Actual rating: 4.5 stars
rep: Autism, connective tissue disease, celiac disease and anxiety

I truly adored this one, which honestly comes as no surprise to me, I am a huge Chloe Liese fan. For me she is one of those "If she wrote it, I'll read it authors". I just love how she is able to create characters that feel so genuine, flawed in a human way and deserving of love.
For the start I have loved this series and I really am so happy with how everything tied together. We got the perfect amount of all three sisters together, little glimpses into Bea and Kate's lives, heard for mom and dad in a few family scenes, truly I love this family and how its grown throughout the trilogy.
I think the main thing to note in this book is definitely the romance, I mean yes it is a romance book, but truly this book handled romance and the complexity of it in such a pure way, it really was precious to read about. Juliet has been burned by love recently and decides maybe she needs to put her guards up a little higher and WIll, ugh sweet WIll, this man is the definition of a gentle giant To keep to short, Will doesn't think he's worthy of love, but he is determined to make some sort of arrangement work out. How? He'e not exactly sure but he needs a buisness partner, a wife, to help him take over his family's company. In one may say, a sign of fate, these two keep ending up in each others paths, a few times, and it all seems to fall into place, who better to practice getting back into dating? Juliet needs to be reminded how to flirt and WIll, well he honest needs to learn to to flirt, so they set up "practice" dates with each other, only the dates don't really feel like practice.... and the feelings growing definitely don't... and GOSH It is so sweet to read about!!!
I also absolutely need to note how amazing the representation in this book was. As also Chloe Liese to no stranger to writing books with disabled, neurodivergent and chronic ill main characters and from all the ones I have read by her, it is always a vocal point for me and this book was no exception. As someone that has very similar conditions to Juliet, I truly felt so seen in her, one small example in the book was about not being able to go to a restaurant and order whatever you want because not being able to eat gluten. That truly hit so close to home for me and again just a small example of how much detail and care Chloe Liese puts into writing these characters. I will forever be grateful to be able to read books like hers and see myself truly seen in the books I am reading.

Thank you berkley romance for the gift cope of this book #BerkleyPartner

Oh I adored this book! Juliet and Will were an amazing pair. They had such great chemistry and I really loved the way their story unfolded. This was a fantastic romance that made me happy!

Chloe Liese has done it again. I loved this book with my whole heart. It was exceptional and a lovely conclusion to this little series.

*spoilers* the only reason I gave it four stars is because I found it weird that they got engaged the morning after Jamie and Bea’s wedding, it felt like it encroached on their moment when in book one it was established Bea felt left out sometimes anyways

Chloe Liese hits it out of the park! Once Smitten is a fantastic wrap up on a reimagined Shakespeare, sister trilogy. In my opinion, Chloe Liese is one of the best authors out there for contemporary romance that is neurodivergent and chronic condition inclusive. She is just stellar and has become an author that I can rely on to give me a great story.

Now, about the book itself and its characters. I literally couldn’t stop smiling the entire book. I loved seeing Juliet open herself back up to romance and love after being in an abusive relationship. It showed great strength of character and purpose. I really related to her character as someone who is trying to be brave enough to put herself out there and be vulnerable. One of my favorite quotes from Juliet is, “Because I believe we all deserved the kind of happily ever after that we want. If we’re brave enough to put our true selves out there, we can find someone who wants us for all of that, who wants the same kind of happily ever after, too.” As someone who is also the only single in my group of friends, I related to her being so happy for them, but also sad for herself. There were just so many great moments with Juliet that I really related to.

Will was just the sweetest man in the world. As an autistic person, he struggled with reading nonverbal language and had sensory issues. I loved seeing him and Juliet practice being romantic and being wobbly together. I loved that they took each other's needs into account, but also pushed themselves to go a little bit further for each other.

Just an absolute hug of a book and I highly recommend it.

