This book was the sweetest conclusion to this series! I love the Wilmot sisters! Juliet and Will were so so cute and the plot of practicing romance with each other made for such a swoon-worthy story. Juliet who swore off love after experiencing heartbreak and Will who is shy and reserved take a chance on each other through this mutual agreement and go on their journey of faking it until it eventually becomes a love that was real was rewarding to read about and a great ending to this series!🩷

I love the representation in this book!

FMC has a chronic illness ( similar to one I have and I felt very seen) and the MMC is neurodivergent. The characters were so well developed and multifaceted. Some might think that having the main characters have these struggles takes the enjoyment out of reading but I find myself craving authentic characters like this.

I'll admit that I totally forgot this was based off of Twelfth Night until I was reading and thinking about "why is this book so similar to She's The Man." I figured it out and love a good contemporary retelling.

Also hallelujah for no third act break up. Those are the worst and a tired plot device. Not saying these characters didn't hit a bump in the road, but the way it was written was thoroughly enjoyable.

Thanks to the Berkley Influencer Hub for Underrepresented Voices for sharing a copy of this sweet read

3.25⭐️

Cute, heartwarming…but also maybe a bit boring🫣 I feel like Chloe Liese always nails a sweet heartfelt romance in the end, but sometimes I do think that the actual romance & plot of her books falls a bit flat. I love all of the great representation, especially for neurodivergence & chronic illness- I truly think that is THE highlight of her books. But with that being said, I want these characters to have more interesting relationships. I feel like we get the tender moments & even some steamy ones (which I do enjoy) but I also want some tension and angst. Anywho, maybe the author just isn’t for me, but I was really hoping this series could go out with a bang😬

This novel delivers a tender and emotional love story that lingers in your heart long after you’ve turned the last page. The characters are crafted with incredible depth, each carrying their own burdens, dreams, and vulnerabilities that make their journey toward love all the more compelling.

a solid 3.5⭐️ read for me!! I do wonder if I’d read the first two in this standalone series if I would’ve rated it higher!

this is literary sugar, so sweet and sappy and cute 🥹 there were so many moments that I adored these characters and was so proud of the decisions they made. one deals with a chronic illness so she is living in pain, and the other is neurodivergent who deals with anxiety and sensitivity to sensory overload. this book is the opposite of miscommunication, they openly trust each other and discuss what they’re feeling which I found refreshing at first 🤪 then I realized I may enjoy the miscommunication trope more than I thought just bc it adds to the ~drama~ 😂 I loved that our FMC loves reading romance books and has the MMC read some, I wanted more of this!! I would’ve loved to hear more of his thoughts! and there were other moments like this that seemed like they could’ve been explored more. overall a super cute read!!

I've loved this series and OSTS is just as delightful.

I immediately felt my heart melt after seeing just how much Juliet had adored him during their first encounters that when we finally got Will's POV chapter and how he felt so awkward and clumsy. Cuz isn't that LOVE?! Even when you're feeling awkward, your person finds it the most endearing shit they've ever seen. Excellent writing, Chloe!!! From there I just had such a soft spot for both of them. I loved how Juliet's past (from book 1) was acknowledged but didn't hold too much space for it except that her heart was a bit bruised from the experience. My heart absolutely broke for Will that his own heart was bruised from past romantic attempts. I loved their friendship and bond and their pinky promise communication. Side bar but I've come to respect books with (a well done) miscommunication trope because ITS HARD in real life - miscommunication may feel infuriating while you're reading it but acting like we are all healthy communicators is trash. So Will and Juliet having their pinky promise honest communication was the perfect way to ACKNOWLEDGE how we don't always want to be honest (I'm scared, I'm in pain, I'm panicking, I'm FEELING EMOTIONS) but need a reminder that your partner is a safe space for those truths.

It was also wonderful to see Kate and Bea and all the gang again. To wrap up this series quite nicely.

What I didn't love: the chapter where they decide to "practice date" really pulled me out of the story. I know the "I need to get married to inherit my uncles money to save my farm" kind of tropes are SILLY but I felt Will's rationale actually took it to far to not even pretend it was believable. Then the practice dating idea felt like it was trying to hard to align this story with Twelfth Night. Not my favorite chapter at all and perhaps if it was a new-to-me-author this would have been DNF material my eyes were rolling to hard. But I trust in Chloe and am glad I did but this did knock a star off for me.

Another amazing story by Chloe Liese. Her books are always full of heart and put me in my feels in the best way. I thought the audio was so well done. I truly loved the relationship between Juliet and Will, they were so good together.

Tbh, the fake dating seemed a little bit silly - I think they should've just been together for real from the beginning - but I understand the why behind it. The mental health and chronic illness rep were on point as always. I had a great time reading and listening to this one.

4 STARS

Dealing with the fresh sting of heartbreak, Juliet Wilmot runs into Will Orsino—a shy, gentle giant who seems to be a hero ripped straight from Juliet’s Highlander romances. Juliet feels rusty when it comes to romance and Will feels like a beginner bike rider. When they agree to fake dating lessons to learn about romance, little do they know that fake flirting can lead to real feelings.

