Juliet and Will decide to secretly practice dating—with each other—in this contemporary take on Twelfth Night. It goes as well as fake dating ever does in romance, which is to say the fake part is a complete failure. But are these two truly meant to be, or just there to help each other find a happily ever after with someone else?

A charming end to the Shakespeare-inspired Wilmot sisters series. It was fun to see previous characters again, too.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

Wasn’t my cup of tea! I am sure romance lovers would enjoy this book! It also would have helped if I read the prior two books! I would still recommend this series to my friend who like romcoms! I did like that it was based off a Shakespeare retelling!

I enjoy this author, even though you know exactly what you're getting when you open the book. I have been waiting for the 3rd installment in this modern-day Shakespeare story for awhile. The character of Will is lovely and a dreamboat. The rapport between the MLC and FLC works. There's lots of humor and affection. The book did seem to go on a little long, but I appreciated that there was no prolonged drama between the characters. I will definitely read more from this author.

My first Chloe Liese exposure was reading Two Wrongs Make a Right in January of 2023. I was hooked immediately. Chloe's writing was the first time I felt seen and represented by characters that I was reading. Since then I have read Chloe's entire backlist and scream about her books on my bookstagram bascially daily. There's a level of a fear that comes with loving an author's work so completely, especially when the Wilmot sisters is the series that started it all for me, but I shouldn't have doubted Chloe.

I absolutely adore Once Smitten, Twice Shy. It is the perfect closing to the Wilmot series and left me with feelings of joy, validation, love and hope. In the same way that I loved Bea and Jamie because I could see myself in them, I loved Juliet and Will because they were me in written form. Will's description of "thinking thoughts" versus "speaking thoughts" has made it into my daily life because this a problem I have, but didn't have language to describe. Juliet's experience with her chronic illness and feeling like she's being coddled is comparable to my own when I was first diagnosed and learning ways to cope. As with all of Chloe's characters, Juliet and Will are messy, raw, and most importantly, real. Their love is soft and gentle, and if I were to choose a color to describe it, I'd tell you to look at the background of the cover.

I love them. I love how they learn about themselves, about each other, how their story comes together. There is truly nothing I don't love about them.

Thank you for the early earc of this book!

I read the first in this series but didn't read the second. That didn't hamper my enjoyment of Once Smitten, Twice Shy. I really love these characters, their interactions and story. These books are so much fun, and I love the neurodivergent rep as well as chronic illness rep. These two characters had my heart. I loved their relationship and felt their chemistry. I thought the premise was a little lacking with the 'practice flirting' thing, but Chloe Liese made it believable and work. This book was easy to read, fast paced and fun with just enough tension to keep the story moving along. I definitely want to read the second book!

This final book in the Wilmot sisters series was amazing. It was the ending I wanted and it had the perfect pairing. This is the best ending in the Wiilmot sisters world. The communication with Juliet and Will was excellent and I loved the natural progression of their relationship. The representation of chronic illness and neurodivergent characters is always great to have especially because it was present in all the books in the series. Overall, this story was heartwarming and cute! And as always, I can't wait to read Chloe's next book.

I overall think that this is a book worth reading. I loved finally getting to read Juliet's story after the first 2 Wilmot sisters books. Her raw heart and how deeply she experienced her emotions within the pages of this book were near-tangible. Liese did an excellent job bringing the reader into her mind. Even more deeply than I felt Juliet, I felt Will. So many of the ways he experienced the world and people spoke to the way I also experience them as an autistic person. I appreciate the intention that went into crafting his character. Specifically how he thinks about the words he says and how carefully he needs to think about them before voicing them spoke to me, especially in the context of romantic interaction. His struggles to flirt are so real!!! Overall an enjoyable story and I appreciated the lack of a 3rd act breakup.

I absolutely love Chloe Liese's writing so it is no surprise I would love this book. I truly felt as if I was in this book as you are so involved with the characters and their lives. It felt like a warm hug. I love our two main characters and their chemistry was absolutely EVERYTHING!!! These are two characters who have such great communication. I love how they show up for each other when they need support and someone to lean on. I could not get enough of this book!!

Having loved the other two books in this series, I was excited to see this one available as an ARC. While it was a nice breezy read, I didn't enjoy it as much as the other two. In part this was because it reminded me too much of the first book. I love Chloe Liese's goal in writing romance novels...that everyone deserves a love story. I'd just like them to be a little more unique because everyone deserves their unique love story.