Tropes: friends to lovers, fake dating/romance practice, inclusive representation

it’s not even a where to begin this one but a how to begin with this one. chloe liese has quickly and rightfully become one of my favorite romance authors in the publishing sphere right now. she excellently crafts queer and disabled identities into her works, showcasing just how truly well and deserving these stories are. and juliet and will’s story takes these pillars and holds them up with such grace and with many tear-jerking moments.

i think i say this with every publication of hers, but this may just be my new favorite chloe liese book. juliet and will are held so dear to my heart, with their life stories fitting so closely to my own. juliet, working through her diagnoses with chronic illness, relearning what she can and cannot do and taking pride in knowing her limits, but never letting her limits make her feel less than. experiencing the differences in her abilities on the daily, where some days she is able to do more with her body, and some days she just needs to rest up. and that regardless of her disabilities, it makes her no less deserving of finding love, if that is what she choses.

there were two scenes specifically with juliet and her disabilities that made me tear up (in a good way!!), one being when she first pulls out the cane she begins using. she doesn’t let her body’s pain and discordance to her plans stop her, she makes it work. she reminds me so much of myself, someone dealing with similar join and chronic pain issues. someone who was worried about using a cane for a long while to assist on the bad days. honestly, juliet’s character gave me the strength i needed to begin looking into a cane for myself again. and that is the power of a story with well written chronic illness. because if it made *me* feel seen, i know i won’t be the only one. i know juliet will bring that same feeling for tens, possibly hundreds of others in the same position. and i think this is, at the core, the real reason why jules’ story may end up being considered my favorite chloe liese book… ever. and that is without counting the beautifully executed romance.

i mean, i haven’t even spoke about juliet or will in the romance context, let alone about the discussions surrounding his neurodivergence. i have so much more to say about their romance, about will and the many many times i had myself kicking my feet, real time updating my friend (who buddy read this with me) about all the silly scenarios, the beautiful lines. my kindle might be half highlighted for this book, because their romance was just so damn sweet. will was so open to learning and trying new things in regards to friendship and to romance. and juliet is just such a trusting person and ensured proper communication between them, despite all her hardships and worries from a previous toxic relationship. we had the chance to see juliet in small bits on the side for her sisters’ romances and i think having her last was beyond worth the payoff to see her heal, to see her open herself up again.

i cannot stress enough how so obvious it was they had strong feelings for each other since the beginning. like prequel beginning. and when you get to a certain conversation!! i think upon a reread you could see exactly what is mentioned in that conversation surrounding love, and more specifically love at first sight. i think a re-read of this book would bring upon even more master craft surrounding their romance’s progression. because you *know* they followed along that exact conversation, unintentionally to them, but most certainly by smart writing. and god!! i cannot say much more without spoiling big portions of the book. please just go pick up this book. actually, go pick up her sisters’ romances first though if you haven’t already. since even though they’re companions but run chronologically.

this whole series is romance that will make you swoon, laugh, cry, and make your heart feel whole. i’m so sad to see this series completed, but i cannot wait for whats next (especially since we just got our next chloe liese book announced today!)

and ps: yes, i am *still* holding out hope for a sapphic romance. please chloe i am begging you over here!!

original review
y'all are going to have to give me a day or so to process all my thoughts before i write my review, because my GOD!!!

rep noted before i forget:
FMC: bisexual, celiac's disease, connective tissue disease (ambulatory cane user)
MMC: ASD (and i want to say a bit on the ace spectrum?? maybe???)

Chloe Liese writes beautiful romances with complex, realistic characters. Juliet and Will are just fun together as they embark on a low-stakes situationship designed to help them both get comfortable with dating. What they have is fake until very real feelings get involved.

Liese has built her reputation on writing inclusive romance with the mindset that everyone who wants a love story should have one. As someone with a connective tissue disease who can’t do everything I want to quite as easily as I could before, I appreciated seeing that representation in Juliet.

I loved reading more about the Wilmot sisters, and thought this one tied the series up beautifully.

This was a sweet read!
I appreciated the carefully done representation, particularly as someone with chronic pain and arthritis.
I do sometimes struggle with the “you are off limits because of a brother-type-figure”. While I can appreciate the complicated dynamics of friendship, I do sometimes disengage a little bit with stories lean on that trope, well intended or not.
But overall it was a very sweet book and I love to watch characters who deserve love find it!

I think this might be my favorite Wilmot sisters book!! As someone with arthritis, it was so nice to see a reflection of things my body is currently going through in Jules. I also LOVE twelfth night and am a shakespeare fan, so all the references were great!!! Will is also so damn adorable, I love his personality and everything he goes through this book. I also struggle with flirting, so man i was right there with you trying to figure out witty replies. I need a new Chloe Liese book ASAP!!!!

