I f this trilogy was a three-course meal (bear with me…) this would be the sweetest dessert. Juliet has been stung by a toxic relationship, Will doesn’t believe he’s cut out for love and romance, but when they wrestle their immediate mutual attraction into practicing with each other it has inevitable results. The pair of them are so sweet and thoughtful together, and Will in particular is a gem of a creation: shy and fiercely caring and discovering his perfect match. There are plenty of cute and funny moments as well as the opportunity to revisit the main characters and general friendship group from the two earlier books in the series. However, to revisit my original metaphor, I think I’m more of a savoury course person: I preferred the sharper wit and edges of antagonism that characterised the relationships in the first two books. Nevertheless this is a lovely conclusion to an excellent series.

The third and final book in the Wilmot sister series sees Juliet strike up a romance practice partnership with her brother in laws best friend. And I’m sure you can guess what happens from there.

This book is the cutest fake dating I’ve read. It also gives you proof that there really could be someone for everyone out there.

There’s plenty of sweet and swoony moments, with also a bit of spice, too. Plus disability and LGBTQ representation, too.

Filled with only loveable characters and green flags, this is the perfect easy-reading romcom.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group for the ARC.

This was such a lacklustre end to the series :/ there was just no chemistry between Juliet and Will. The whole story was underwhelming and I found I didn’t care about them as individuals or as a romantic pairing.

I’m disappointed since Chloe has always been a trusted author of mine but this just didn’t feel like her usual work. It lacked the charm and heart she is usually notorious for.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book. A gorgeous 4 star read book from me. What an exciting plot, vivid storytelling and relatable, rich characters. I could put this book down – absolutely loved it.

Chloe Liese is an author I discovered this year and has easily become an absolute favourite author. She writes characters I continue to fall in love with and romances I can’t help but be invested in. Once Smitten, Twice Shy was no exception to this, it was another book I read in 24 hours and could not put down at all, and I cannot explain the excitement that went through me when I saw I was approved for an e-arc.

Once Smitten, Twice Shy is the third book in the Wilmot Sisters series following Juliet the oldest sister who has sworn off romance and Will Orsino who doesn’t think he will find his own happily ever after and together they agree to practice romance to both of their advantages.

I found myself absolutely loving this book from the very start, not desperate to know how it would end but desperate to spend time with these two characters I found myself really connecting to in many different ways.

I wasn’t expecting Juliet’s book to top how much I loved Kate’s story or how much Bea’s stuck with me but it did which I don’t think I can complain about and it just tells me I really need to get physical copies of these books! I think that there are many reasons why I found that I both loved and connected to this story in ways I think will stick with me.

First off is something I didn’t know about ahead of reading which just made it all that more exciting to discover and that is that Will is an autistic character which is present in a lot of my favourite books by Chloe Liese and was something that I can’t explain how happy I was to discover it. A lot of what Will says in this book surrounding his neurodivergence was stuff that I really connected to myself particularly when his challenges with noise are discussed and socialising, whether that be being anxious about it or drained afterwards. I often connect to and treasure books with neurodivergent characters however I don’t often connect to characters quite as strongly as I did with Will.

There were also parts of Juliet that I found myself connecting to, from the odd discussion around siblings and being the eldest to romance books and the odd other thing. I know myself if I connect to characters it just makes my reading experience that bit better along with my love for the book.

There wasn’t loads of this but something else that immediately adds to my love of a book is a Scottish setting or Scottish characters and there was just enough in here to have that box ticked for me.

This was a romance that I really enjoyed watching develop from people who didn’t really know each other, to good friends who really understood each other until finally they started dating. It was nice with this being a dual POV romance to watch them both realise and try and hide their feelings about each other but even the friendship they developed first was one where they understood each other and did what they could to support each other with their additional challenges and that was something present throughout the full story. Both Will and Juliet did whatever they could to help the other with the things more challenging for them without pushing too far or making the other feel that it was a hardship or stepping in when the other could still manage it.

Something else I found myself loving about this book was how much time we get to spend with Juliet’s friend group who have been present throughout the whole series and Juliet’s sisters, Bea and Kate, who we have previously followed. I really like spending extended periods of time with characters and that is something this series does really well. It was also great to see more of both Bea and Kate’ relationship particularly in this book seeing how Bea’s had continued to develop.
On the other hand Will’s family were great to meet for the first time and I loved any and all the time we spent with them.

