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.

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!

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.