Once Smitten, Twice Shy follows Juliet who is the traveler between the three sisters and she's finally coming back to her hometown to try to figure things out. Before she gets back there, she runs into a handsome yet mysterious man in Ireland. The two share a few passionate moments together and it seems like they miss their opportunity but that's not exactly true. In comes Will, Juliet's sister's boyfriend's friend. It's not as complicated as that just sounded but these two immediately have a connection. While they kept their identities secret while aboard, meeting again feels like a reuniting of souls. It's not as intense upon them meeting again but the two agree to help each other.

Juliet decides to tutor Will about relationships and flirting which starts off innocent yet these two can't stop the sparks from flying. While the chemistry is there, these two start off as friends before it becomes clear that their feelings run much deeper. Seeing them slowly but surely fall for each other is just so heartwarming. As with most of Chloe Liese's stories, this book featured multiple different representations including neurodiversity, chronic pain, and celiac disease. Personally, I've never read a romance where a character has celiac's so that was nice to see. It was also so adorable, seeing how Juliet and Will accompanied each other without making it a big deal. It was just so refreshing.

While I'm sad to see the Wilmot Sisters series wrap up, it has me excited about what's next for Chloe Liese. I can only hope her next release is every bit as wonderful as both the Bergman Brothers series and the Wilmot Sisters series have been.

If there is one thing Chloe Liese is going to do, its write the sweetest romances and also do an incredible job at representation at the same time. I have been so excited to read Juliet’s story and was not at all disappointed! I absolutely adored Once Smitten, Twice Shy from beginning to end and it was so fun to be back with the characters in the Wilmot Sisters series!

Juliet’s character was so fun and so Wilmot-sister, I absolutely loved her. I loved her sense of humor, her kindness, and how dedicated she was to healing from her last relationship. The representation of both connective tissue disease and celiac was so well-done!!! Juliet is so caring, loving, and such an enjoyable character to get to know and see grow. I enjoyed her love for romance books and how her personality added so much to the story!!

The representation of autism through Will’s character was so well-written and beautifully done, per usual when it comes to Chloe Liese. I loved the way she handled his struggles with socializing, loud spaces, meeting people both platonically and romantically, and everything in between. I adored Will’s character so much, he was such a sweet, endearing and caring man. I loved his sense of humor, his relationship with his family, and just getting to know him as a whole. Getting to see his character grow throughout the story was so wonderful.

Juliet & Will’s relationship is so heartwarming, fun, cute and made me want to spin around in circles. I absolutely loved their dynamic so much and just how easily they found comfort in each other. I enjoyed the plot line of them helping each other practice romance, then developing into lovers themselves. It was cute, fun and definitely helped increase the overall tension and chemistry these two shared from the very beginning. These two are both so obsessed with each other it makes my heart hurt. I loved them!!!

I will always recommend Chloe Liese’s books to anyone and everyone. I adore her writing, the characters she creates, the representation, and how perfect the love stories are. Highly recommend Once Smitten, Twice Shy!!!

Once Smitten, Twice Shy was an adorable ending to the trilogy. While I don't love the 'practice romance' trope, I love the characters. Juliet and Will are just so cute together. Their chemistry is so sweet. They have adorable moments together that I just loved. The up front acknowledgement of both of their struggles was refreshing. It didn't overwhelm the story but added a degree of reality and representation that I love. An adorable read for any contemporary romance fan.

Chloe Liese-- what you do to our hearts! Featuring a heroine with a chronic illness and a neurodivergent hero, Liese creates a world where these two people are seen and cherished in a way that will inspire so many readers-- please add this one to your shelf!

Will and Juliet come together in a beautiful story featuring love lessons and fake-dating that leads to so much more. Liese creates universes we want to snuggle in and read forever. I'll never forget this one.

This is my favorite Chloe Liese book since Always Only You

I loved Will and Juliet’s story. The way they communicated and trusted each other was so sweet. I love fake dating in general but the way they tried to help each other’s confidence, and then the way they accidentally fell in love, was just perfect.