This was a book I loved reading and a fantastic conclusion to a series that I loved reading this year. I highly recommend checking out Chloe Liese and the Wilmot Sisters series. I cannot wait to see what Chloe Liese writes next now that both the Bergerman Brothers and Wilmot Sisters series are done.

Thank you to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a sweet, and tender love story between Juliet and Will who've both been hurt romantically in the past and who come up with the plan to 'practice' romance to ease their way back into dating.

It was a joy to read their romance developing, from the initial chemistry to the heartfelt moments that made it so believable. I felt myself internally squeal with happiness from the lovely interactions they have, and just so happy with how this book went. It was also delightful to spend time with Juliet's sisters and friends again, who are a group I'd love to hang out with in real life.

I cannot recommend this book, or this series, highly enough. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a low drama/long angst book which gives you all the warm fuzzy feelings, a hug in a book.

Will is just the sweetest, kindest man that any woman would be lucky to meet in real life. Juliet is the perfect reassuring partner for him whilst trying to deal with everything thrown her way, healthwise. Whilst it could be read as a standalone, I do think you need to read the previous 2 books to be able to appreciate the storyline. Whilst the ex is mentioned, it’s not explained at all and only vague references are made for the history.

I adore this authors stories. This was undoubtedly one of sweetest works of hers. Will was absolute sweetheart who simply didn't understand romantic love emotions and it was such a journey of learning for him and I enjoyed this story so much. This is last book of The Wilmot Sisters series and I couldn't wish better story for Juliet.

It is impossible for Chloe Liese to write a book that I don’t absolutely love! This book has definitely proven that! This marks the tenth book of Chloe’s that I have read and they only get better each page!

This book was so charming and real, it made me laugh and cry at the same time. In every book of Chloe’s that I have read, they have included some of the most authentic characters I have encountered in books, the consistent representation of Neurodivergent and disabled characters make these books so much sweeter.

As a neurodivergent person, I felt incredibly seen by Wills character in this book, from the intolerance to loud noises and the not knowing what to say, some times it felt like looking in a mirror, finding a character I can relate to in a book is so rare and I absolutely adored that in this book!

This felt like the absolute best book to end the Wilmot sisters series on even though it is an incredibly bittersweet goodbye! I cannot wait to see what Chloe writes next!

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book early!

‘Once Smitten, Twice Shy’ is the third book in the Wilmot sisters series by Chloe Liese. It’s finally the turn of Bea’s sister Jules to be the romantic heroine… after leaving a bad relationship, being diagnosed with a chronic illness and learning a lot about herself, she’s ready to love again. Enter Will, an introverted red-headed giant who decides he needs to practise being a paramour if he’s ever to find a wife!

Both Jules and Will were loveable and relatable, with so much to admire, multitudes of green flags, and some flaws which made them well-rounded and interesting. I was rooting for them from their very first encounter. Puck, the elderly cat, was wonderful, and I loved the scenes around the solar eclipse. Liese writes incredibly sensual moments so well while staying true to the characters she has created.

I wasn’t quite sure why the two characters couldn’t just communicate well and date initially, which made the tale feel a little contrived! But the dual POV narrative was great!

Overall, this gets four stars from me… I absolutely adored both characters and loved all of the references back to the previous instalments of the series, but the plot wasn’t as strong (or true to the Shakespearean source material) for me as the other two. I’d still very much recommend it for the sweetness, spice and sisterly support.

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Little, Brown Book Group UK via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Anything she writes, I'll read!

Juliet is afraid to start dating again after the implosion of her last relationship. Will is looking for a wife, but experience has taught him he's just not lovable. They decide to be each other's platonic training wheels... I think we all know how that'll end.

I love Chloe Liese. Her Bergman Brothers series gave me a safe space to process things when I realised I may be a tad neurodivergent myself, and her books continue to do that. This book is a funny, cheesy comfort read in all the best ways. In a shocking turn of events, it also has NO 3RD ACT BREAK-UP.

The plot itself is fairly uneventful. There are no major dramatic events to make things difficult (those happen in book #1 of the series. While this can be read as a stand alone I do recommend starting there). It is just 2 people slowly working through their own issues as they fall in love, and because of that it's a lot more introspective than most romance novels. That won't work for everyone, but it definitely works for me - it's lovely and warm and kind and for a few hours it made me feel like all is right in the world.

Many thanks to Little, Brown book group and netgalley for letting me read an ARC of this book. It was just what I needed.