Maybell Parish, a dreamer stuck in a suffocating dead end job, sees the chance for a fresh start when she inherits her estranged Great Aunt Violet’s estate. Upon arrival at Falling Stars, Maybell realizes that the estate from her favorite memories as a child, has been left in utter shambles. To make matters worse, Maybell learns that she’s not the only inheritor of the property and now has to share the estate with grumpy groundskeeper, Wesley Koehler. While the pair envision different futures for Falling Stars, both just might get the new beginning they’ve been longing for.

A slow burn with minimal steam, Twice Shy is a tender romance packed with sweetness - so much so, that by the time you finish reading its final page, you’ll be left with warmth in your heart and a smile on your face.

What I Loved:
✨Grump and Sunshine Trope - Easily one of my favorite romance tropes, the two leads starting out as such opposites from one another has such a satisfying payoff as the story progresses.

✨The Characters - Both Maybell and Wesley are such relatable individuals. I loved getting to experience all their layers as the pair eventually opened up to each other. I also adored how much of a presence Violet managed to be.

✨The Social Anxiety Rep - I thought the portrayal of acute social anxiety was so well done in this book and it just made my heart ache so much for the character.

✨All the Little Things - So many seemingly small gestures of kindness and connection are sprinkled throughout this book. It’s impossible to not let both Maybell and Wesley into your heart as they tentatively allow themselves into each other’s.

If you’re new to the romance genre and looking for a jumping off point, Twice Shy is the perfect read to start with! Alternatively, if you’re already a romance reader, Twice Shy will be a delightful love story to add to your shelves!

Thank you to Putnam Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

Twice Shy made me so happy while reading. I loved that the focus was on social anxiety and anxiety in general. I have anxiety attacks and appreciated seeing that within a character. I could connect with both Maybell and Wesley in that aspect. The ways they understood each other without having to speak was beautiful. Their love story is one that I think was built solidly and will last forever (in my head). Also, Wesley is the kindest and most thoughtful soul!

I will say though that I was lost a few times when it came to Maybell's daydreams. I would get confused if it was real life or not, which may have been the point, but it still threw me off. She definitely lived in the clouds often! Which makes sense if you are trying to escape your anxiety when it hits.

I love Sarah Hogle's writing. You Deserve Each Other was one of my favorites last year, and I will definitely continue to read her future novels.

Thank you so much @NetGalley and @putnumbooks for the ARC! I will be posting my review on Bookstagram shortly!

Omg this book was AMAZING 🥰🥰🥰

Thank you so much to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the advanced free copy of this gem of a book!

This was my first book by Sarah Hogle, but I am putting her as a must read author after this because this book was everything.

So first of all Maybell was one of the most relatable protagonist. She was so bubbly and fun and I loved her AU. I do that all the time. Dream different scenarios.and she just wanted to feel wanted which as a 2 enneagram, I can def relate ♥️

And Wesley wow. What a dream boat. Kinda too good to be true, but who cares? I was sooo annoyed at him at first but then you find out more about him and gosh you just fall in love with him along with Maybell.

This is the perfect cute, sweet read. Definitely my favorite read of April. (Possibly the year??)

Please do yourself a favor and pick up a copy 💕💕💕

Obviously 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Didn't love this as much as You Deserve Each Other.

Maybell and Wesley are both told they inherited an estate - Maybell from her aunt, Wesley from the woman he helped take care of. They both butt heads, since they have to split it down the middle, but it does develop into a romance, obviously.

I liked Wesley, but didn't love Maybell. She read a little bit younger than the supposed 30 year old she was, and had a naivety that was unrealistic (in my opinion). Also, since I have to compare it to the other book by Hogle, I wish there would've been more background characters. People were mentioned, but no one else was introduced and I feel like it was lacking in the atmosphere.

Sarah Hogle really hit it out of the park with her debut, and I think Twice Shy really builds on what I love about her storytelling: complicated, quirky characters, vivid settings, and a slightly off-kilter sense of humor that's unlike anything else I'm finding in rom coms today. I can't wait to read what she writes next!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This a really cute book. I enjoyed it very much. Great character development, story pulls you in.