From awkward thinking thoughts becoming talking thoughts, to the “practice” dates, reading about these two wobbling their way through romantic lessons was hilarious and sweet and heartwarming. Will is a big teddy bear and Juliet is just so deserving of someone obsessed with her (which Will clearly is). I absolutely loved the Wilmot sisters series and this book is a beautiful wrap up of the sisters’ love stories!

Features:
- cinnamon roll FMC and MMC
- friends to lovers
- fake dating
- slow burn
- neurodivergent rep (autism)
- chronic illness rep (celiac disease and mixed connective tissue disorder)

Thank you Berkley for providing an e-arc!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Rounded up from 3.5 stars

Book 3 of The Wilmont Sisters Series follows Jules and Will. They first meet when she is abroad following the end of her engagement and while they share an evening together, they go their separate ways only to find out that they are connected to each other through Christopher, Jules’ lifelong friend and Will’s college friend. What follows is a sweet and tender story, where they each learn how to be in a relationship again, and learn that they want that relationship to be with each other.

I did think that of the 3 books in this series, this was the warmest of the 3, and by that I mean that it just felt so cozy and without too much conflict. I loved seeing their relationship blossom and they were both so kind to one another. I also loved being back with this larger group as a whole. Chloe Liese has a wonderful way of creating characters that are just so dear to me, and that I want to continue seeing in future stories (Bea and Jamie, you’ll always have my heart!)

✔️ Teach Me
✔️ Let's Keep Us a Secret
✔️ Fated Mates
✔️ Opposites Attract
✔️ Retelling

Once Smitten, Twice Shy is the third book in Chloe Liese's Wilmot Sisters series, which are all retellings of Shakespeare's plays. This one is a reimagining of Twelfth Night, which is also one of my favorite of Shakespeare's works.

Jules and Will have a couple of chance meetings. The second one led to them agreeing to practice dating each other. She's recovering from a bad relationship while he is a bad dater.

I'm usually not a "meant to be" trope person for contemporaries but I kinda dug this one. I think it's because the MCs were cheesily charming so it made sense for them to have a quirky origin story.

I loved how they were almost instantly in tune with each other's needs and did their best to make things easier for them. The disability rep was well done here.

Parts of the dialogue were super corny but these guys are corny people so it didn't bother me once I figured that out.

My fave scenes were the group ones where you see the couples from the earlier books.

Overall, this was a charming read - 4⭐️

Steam 🔥🔥
Banter 🗣️🗣️🗣️
Swoon 💕💕💕💕

Juliet has been burned by love and is wary of jumping back into the dating pool. Will is awkward and shy and so he has trouble navigating romance. They meet and end up confiding in each other, deciding to enter into a practice romance to help each other prepare to find love.

Once Smitten, Twice Shy was a sweet and spicy romance brimming with chemistry! There was a great foundation of friendship first making their connection more profound. Both Juliet and Will were likeable characters and so thoughtful with each other. It made my heart swoon! I also appreciated there was no third act breakup!

As a side note I love the beautiful cover! It perfectly depicts Will and Juliet in a scene from the book. The same with the other covers in the series.

Though not my favorite of the Wilmot sisters series, this was a fun one. Juliet and Will meet by chance in Scotland and then again back home, where it turns out that he is one of her good friend's/surrogate brother's good friend's. Due to Juliet's past relationship trauma and Will's neurodivergence, they both feel they need romance practice, so they decide to help each other out. They are attracted to each other but feel they are both off limits because of Will's friendship with Juliet's surrogate brother.

Things I liked: neurodivergence and chronic illness representation; I loved Will as a character; the lack of silly conflict and miscommunication

Things I didn't love: While I liked the lack of manufactured conflict, it kind of felt like not a lot happened. I also find sometimes find the sisters' relationship dynamics a little juvenile and irritating.

3.5 rounded up to a 4 star read.

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a fun-loving time, I did struggle a bit with the pacing and getting into it however, I did enjoy the characters and the overall dynamic, I have always been a huge Chloe Liese fan and I love her ability to write love stories that focus on the couple connecting, their inner struggles, and their overall happiness. She also does a wonderful job including various types of individuals and representing chronic illnesses, disabilities, sexual orientations, mental health issues, etc. in her books!

Fake dating romance with emphasis on mental and physical health. Juliet and Will have a very *adult* relationship, with perfect communication and next-to-no misunderstanding... which was probably why I lost interest halfway through then had to push myself to get back in. No problems, no serious tension--hard to be truly invested. Not my favorite of the Wilmot Sisters trilogy, but it’s decent.

I enjoyed the Bergman Brothers series by this author so I thought I would give this a try. While I appreciate the representation of neurodivergent characters, these are written almost like they’re children and it was painful to get through this. I didn’t understand the need for fake dating and ultimately the story didn’t work for me. I couldn’t get through this and this ended up as a DNF.