Is it's so lovely to see myself and family represented in a book. As always Chloe Liese has written a beautiful vibrant love story featuring neurodivergent characters who struggle and find love. The Shakespeare themes have been amazing and some references to the other Shakespeare pop culture retellings were so fun.

Chloe Liese is back with another swoony romance. Juliet is determined to take things slow after some setbacks, but when she reconnects with Will, they are both smitten. They begin as romance workout buddies, but that quickly blossoms into real love. The practice dating was so sweet and funny. A nod to Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, this is the perfect end to the Wilmot Sisters series. I had a smile on my face the whole time reading!

Thank you NetGalleyand Berkley/ Penguin Random House for the approval of an E-ARC. All my thoughts and opinions are mine.

“I know we started off determined that romantic love would be the last thing we’d ever share, and as terrible as it is now, the thought of ever being in your presence and doing anything but loving you with everything I am, I will never regret how we began. Because if we hadn’t, I would have never been brave enough, never tried, never had the chance to learn that I could love you and that you could love me, and that would have been a tragedy.”

If time erases my memory, I really hope it doesn't erase the time I read this book. I love, love,love,love,love,love this book so much! I am stupidly in love with this book. Absolutely devoured it. Liese creates such perfectly, slow torturously slow achingly sweet meet-cutes and meaningful reflections on trauma and healing. Liese wrote this book for me; A very sensitive soul who is a hopeless romantic in search of a silent gentle giant (one who looks like a handsome highlander from historical romances and is willing to dress like one). Very slutty of you, Liese. I love this happily ever after book. Perfect ending for the Wilmot Sisters.

“I’ve read a couple hundred Highlander romances, Will.” I nip his bottom lip gently with my teeth, earning a grunt of pleasure. “I’m prepared for this, and I promise you, that kilt will be off in no time.”

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

blushing. sparkles in my eyes, butterflies screeching in my stomach.

- Reimagining of Shakespeare Twelfth Night
-Scottish MMC & Sunshine Romance Reader FMC
- Practicing romance
- Flirting , bantering, meaningful glances, casual-not-casual touches
- Soft gentle love and affection
-Silent gentle giant who says " “Demanding woman. I’m trying to savor you.”

If you are a huge romantic, prepare to be dizzy & glowing with so much love, banter and swoony spicy scenes.

I love the disability and neurodivergent representation. I love the characters and their motivations. I love the connection and emotion in the first couple chapters… and then the actual plot setup is entirely convoluted and kept getting more baffling. Some of it could be from the forced Shakespeare elements but also, from the beginning, and times in between, Juliet and Will acknowledge and voice their attraction to each other, so their actions and (constant and repetitive) thoughts just didn’t make sense. It was a level of willful obtuseness that frustrated the crap out of me and killed the plot.

Also, I read an advance copy and I’m hoping these are fixed by publication day, but there were some confusions/plot holes that really stood out.

Even still, I liked the core of these characters, I loved them for each other, and wanted to see them get their HEA. I just thought there were much better ways to get there while still keeping the main themes.

Juliet and Will had the most precious love story. I absolutely loved how serendipitous all their initial meetings were and the way Chloe shaped their friendship and eventual romance. From the moment these two met, their chemistry jumped right off of the page and I absolutely loved that. I was very emotional with the representation for people with connective tissues diseases. Chloe handled the subject with such care and it felt so raw and honest. I really enjoyed the way the subject was broached at the end with Juliet and her mother and thought that was a shining moment.

I love this series so much and have been waiting for this title. I definitely did not disappoint. Plus, I love a fake dating trope. I was delighted to be along for the ride as Juliet and WIll found their happily ever after

I took the plunge into Chloe Liese's backlist earlier this year and immediately found an auto-buy author while voraciously reading her Bergman brothers series. With the switch over to the Wilmot sisters series however, I found myself often distracted while reading, unable to develop a connection to the characters and thus, bored by the romance. That is until I read Once Smitten, Twice Shy.

This was easily the BEST book in the Wilmot sisters series, featuring all of the tropes, banter, and growth that I have grown to love in Chloe Liese's books. I can't say enough good things about how the author discusses the process of finding new love after an abusive/toxic relationship and how she represents neurodivergence. Highly recommended!

Chloe Liese writes some of my favorite romances ever and this is just another for the list!! I loved all of the nods to Romeo & Juliet, the set up of the story and then the actual journey the characters went on. Juliet and Will were so careful, tender and respectful with each other while balancing passion and heat. I really enjoyed reading this book and can’t wait to recommend it to every romance reader I know.

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.