When I first started Twice Shy, I thought I knew what to expect: a woman inherits a fixer upper by her aunt, only to be met with opposition by her co-inheritor. I expected an enemies-to-lovers vibe, and maybe some crazy antics a la You Deserve Each Other. But nothing prepared me for the charming quirkiness of Maybell Parish, or the heart-meltingly wonderful inner-workings of Wesley Koehler.  
 
Once Maybell discovers she’s inherited her great-aunt’s estate, she has grand plans for the future. But she’s immediately thwarted by the taciturn, standoffish groundskeeper, who’s as handsome as he is infuriating. At first glance, the two couldn’t be more different. Maybell’s head remains firmly in the clouds, letting her imagination run wild, getting lost in her head while the real world unfolds around her. Wesley is more of a grounding force, and the voice of reason. But once Maybell slowly, painstakingly chips away at Wesley’s walls, she discovers he can be just as playful and fantastical, acknowledging her innermost fantasies rather than disregarding them.  
 
Twice Shy is a journey of self-discovery, but it’s also one of the sweetest, most hopeful romances I’ve read. Getting to know these characters was such a pleasure, and I would gladly get lost in Maybell’s musings any day. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This sunshine and grump romance (with forced proximity, YES!) was as sweet as can be with really relatable characters.

I absolutely adored Wes; he's such a softie behind the grumpy exterior and he'll make your heart melt. Maybell is a dreamer, often wrapped up in her head and I loved her ambition and positive outlook even though life hasn't been the easiest for her.

The social anxiety rep in the book was great. Maybell and Wes are so supportive and good for one another, I just loved seeing them together!

Twice Shy made me happy, kept me smiling and made me really hungry for some donuts!

This book was so sweet. Multiple times throughout the story I 'aww'ed over something the hero or the heroine did. It took be a bit to get into the story, not really understanding what was happening at first. Once the story clicked into place for me, there was no stopping. Maybell was relatable on so many levels for me. She was optimistic, willing to forgive and forget when she probably shouldn't, and let others dictate how she lives her life. It was a pleasure to watch Maybell come into her own and take charge in her gentle, chaotic way. Wes was a little more of a mystery and on occasion I questioned what he was doing but this made sense with a single POV. In the end I laughed, I 'aww'ed, and I smiled like a fool.

Words that describe this story: sweet, gentle, magical.

TW: death of a relative, social anxiety, absent parent, catfishing (not by either MC)

I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgally in exchange for a review.

What a unique and fresh feeling romance this one was! Maybell was such a refreshing character to read about, especially in a romance and Wesley was as well. This was a softer, more tender read than the authors debut, but there was definitely something special about this one, it definitely felt like a cozy, comforting read.

Maybell is the type of person with a larger than life imagination, I’m talking she can daydream so hard and so vividly she sometimes loses hours fantasizing about the life she wishes she had. I loved seeing her grow and blossom under Wesleys attention, although he brought out a wonderful side to each other, the beauty here was that she did the same for him. It wasn’t about changing yourself for your partner but rather about coming into your own with the support of the right partner and it was adorable, sweet and so nice to read about. This one was a slow burn and very low on the steam scale, but honestly that’s pretty much how it had to be with these too, super steamy would’ve felt disingenuous to them. Read this when you want a soft and sweet romance.

Twice Shy is an adorable, funny, and sweet romcom! Do you ever finish a book and realize it’s exactly what you needed at the moment? Thank you Sarah for this “fluffy escape” that I so needed.
Maybell inherits her Great-Aunt Violet’s home and property, but finds out upon arrival that Wesley (the groundskeeper) inherited half as well. To make the situation worse, the house is a mess and needs major cleaning and decluttering. Wesley of course isn’t happy to hear about Maybell moving in. Have I mentioned that I have a thing for grumpy quiet love interests? Add in the forced proximity trope and now you can see why I enjoyed this story so much. I feel like I knew a lot about Maybell right away but it took time to peel back the layers and get to know Wesley. And it was worth the wait! Wesley is ridiculously sweet, like a cinnamon-sugar donut. This was a light read that left me with a huge smile on my face.

I received a free digital arc from netgalley & Putnam Books. All opinions expressed are my own.