Though I hadn't read the first two books in the series when I requested this book, I loved the description. I'm so glad that I read it! It was such a cute story and I love the two main characters - and the other characters are fun as well! A sweet story with none of the tropes that annoy me, I absolutely recommend this story to readers that like a sweet, friends-to-lovers contemporary romance with some spicy scenes!

Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC.

This is the one I was waiting for!!!
The third Wilmot sister finally gets her book. Juliet and Will have a moment in Scotland while Juliet hides and nurses her broken heart. But of course she runs into him again in a hilarious scene in her mom’s greenhouse and of course he is her sister’s boyfriend’s best friend. He needs a partner, she needs to learn to love again. A little fake dating turns into more.
This was by far my favorite book in the series. Juliet is a bit of a mystery in the first two books, but she is my favorite Wilmot sister. Will is also kind and sweet and the best of the MMCs in this series. Chloe Liese really finished this series up strong!

I love that she has ton of representation in her books, especially with medical conditions, but this fell flat. I just didn’t really connect to any of these characters & fake dating is never my favorite trope.

It’s a Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night retelling, which heavily reminded me of the movie She’s The Man, including the mention of Gouda cheese so that aspect I really liked.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Chloe Liese does it again!!💘

Two Wrongs Make a Right is one of my absolute favorite books of all time, and I’ve been obsessed with this series since I first read it. This book had the same wonderful representation and gentle romance as the others and it made me fall in love with Chloe’s writing all over again.

Will was such a sweetheart and it broke my heart that his past experiences made him believe that he wasn’t destined for read love and only made for a contractual marriage. He was so considerate and wonderful and I just wanted to wrap him up in a hug and tell him how valuable he was. My gentle giant 🥺

Juliet was also such a wonderful character and I had been waiting for her book. I loved her strength and loved watching her find her place again after the breakup and all of the disruption in her life. She was such a breath of fresh air and I loved the way she softened Will.

I love how in every book in this series there is the perfect balance of soft light hearted romance and discussion of hard topics. The way nerodivergence and chronic illness was discussed in this book was done with such grace, it felt raw and real and I felt all the emotions as they learned to love themselves while also falling in love with each other.

I also loved the friend group in this book, seeing everyone together and watching Will get introduced to the rowdy bunch was everything to me. I also ADORED seeing Jamie’s character development from book one to now as far as his place in the group. It was such a phenomenal little piece to add for the conclusion of the series. My heart feels so full.

“If you were a veggie,” I tell her, “you’d be a cute-cumber.”
There is so much to love in Once Smitten Twice Shy. Chloe Liese has given readers a modern retelling of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night complete with fake dating, her signature neurodiverse featured characters, and what I would like to now call “communication porn.”


Yeah Right Flirt Gif by Originals
The eldest Wilmot sister finally has her romance and it’s a swoony one, yall! Readers get a first glimpse of Juliet as she comes to terms with her chronic illness while on a getaway to Scotland. It’s there she meets an enigmatic American at a pub. What are the odds that the very same enigmatic man is also the one she happens upon in her mother’s greenhouse that summer?

He dips his head a little, leaning in, and whether he meant to or not, the backs of his knuckles brush against mine. “Some wise woman told me we’d wobble together.”
Will is also an eldest sibling. He’s the reliable one that wants to handle all his family’s problems while also fumbling with his dating life and anxiety that comes with awkwardly flirting with the fairer sex. Juliet also needs to brush off her dating skills after her disastrous breakup with her ex. Naturally, fake dating is the solution that Juliet and Will decide is the best-case scenario. Friends can flirt and go on practice dates with each other, right? What could go wrong?


whiskey gif via tenor
With each casual hangout that inevitably leads to Will and Juliet’s lives becoming more entwined, their fake relationship teeters on that precipice of an actual relationship. This is where the communication porn comes into play. Both Will and Juliet are so cognizant of their needs as well as so careful with the other that it makes for such an emotionally intelligent romance. Chloe Liese, are you listening? I freaking loved Will and Juliet.

It does something to me, to feel like I’ve learned Juliet at lightning speed, that I can already read between the lines of what she means.
Not only does Juliet get Will to read romances and dress up (oh just you wait, readers), but she’s also so secure that she willingly helps Will with his family business without an afterthought. Once Smitten Twice Shy features the most adorkable texting, thoughtful gestures, family hijinks, and every single feel good vibe that you could possibly imagine. I absolutely adored the fact that Will is so emotionally intelligent and thoughtful, the fact that even though Juliet is dealing with not one but two invisible illnesses, she is stalwart in her advocacy for herself, and the fact that both Will and Juliet given each other the grace to fumble and pick themselves back up again.

I am forlorn to say that this is the final installment of the Wilmot Sisters series, but Once Smitten Twice Shy is an ode to all things that are lovely about romance. Don’t feel intimidated about picking it up either, Once Smitten Twice Shy can easily be read as a standalone, although I guarantee that you’ll want to get to know Juliet’s sisters as well.

Out today, Once Smitten Twice Shy is already a top read of 2025 for this Bee.