Unfortunately, me and the last few Chloe Liese novels have just not gotten along. I find them boring, and the inner monologuing drags on forever. I didn't understand why Will and Juliet couldn't just be adults and date, so the whole novel didn't really work for me.

Who would have thought that two people, one who swore off love long ago and another who never believed in it in the first place, would have found each other and created a genuine connection?! I mean... every romance reader... but still. It's a popular trope for a reason!

I don't care how many times it's done, but give me two people who promise not to fall in love with each other, and you will find me giggling and kicking my feet when they inevitably do just that.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

[A heartfelt thank you to @berkleyromance and @NetGalley for the #gifted digital ARC of this swoon-worthy final installment in the Wilmont Sisters series. Here’s my honest review.]

After a disastrous engagement to a truly awful ex, Jules Wilmont has sworn off love. Will Orsino, meanwhile, has resigned himself to the idea that love might not be in the cards for him, but he still dreams of finding a life partner to share his family business with. When Jules and Will cross paths (for the second time), they realize they have similar struggles: he’s too shy to make a move, and she’s too afraid to open her heart again. So, they strike up an unconventional deal—four weeks of “romance practice,” with no real strings attached, since their intertwined friend group makes anything serious off-limits. What starts as practice quickly evolves, as their growing emotional connection blurs the lines between make-believe and reality.

This was such a satisfying conclusion to the Wilmont Sisters series! While Jules wasn’t the central character in book one (that spotlight belonged to her twin sister, Bea), it was so rewarding to see her take center stage here. Jules’ journey from heartbreak to healing is beautifully written, and her chemistry with Will is off the charts. From their first conversation, you can sense how perfectly they fit together—they challenge and support each other, hold one another accountable, and have an effortless, playful dynamic that is simply delightful.

Told through dual POVs, this book is quintessential Chloe Liese—packed with complex, vulnerable characters who feel so authentic in their struggles and growth. Liese excels at crafting relationships that are not only romantic but deeply respectful and meaningful. Jules and Will’s story is tender, heartwarming, and full of introspective moments that will resonate with anyone who’s ever been afraid to love again.

Chloe Liese is an auto-buy author for me, and Once Bitten, Twice Shy reminded me exactly why. This is a must-read for fans of slow-burn, deeply emotional romances!

I wasn't ready for this series to be over. I've been sitting on this review for a few days because if I review the book, then I acknowledge that I've finished the book and the series and I don't want to. This one was much quieter and sweeter than the previous books in the series and it was all the better for Juliet's hard earned HEA. I loved it, wholeheartedly.

oh my goodness i loved this one!!!!! i love chloe’s writing and i really enjoyed will & juliet!! i loved both characters and i really enjoyed the concept of this one!!!!
✨friends to lovers
✨golden retriever man !!!!!!
✨she gives him dating lessons!!!!
✨so sweet and cute and cozy
✨neurodivergence/anxiety/chronic illness rep!
thank you so much to chloe liese and to the publishers for the arc copy!

Chloe Liese has once again crafted the perfect romance novel! I adored the first two Wilmot Sisters books and this third novel is no exception. I loved Jules and Will and their beautiful relationship. The way they kept running into each other and it felt like fate was reminiscent of my own love story meeting my spouse, so I absolutely ate it up. The "practice romance" trope is a favorite of mine. I will absolutely be recommending this book to everyone I know and can't wait to have a physical copy! Rereading it will be a guarantee next year!

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.