I feel like I've been lucky in my reads this year I've been loving a lot of them. 

But this book resonated so much with me. This quirky so strange meet cute was right up my alley. I'm surprised I have never been catfished before meeting my husband. Oh wait I did date a guy over the phone/internet that wouldn't video chat me. I hate internet dating, he probably used fake photos.

Maybell so many of her inner dialogues describing herself felt like how I feel around people most of the time. Disposable and can blend in the background. I'm THE person to my people but to everyone else I'm whatever I can do for you.

Wesley this handsome single, I mean why is he single, there must be something wrong? Cue the eye roll. Having social anxiety is invisible and you can hide it but it's debilitating when you are put in situations out of your comfort zone.  In walks sweet full of heart boisterous Maybell. I love when any type of disabilities are represented and the ones that are invisible this is a great forum.

Maybell inherited her aunt's hotel size manor that had become in major disrepair since her last visit in her childhood. There was such a magical feeling to this book. Her daydreaming was next level and I loved the uncovering of all they were finding in the manor.

I'm not going to tell you anything about what happens cause it's such a treat and it made me so happy the whole process. I can't wrap my head around what it was, it was everything. Also, I love a good grand grand gesture and Victor and Wesley did great jobs!

Then the authors note that Violets love story was inspired by her grandparents meeting. Omg grandparents have the cutest stories!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Steam: 🔥🔥

Thank you @netgalley and @putnambooks books for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

Sometimes you start a book not knowing what to expect and it just fills you with feels! I picked up 𝗧𝘄𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝘆 this week and I’m so happy I did. I haven’t read You Deserve Each Other yet, but I will be as soon as possible! ⁣
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Twice Shy is about Maybell Parrish. She started working a resort as a housekeeper fresh out of HS and has done this same job for years. She befriends Gemma who is pretty, flighty and the daughter of the owner of the resort. Gemma catches Maybell in a slight flirtation with someone she was interested in and decides to get revenge by catfishing Maybell with a handsome stranger on a dating app. ⁣
⁣
Maybell falls hard and is absolutely crushed when she finds out. Gemma disingenuously apologizes and quickly pretends nothing happens. Around this time, Maybell inherits her Great Aunt’s old mansion. She has big dreams of fixing up the manor and making into a hotel. But she finds out on day 1 that she inherited half the place and half goes to Wesley. Wesley is a handsome and gruff landscaper who dreams of making the place into an animal sanctuary. The two are forced to live in tight quarters as they get the mansion back into its glory days. There’s a little romance and a fun hidden treasure plot line that I very much enjoyed. ⁣
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The writing was wonderful and the author handled sensitive issues so well. Wesley has terrible social anxiety and Maybell still is hurt over what Gemma did. She’s also dealing with the loss of Violet.⁣
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The title made me think a lot- I thought the twice shy idea was that Maybell was very cautious about falling in love again. But after finishing the book, I think it could also be about Wesley’s crippling social anxiety. Any one who read this have thoughts? ⁣
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5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣

After seeing some of my favorite Twitter romance readers rave about Sarah Hogle’s first book, I couldn’t resist picking this one up, even before I read (and loved!) her debut. And wow, while it’s completely different in tone from the first, this is an emotionally satisfying rom com chockfull of tropes – forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine, slow burn, with a cinnamon roll hero.

“Somewhere far above the clouds, glittering in stars and nebulae, a neon sign spins leisurely outside a cheerful little haven where everything always goes according to plan and nothing unexpected ever happens.”


All Maybell wants is to be liked. Well, secretly, all she actually wants is to be loved, and one of the few times she’s truly felt that way was the summer she spent with her Aunt Violet. When she finds out that her aunt has died and left her the house, it’s obviously a sign for her to leave her dead-end job and move out to the middle of nowhere, right? But things aren’t at all how she expected, and besides the rundown mansion, piles of hoarded as-seen-on-TV goods and overgrown weeds, there’s Wesley, the grumpy and taciturn (and apparently incompetent) gardener. As they’re forced to work together, though, Maybell realizes there’s reasons behind why he acts the way he does, and what seemed like just another in the long string of disasters that is her life might actually be the best thing that ever happened to her.

