Twice Shy

Perfection. There’s no sophomore slump here; this is delightful, distinct, and kinda delicious. I had literal happy tears spill from my eyes, and I was bawling like a baby by the end. It’s like sitting in your own personal happy place where everything is charming and romantic, full of tropey goodness, and more complex than it seems at first glance. The tone is so completely unique and swoony, with characters who are layered and a relationship that’s multi-faceted – I could not have anticipated how deep this would get, but it put me through every emotion. This slow burn is just the right kind of excruciating, going from less than nothing to simply EVERYTHING. And the dynamic? I’ve got to hand it to the author, she found yet another scenario that I have never read before – and that’s saying something. Go into this one blind; it’s much more complex than it seems on the surface, but just might be THE most romantic book I have ever read.The story follows Maybell, a woman who is timid, insecure, and possibly forgettable. She prefers to live in her personal dreamland, thinking up different hopelessly romantic scenarios that are a million times better than real life. That all changes when Maybell inherits her great aunt’s estate, including a huge, neglected home in need of some TLC. The problem? Her co-inheritor. Wesley is the grouchy groundskeeper who cared for her aunt during her final years… and he’s also the man who is about to make Maybell’s life a whole lot more complicated.As with You Deserve Each Other (another STELLAR read), it took me a few chapters to settle into the story and the writing, because this author has crafted a love story that feels completely unique. Our heroine isn’t always a reliable narrator and our hero is something of a mystery, so soaking in each word, analyzing each interaction is imperative. The story starts out tense, with an enemies to lovers feel that’s heightened by the forced proximity. These two have to work together to achieve their goals, and in the process, they slowly open up to each other in a way they haven’t with anyone else. This is honest, awkward, flawed, REAL love – and yet the author somehow also makes it feel like a warm hug. It’s downright SWOONY. And that ending? That’s when those happy tears kicked in. I loved this so very much. I was lucky enough to receive an early copy (then purchased it for my collection), and am voluntarily leaving a review of this heartwarming romance.

After reading and absolutely LOVING You Deserve Each Other last year I couldn't wait to read more from Sarah Hogle. I honestly was unsure if I would love Twice Shy as much as I love YDEO, but if you could describe a book giving you a big gentle hug - then that is exactly what Twice Shy is.Maybell Parish is a dreamer and maybe she likes to live in her pretend world more than the real world sometimes. She's not very happy with her current job, even though she did get a promotion. She's pretty sure her friend/co-worker isn't really her friend at all. So when she finds out that her Great-Aunt Violet left her the manor she so fondly remembers from her youth she jumps at the chance to go live there.Only the manor is now tattered and beat down. Not only is the manor unlivable, but she has to share it with the grouchy groundskeeper Wesley Koehler. He grunts, isn't very talkative and just largely ignores her. Both have entirely different plans for the estate and are often arguing with one another. How will they every learn to live together?I loved both Wesley and Maybell so much. I could often imagine the scenes playing out as a movie while I was reading them. The dynamic and chemistry between these two was evident right from the beginning. While Twice Shy was told from Maybell's perspective, I still felt like I could always relate to Wesley and what he was going through.I have so many passages highlighted in this book and I honestly need to go back and re-read it again to savor those moments. Sarah does such an effortless job of conveying how Wesley and Maybell are going through grief and anxiety while also writing such beautiful prose. Twice Shy had the perfect mix of angst, longing, sadness and hope.I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

