have some pretty close ties. Juliet wants to be ready to open herself up to love again; Will wants to find a partner he can at least enjoy life with. So they decide to help each other out by “practicing” dating. And I’m sure you see where this is heading!

Once Smitten Twice Shy was an absolutely beautiful and touching story with tenderness, empathy, and passion. Juliet and Will exude warmth and sincerity are both such lovely people. You see and feel the relationship growing and the love they’re creating. I will say there was a span where I was like, “come on already, it’s soooooo obvious you guys are in love with each other, just recognize it and admit it,” which often happens in friends-to-lovers books. But I really can’t complain.

Rating: 4.25/5
Warning: toxic relationship + emotional abuse (in past)
Representation: autism and living with a chronic condition (mixed connective tissue disease and celiac disease)

I had zero chill, I started this baby the minute I could because I was just so excited!

Do I have thoughts? Absolutely! This book was so soft, and I loved these characters. I won’t lie—it’s been harder for me to get into the Wilmot Sisters after being fully invested in the Bergman Family, but this story won me over.

Things I Loved: Every time he called her “baby.” I was rooting for these two so hard. I adored how their families ended up being connected. Will was so considerate of Jules and her food needs. The She’s the Man references. Family dynamics and shirtless basketball scenes.

Things I Didn’t Love: I wanted more individual growth and for them to actually talk through those issues. You could see glimpses of their healing, but it wasn’t fully explored.

Overall, I highly suggest Once Smitten, Twice Shy and can’t wait to see what Chloe gives us next!! I need another series on the horizon to look forward to!

I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it. It was just meh to me. I almost dnf'd it, I'm happy that I didn't because it did get better, but it's still won't be added to my favorites.

Will isn’t looking for love but he is searching for a woman he can marry that can help him run his family distillery and farm. A neurodiverse person, he needs someone adept at handling the social dynamics of the business.

Juliet, is taking a break from dating after getting out of a long term serious relationship. She doesn’t quite trust herself to get into another relationship but wants to sharpen her flirting skills for when she is ready to find love again.

After a couple of serendipitous meet-cutes, Will and Juliet make a mutually beneficial pact. They will help each other reach their goals by practicing romance with one other. But what begins as just practice evolves into something undeniably genuine in this steamy third novel in the Wilmot Sisters trilogy.

Like the previous books in the series, it reimagines a Shakespeare play—this time, it's the Twelfth Night.

Told from alternating points of view, with main characters that are autistic and living with a chronic illness, and featuring a large and supportive network of friends and family, this satisfying stand- alone romance is a celebration of love, family and inclusivity.

Putting this one down at 40 percent. I am a Chloe Liese stan but the premise of this story is hard to accept.

Will and Juliet are helping each other with stepping back into romance, have obvious feelings for each other but have both accepted they’re “off limits.” This is stretching my suspension of disbelief to the max and affecting my enjoyment of the story.

Might try it again later

This was simply wonderful. I fell in love with Chloe's writing in the first book of this series and each one has just gotten better and better. It's such a joy to look out for references to Shakespeare's work and see how she spins it into a modern take. She is so talented at writing witty banter, sizzling chemistry, and love interests (both the FMC and MMC) that you want to swoon over! Sad to see this series end, but so excited for what she has next.

3.5 ⭐️

This was a cute & cozy romance! It definitely wasn’t anything special, but I thought it was still pretty enjoyable, especially if you’re looking for something easy and fun. I thought this touched on some really important & niche topics, and I related to Juliet in a ton of ways! I think that some aspects of the characters could have been expanded on more, and I did find myself getting a tad bored after the middle. We love a big softie MMC!!

2.5/5⭐️

I really loved the concept at the beginning; it felt fresh and fun! The shy guy seeking dating help was particularly cute. However, things started to get mixed for me when the story introduced the dynamic of helping each other out romantically but as friends.

While I appreciated the concept, the shift to mutual attraction and the admission of feelings occurred too quickly for my taste. This early admission of attraction made me less interested. Although they didn't fully act on their feelings, the kiss and early confession felt too soon.

There was also too much description that didn't seem necessary. I enjoyed the beginning a lot, but I lost interest about halfway through, making it difficult to reconnect with the story.

Let's practice romance! I love how they start off with practice and leads into an undeniable attraction. The characters were relatable and I just wanted to hug our shy Will. He's just so sweet in his endeavor to win over a wife to save his family's business. Juliet is a perfect balance for him and I adored these two together. Definitely a must read!

what a lovely ending to this trio of sisters. i loved this world so much. thank you, again, chloe for such inclusive real characters to show that all people deserve whatever kind of love story they’re looking for. will was so sweet and lovely and of course getting more insight into juliet after all this time was really fun. i loved all of the nods to twelfth night and especially to she’s the man. that’s one of my favorite movies of all time and every time i read a twelfth night adaptation i love seeing them. this was so sweet and fun!

4/5
Once Smitten, Twice Shy closes out Chloe Liese’s Wilmont Sister trilogy, a series where she entwines Shakespeare’s plays with modern-day romances. Reimagining Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Liese entangles two opposites in a practice romance that verges on something more real than they ever could have anticipated. Juliet Wilmont, once hopeless romantic turned cynic, and Will Orsino, a shy and reserved highlander lookalike chart an unexpected way out of their romantic blocks by agreeing to partake in a practical dating experiment together. From the moment I read the first book in this series, I knew Chloe Liese had created something special and that has not changed from book one to now. Chloe Liese has become one of my favorite romance novelists. Her surefire depiction of contemporary love meeting all aspects of life from mental health, to chronic illness and neurodivergence is both powerful as it is necessary. In her third and final book in this trilogy, Liese showcases her capacity for flawed characters driven to better themselves contained within an effortlessly swoony romance. Once Smitten Twice Shy is a resounding ode to romance readers and those still discovering exactly what they want out of life and love. My favorite love stories are the ones that celebrate love as discovery and Will and Juliet embody that in the sweetest possible way. Remember that it’s love if she wacks him with a giant shovel and he still has heart eyes only for her (it’s romantic okay). Once Smitten Twice Shy brings a bittersweet conclusion to the Wilmont sisters series. Getting to the end of this trilogy has been an emotional experience and one I am not quite yet ready to leave behind, but I do know that Chloe Liese will be there to deliver more exquisite romances now and forever.

A fun read with a lot of heart and joy. Once Smitten, Twice Shy starts off with a (almost!) bang, and keeps growing the character interactions in an interesting way once they meet up again. The story went in a direction I didn’t expect, despite the familiar tropes, and I found myself happily surprised several times. I enjoyed the disability representation and think a lot of people will like the conclusion to this standalone series.