“The essence of Maybell Parrish is painfully sensitive, and if you touched it, it would retract and try to surrender. For better or worse (and I’ve certainly tried to be anyone but myself), I am a wobbly white flag.”


Maybell was ridiculously (and hilariously) relatable. She’s a good person, but she’s a pushover, and while she’s not exactly happy with her life, she’s used to relying on her daydreams to get her through the day. Her daydream of choice is a coffee shop AU of her own life, complete with a jukebox and baked-on-premises pastries, usually fast-forwarding to the romantic declaration stage. She’s lonely, so lonely that she’ll put up with someone who’s hurt her badly just so that she can have a friend. It’s that loneliness, once she’s practically alone at her aunt’s house, that leads to her constantly reaching out to Wesley, even when she’s convinced he wants nothing to do with her. And, to be honest, it’s hard not to love Wesley, even when he’s being a grumpy boots. This book is exceptionally soft and comfy, so Wesley’s “grumpy” is mostly just taciturn, maybe bordering on rude. I mean, for goodness’ sake, he’s a vegetarian (along with another v-word) who wants to turn the house into an animal sanctuary.

“It’s because I’m a born multitasker,” I rave. “I was born under a Libra moon, probably. Strong as an ox. We Maybells see your You can’t do this and we raise you an It may take me longer, but just watch me.” I raise my glass of lemonade in a toast to myself. “We’re weeds growing out of the cracks in concrete: even when we should have been defeated long ago, you can’t keep us down.”


I’d classify this book as a rom-com, and there are definitely some plot points that are so ridiculous they make zero sense outside of a rom-com. Normally that would be something that would annoy me, but Maybell’s emotions felt so real and immediate that I was completely swept away. I’m not sure I’ve ever had to put a book down before because I was crying so many happy tears, and that happened twice with this book. There’s so many magical moments: the pendant Maybell finds, the evolution of the ballroom mural, Wesley’s Loch Ness monster explanation, the treasure hunt. Just when I thought I couldn’t love those two more together, something else would become my new favorite moment. Both Maybell and Wesley have these ideas of the people they’re supposed to be – more assertive, less anxious – and what they’re supposed to want. But it’s their relationship between the two of them, and how each of them readily accepts all the “flawed” bits, that leads to some self-realizations about who they are and who they want to be. There’s quite a bit of mental health rep in this book – both characters have work to do – and it was handled gently and well.

“At what point did my happy place stop being a dream and start being the person in front of me?”


At what point did my happy place stop being a dream and start being this book in front of me??? Overall, I adored this book, and Sarah Hogle’s officially going on my favorite author list. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I was so excited to read this book after reading Sarah Hogle's first book You Deserve Each Other and I loved Twice Shy so much. It is her best book by far. I read this book in one sitting. It was so adorable and cute and the characters were so endearing. They were the best part of the book. They were so unique and complex. Yes you had the grumpy male character with the sunshine female character, opposites attract trope, but Hogle manages to make our grumpy male charming. Wesley is romantic, supportive, kind, and is a giant cinnamon roll and he struggles to connect with others because he has social anxiety. I am so here for more imperfect romantic leads in romance books. It's realistic and relatable and I love seeing authors writing deeper characters beyond the usual trope.

Highly recommend this book because the fluff factor is off the charts and it is a great read if you want something lighthearted. Hogle has a great sense of humor and her writing reflects that humor in her characters and dialogue. Thank you to Netgalley and Putnam Books for allowing me the opportunity to read and review an eARC for this book in exchange for an honest review.

Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle has a dreamy, first-person voice that carries the story. The romantic arc would have benefitted from getting outside of the MC's limited first-person POV, but otherwise it's an enjoyable, trope-heavy, sweet romance.

Maybell Parish is a dreamer. She spends her days with her head in the clouds, dreaming of her coffee shop and the perfect husband. When her Great-Aunt dies and leaves her a gorgeous house in the heart of Tennessee, she jumps at the chance for something new. But, it turns out she's not the sole inheritor of the house. Instead, she has to share it with grouchy Wesley who isn't too keen on Maybell or her ideas for the house. But, she finds out there's something more behind his guarded stares and frowns and maybe they're not as different as they think.