SPOILERS BELOW! Maybell is a pushover. She's very kind but has no ambition and is very afraid of life, likely due to her mother being all over the place. When she finds out she inherits her great-aunt's estate, she rushes down to Tennessee to start life over. Enter Wesley, a rude and quiet lanscaper who has been taking care of Maybell's aunt for years. Turns out both of them have inherited the estate. Maybell decides she wants to turn it into a hotel and Wesley wants it to be a sanctuary for rescued farm animals. Maybell is 30 and Wesley is 28.It's just the two of them cleaning out and fixing up the old house. Maybell realizes that Wesley is extremely shy rather than rude, and the two begin an actual friendship with passing notes and then talking in person.Maybell discovers that Wesley is an artist and he's been drawing pictures of her. He's also given up his home to let her sleep in the only bedroom. He's living with extreme anxiety being around people, and is likely on the autism spectrum. Maybell and Wesley are two kind people who fall in love.HOLY SMOKES did I love the ending. Essentially, Maybell wants to go find the Loch Ness monster and books a flight for her and Wesley to Scotland. Wesley tries to get on the plane but has a panic attack and abandons her. When Maybell lands in London, she calls Wesley and he's ready for her to hate him and his idiosyncrasies. But Maybell totally taught me a lesson here. She tells Wesley that he is perfect, and she loves every part of him, even the parts he hates. Wesley was crying over the phone hearing that someone could love him like that, and I was crying reading because it was the most gentle and kindest response.Really beautiful book. But HOLY SMOKES does Sarah Hogle wait for that slow burn. 90% on this one.

Twice Shy is the follow up to Sarah Hogle’s debut novel You Deserve Each Other. I really enjoyed the writing and I read it not long ago so scroll down a bit to find my thoughts.This book is all about sole narrator Maybell and Wesley. Maybell learns she is to inherit her late aunt’s estate but unbeknownst to both of them, Wesley was also told he would inherit the estate. As you can imagine what follows is a tumultuous relationship between the pair of them!This is a great enemies to lovers, forced proximity romantic comedy with really tangible characters. It represents mental health issues in a lovely and touching way and surprised me all the way to the end. I really connected with Maybell and I think part of this was the fantasy land she “lives in” - don’t we all drift off and think about how things could be or could have been?Once again I loved the writing, it was the right amount of wit and clever and it wove the characters together throughout the story. If you enjoy Sally Thorne and Christina Lauren, particularly their standalone novels I think you’ll enjoy this! Can’t wait for more from this author.

Wow. Just finished this book and my god, Sarah Hogle has done it again! Loved her first book and (unexpectedly) equally loved this just as much.I love a good romance but have felt a bit bored of the constant, tired clichéd books I seem to be reading lately. This book is just on another level altogether though - achingly beautiful, real heartfelt romance with quirky, multi-dimensional characters that aren't just your a-typical romantic leads.I just loved how bickering Maybell and Wesley were, but how utterly sweet they were to each other when they finally let down their guards and overcame / learned to love and accept their shyness and anxieties.Just everything, EVERYTHING that I want in a book. I cannot wait for Sarah Hogles next offering. 5 stars :)

I went into this book expecting good things after I read You Deserve Each Other and absolutely loved it. This book , in theory, sounds good but missed the mark. Firstly, the characters are in their early 30's but act like early 20's. The MC often got mixed up in her dream world and it was hard to tell what was real and what wasn't, it didn't really do much for the story other than make it confusing. We spent a lot of time in her AU world when it could have been spent meeting the family etc. The whole thing about her being catfish I also found really cringe and unnecessary because we already knew Gemma was a rubbish friend- it failed in trying to push the 'fate' narrative. I struggled to get into this book too but forced myself to read as I was hoping it'd get better- spoiler alert- it didn't. Also, the love interest, Wesley, was described but the MC wasn't really in much detail so I also found it hard to picture them

I loved this book sooooo much. The characters, the setting, the plot, the ending are all amazing. I feel like this story was written especially for me. Most authors second books are disappointing. Sarah Hogle just raised her game. I’ll see YDEO and raise you Twice Shy. I seldom write reviews and I rarely re-read but this book has me breaking all the norms. This book isn’t just a rom com, it’s beautiful, it has heart and it gave me all the feels. Back in your author cave Sarah Hogle, I can’t wait for your next book...

This book is absolutely amazing. I cannot even tell you how much I loved it, as it would take much more space than what is allowed for a book review. Just read it.