Chloe Liese will always have a fan in me because of her autism/neurodivergence and chronic illness representation. It’s done with such care that I feel so seen. The fact that Will just casually wears noise cancelling ear plugs and no one judges or questions it is so healing. We don’t officially hear that Will is autistic until about 50% (if I’m remembering correctly) but when we do, there’s no big “you’re autistic?!” shock from Juliet. It’s just a portion of his identity

This was a beautiful finale to the Wilmot sisters stories.

This was so stinking cute! I love Chloe’s writing and this made my heart melt in a puddle. I love Juliet and Wills dynamic and chemistry. It was actual perfection and it made me want to go do a re-read of Chloe’s entire backlist again because I didn’t want to leave her writing. This made me giggle and kick my feet at how cute they were. This book bring so much joy and I think that this would be so encouraging to anyone who wants a cute and really romantic romance.

3.75⭐️ sad to see this series end however!

While Will and Juliet weren’t my favorite, it was still a great read.

Will a socially awkward cinnamon roll, was fantastic. He just wasn’t giving me everything I was looking for. This Scottish gentle giant will research every restaurant he takes you to however because he cares about for food allergies and aversions.

Juliet has a history with a toxic relationship, while this is a standalone I wish the author has went a little more into detail about her last for those who haven’t read the other books in the series. She was very sweet and kind, but I found the characters lacking a little bit of depth for me. While this is sweet and wholesome it just wasn’t giving me what the first two books did.

I was so shocked there was no third act break up, if you e read other Chloe Liese books then you know! The plot started to get a tad repetitive for me, but overall this was a cute read! I’ll definitely continue to read whatever Chloe writes!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, and Berkley publishing for allowing me to read this pre-release in exchange for my honest review.

Once Smitten, Twice Shy is such a sweet and heartwarming book. I was looking forward to reading Juliet’s story after the first book and really enjoyed getting to know her character.

Will and Juliet are precious together. They’re both caring, thoughtful, and likeable characters. I love how they were able to be vulnerable with one another.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Pub for the arc!

The sole reason I selected this from the catalog was that it claimed to be a retelling of Twelfth Night. As an avid Bard Baby, I get excited when a contemporary Shakespeare book starts making the rounds. Unfortunately the similarities they shared were a few names. Even the heroine's middle name referenced a different play. Her first name was Viola but her middle name was Juliet. We couldn't even get yellow socks as a playful cameo. Don't call this a Twelfth Night retelling if you can't do the bare minimum. The characters were painfully awkward and I got secondhand embarrassment. The love scenes were cringe to the max. I had a terrible reading experience and I will not be revisiting this author. It was a double disappointment, both as a romance reader and a Shakespeare fan. The opening chapter was the best part and it was all downhill from there. Even She's the Man did a better job of adapting Shakespeare than this author.

First off let me say that both my husband and I are neurodivergent (my husband specifically being on the spectrum), and I suffer from a chronic condition, so I connected a lot with the MCs in this book. Overall, I really enjoyed this book because it felt very realistic to how dating someone with autism was. The things Will said and did seemed exactly like things my husband would say or do.

I enjoyed the sort-of fake dating trope in this book, but with the little spin of it being practice dating instead of fake dating. I felt like Juliet and WIll were really cute throughout the entire book and them sharing their notes with each other or having do-overs during their dates was adorable.

Honestly, the only thing I didn't like about this book was that it felt like there was a little too much going on...like the author was trying to squeeze too much into their backstories to make them seem like soul mates. They just happened to meet in Scotland only to find out they had so many people in their lives in common back in the states. Had it just been Christopher, I'd have let it go, but then other connection came out and it became a little too much for me.

Also, I went into this not realizing it was the third book in a series. I did not read the first two, but I was fine without them. The book read great as a standalone.

I've been waiting for Juliet to get a happily ever after, and this book did not disappoint. Such a sweet story. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for review.

“I like weird. The world needs more weirdos.”
~~~~
THIS BOOK WAS SOO CUTE!!!!! I absolutely extremely loved every minute of it! The amount of disability inclusion and plot was just amazing! I love the representation! This couple was perfect! I also loved the “fuck it” moment! Ate this book up! 😍😍😍
Yall need to grab this next week! Comes out 1/14!
Thank you @netgalley, @chloe_liese, and @berkleyromance for allowing me to read this as an eARC! Love it!!