This book is FULL of the best tropes!! Yes, we have enemies to lovers but we also have grumpy/sunshine AND forced proximity. Maybell was the most amazing main character. Living inside her head was exactly as colorful as her coffee shop. I laughed out loud so many times because of how fun she was! And Wesley, the man of my freaking dreams. His hard exterior was just a shield for the gooeyness inside of him. Once the two opened up, even just as friends, something beautiful came to their relationship. I was hooked from the very first page, just like Sarah Hogle's previous book. It's so easy to fall into the world she creates and it's even easier to want to stay there forever. I absolutely adored the banter and tension in this book and I wish I could have a million more pages of it.

A fun, quirky, romance. You'll enjoy each character and all.od their hangups as their relationship grows while coming together to reach a common ground.

Twice Shy follows Maybell, a woman frustrated by her lack of agency at her job, who inherits a house from her great aunt Violet. Along with the house, she gains piles of Home Shopping Network purchases, massive dust bunnies, and a co-inheritor named Wesley. Watching their relationship develop into friendship and then more was so satisfying. It was beautifully paced and ridiculously sweet. I loved Maybell as our heroine. She is chaotic and creative and full of love. Wesley is a wonderful hero. He is soft and careful, and I love that he has such a big heart. Watching him work through his social anxieties and feelings of inadequacy was so tough but so well-handled. I loved the way they communicated with each other.

The book has a lot of funny moments worked in as a result of good ole great aunt Violet’s meddling from beyond the grave. Learning more about her was so much fun. However, there are also some more touching and poignant moments sprinkled in the story as well. Watching the characters grow and change throughout the story in such a natural way was amazing.

Actual Rating: 3.5, rounded up to 4

Twice Shy is a forced proximity romance, following Maybell Parrish, a quirky daydreamer, and Wesley Koehler, a quiet, standoffish hero. Maybell is stuck in her job as an event coordinator at Around the Mountain Resort & Spa. Maybell is unhappy, and her co-workers treat her poorly. Maybell’s having another bad day at work when she finds out that her great-aunt Violet has passed away, and that Maybell has inherited her estate, Falling Stars. Falling Stars was a kind of safe space for Maybell as a child, but Maybell and Violet didn’t stay close into Maybell’s adulthood. Maybell grieves for her great-aunt and the missed opportunity for them to be close again, but she is happy to return to Falling Stars and sees it as a fresh start. But when Maybell gets there she runs into some unexpected issues, one being Violet’s groundskeeper, Wesley, who seems not to like her very much, and the other, the fact that the Falling Stars in Maybell’s memories doesn’t quite match up to reality.

The book's atmosphere is very unique. We spend the majority of the book on the Falling Stars estate which is a special setting. The house is full of Violet’s collected treasures and secret rooms and hideaways. It’s a very isolated setting, but it was fun to explore and discover along with Maybell and Wesley as they fix up the house and adventure into the lands of Falling Stars. We also spend quite a bit of time in Maybell’s daydreams which consist of a cozy diner where Maybell is happy and doing what she loves.

This book is funny, and a little unconventional, but Hogle is able to deal with big topics like grief, finding one's place in life, and social anxiety, while also making you laugh and taking you on the journey of watching Maybell’s daydreams become reality. The romance is slow burn, but it is so sweet.

I think my only critiques of this novel are the plausibility of certain plot points and the author's decision to only tell this story from Maybell’s point of view. First, there are some coincidences in this book (that I won’t fully explain because of slight spoilers) that pulled me out of the story a little. This isn't a big deal if that’s not something you care about. I will admit that towards the end of the book, these coincidences stopped mattering to me, but when I first encountered them it did take me out of the story. I think this novel really fits as a fluffy escape, so if you don’t overthink things (like I unfortunately do) it really doesn't matter.

