Published by Penguin on April 6, 2021
Genres: Fiction, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Contemporary, Women
Pages: 320
Format: eBook
Source: ARC
Goodreads
Can you find real love when you've always got your head in the clouds?
Maybell Parish has always been a dreamer and a hopeless romantic. But living in her own world has long been preferable to dealing with the disappointments of real life. So when Maybell inherits a charming house in the Smokies from her Great-Aunt Violet, she seizes the opportunity to make a fresh start.
Yet when she arrives, it seems her troubles have only just begun. Not only is the house falling apart around her, but she isn't the only inheritor: she has to share everything with Wesley Koehler, the groundskeeper who's as grouchy as he is gorgeous--and it turns out he has a very different vision for the property's future.
Convincing the taciturn Wesley to stop avoiding her and compromise is a task more formidable than the other dying wishes Great-Aunt Violet left behind. But when Maybell uncovers something unexpectedly sweet beneath Wesley's scowls, and as the two slowly begin to let their guard down, they might learn that sometimes the smallest steps outside one's comfort zone can lead to the greatest rewards.
I adored Hogle’s debut novel, You Deserve Each Other, (you can |read my review here|) and was so thrilled to have a chance to read an advanced copy of Twice Shy! I need to start this review by saying, this was a surprisingly emotional read for me. I was very close with my late Great Aunt and Violet’s story and relationship with Maybell hit me square in the chest. For a character that wasn’t physically present, I was so incredibly fond of her but I might… well, I am absolutely biased toward great aunts.
Maybell is delightful! Life has knocked down time and time again but she keeps getting up with a sort of determination that is awe-inspiring.
Working a dead end job, with no real friends, Maybell needs more than a hug and her daydream life. Windfall mansion anyone? Wesley is a secret cinnamon roll hero that does so many sweet under-the-radar things that I just can’t help but swoon a bit.
Not all butterflies, rainbows, comedic frogs, and kisses, Twice Shy also delves into complicated topics ranging from family dynamics (estrangement) to mental health. Anxiety plays such a large role in story that it is almost a character in it’s own right. That said, Hogle handles the topic perfectly, weaving in just enough comedy to break up the discomfort and angst.
Their enemies-to-lovers path is a delight to follow along and root for. I do wish we had a bit more of the relationship to enjoy. What was there was delightful and I’m greedy and want all that sweetness and more.
Verdict? I laughed (a lot), cried (a lot), and swooned enough that Mr. B was raising his eyebrows. Now I desperately want my own fixer-upper mansion to stick my cinnamon-roll hero (pack your bags Mr. B!) in but then I remember being a bed and breakfast requires interacting with hotel guests and… I’m on Wesley’s side with the animal sanctuary. Sorry, Maybell! I highly recommend if you are looking for a lower steam contemporary crammed to bursting with chuckles, heart, and a romance so very sweet.
CW: Anxiety
*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
About Sarah Hogle
Sarah Hogle is a mom of three who enjoys trashy TV and provoking her husband for attention. Her Dream is to live in a falling-apart castle in a forest that is probably cursed. You Deserve Each Other is her debut novel.
loved this so much toooo! she’s such an auto-click/buy author now. – H