My other critique is that I think that this novel could have benefited from also being told in Wesley’s POV. At about the 50% mark, Maybell and Wesley are still avoiding each other and barely talking, and while Maybell and Wesley soon grow close and we get to know Wesley and why it takes him longer to open up to Maybell, not knowing Wesley’s thoughts for the first half of the book made it made it hard to understand him. It almost made it seem like the pacing was off because the characters seemed to be stuck in this routine of Maybell trying to find ways to connect to Wesley and Wesley avoiding her. All of this makes sense towards the end of the book, but I REALLY feel like getting Wesley’s POV from the start would have added to the story. I really enjoyed Wesley’s character, but I feel like I didn’t get to know him until the very end. I’m sure the author has her reasons for only writing in Maybell’s POV but I always feel like dual POV makes a story stronger. I think Wesley's POV would have given his character a chance to stand on his own, without having to only explore his anxiety through his relationship with Maybell.

Twice Shy is a wonderful romance between two very different, but very lovable characters. With it’s distinct setting and fun adventures, the story really stands out. I’d recommend this to anyone who likes the forced proximity trope, likes a slower build with their romance, or likes to see opposites attract.


Actual Rating: 3.5, rounded up to 4

Twice Shy is a forced proximity romance, following Maybell Parrish, a quirky daydreamer, and Wesley Koehler, a quiet, standoffish hero. Maybell is stuck in her job as an event coordinator at Around the Mountain Resort & Spa. Maybell is unhappy, and her co-workers treat her poorly. Maybell’s having another bad day at work when she finds out that her great-aunt Violet has passed away, and that Maybell has inherited her estate, Falling Stars. Falling Stars was a kind of safe space for Maybell as a child, but Maybell and Violet didn’t stay close into Maybell’s adulthood. Maybell grieves for her great-aunt and the missed opportunity for them to be close again, but she is happy to return to Falling Stars and sees it as a fresh start. But when Maybell gets there she runs into some unexpected issues, one being Violet’s groundskeeper, Wesley, who seems not to like her very much, and the other, the fact that the Falling Stars in Maybell’s memories doesn’t quite match up to reality.

The book's atmosphere is very unique. We spend the majority of the book on the Falling Stars estate which is a special setting. The house is full of Violet’s collected treasures and secret rooms and hideaways. It’s a very isolated setting, but it was fun to explore and discover along with Maybell and Wesley as they fix up the house and adventure into the lands of Falling Stars. We also spend quite a bit of time in Maybell’s daydreams which consist of a cozy diner where Maybell is happy and doing what she loves.

This book is funny, and a little unconventional, but Hogle is able to deal with big topics like grief, finding one's place in life, and social anxiety, while also making you laugh and taking you on the journey of watching Maybell’s daydreams become reality. The romance is slow burn, but it is so sweet.

I think my only critiques of this novel are the plausibility of certain plot points and the author's decision to only tell this story from Maybell’s point of view. First, there are some coincidences in this book (that I won’t fully explain because of slight spoilers) that pulled me out of the story a little. This isn't a big deal if that’s not something you care about. I will admit that towards the end of the book, these coincidences stopped mattering to me, but when I first encountered them it did take me out of the story. I think this novel really fits as a fluffy escape, so if you don’t overthink things (like I unfortunately do) it really doesn't matter.

My other critique is that I think that this novel could have benefited from also being told in Wesley’s POV. At about the 50% mark, Maybell and Wesley are still avoiding each other and barely talking, and while Maybell and Wesley soon grow close and we get to know Wesley and why it takes him longer to open up to Maybell, not knowing Wesley’s thoughts for the first half of the book made it made it hard to understand him. It almost made it seem like the pacing was off because the characters seemed to be stuck in this routine of Maybell trying to find ways to connect to Wesley and Wesley avoiding her. All of this makes sense towards the end of the book, but I REALLY feel like getting Wesley’s POV from the start would have added to the story. I really enjoyed Wesley’s character, but I feel like I didn’t get to know him until the very end. I’m sure the author has her reasons for only writing in Maybell’s POV but I always feel like dual POV makes a story stronger. I think Wesley's POV would have given his character a chance to stand on his own, without having to only explore his anxiety through his relationship with Maybell.

Twice Shy is a wonderful romance between two very different, but very lovable characters. With it’s distinct setting and fun adventures, the story really stands out. I’d recommend this to anyone who likes the forced proximity trope, likes a slower build with their romance, or likes to see opposites attract.


*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*